Page 47 of Bargaining

I nodded. “Fine. I trust you. You don’t have to turn Reuben away, but he better not make a habit of stopping by. Your family can stay as long as they need. Let me know if you need anything else.”

Chapter 21

Charlotte

Much to my irritation, Cole had chosen the perfect dress. A long, layered Valentino number that gave me a dopamine hit every time I swished the elegant train. I gazed at my reflection in the bedroom mirror while Elain fussed with the delicate veil. My hands felt clammy in the long white-lace gloves. All eyes would be on me walking down the aisle in this next week. Would they buy it? We needed people to see a bride, when all I saw was a fraud.

Elain sighed softly. “Look at you.” Her smile was a little teary. “What a gorgeous pair you make. I’m so happy for you both. Marcia would have loved you. She’d be so thrilled about Cole settling down.”

“Marcia?”

Elain hummed lightly as she smoothed out a crease in the train. “Cole’s mother.”

“Cole doesn’t talk much about his family.”

“Strange.” She fanned the veil back from my face. “They were very close. Marcia lived here.” A sudden smile crossed her lips. “Here. Come with me.”

I followed her out of the bedroom, down a hallway, and into a wood-paneled office. A large walnut desk dominated the room, and bookcases lined the walls. I hung back by the door. “Are we supposed to be in here?”

She beckoned me with her hand. “Cole won’t mind. You know how laid-back he is.”

I spluttered out a laugh. That was one word that would never be associated with Cole in my vocabulary. “Laid-back? Are we talking about the same Cole?”

She chuckled but gave me a curious smile. “He’s very good to us.”

“Seriously?”

“Maybe he’s different in the office. The staff here have no complaints. He treats us all very well.”

Elain pointed to a picture on the wall. A woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties reclined on a sun lounger next to a sparkling swimming pool. A chic white trouser suit wrapped around her tanned, slender frame. But it was the framed watercolor of rolling green hills next to the photo I couldn’t take my eyes from.I did that.

The memory hit me in a rush.Wispy clouds in a bright blue sky. Cole’s lips touching mine for the first time. I’d been high on life that day. High with that naive feeling you have when you’re young that anything is possible. That the world is just waiting for you with open arms.I’d given that picture to Cole the day before he left. He’d kept it all this time?

“Beautiful, wasn’t she?”

Elain’s voice dragged my gaze back to the photo of Cole’s mother. Cat-eye sunglasses perched on her loose golden hair and her glossy lips were parted in a radiant smile. There were three children in the picture. An older boy and girl who must have beenaround nine and a young boy with dark hair and a sullen expression. It was unmistakably a young Cole.

“Yes. Very beautiful.”

Elain gave a wistful sigh. “Marcia was a lovely woman. Very kind and soft. Always generous. If she saw a problem or if someone was in trouble, she would do anything to fix it. That’s where Cole gets it from.”

I couldn’t help my incredulous laugh. “Cole? I’m not sure about that.”

She raised an affronted eyebrow. “Yes. We’re so grateful for him. My grandson, Marco, was a handful growing up, but Cole told us he needed something to focus on. We could never have afforded culinary school without Cole’s help. Now he works for Cole as his personal chef. I don’t know what we would have done without him. He’s changed that boy’s life. And he gives so much to charity.”

“He does?”

She glanced at me in surprise. “He funds all kinds of causes: addiction charities, homeless shelters, and education projects. Most of these places wouldn’t be able to stay open without him. He’s a great philanthropist.”

“Cole? Cole Thorner?” Were we even talking about the same man? Was he paying this woman to say these things?

She looked perplexed. “Yes. Why do you seem so surprised?”

“Because I had no idea. Why doesn’t he tell anyone?”

“I suppose he doesn’t feel the need.”

I returned my attention to the photo, to the two happy children and the glum-looking Cole. “Who is this little girl?”