“She didn’t like the idea of me being married to a housewife either,” Cole said, before doing a double take. “Wait a minute. You guys have us married now?”
“You’re the marrying type, Cole. And I guess the whole town is buzzing about you two. I’ll have to see what Ginger has to say.”
There was no way to reply to that.
But Jessie wasn’t done yet. “What do the girls think?”
“The girls haven’t mentioned it. I don’t think they know.”
“Don’t be so sure. Especially with Angela. She’s not a kid anymore, and she’s probably completely aware of what’s going on. You should talk to them about it.”
“Jessie! Look, this isn’t your business, but maybe Mattie and I aren’t totally clear about what’s going on yet ourselves. Besides, now isn’t the time to bring this up with the kids.”
“Of course not now,” Jessie said, using a tone reminiscent of their mother’s. “I’m just saying you should address it soon. Don’t let things go on forever. That’s all I’m saying.”
“You sound like Mom, Jessie. Look, I’ve got to go. The kids are outside waiting for me.”
Cole stuffed his cell phone into his pocket and headed outside, muttering to himself, “Sheesh.” He knew he had to talk to his kids about Mattie, but he had no idea what to say. Or when. Especially now.
For Pete’s sake, things were getting complicated.
The girls had a head start on him and were just finishing up when his cell phone rang again. This time caller ID surprised him. It was Olivia, and she’d never initiated a call before; he was the one who always had to chase her down.
Hoping she was all right, he hurried to connect the call. “Hi, Liv.”
“Cole.” Her voice sounded stronger than when he’d talked to her yesterday. “I’ve been worried about the girls. How are they?”
He decided it was a good sign—she was reaching out about the kids and not just about herself. “They’re doing all right. Getting back into their routine.”
Both girls were frozen in place, examining him closely. He put his game face on and gave them a slight smile that said, All is well. Holding up a hand, he mouthed, “I’ll be right back,” and rose to go into the house. As he closed the storm door, he looked over his shoulder to see that neither of them looked very happy—Sophie looked sad and Angie was scowling—but it couldn’t be helped. He had no idea how this conversation was going to go, and he didn’t want the girls privy to it if it headed south.
“I hate to wait too long to schedule the visit you mentioned,” Olivia was saying. “I think it would be best to see the girls again soon.”
“That sounds fine, Liv.” As long as he could convince Angie to cooperate, but he’d cross that bridge when he came to it. “Do you feel up to it?”
“I will.” She sighed. “I got overwhelmed, Cole. I’ve been thinking of what you said about small steps.”
Small steps, that’s what Mattie had told him. “And?”
“I’d like to start talking to the kids on the phone, if that’s all right. If it doesn’t upset them, I mean.”
Cole could see Sophie watching him through the glass door. “I think that would be good. We could try it and see.”
“And when you bring the kids here, maybe we could go to the Museum of Natural History. It’s got something of interest for everyone. And … and could you come with us, too?”
She was tiptoeing along, and he felt how hard this was for her. He appreciated her effort. “Sure. Sounds like fun, and I’ve got nothing else to do in Denver to pass the time. When shall we do this?”
“Is two weeks all right, on Saturday?”
He glanced at the calendar. “Looks like we could do it then.”
“Thanks, Cole.” She sounded relieved. “I really want to make this work.”
“Me too. The kids do, too.”
She drew in a deep breath and released it, and he could tell this call had taken a lot out of her. “Do you think the kids would talk to me now?”
He had no doubt their younger daughter would want to, but he’d have to work on the older. “Let me give the phone to Sophie; she’s right outside at the picnic table. Then I’ll see what Angie’s up to.”
“She might not want to talk to me, huh? She was pretty angry when she left.”
Olivia wasn’t born yesterday; she knew the score. “Let me talk to her while you visit with Sophie. I’m sure she’ll come around, but she might need more of a cooling-off period.”
“Okay.” Olivia hesitated. “You’re a good dad, Cole.”
She must be feeling charitable this evening, and it was in the kids’ best interest for him to respond in kind. “I try to be. I’ve always thought you were a good mom, Liv. You’ll get back in the swing of things. Just give it time.”
“Thank you,” she said in a hushed voice.
“Are you ready for Sophie now?”
Another deep breath. “I am.”
Cole went outside, placing his thumb over the speaker on his phone. The kids were watching his every step. “You guys know this is your mom. She wants to talk to you.”
Sophie leapt to her feet and reached for the phone. “Mommy!” she said into the speaker, sounding years younger than her nine-year-old self. But Angela was still frowning. Cole gestured for her to follow him inside, leaving Sophie alone on the deck, happily talking to her mother. “Mom wants to talk to you, too.”
Angie was shaking her head.
“I’m not gonna force you, Angela, but I want you to reconsider. This is the very first time your mom has reached out to you girls, and it took a lot for her to do it.”
Angie looked sulky. “She gets to talk to Sophie.”
“You’re being stubborn.” Cole struggled to maintain an even keel. “We’ve discussed what your mom’s dealing with. You’re not a child anymore, and I know you must understand. It will hurt if you walk away. Not just your mom—it’ll hurt all of us. Even you. Maybe especially you.”
Angie’s face clouded, her eyes misty.
“Your mother’s sorry for what happened, and she couldn’t help it when it did. You need to forgive her and move on. She loves you, and if you’re honest with yourself, you know you love her, too.”
Tears brimmed in her eyes, and for a moment he feared he’d been too forceful. He reached for a tissue to give her. “Just talk to her for a few minutes. Will it hurt to listen to what she has to say?”
She sniffled into the tissue. “I guess not.”
“That’s doing the adult thing, Angie.” Cole put his arm around her shoulders and guided her toward the door. “Let’s go see if Sophie’s ready to hand over the phone and let you get a word in edgewise.”
“Sometimes that’s hard with her.”
Cole chuckled softly, giving her a quick squeeze before moving outside. “Yes, it is. Your little sister can keep up with the best of them.”
* * *
Mattie texted Cole but didn’t receive a reply. He’d mentioned dinner earlier, but since she hadn’t known when she would get off work, she’d declined. Now, after finishing her paperwork, she thought it was too late to show up on his doorstep. With the kids home and his sister there, it didn’t feel right. And at this stage, she was too exhausted to even think, much less have a heart-to-heart talk.
She drove to Crane’s Market and grabbed a chicken salad sandwich from the cooler, some chips, and a knucklebone for Robo before going to the cashier to check out. She was standing in line behind other late-evening shoppers, who mostly carried twelve-packs of beer, when her phone rang. It was Cole. She juggled her purchases and connected the call.