Cole lowered his head and whispered, “What we had was more than sex. More than great sex between two people who are still hot for each other.”
Angie turned and faced Cole. She saw the desire in his eyes as he remembered.
“It was not a booty call,” he whispered in her ear. “It was not a one-night stand. Do I make myself clear?”
“Yes,” she answered hoarsely. Last night had meant something to him, too. He wanted to hold on to their connection. Strengthen it. That was why he was compelled to share something about himself.
She was secretly thrilled but she was still rattled by his revelation. And how long was he willing to share? Until the weekend when the wedding was over? Or was he doing this so they could build something more permanent? Something told her that Cole wouldn’t be able to give an answer.
“And I don’t want to talk about my parents anymore,” Cole said. “They are no longer in my life.”
“Are they in jail?” she asked. “Witness protection?”
His expression hardened. “No. The subject is closed.”
She took a step closer and touched his forearm. She could tell this was difficult for him, but she needed to know. “Just one more question, I promise.”
Cole closed his eyes briefly. “Fine. What is it?”
She wanted to ask why they weren’t in his life anymore. Was it his decision or theirs? She couldn’t imagine Cole doing something unforgivable.
But he wasn’t ready to discuss it. She could see it, sense it. She wanted to know what made him this guarded and cynical.
“Angie?” Angie tensed when she heard Brittany’s voice from across the coffeehouse. She saw the redhead from the corner of her eye. “Hey, Angie.”
She wasn’t going to let Brittany interrupt her. Cole was already regretting telling her. She admitted she hadn’t handled this well and she may not get another opportunity. “Were your parents the personal stuff you were dealing with a year ago?”
A muscle bunched in his jaw. “Yes,” he said in a hiss.
She saw the misery etched in his face. She wished she could soothe him, take the pain away and carry the burden for him. She wanted to protect him from the memories but she didn’t know how.
“Angie...” Brittany approached them, her heels clacking loudly on the floor. “Did you get my email about the changes in the wedding ceremony? You haven’t responded.”
“Sorry. I’ve been a little busy.” She slid her arm around Cole’s and gave him an encouraging squeeze. Lean on me, she wanted to tell him. I’ll take care of this. “But, yes, I saw all six emails this morning.”
“You know you have to respond to all bridal party emails within an hour of receiving them,” Brittany whined. “Those are the rules.”
“Along with not getting pregnant, keeping my hair color and no body modifications like tattoos or piercings,” Angie added. “Believe me, those rules are burned into my brain.”
Brittany crossed her arms and gave Cole a dirty look. “Angie, if I had known you were going to be distracted by a man, I would have also included no dating.”
“That’s my fault,” Cole said, pasting on a polite smile. “When we’re together I demand her full attention.”
“Well, you need to try and restrain yourself for the weekend. The countdown for my wedding has started and I’ve already lost one bridesmaid. I can’t let anything happen to the rest.” Brittany looked at her tiny diamond watch and then at the line. “What is taking so long? My drink is not that difficult to make.”
“You couldn’t find a replacement for Heidi?” Angie asked.
“Not at this late date,” she said with a huff. “It’s so inconvenient. If she had her accident earlier I could have found a substitute.”
“You could have Cheryl step in and do it.” Cole tilted his head toward her assistant, who was waiting at the counter for their drinks.
“Cheryl?” She gave Cole an incredulous look. “No. She’s tiny, blonde and curvy. The other bridesmaids are tall, lean and have black hair. Cheryl would have thrown off the entire color scheme. Anyway, she’s my assistant.”
“Fine, look on the bright side,” Angie said, wishing the line would move faster. “Heidi and Robin were not getting along. You would probably have had to deal with a cat fight on your wedding day.”
“No kidding.” Brittany pressed her hands against her head as if she were getting a headache just thinking about it. “They knew this day had to be perfect but all they cared about was who got to be maid of honor.”