Read Coda Books 06 - Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding (MM) for Free Online Page A

was choosing to make it now. It undoubtedly involved Grace, but he didn’t want to talk about it, and pushing him would get me nowhere. Besides, for the moment he was smiling and happy, and I had no desire to change that.
    I kissed the side of his head. “You’re impossible.”
    “I know, but you find it endearing, so it all works out perfectly, doesn’t it?”
    “I suppose it does.”
    Eventually my father and Grace joined us. They sat at the kitchen table, and we drank wine and talked about the trips Cole had planned for us. We were back on safe ground again, even if it did feel a bit tense. It wasn’t until hours later that things began to disintegrate again. We were just finishing dinner, and Cole was giving Grace a rundown of all the places we’d been through the course of the year.
    “Why so many?” she asked.
    “Why not?”
    She laughed. “You can’t hold still, can you? You’re just like your father.”
    It wasn’t an accusation. Her tone was light and conversational, but the light seemed to go out of Cole’s eyes. His smile turned wooden. “I don’t think I’m anything like Father.”
    “Honey, if that’s true, then what are we doing here? Why else would we have to fly halfway around the world to spend Christmas together?”
    “Most people like to travel.”
    “I suppose. Then again, most people don’t have your money, do they? It cost an arm and a leg to get here.”
    Cole slowly set his fork down as if he was afraid to keep it in his hand. He didn’t glance up again, but kept his eyes on his utensils when he answered. “I suppose I should have offered to pay your airfare.”
    “Well, it was awfully short notice. If I’d had more time to plan—”
    “Bullshit!” I said. I knew exactly how much money she received from him each month. I also knew how quickly she burned through it. It wasn’t as if she was draining him dry, but her cavalier attitude pissed me off. “He gives you plenty of money. It’s not his fault you can’t manage to hang on to any of it from one month to the next.”
    She blinked at me, surprised at my sudden attack. “I’ve never asked for a penny more. Not once.”
    “You’ve never asked for a penny less either, have you?”
    “Jon,” Cole said quietly, but I didn’t turn to him. I continued to glare at her across the table, waiting for an answer.
    She touched the diamond necklace she wore—not the one Cole had given her, I noticed—and closed her eyes as if contemplating her next move. When she opened them again, she looked at Cole. “It’s true that all this time, I’ve continued to think of it as your father’s money rather than yours. If you need to give me less—”
    “No,” Cole said to her. “It’s fine.” He glanced at me sideways rather than turn to face me. “Jon, stop. Please.”
    I slumped in defeat. I wanted to defend him, but in doing so, I was making things harder for him. I held up my hands in surrender, but I didn’t apologize to her. I wouldn’t go that far.
    Cole sat up straight to face Grace and let his hair fall away from his face. “Next year, we’ll stay in the States if you like.”
    She was still watching me, probably waiting for another argument. It was my father who spoke. “We might want to stay in Phoenix by that time anyway. After all, you might be parents by then. Trust me, traveling with a child isn’t as easy as you might think.”
    “Don’t be silly,” Grace said, picking up her wine glass. “That’s what nannies are for!”
    “There won’t be any nannies,” Cole said, his tone sharp enough to draw blood. “I’m not going through the heartache of adopting a child just so somebody else can raise him.”
    “I see.” She set the glass back down. She put her fingers on the base and swirled it in small circles. She kept her eyes on the tiny whirlwind of wine rather than face him. “I suppose only inadequate parents resort to such things.”
    Cole continued to watch her, a silent challenge in his