Page 7 of Cole's Joy
“Can I ask you a few personal questions?” Cole didn’t waste any time with his questions, nor for her answer. “Are you seeing anyone? Will you be moving to Colorado? If you’re seeing anyone, will they be coming with you? Where will you be living? When you move here, can I ask you out?” He paused only long enough to take a breath, then let it out in a rush. “God, I’m so sorry, I had no right to ask you those questions. Please,forgive me.” He tried to turn away, but she wouldn’t let him. She stopped him by reaching up and grabbing his arm. When he turned to look at her, she wouldn’t speak until he looked her directly in her eyes, then she answered.
“You did nothing wrong. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say we’re about the same age. I can see where some urgency might be in place in order to get some answers. I don’t know about you, but I’m not getting any younger.” When she saw him relax, she nodded, and said with a smile. “No, I am not seeing anyone. After my husband passed, I made my entire life about my business, my daughter, and granddaughter. I never took the time to look.”
“Good, that makes me happy.” Cole smiled at her.
“As for moving to Colorado, I’m still on the fence.” She held up her hand to hold his questions off. “Earlier today, I was sitting here at the cabin wondering what I was even doing here. I knew Broken wasn’t for me. Not like Laurie will be using the place to get mobility in her knee back. Nor what Lorissa will be doing as a farrier. Frankly, I was bored until today. When Erin took us across the street and showed us the space for the farrier, and the greenhouses, along where we would be living, I admit that I got excited.”
“What’s stopping you from committing fully to the move?”
“Logistics, and financially. I want to make sure that I won’t be paying more than I already am. Granted, New York state has astronomical taxes, but I want to make sure that I’m not cutting my nose off to spite my face. I’m not saying I’m a pauper, but I want to make it at least worth my while to pack up my life and move half way across the country.”
“I can understand that. I know you didn’t ask, but I’ve never been married, and have no children that I know of. At least no one’s been knocking on my door saying I’m their father. Just a few months ago, I packed up and moved here from Wyoming.It’s not as far as you coming from New York, but I definitely know what you’re feeling.”
“Thank you, it means a lot that someone knows what I’m going through. As for your other questions, if I move here, Erin has told me that I could have one of the double wide trailers that is on a property across the street. Have you heard of The Old Atherton place?”
“Sort of, when Erin called this morning to tell us about this shin-dig tonight, she told me to ask Ducky about Old Man Atherton. Apparently, there was no love lost between them, and when he died, Atherton, not Ducky, he was still a mean old bastard to his own family. I’m glad Erin was able to keep the land to be used as hay and eventually fields for corn for her horses. I would hate to see apartments and condos that close to the ranch, and ruin the neighborhood.”
“Yeah, I’m glad she got it too. She told me if I decide to come to Colorado with Lorissa, I can stay in a double wide, do anything I wanted to the greenhouses, but she also asked me to help oversee planting the garden and getting enough carrots planted to supply all the horses.” She sucked in her breath when the handsome man before her threw his head back and laughed.
“Yeah, that will be a lot. I may be the ranch manager, but I can get away with no hassles if you need anything, just reach out.” He smiled at her then sighed heavily.
“I’ll be honest here, Lois, I like you. It would bring me joy to get to know you better, but I’m not going to put any pressure on you. Would you mind if I give you my phone number and when you’re back home, if you have any questions about anything, I’m talking ranch life, the community garden we want to put in, the community pantry, or the greenhouses, call me. Or if you just want to call and say, ‘hey’, I’ll talk with you.” He held his breath as he saw the indecision cross her face, but sighed in relief when she looked him directly in the eyes.
“I’d like that.” They exchanged phone numbers, and had to call it a night because Clem approached with Ducky, and Cole could see the older man had outdone himself and looked at Lois. “I look forward to hearing from you. When are you leaving?”
“Tomorrow afternoon. Our flight leaves at three, thankfully it only has one lay-over in Chicago. It will make for a long flight, because even if there aren’t any problems, we’re not due to land until almost ten at night.” She didn’t know if she had to say the next part, but she did anyway. “I’ll be two hours ahead of you.”
“Got it, I’ll try to remember that if I give you a ring.”
“Thank you,” she said, and stepped back when the other two men approached and she watched as both Clem and Cole helped Ducky into the front seat. Cole tipped his hat to her when he walked around the truck, and smiled before he climbed behind the wheel. She stood there and watched until the taillights disappeared over the hill, then turned on a heavy sigh. She hadn’t seen her granddaughter standing there watching her until she caught sight of her and gave a little alarmed sound. “You scared me.”
“Sorry,” Lorissa said as she stepped forward and wrapped her arm around Lois’s. “Can I ask what that was about?”
“Wait until we get inside,” Lois grinned as she helped the remaining couples finish cleaning up from their dinner, and after the last one left, both Gibson women entered the cabin. Lois laughed when Lorissa turned, pointed a finger at her, and said, “Spill the beans.”
Lois looked at her granddaughter with a sly smile. “Nothing to spill.”
“Nana, I’m just looking out for you.” Lorissa tried to whine to get her way, but the look on her grandmother’s face had her backing off with a laugh. “Yeah, that’s not right, I was being nosy.”
“I know,” Lois said with a grin and went down the hall to her bedroom, leaving Lorissa staring after her with a wide grin.
“You go girl,” she whispered as she went up to her own bedroom.
CHAPTER 4
Lois stoodin the middle of her messy living room and gave a startled gasp when someone pounded on her door. She hurried over and instead of looking through the peep-hole, she whipped open the door, and said in shock, “What areyoudoing here?” Standing on her doorstep was none other than Cole Mercury.
Cole grinned at the harried woman before him and thought she couldn’t have been more beautiful than the last time he saw her. “I came out with Carter, and a couple of others to help you guys drive back to Colorado. Laurie and Duane gave me your address, they said they were going to call you.”
“Well, if they did, then I didn’t get the call.” She stood back and motioned for him to enter. “I hate to admit this, but I don’t know where my phone is right now.”
Cole stepped in and looked around in shock. “Can I ask what’s going on here?”
“I’m trying to finish packing before I have Lorissa come over here with her trailer. I don’t know what to get rid of. Oh, don’t get me wrong, I tossed a lot of things already, I’m just down to the nitty gritty as to what to take.”
“Why are you limiting yourself?”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Lois was happy to see him, but not happy for him to see her so frazzled. She invited him into the kitchen and sighed in relief when she saw she hadn’t packed all the coffee mugs yet. “Coffee?”
