Unfortunately, she did have a heart attack in the early hours of the morning. Thankfully, it wasn't a bad one and since everyone acted as quickly as they did, they were able to implement the interventions to minimize the damage to her heart. When I arrived at the hospital, they were taking her into the O.R. to put in a stent. After her procedure was done and she was in recovery, they told us that it was something that will be able to be managed. She's at high risk now because it has happened once already, but her future isn't bleak.
It's manageable and she will still be with us for hopefully many years to come.
When something like this happens, it has a way of affecting every part of your life. Chloe is a happy and healthy little girl, but that doesn't mean accidents can't happen. Our time together can easily be cut short.
If anything, the jarring experience with Iris reminded me how fleeting life is. How time is a thief and how important it is to cherish the time we have with people because tomorrow isn't guaranteed. In the blink of an eye, it can all go away. And one day when we're old, we'll look back and wish we would have had more time than we did.
I wipe a tear away from my cheek, collect myself, and turn the doorknob to the right before slipping into the house. The soft sound of classical music plays from the kitchen and I inhale the scent of something similar to soy sauce coming from the same direction. I kick off my shoes and let my nose lead me to where Chloe and Cole are hovered over the stove.
Chloe has an apron that is far too big for her wrapped around her waist. It looks as if Cole folded it a few times so it wouldn't hang around her feet, creating a tripping hazard. She's wearing a little chef hat and I'm not sure where it came from, but I can't help myself as I smile at the sight of them. Cole's wearing a baseball hat that's backwards on his head and he has an apron of his own tied around his waist.
“What's going on here?”
Chloe whips her head around to look at me, her face lighting up as soon as her eyes settle on me. “Momma!” She exclaims, attempting to climb off the chair. Cole reaches for her, gently setting her down on the floor before she comes barreling at me. I scoop her up, wrapping my arms tightly around her holding her close to me, reveling in her warmth and familiar smell.
I lift my face from her hair and catch Cole watching us with a wistful grin on his face. My heart soars in my chest as my gaze rests on his. He's warm and welcoming, safe and steady. Emotion wells inside of me, the waves crashing against the shore. I'm done keeping him at arms length. I've tried to pretend that Cole Wild isn't deep inside my heart but goddammit, he is.
He's nestled himself inside my ribcage and I'm tired of trying to eradicate him.
“I hope you're hungry,” he says with a smile before turning back to the stove. I hold Chloe in my arms and walk over to him, looking at what appears to be a stir fry in the wok and a pot full of rice. “Chloe said you really like vegetables.”
I stifle a laugh as Chloe giggles in my arms. “I wonder what else she's told you.”
“Nothing bad,” he tells me with a wink before finishing up the food. I head over to the dining room table, finding that he already has three places set for us. I set Chloe down, helping her to take off her apron, but she insists on wearing the hat as she sits down in her seat. Cole walks over, setting everything in the center of the table before he heads back into the kitchen once more to grab a pitcher of water.
Making sure Chloe can't reach any of the hot stuff, I follow him over to the counter and he almost runs into me, water sloshing over the edges of the pitcher as he turns around to face me. “Hey darlin’,” he breathes, a smile pulling on his lips.
“Hey cowboy,” I say, smiling back at him. Without another word, I slide my hands around the back of his neck, pulling his face down to mine. His lips brush against my mouth, stealing the air from my lungs as he kisses me with a tenderness that pulls at my heartstrings. There's nothing rushed about the way his lips move with mine. It's like he has all the time in the world...
All the time for me.
“What was that for?” He says breathlessly as we break apart. His eyes are hopeful as they search mine with an intensity that seeps into my bone marrow.
I shrug, feeling the heat creep up my neck. “I just wanted to kiss you.”
“Well,” he says, his lips pressing against mine before he pulls away again. “You can kiss me anytime you want.”
“Okay,” I whisper as the corners of my lips lift in the slightest.
“Well, this is interesting.”
My stomach drops. I forgot Wyatt was stopping by before heading home.
Cole’s arms don’t leave my waist as he looks past me at my brother. “Hey Wyatt.”
“Wild,” he says with a tense tone. I move in Cole’s arms, turning to face my brother. He stares at the two of us, his eyes drifting between Cole and I before settling on Cole’s face. “El, can you give us a minute?”
I slowly pull away from Cole, my gaze moving to his face and then back to my brother’s. “Sure. Chloe and I will be waiting for you two at the table.”
I grab another plate and set of silverware before disappearing into the dining room. I strain my ears, trying to hear whatever my brother and Cole are talking about, but I can’t. I know I’ll have to wait until later to find out what was said between the two of them.
That is, as long as my brother doesn’t chase him away.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
COLE
Wyatt steps deeper into the kitchen, stopping directly in front of me as he backs up to the counter and leans against it. He’s silent, studying me as if he’s trying to measure what has changed between us.
