Belle was their Bernese mountain dog and the first indoor pet the kids had ever been allowed. Olivia had established a strict no-pets-in-the-house policy, but after she left, Cole had decided that was one of her rules that should be reconsidered. Belle loved all of her new family, but she had a special connection with the youngest member.
“I miss her, too.”
Done. He hoped he’d soothed her enough to carry her over until Jessie could arrive. “Are you feeling better now? Can you stop crying and help Angie pack your things?”
“Okay.” Her voice was shaky, but she sounded like she was beginning to hold it together. “What do we tell Mom?”
“I’ll talk to Mom. Just tell her you love her and you’ll be back to see her later, okay?”
“Okay.”
“Call me if you want to talk again, Sophie. Will you do that?” He waited for her to agree. “Let me talk to your sister now.”
A quick check in with Mattie told him she was brushing tears from her eyes, looking out the passenger’s side window and trying to hide it. When Angie came back on the phone, he summed up the plan and told her he would call her back as soon as he talked to her aunt. “Are you okay now, Angie?”
She released a sigh in an audible huff. “I guess so, Dad. It just makes me mad. Sophie has been looking forward to this for a month!”
“I know it’s frustrating, and I know your mom has been looking forward to your visit, too. I’ll talk to her. I can’t help but think she’s doing the best she can. Try not to be mad at her, okay?”
“Her best isn’t good enough.”
Cole could see the distress on Mattie’s face. She suffered when his kids did—there was no doubt about it. It was one of the things he loved about her. “Take it easy, Angel. Be careful what you say. Remember that you don’t want to say anything hurtful right now in anger. We’ll talk it through when you get home. Better yet, we’ll talk it over this evening. And I’ll call you back after I make plans with Aunt Jessie.”
They said their goodbyes, and Cole disconnected the call while his eyes connected with Mattie’s. She looked like she’d been through the wringer. His own temper flared. “Damn it. I thought Olivia could handle a visit with her daughters.”
“From what you’ve said, she thought she could, too.”
He’d been able to keep his anger under control while talking to the kids, but now he couldn’t help letting it out. “I’m all for the kids having a relationship with their mom, but not if it hurts them. I won’t let that happen again.”
Mattie nodded as she averted her eyes and looked out the windshield. “I know. I know you can’t let the kids get hurt. But, well …”
Cole looked at her and could see she was trying to organize her thoughts. It was so easy for her to withdraw from family stress and conflict, and it was important for him to know what she was thinking. “What, Mattie? I want to know what you think. In your line of work, I’m sure you’ve had experience with families that struggle with these kinds of issues.”
“Not to mention my own family.” Mattie tipped him a sideways glance. “I’ve told you I’ve been getting therapy to work on issues from my childhood. One of the things we talk about is my feelings about being abandoned by my mother. It dredges up all kinds of bad emotions, like feeling unloved or unwanted.”
“I know that can happen when parents leave their children. I’m doing the best I can to assure the kids that their mother loves them, but Olivia isn’t helping much. She isn’t pulling her weight in that arena.”
“Yes, it seems that way. But what if she bit off more than she could chew, Cole? I mean … a week with the kids is a big first step. My therapist and I talk about taking small steps toward building relationships. I think you’re on the right track when you said you could take the kids up for a short weekend visit or even for only a day at first. Surely Olivia could handle that.”
Cole reacted to her logic by trying to cool down. He took a breath. “You’re right. When Sophie cries like that, I can’t help but get mad.”
Mattie’s expression was full of empathy. “I know. Me too.”
“I’d better call Jessie and see what she’s got planned for the rest of the day.” He gave Mattie a grimace as he told his system to dial his sister. He felt relieved when she answered right away.
“Hey, Cole. What’s up?”
After greeting her, he explained the situation. “Is there any way you can go get the kids and let them spend the night with you? I’ll come up this evening to get them or maybe tomorrow morning.”
“Sure, I could do that. Is Olivia okay with this plan?”
“It doesn’t matter. As far as I’m concerned, the visit’s over.”
“I think maybe Olivia should have a say in this, too.”
His temper prodded, Cole frowned. His sister, the attorney—she loved the role of devil’s advocate. “I’ll call her and let her know what’s going on, but with the kids so upset, I’m not willing for them to stay there any longer than they have to.”
“All right, Cole. You don’t have to get all bent out of shape. I’ll go get them.”
Sheesh—finally. “Thanks, Jessie. I owe you one.”
“I like the sound of that. Hey, I’ve got an even better idea. I’ll take a few days off and bring the kids down myself. Then you’ll owe me big time.”
Cole felt a weight lift from his shoulders. The thought of planning a trip while helping the Hartmans with their animal care as well as taking care of his own had become overwhelming, especially under the added burden of fatigue. “I will owe you big time. I appreciate it, Jessie.”
“I’ll pick the girls up and we’ll head down to Timber Creek tonight. Then you can help me deal with the aftermath of their shortened visit.”
“Sounds great. Send me a text when you leave Denver, and remind the girls that they can call me if they want to talk. And thanks, Jessie.”
“You can thank me later when I call in that big favor you owe me.”
They said their goodbyes, and then Cole signed off. When he looked at Mattie, she gave him a soft smile.
“It’s nice to have a sister to help out when you need her,” she said.
“Yes, but I hate to think what she’ll be asking me to do for her in the future.” He knew how much family meant to Mattie, and he knew how the losses she’d suffered hurt her. “You’re right. I’m lucky to have Jessie. Okay, now for the hard call. I need to talk to Olivia. I’m going to take it off speaker so I can really focus. Is that okay with you?”
“Of course it is.” She sent him a teasing smile. “As a cop, I need to tell you that hands-free is safer, but using your phone isn’t illegal, so go for it.”
He had to admit it would be easier if Mattie couldn’t hear his half of this next conversation, but he didn’t have time to put it off. He turned off the Bluetooth connection and dialed Olivia. When she didn’t answer, he disconnected and redialed.
She answered on his third try, and she sounded sleepy. “What is it, Cole?”
Her terse greeting triggered his temper again. He forced himself to give a civil reply. “Thanks for picking up the phone, Liv. Were you asleep?”
“I was taking a nap. What do you need?”
Cole drew a breath, fighting to stay in control. How to proceed? Well, he might as well just get down to it. He reminded himself to stay as neutral as possible, something his own family counselor had taught him. “I got a phone call from the kids. They say you’ve been spending a lot of time in your room. They were upset, Liv.”