Break In Two (35 page)

On Monday morning at 9 am sharp, Janet's assistant put a call through to her office, "It's a Cole Mitchell,
he said it is about your sister, Claire."

Janet put down her pen, "Really? I have a few things to say to him. Put him through."

A moment later the phone clicked and she was on the line with Cole, "Janet Hatley speaking," she answered with a distinct edge in her tone.

"Janet, it's Cole Mitchell calling. I'm so sorry to disturb you at work. I promised Claire I wouldn't try to contact her and I had to know if she's okay."

Janet had been pissed right off at Cole until she heard his voice. He sounded so worried that now her anger dissolved into pity. He had just taken all the fun out of being mean to him.

"Hi Cole, she's not too great actually."

She heard him sigh heavily on the other end of the line, "Right. I guess that makes sense. I just had to know if she was safe. All this time, I assumed she made it to your place but then tonight a horrible thought occurred to me that maybe she hadn't made it and that you wouldn't have known she was coming even. I can't believe I didn't think about that possibility before."

"She made it here two weeks ago," Janet replied, not sure how much she should say, "What time is it there, anyway?"

"Two am," his voice was quiet and thick with emotion.

"Can't sleep either? Claire's having the same problem."

"Is she eating at least? She wasn't eating at all the days before she left."

Janet was annoyed that he wasn't giving her a reason to lay into him, "Not really. She seems to have replaced food with booze for now."

"Oh shit. I am so sorry," he said, "I can't believe how badly I fucked this all up. I keep replaying the last two weeks before she left in my head, wishing I could change so much of it."

"Well, you were dealt a rough hand, but you definitely didn't play your cards right either."

"Oh, I know I didn't. I don't think I'll ever stop regretting that. I just can't stand the thought of her being angry at me."

"She's not angry with you. If she was, it would actually be a lot easier for her to move on."

"Janet, I would do just about anything to make this better for her. I just wish there was
something
I could do."

"If I could think of anything, I'd tell you. But not contacting her is a good plan. It would be much harder for her to hear you like this, sounding all considerate. I don't think I'll tell her you called."

"Thanks, Janet, I appreciate it. I would hate to make things any harder for her than I already have. I just needed to know if she was okay. I'm sorry to have bothered you at work. I'll let you go."

'Okay, good-bye, Cole."

"Good-bye, Janet....Janet, wait. Please take care of her."

"I will, Cole. You take care too."

"Thanks."

Cole hung up the phone, wishing he could stay on the line with Janet a little longer, to somehow have some connection to Claire. He wandered over to the window. It was snowing out and the moon's reflection on the fresh snow lit up the night, giving the sky a reddish glow. He watched the snowflakes falling softly on his deck, his heart breaking. He stood there for a long time and then resolved to find a way to help Claire.

*              *              *

On Wednesday morning, the day before Thanksgiving, Janet and Ted got up early to catch a flight to New York. They had booked the trip to visit Ted's family for the holiday several weeks earlier. They had planned to surprise Claire in Colorado as well, but now were staying on in Syracuse, New York for a few extra days. Claire got up to see them off, having not slept again.

"You look like shit, Claire," Ted said, giving her a hug. "You have got to get out and have some fun. And for God's sake, eat something."

"Thanks Ted, but I already know how I look," she replied. There were dark circles under her eyes and her face looked gaunt and pale, her hair hung down limply around her shoulders, needing to be washed.

"Are you sure you are going to be okay on your own?" Janet asked, giving Ted a dirty look, "You really are welcome to come with us or I could easily stay home."

"Thank you but I'll be fine, I promise. You should definitely go, you haven't been across the pond for a while and I need to stay. I'm not in any condition to go visiting people right now."

Janet gave her a concerned look, "I could just stay here and feed you all day for the next several days."

"I'll eat. I'll eat. I promise. Just go already so you don't miss your flight," Claire replied giving her a big hug.

*              *              *

Later that day, Claire wandered around the house, looking for something to do. An unbearable loneliness had set in as soon as her sister and Ted had left. She took a shower and then decided to find ways to keep busy. She had already cleaned out the fridge, washed the floors and put away her laundry. She decided to walk down to the grocery store, buying some fresh buns and the ingredients to make a minestrone for supper so she could have leftovers for a few days. The cold weather made her want soup.

Her cell phone buzzed just as she was unlocking the door to the townhouse. She dropped her keys and the grocery bags on the counter, then dug her cell phone out of her coat pocket, swiping the screen to read the text. She felt the breath leave her body. It was a message from Cole, but it wasn't for her.

It read, "
Hey babe, last night was terrific. Can't wait to see what you have planned for tonight...
"

*              *              *

Cole sat in his office, his heart pounding. He was immediately filled with regret upon pressing send. It had taken him two days to decide to go ahead with his plan, hoping it would help Claire to move on without him. It was all he could do not to call her right then and tell her why he sent it. He sat at his desk, his eyes trained on his cell phone in front of him. He hated playing games and this seemed like an awful one to him. His fingers drummed restlessly on his knee as he watched and waited for some response.

*              *              *

Claire sat on a stool at the kitchen counter, draining the last drop from the bottle of wine she had opened an hour earlier. She stared at the message for the fiftieth time since she had arrived home. The wine was numbing the pain by now and her initial shock had turned to rage. She could picture him, sitting at his desk, smiling smugly to himself that he was going to get laid again tonight.

She hit reply and tried to draft a message back that would cut him to the core. Coming up blank, she put her phone down on the counter and picked up the bag of buns she had bought earlier. She pulled one out of the bag and slowly ripped off tiny pieces, eating them one at a time. She weighed her options carefully. She could call him over and over again until he picked up, then scream and swear at him. That would certainly feel good and would hopefully ruin his day. But it would be completely devoid of dignity, so that was out. She could go to a bar, pick up some random guy and pretend to pocket dial him while they made out - too obvious. She could take the high road and do nothing, which would feel like shit for now, but would make her proud later. Fuck that.

Claire's mind raced,
'If only Janet was here. She would know how to play this. Fucking hell. How the fuck could he move on so quickly? He's an asshole, just like the rest of them. Fuck Cole. Fuck Gabriela. Fuck Antonio. Fuck them all.'

She picked up her cell phone again and typed a reply,
"I see you and Gabriela are making it work. Congratulations. Maybe don't rub it in my fucking face though. Delete my number from your contacts. It's Claire, by the way, in case you forgot who I am."

She read it over a couple of times. "Fuck him," she said as she pressed send. She turned her phone off and went to her room to put on her cosiest pyjamas. She added a fluffy bathrobe and pink fuzzy socks for good measure and then went back to the kitchen to make her soup.

The next two days Claire neither showered, nor dressed. She had taken to sleeping on the couch and left the TV on all day and night to keep her company. She drank wine from the moment she woke up until she passed out at night. No reply came from Cole, which didn't surprise her. Part of her burned with anger at his thoughtlessness and but a tiny part knew he would feel very bad about sending that text to the wrong woman. She hoped she had managed to wreck his Thanksgiving. He had moved on within a few days of her leaving and it hurt like hell. Everything that they had said and done together, the promises they made, the dreams they had, she herself, meant nothing to him. He was back in Colorado with his new little family and she was an ocean away devastated and utterly alone.

The third morning, Claire woke up with a splitting headache and an aching body from laying around so much. Her eyes refused to open completely as she tried to focus on the clock across the room. She walked down the hall, feeling a little off-balance as she moved slowly to the bathroom. When she got there, she flicked on the light and stood for a moment with her eyes closed, preparing herself to see her own reflection. Finally she opened her eyes to see a pale, thin face with sunken eyes and greasy, matted hair. She hardly recognized the woman she saw in the mirror. How could she have let herself spiral down so far?

"You done?" she asked the woman staring back at her.

She knew she had to stop feeling sorry for herself. It was time to let go and move on, to find her strength. She couldn't let losing a man destroy her like this. So what if he was with Gabriela already? Big fucking deal. There were people in the world with much worse problems. She had survived losing her parents as a teenager, she had started her life over twice in six months, and somewhere inside that pathetic looking woman was someone strong and sexy and vibrant.

Claire stripped off her pyjamas and stepped into the shower. She stood under the spray of hot water for a long time, washing away her self-pity along with the vile build up she had accumulated over the past forty-eight hours. Thirty minutes later, she was clearing out all the empty wine bottles and cleaning up her mess. She wouldn't sit around wallowing for another minute. She needed to be productive, useful, and find a purpose to her life.

Back in Colorado, Gabriela was in her cabin, folding laundry on the couch with the TV on in front of her. Tomas was playing on a blanket near her. She realized that up to now Cole had been the one making all the moves to be named legal father of Tomas and that she should have been trying to push things forward as quickly as she could. If the paperwork was all said and done before Trey got back, there would be a better chance that she could convince him to stay quiet about the
ir one night stand.

Colorado - Eighteen Months Earlier

It had happened three days before she went back home to Brazil and was one of the reasons that she had left. Cole was out on a cattle drive for a week and she was feeling miserable and bored to tears. Trey invited her out with a group of his friends for a pub crawl. She decided to go along, thinking Cole wouldn't mind if she was out with his younger cousin. Trey's friend picked them up on his way into town and they met up with a large group, going from nightclub to nightclub, dancing and drinking heavily.

Trey kept a careful eye on Gabriela, fending off the advances of the many men that hoped they would have a chance to take her home that night. As the evening wore on, Gabriela started to get a little thrill from Trey watching over her. By the time they reached the third bar, the pair found themselves pressed together on the crowded dance floor. What had started out as innocent fun, turned quickly into a dangerous flirtation.

When Trey's friend had dropped them off back at the ranch, he grabbed Trey's arm before he got out of the car, "Buddy, you better cool it with your cousin's girlfriend before you both do something you'll regret."

Trey brushed it off, "What? Her? Don't worry about it man, she's like a sister to me." He stumbled out of the car after Gabriela.

She turned to him as the car pulled away, "Walk me home, my big, strong bodyguard."

Trey stared at her for a moment, weaving from side to side a little, "Oh, you are trouble."

Gabriela gave him a sexy smile, "You have no idea."

When they reached the door to Cole's cabin, Gabriela unlocked it and pulled him inside by his shirt, "I think I will turn you into a man tonight."

"Gabriela, it's not my first time," he said.

"But I'm your first real woman. Those little girls you've been with don't know what they are doing," she replied, taking his t-shirt off over his head and undoing his jeans.

Thinking better of it, he stopped her from taking his pants off. She raised an eyebrow at his attempt to resist her, sliding the straps of her dress down and allowing it to fall to the floor. She stood in front of him in her lacy bra and panties, and high heels giving him a sultry look. She was excited by the challenge he presented her. Reaching behind her, she took off her bra, revealing her perky breasts.

Trey grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him, kissing her with pent up lust. Gabriela pulled away and crossed the room to the couch, sitting down and stretching her arms out to the sides. She stared at him, her lips curling into a little smile.

"Get undressed," she told him in her thick accent, as she crossed one long leg over the other slowly. She watched as he pulled his boots off, then his jeans and underwear in one frenzied move. He stood naked before her, with an eager look on his face and his cock pointing straight ahead. He crossed the room and all but lunged at her breasts with his hands. She spread her legs out wide for him as he groped her wildly and sucked on her nipples.

Gabriela pushed him off of her and for one moment, Trey thought she was about to kick him out. Instead, she flipped herself around on the couch, propping herself up on her knees, lightly placing one hand on the back of the couch and sticking her ass up in the air for him. She pulled her panties to the side with one hand and rubbed herself as she looked back at him.

"You can fuck me now," she ordered.

Trey was more than happy to comply, leaning over her and guiding himself into her pussy with one quick thrust of his hips. He had never seen a woman so sexy, so in command of herself. The girls he had been with before had been willing but unsure of themselves. Gabriela knew what she wanted and how to get it. He watched her from behind as he fucked her. He could feel her fingers pressing against his cock as she pushed her ass up toward him. It didn't take long before he came inside her. It was fast and it was fun while it lasted, but the second it was over, they were both filled guilt. Even though they were quite drunk, they both knew how wrong what they had just done was. Trey got dressed quickly and left, mumbling a good-bye to her.

The next morning, he tried to look casual as he walked over to Cole's cabin, hoping no one would see him. Gabriela ushered him through the door with a look of concern. She had spent the last few hours trying to figure out how to spin this. She had no idea if Trey had told anyone yet. The past several weeks, she had grown increasingly bored and lonely and had wanted to leave. Her time with Cole was never supposed to be more than a sexy adventure before she settled down with Evandro. She never intended to stay so long. This wasn't how she wanted to leave Cole but it was too late now. Gabriela knew when she saw the look on Trey's face that she would need to get out of Colorado as fast as possible.

Trey was a complete wreck. He looked both lovesick and guilty as hell. They talked for a long time, Trey confessing that he had been in love with her for months now and Gabriela dismissing it as a meaningless crush. He was insisting on telling Cole the truth so that he and Gabriela could be together. Gabriela finally had to get mean in order to get through to him. She told him that he meant nothing to her and that he was going to ruin his life if he told anyone, especially Cole. She told him she had booked a flight back home and would be leaving the next day.

She left as she said she would, inventing the story about her dad's heart attack to help soften the blow to Cole. She cared about him and didn't want to hurt him more than she had to. Trey had emailed her regularly for a few weeks, suggesting that he come and visit her. In the end, she had called him to tell him that she was getting married and that their time together was fun but it would never be anything more than a one-night stand. Before she decided to bring Tomas to the U.S., she had searched him on Facebook, planning to contact him. He didn't have his own account but she saw that he had been tagged in some photos at a frat party in San Diego and knew he would be out of the way for the time being.

*              *              *

Now as Gabriela sat on her couch putting Tomas's little onesies and tiny socks into the laundry basket, her stomach churned at what lay ahead. She knew it had been a huge risk coming back here and that there was a good chance that Trey would come clean about their night together. She would have to work fast in order to make sure he kept his mouth shut. So far her plan had worked better than she could have hoped. If she could get to Trey first, she would be able to convince him that she and Cole belonged together. Surely he wouldn't want to give up his freedom and education to become a father, especially at the risk of ruining his relationship with Cole and the rest of their family.

Gabriela hadn't realized what she had when she and Cole were together. She had been arrogant, thinking that good, honest men were easy to find. Now that she was a mother, her perspective had changed entirely and she knew without a doubt that a man like Cole was exceedingly rare. He was kind, smart and tender, in addition to being incredibly hot. He was also going places, turning this ranch into a thriving business. Gabriela wouldn't take Cole for granted again. She knew that what he had offered her the first time around had been love at its best. She would do whatever it took to get him back and keep him with her, even if it meant living away from her home and family. He was worth it.