Cole's Christmas Wish (5 page)

Closing her eyes, Rachel tried to rationalize a way she could
gracefully decline. She could use the Andrew excuse he’d just given her, but
honestly, based on the happenings that morning, she felt fairly sure the
majority of Andrew’s vacation would be claimed by work.

She could just say no. Simply state the prospect made her
uncomfortable. Oh, God. This was...unthinkable. Her chest tightened with
pressure and her throat closed. She so didn’t want to do this, didn’t want to
help Cole—a man she’d once hoped would be
her
man—romance another woman into marrying him.

So, yes, she could say no.
Should
say no. But she’d left him once before when he’d needed her. Had taken off due
to fear and complications and a host of other issues she’d never fully
explained. Issues she still didn’t completely understand herself. She’d hurt
him. Heck, she’d hurt
them...
not only what might
have been, but their friendship.

No
. She wouldn’t do that again.
Despite how difficult this might be, she couldn’t turn her back on his plea. In
that second, in no more than a single beat of her heart, Rachel gave in and
accepted her fate. Fully, this time. Cole Foster and Rachel Merriday were
friends. Forever friends.

“Okay, then.” Opening her eyes, she infused cheery and merry
into her tone with all of her might. “Let’s see what we can do about getting you
engaged. We’ll call it—” she paused, took in a gulp of air to center herself
“—my Christmas present to you.”

He came to her then, hugged her so hard that she lost the rest
of her breath. “Thank you,” he whispered, the warmth of his body easing into
hers. “I couldn’t do this without you.”

Merry freaking Christmas, indeed.

Chapter Four

T
he second Cole returned to work that
afternoon, he phoned his mother. With Rachel’s agreement in place, bringing his
family into the picture became even more crucial. Fortunately, getting the
entire Foster clan together on short notice hadn’t proved difficult. One small
hint regarding his current personal dilemma had sufficed.

In no time at all, his mother had arranged a late dinner at
Foster’s Pub and Grill, set for after the evening rush had ended. When Margaret
Foster summoned her family, they came. No questions asked. Short of a local or
national emergency, anyway.

Dinner had progressed smoothly enough, as Cole had kept the
conversation firmly in the casual zone. Once the plates had been cleared and
dessert served, unable to ignore the questioning glances from his mother and
father any longer, he cleared his throat and dived in.

“So,” he said, “Rachel’s in town. She arrived yesterday.”

“Is that so?” Margaret asked with a small smile. “And how is
Rachel?”

“Good. She’s...good.” Dang. This was going to be harder than
he’d thought. “She brought a man with her. His name is Andrew and—” Cole cleared
his throat again. “She mentioned that he might be thinking of proposing.
I’m...ah...not too keen on that idea, actually.”

“Is that so?” his mom said again. “Why would that be?”

Five pairs of eyes regarded him curiously. A few of the gazes
held amusement, as if they already knew Cole’s answer. Hell. Maybe they did.

“She barely knows him, for one thing.”

“Uh-huh. Any other reason?”

He was going to have to say it. He’d known that coming in, but
that didn’t make the prospect any easier to choke down. “I’m in love with her,”
he half growled. “That’s why.”

No one spoke for all of ten seconds. Then, “Is that so?” asked
Cole’s father, Paul, repeating his wife’s words in an amused tone. “Can’t say
that’s headlining news, son. We’ve known your feelings for Rachel for quite a
while.”

Cole shook his head in mild exasperation, not really surprised.
When had he ever been able to keep anything from his family? Not very often, and
never for very long. “Well, in that case, maybe the rest of this will go
easier.”

“The rest of what?” asked Reid, the eldest sibling. He, Cole
knew, would be the hardest to convince. Reid followed the rules, all of them,
whether the rules made a lick of sense or not.

“The rest of what I have to tell you.” At this point, Cole
paused and sized up his family. He figured his best shot resided in Haley. His
sister was a romantic, so convincing her shouldn’t be overly difficult. Even
better, getting her on board would be a two-for-one deal, as Dylan—the middle
brother—tended to side with Haley in most matters.

This was important. For decisions that required the entire
family’s input, the Fosters followed the majority-vote-wins concept. Haley plus
Dylan plus Cole was half of the battle won. Then, he’d only need to pull over
his mother or father. It would likely be his mother, but with Paul Foster, you
never could say for sure.

“It’s like this,” Cole said, focusing on Haley. “I believe that
Rachel might have...similar feelings for me. I can’t let her marry another man
without finding out if I’m right. But Rachel is stubborn and...well, to
counteract that, I did something. And now I need help to see it through.”

Cole continued on, explaining what had occurred at the Beanery,
and then earlier that day at the picnic. Haley’s mouth softened into a gooey
smile the longer he talked, which was a positive sign, while Reid’s hardened
into an uncompromising frown, which wasn’t. Though, Cole hadn’t expected
anything else from his never-color-outside-of-the-lines big brother.

What he didn’t say, or even broach upon, was his lingering
concerns over Rachel’s ability to commit, or his back-and-forth thoughts and
feelings regarding her departure after his accident. Neither topic was up for
public debate. They were issues for he and Rachel alone to discuss.

And they would, one way or another. Doing so was an integral
part of his plan, just as important as discerning her feelings and determining
if they could have the future he envisioned. But he had to proceed slowly,
carefully. And he had to start somewhere.

Not one member of his family interrupted him as he spoke. He
supposed they were balancing his words with what they knew about him, about
Rachel. By the time he finished, his throat felt parched and heat had gathered
on the back of his neck. He loved his family. He’d relied on them throughout the
worst moments of his life. He trusted them.

But damn if this didn’t feel as if he’d just stripped naked in
front of them. Difficult, yes. Also, though, humbling and far too revealing for
his peace of his mind.

“That’s everything,” Cole said to break the silence. Rather
than their earlier amusement, his family now appeared disconcerted—if not
downright shocked—by all he’d had to say. Well, that was fair. He’d dodged their
questions regarding Rachel for years, and now, seemingly out of the blue, he’d
made his feelings plain
and
had asked for their
help. In one fell swoop, even.

“Let me ascertain I understand you,” said Cole’s father, his
expression stern and serious. “You love Rachel, Rachel is here with another man,
she now believes you’re in love with a local gal, and along with all of that,
you’ve elicited Rachel’s agreement to assist you in convincing this other
woman—a woman who doesn’t exist, I might add—into accepting a marriage
proposal?” He paused, drew in a breath. “Is that about right?”

When his dad looked at him in just that way, Cole felt about
five years old. Still, he managed to keep his voice calm and collected when he
said, “Yes. That’s right.”

“Okay, then.” Paul’s steady brown eyes never left Cole’s.
“That’s quite the plan you’ve arrived at here. It’s creative, if nothing else.”
He paused again, as if considering the dilemma. “I’m assuming you’ve already
thought through other possibilities?”

“Well, of course he has, Paul,” Margaret Foster inserted. “Cole
never does anything without thinking every possible option through. You know
that as well as I do.”

“Now, Margaret, our son is asking us to lie to a woman we all
like,” his dad said in that patient, authoritative way of his. “I think a few
questions are in order before we agree.”

“I am not in favor of lying to anyone, particularly to Rachel,”
Reid said, his words clipped and distinct. “Really, what were you thinking? You
want to have a relationship with this woman, right? Why would you head down that
path by misleading her?”

“Oh, stop. We don’t have to lie to Rachel.” Haley wrinkled her
nose at Reid. “Weren’t you listening? She isn’t supposed to ask about the
girlfriend, and even if she does, all we have to say is, ‘No comment. Cole asked
us not to discuss this subject.’ Which he did. So, no lies necessary. Geez, pay
attention.”

“Avoiding the truth is still a lie, Haley,” Reid said, as set
in his ways as ever. “You adore Rachel, consider her a friend, and you’re okay
with deceiving her? You truly don’t see a problem with doing so?”

“Rachel
is
my friend,” Haley said
quietly but with conviction. “And if the end result is my friend and my brother
being happy together, then yes, I’m okay with this. I’ve always thought they’d
make a terrific couple.” Narrowing her eyes, Haley pointed at Reid. “You have,
too, for that matter. You’ve said so! Stop being such a...a...stick in the
mud.”

“Yes,” Reid said drily, “being an honest person equates to
being a stick in the mud.” Giving up on their sister, Reid shoved his fingers
through his short, cropped hair and aimed his gaze at Cole. “You’re playing with
fire. Even if this initially pans out how you hope, what will happen when Rachel
discovers the truth? Have you considered that?”

“Yup,” Cole said, striving for an easy, nonchalant tone. Not so
simple when he held the same concerns his brother had just expressed. “I have,
and I don’t know, and you’re right. But the plan is in motion. It seems to be
working. The best I can do is keep moving forward. But I need your help.” He
swung his gaze around the table, including his entire family. “I need everyone’s
help. I wouldn’t ask if this wasn’t important to me.”

“I get that it’s important,” Reid said stubbornly. “But there
has to be a better solution.”

“There isn’t. Not at this juncture,” Cole said, just as
stubbornly. The two brothers stared at each other in silence for a few seconds,
neither willing to give in. It was, Cole reflected, almost the same as staring
into a mirror. All of the Foster siblings resembled each other, but Cole and
Reid looked the most alike, sharing the same coal-black hair and deep brown
eyes.

Conversely, Haley and Dylan had their mother’s warm brown
hair—complete with reddish highlights, which Dylan hated—and sage-green eyes.
While their mother had a petite, curvaceous figure and tended to work hard to
keep the pounds off, all four siblings had taken after their father in that
respect, having tall, lean frames and a kick-butt metabolism.

“There is always a better solution.” The muscle in Reid’s cheek
twitched, clearly stating how annoyed he was by the entire prospect. “You just
haven’t thought of it yet.”

“Maybe you’re right, but I’m going with this,” Cole said. “I
won’t let anything get out of hand, and I won’t hurt her. Trust me in that
regard, at least.”

“I do trust you. And I know you would never purposely hurt
anyone, let alone Rachel.” Reid pushed out an exasperated breath. “I’m also
concerned about
you
getting hurt. You’ve gone
through enough, and I just don’t see how this can possibly end well.”

“It might not,” Cole admitted. Pressure descended on his
shoulders, reminding him once again of everything that was at stake. The truth
was, though, “I’m willing to risk the possibility.”

Suddenly, even though he hadn’t expected to get Reid’s
approval, he wanted it. And though he knew better, though he knew that bringing
up the one and only woman Reid had ever loved was hitting below the belt, he
couldn’t seem to stop himself once the idea took hold.

“What if a simple ‘avoidance of the truth’ had kept Daisy in
Steamboat Springs?” Cole asked, hating himself for poking at this wound. “You
two would be married now, would probably have children. Can you honestly sit
there and tell me that you wouldn’t have gone the exact same route as I’m
suggesting if it would have made a difference?”

“Cole!” their mother said loudly. “What happened with Reid and
Daisy is between them, and has nothing to do with you and Rachel, or why we’re
here tonight.”

“It’s a fair question.” The cords in Reid’s neck tightened, but
his voice was firm and even. Controlled. “An ‘avoidance of the truth’ is exactly
what sent Daisy running on our wedding day. So, to answer—yes, Cole, I can sit
here and tell you that I would not follow the path you’re suggesting. Under
any
circumstance. I already know where it
leads.”

Whoa. As far as Cole knew, Daisy had simply gotten cold feet at
the last moment. Obviously, there was more to the story. Curiosity and concern
for his brother rose up, but he squashed it down. If Reid hadn’t shared the
details before, then it was unlikely he would now. Later, though, Cole promised
himself, he’d dig in and see what information he could find.

“I’m sorry,” he said instead. “I shouldn’t have brought Daisy
into this.”

Reid gave a stiff nod, but didn’t say anything else. Lost in
the past, Cole presumed. A past that Cole shouldn’t have tried to use to his
advantage. Great. Some brother he was.

Dylan, who up until now had remained quiet, said, “This is
getting us nowhere. It’s a simple matter, really. Cole never asks for our help.
Ever. He has, and that alone is enough to sway me.” He shrugged. “For what it’s
worth, I’m in.”

“I feel the same.” Haley pushed her chair closer to Reid and
rested her head on his shoulder. “But if Reid is that uncomfortable with this,
then maybe we—”

“No. Don’t worry about me. It’s...it’s fine,” Reid interjected
in the same controlled, even manner as before. At everyone’s look of surprise,
he grinned halfheartedly. “Dylan’s right. Cole never asks for anything from any
of us. I’ll go along and hope—” he tugged on their sister’s hair “—for a
positive result. Besides which, someone needs to get on grandbaby duty before
Mom starts arranging our marriages.”

“Why, I would never—” Margaret broke off as everyone burst into
laughter. She sighed. “Grandbabies would be nice. Seeing my children happy and
settled would be nicer. And from a woman’s perspective, I find Cole’s idea holds
a touch of romance, which appeals to me. So, with that said, and with Reid,
Haley and Dylan’s agreements, I’ll do my part.” She squeezed her husband’s arm.
“What do you say, Paul?”

The patriarch of the family gave his wife a sidelong glance. “I
have to echo Reid’s earlier statement—beginning a relationship with subterfuge
is risky. However—”

“Now, Paul—”

“However,”
Cole’s father continued,
“a man is apt to crush the sides of the box when he falls in love, if he thinks
it will help. I certainly did. My goal will be to stay clear of Rachel until
this mess is over with, but if I were to run into her—I’ll play along. Just
don’t take this too far out of bounds, Cole. Emotions are involved. Not only
yours, but Rachel’s.”

“I won’t and I know.” That was one thing he didn’t need
reminding of. Cole swallowed past the lump that had manifested in his throat. He
had just received something that rarely occurred within the Foster ranks: a
unanimous vote. “Thank you.”

The words were meant for everyone, but he looked at Reid as he
spoke them. Learning that his by-the-book brother had skirted outside the rules
once and, if Cole were to follow the path of logic, had lost Daisy as a result
had stunned him. It also helped him understand Reid a bit more than before, gave
him some insight into what made him tick.