“The change affects the custody of Charlie.” Ryan cast an apologetic look in his direction.
In his direction.
Cole went hot, then cold. He told himself Janae wouldn’t have cut him out of Charlie’s life. And Ty, he’d talked about wanting his son to have a male role model if anything should happen to him.
None of this was making any sense. Not Janae and Ty making changes to their will that would cause Ryan to look at him apologetically. Not Meg being here. And certainly not the feeling which suddenly gripped him and whispered his life was about to be turned upside down.
“What kind of change?” Meg asked, her tone as tightly strung as a guitar string.
“This was a difficult decision for them,” Ryan said. “Not made lightly.”
“Quit talking around it, Ryan.” Cole pinned his friend with his gaze. “Give it to me straight.”
A look of gratitude filled Meg’s eyes for the briefest of seconds before her lids lowered.
Cole scowled. He didn’t want her gratitude. Didn’t want anything except her gone.
Ryan stared down at the paper on the desk then looked up. “You’re not going to like this—”
“Ryan,” Cole growled, his patience depleted.
“Instead of giving sole custody to either one of you—” Ryan spoke quickly “—Janae and Ty decided it would be best if you shared custody.”
Meg gasped.
Cole swore he could hear her heart pounding. Or was that his? Regardless, he must have misunderstood. He cleared his throat. “If who shared custody?”
Ryan met his gaze. “You and Margaret.”
“That’s absurd.” Meg’s green eyes flashed, showing a bit of the spirit he remembered.
“Ryan.” Cole gripped the sides of his chair until his knuckles turned white. “There is no me and Margaret.”
“Their will is very specific on the matter.” The attorney rose to his feet and smiled. “Now that we’ve got that out of the way, can I get either one of you a soda or a bottle of water before we go through the particulars?”
Margaret fought the urge to laugh hysterically. Her entire world had been turned upside down and Ryan wanted to give her a bottle of water?
“Forget the water,” she muttered. “Give me a scotch.”
She wasn’t sure where the words came from. When she drank—which was rarely—she preferred wine over hard liquor.
Cole’s hand dropped to massage his leg. “Make mine a double.”
Ryan’s eyes widened before he chuckled and reached inside a small refrigerator. “Three bottles of water coming right up.”
Share custody with Cole? Was that really what the attorney had said?
Margaret closed her eyes. She had to be dreaming. Other than a nightmare, there could be no other explanation. But when she opened her eyes, Ryan was pushing a cold plastic bottle into her hand and Cole Lassiter still sat beside her.
“Read it again, Ry.” Cole unscrewed the cap on his bottle. “Ty and Janae asked me if I’d raise Charlie if anything should happen to them. That was Labor Day weekend. Not even three months ago. They didn’t mention one word about sharing custody with her.”
Cole jerked a thumb in her direction.
“Well, when they asked me, they never said you’d be in the picture,” Margaret retorted, even as her heart sank. If Cole was telling the truth, his conversation with Janae had been much more recent than hers.
“Children, stop right now. I want us all to take a deep breath.” By the smile tugging at his lips, Ryan appeared more amused than troubled by their reactions. “There are terms and conditions to being appointed Charlie’s guardians. Terms you will need to carefully consider.”
Margaret didn’t need to consider anything. The little boy who’d sobbed in her arms needed her. Not to mention she’d promised Janae and Ty she’d take care of him. And, unlike the man sitting beside her, her word meant something.
Ryan took a sip of his water then gestured for her to do the same.
Although Margaret wasn’t particularly thirsty, she brought the bottle to her lips and let the cool liquid run down her throat. To her surprise, she felt herself relax. This would be okay. Janae had been her friend. She wouldn’t have put Margaret in a bad position.
Cole placed his water on the desk, a look of steely determination in his eyes. “I want to hear the terms, then I want a copy of the will for my attorneys to go over.”
“Oh, my attorneys,” Margaret said in a mocking tone. “If that was an attempt to impress me—or perhaps even scare me—let me tell you right now, it didn’t work.”
His gaze met hers and for a second she recalled what it felt like to drown in those eyes.
“I run a business so I have attorneys.” Cole’s expression darkened. “Trust me, I couldn’t care less if I impress you or not.”
Trust him? Margaret would sooner trust a weasel. But trust him or not, if Cole had an attorney, she’d best get one, too. But while she knew several lawyers in Nebraska, they didn’t deal with custody issues. Hadn’t Lexi said her husband, Nick, was a family-law attorney? “I’d like a copy also. For my attorney to review.”
Cole pressed his lips together and shifted positions.
“I’ll get the papers run off for you,” Ryan said, suddenly all business. “Now about the terms…”
Margaret reached into her bag and retrieved a small notepad and pen. As Ryan read, she took notes. Her horror grew with each additional stipulation. By the time the attorney finished, Margaret was ready to forget the glass of scotch. She needed a whole bottle.
“Let me get this straight.” Margaret spoke slowly and distinctly in an attempt to calm her nerves. “We have to remain in Jackson Hole until the end of the school year?”
Ryan nodded. “Ty and Janae didn’t want Charlie to face any more changes than necessary, at least not initially.”
“But my job and my apartment are in Omaha.” While Margaret had eventually hoped to one day move back to Jackson Hole, the reality was her life was in Nebraska. She could look for another position in Jackson Hole, but she still had four months left on her lease. No way could she incur the expense of moving and pay double rent.
“My company headquarters are based out of Austin, but I’ll relocate to Jackson Hole immediately.” Though Cole spoke to Ryan, he slanted a glance in Margaret’s direction. “No problem.”
Margaret could feel Charlie slipping away and for a second she felt powerless. Then she remembered something her dad used to say—can’t was a word people used when they were unwilling to make sacrifices. Well, that wasn’t her. She straightened in her seat. “I’ll make it work.”
A look of surprise skittered across Cole’s face so quickly she wondered if she’d only imagined it. Nah, he was surprised. He apparently thought she’d roll over and play dead. Well, he’d soon realize she wasn’t that same shy sixteen-year-old whose heart he’d walked over and discarded like yesterday’s trash.
“What happens after the school year ends?” Margaret asked.
“You’re free to relocate back to Nebraska or Texas.” Ryan took another sip of water. “But you’ll continue to share custody. You’d have to make arrangements that will work for you and Charlie.”