“A month, maybe two?”Lesley quizzed, praying it wouldn’t be any more time than that.“A girl likes to know these things.”
He kissed the tip of her nose.“By summer for sure.”
“Summer,” she gasped, doing her best to disguise her disappointment.“Cole,” she said softly, not looking at him as she spoke, “would it be so unreasonable to leave the past buried and go on with our lives?”
“Yes,” he answered forcefully.“The hearing for the appeal is scheduled the second week in January.Let’s decide what to do after that?”
“Okay,” she agreed.Maybe she was being selfish, but their future was together and she hated these separations.“Would you like me to fix you something to eat?”
“I’m starved,” he answered.“I can’t remember the last time I ate.”
“Honestly, Cole, sometimes I think we’d better get married now just so I’ll be around to take care of you.”
“Now, that’s a thought.”But he was teasing, and they both knew it.
She rose from his lap and looked through the refrigerator for something to cook.“How does bacon and eggs sound?”
“Marvelous,” he answered on the tail of a yawn.“I’m going to lie down for a few minutes.”
Lesley watched as he stretched out on the sofa and closed his eyes.She recognized that he was almost instantly asleep and wondered how long it’d been since he’d seen a bed.Gently she closed the refrigerator: there was no need to cook anything.Fifteen minutes later she spread a thick blanket over him and lovingly brushed the hair from his forehead.He looked almost childlike in slumber.Her lips lightly brushed over his as she turned out the lights and tiptoed into her own room.
“It’s beautiful,” Terry breathed in awe as she examined Lesley’s ring.“I bet you were surprised.”
Terry didn’t know the half of it.“I was.”
“It’s too bad Cole had to leave so soon.”
“So soon” was right.Lesley awoke Christmas morning to find a message on her kitchen table.He had to get back to Detroit, and after checking with the airlines he’d found the only available space was on a flight that left at eight that morning.He signed the note with his love and the promise that they would spend every Christmas the rest of their lives together.
The engagement ring felt awkward on her hand the first few days, but Lesley soon discovered that having it meant more to her than any gift she’d ever had.At least she had some physical evidence of Cole’s love and commitment to her.
“Did he have any news about the patent decision?”Terry asked anxiously.
“We should know something the second week in January.Pray, Terry,” Lesley pleaded.“The sooner this thing is settled, the sooner Cole and I can get on with our lives.”
Never had the days of January dragged so laboriously.Lesley waited and waited.Then the decision came when she’d least expected to hear.
On January 15, Lesley was at her desk at the bank when Charlotte Lewis told her there was a call for her on line two.
“Lesley Brown,” she answered in her efficient business tone.
“The appeal was denied.”Cole announced in a flat voice that didn’t disguise his frustration.
“No,” she whispered as the meaning of what he was saying hit.“Oh, Cole.”Lesley could feel the defeat and anger in his voice.But it was over, at last, and they could accept that and go on from there.“I know it’s small compensation now, but at least you have the satisfaction of knowing the air bag you invented will save thousands of lives.”
“Lesley, don’t feed me platitudes.Not now.”
She breathed in deeply.“What do you want me to say?”
There was a savage note to his voice.“I don’t know.”
“When will I see you again?”
He sucked in a ragged breath.“Let me sort things out here and I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay.I’m sorry things didn’t go well.I love you,” she whispered for his ears alone.
“Some days that’s the only thing that keeps me going.”
