“Absolutely not,” Cole echoed.
She exchanged a glance with Cole. She’d never thought this day would come. They finally agreed on something.
“I don’t know what happened between the two of you back in high school—”
“Let it go, Ry—” Cole growled.
“—and frankly I don’t care.” A tiny muscle in Ryan’s jaw jumped. “That little boy survived a crash that killed both of his parents. Creating the best possible environment for him to get through this difficult time should take priority over your personal feelings toward each other.”
“The house is big enough,” Cole murmured as if he was actually considering having her move in with him.
Meg’s heart pounded in her ears. She couldn’t imagine spending one night in the same house as Cole, much less days or, gulp, weeks.
“I have a place to stay.” She spoke quickly, the words tumbling out one after the other as her panic grew. “Charlie can stay with me until—” Meg gestured with one hand toward Cole “—he recovers.”
“No.” Cole shook his head and his jaw jutted out. “Not happening.”
Their momentary truce had taken a sharp detour south.
“Margaret.” This time it was her turn to be on the receiving end of the attorney’s unyielding gaze. “You said you hadn’t found an apartment yet. I got the distinct impression money was a major factor.”
“Travis and Mary Karen told me I could move in with them.” She forced some enthusiasm into her voice. It wasn’t easy.
Meg knew if she moved into her brother and sister-in-law’s home, Charlie would have an unending supply of playmates. But would he be swallowed up in the chaos? Would she be able to get to know him? To help him heal? Still, to move in with Cole…
She shivered.
“I know Travis and Mary Karen,” Ryan said slowly, appearing to choose his words carefully. “They’re great people and wonderful parents. But they have five children under the age of seven. Do you really think that’s the best environment for Charlie right now?”
Meg had been prepared to argue until he asked the very question that had been troubling her. Still, she couldn’t bring herself to say no. She settled for a shrug.
“I’m not suggesting that the two of you live together permanently,” Ryan began.
“Thank God,” Cole said.
“Just give it a couple months.” The attorney fixed his gaze on Cole. “By then you’ll each be in a position to care for Charlie on your own or—”
Ryan paused to take a sip of coffee.
“Or?” Meg prompted.
“Or you’ll have killed each other.”
The bistro on Scott Lane was crowded with playhouse patrons enjoying post-performance chocolate and espresso while listening to live jazz.
Thankfully, Jackson Hole embraced casual, so Meg didn’t feel out of place in her jeans and sweater.
“Are you absolutely sure this is what you want to do?” Travis’s eyes were dark with concern.
When her brother had asked her to run into town with him to have some dessert and coffee as a thank-you for the fabulous meal she’d prepared for his family, Meg had immediately agreed.
Since she’d arrived in Jackson last week, she and Travis hadn’t had much alone time. His wife must have sensed this, because she’d insisted she wanted to stay home and encouraged Travis to take his sister out.
Meg had been excited, thinking how good it would be to have one-on-one time with her brother. She’d never considered he might want to revisit her decision to move in with Cole.
“Mary Karen and I would love to have you and Charlie stay with us.” Travis’s hazel eyes—so like her own—shone with sincerity. “We don’t want you to live with Cole because you feel you don’t have other options. Because you do. Have other options, I mean.”
Meg let her gaze linger on his handsome face. Though his sandy-colored hair was much lighter than hers and he’d inherited a tendency to freckle that she’d somehow managed to escape, their features proclaimed them as brother and sister. It wasn’t until Meg had returned to Jackson Hole that she realized how much she’d missed him.
He was only a year older than her, and when their parents had passed away, it had been the two of them—working as a team—who’d kept the family together.
“Margaret,” he said when she didn’t answer, pushing his chipotle chocolate pudding to the side and covering her hand with his. “I don’t know what happened between you and Cole back in high school but I do know that he hurt you.”
“That was a long time ago.” Meg took a dainty bite of the French macaroon, preferring to focus on the delicious morsel rather than on the past.
Travis’s eyes burned with a protective fire. “Are you saying you’ve settled things with him?”
Meg didn’t want to lie to her brother, but if she said no, she already knew what would happen. He’d insist she stay with him.
Not that she didn’t love Travis and adore his wife and children, but after spending the past few days in his household, she’d concluded Ryan was right. With one set of six-year-old twin boys, a four-year-old boy and a set of one-year-old twins, her brother’s household was very busy. Okay, to a woman used to living alone, it was chaotic. Which meant it was way too crazy for an only child grieving the death of his parents.
“It was high school, Trav.” Margaret forced a laugh and waved a dismissive hand. “It’d be pretty sad if I was still holding on to something that happened fifteen years ago. We were just kids.”
Travis’s eyes searched hers. “If you’re sure…”
“Have you ever known me to hold a grudge?” Meg kept her tone light, hoping to dispel the clouds of doubt lingering in her brother’s eyes.
The words nearly got caught in her throat but it was worth the effort it took to spit them out when the lines of tension around his eyes eased.
“If he’s anything like he used to be, Cole is a good man.” As if he’d suddenly rediscovered his appetite, Travis dipped his spoon back into the chocolate pudding he’d been ignoring. “I played ball with him back in high school. He was one of the guys who went out of his way to be nice to Chip.”
“Chip” was Christopher Stone, a boy with Down syndrome and one of their classmates. He’d been the student assistant for the football and basketball teams during their high school years.
It didn’t surprise Meg that Cole had treated Chip the same as he’d treated any other hard- working member of the team. Was that admiration she was feeling? She pushed the feeling aside.
“Whatever happened to Chip?” Meg hadn’t thought of her former classmate in years.
“He’s a bagger at Hinky Dinky. Appears to enjoy the work.” Travis returned the greeting of a very pregnant young woman and her cowboy husband before returning his attention to Meg. “I want to help you move tomorrow. I have surgery in the morning but I can reschedule my afternoon appointments.”
“I appreciate the offer, Trav, but all I have is a couple of suitcases.” It was true. Even if it wasn’t, Travis had done so much for her already. Not only had he opened his home to her, he’d hooked her up with Lexi’s attorney husband, Nick, who’d given her free legal advice.