Page 39 of Gentle Persuasion

“How many can you spare?” he teased, and bent down and stole one more kiss before she shooed him to the table with her spatula.

“Well!” Morgan finally managed to say. “It’s amazing what a good night’s sleep will do for a man.”

Cole grinned but declined to comment. Debbie blushed lightly, but kept her chin tilted at a proud, nearly defiant angle. There was no shame in her heart. Only joy.

Cole managed to eat without making a total fool of himself. He neatly dodged Buddy’s attempt to tease him and ignored his father’s prodding comments. Thank God for years of police work and this poker face, he thought.

The phone rang. To save himself the indignity of ignoring his father’s last question regarding his intentions and Debbie’s good name, he jumped up and answered it before its second ring.

“Case! Hi, man!” And then Cole grinned broadly. “Is this call what I think it is?” He whooped. “That’s great! They’re all right here. Wait a minute. I’ll put Dad on.”

“Grandpa, it’s for you.”

Morgan let out an echoing whoop as he hurried to answer the phone. “Hi, Case,” he yelled. “Oh sorry, guess I was a little loud. I’m just excited. A man doesn’t become a grandfather every day. What do we have? A boy or a girl?”

He turned and mouthed to the trio behind him. It’s a boy!

Buddy celebrated by swiping one last droplet of syrup and rushed to take his turn at the phone. He thought he just might like being an uncle, especially since it would be a long-distance relationship that would not require changing diapers and the like.

“Lily had a baby!” Cole grinned as he turned to Debbie.

And then the smile slipped off his face to be replaced with instant shock. He’d just remembered last night…and the pool.

“My God!” He shook.

“What’s wrong?” she asked. His behavior was more than strange. “Nothing’s wrong with Lily or the baby? Please, Cole, tell me what’s—”

“Last night. I didn’t…we should have…”

Relief washed over her. “It’s all right,” she said, instantly cognizant of his panic. Her voice was barely past a whisper as she caught his face in her hands and pulled him down to her level. “I’m protected. You won’t be caught in that trap, mister, not by me.” Her tone of voice was almost bitter and full of sarcasm.

He pulled back and threaded his fingers through her hair, holding her in place as his harsh whisper made her blush with shame. “A child—our child—wouldn’t be a trap, lady. And I was only thinking of you. Not me.”

She shrugged and blinked back tears. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded, Cole. I guess that’s an old brand I’ve carried a bit too long.”

He frowned as the tears sparkled behind her gaze. “I don’t understand, honey.”

“I know you don’t,” she said. “But while I was growing up, every time my parents had a fight, my existence became a major issue. I was probably about twelve before it dawned on me that I came along before their wedding.”

“Well, hell,” Cole muttered, and pulled her against him, pressing her face against his heartbeat. It made him hurt to think of Debbie trying to live down someone else’s shame. “It’s no big deal, you know. I wish they were still alive, girl. I’d like to thank them for putting the cart before the horse, so to speak. I’d hate to think of my world without you in it.”

She tried to smile past the tears but never made it. They spilled over and ran silently down her face.

“What’s wrong with Debbie?” Morgan asked. He’d relinquished the phone to Buddy and then suddenly became aware of the fact that everyone else wasn’t shouting for joy.

Cole answered without looking up. “You know how women are, Dad. She’s just happy.”

Morgan wrapped them both in his arms. “It’s been so long since we’ve had a woman on the place, I’d forgotten that little trick.” He grinned and hugged them tightly. “From the greeting you two gave each other this morning, it looks like I’m about to get a refresher course on it. All I can say is this has been one of the happiest days of my life. I got a grandson and another daughter handed to me.”

Cole’s eyebrows rose. His smile was lopsided as he stared his father straight in the face and tried not to sound too sarcastic as he said, “Well, Dad, it looks like you have everything all figured out. When you get the details in place, let Debbie and me know what’s happening.”

Debbie kicked Cole lightly in the shins and then ignored his gasp of pain.

“What did they name the baby?” she asked.

She knew that, with Cole, commitment did not automatically follow the act of love. That he felt deeply for her was an obvious given. He might even love her. But he’d said nothing to her. And when she heard it, it must be from his lips first. She didn’t want his father pressuring him into something he wasn’t ready to face.

“Oh! Right! A name! Buddy, give me the phone. I forgot to ask.”

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