I walked down the stairs to find Cole standing in the kitchen with a beautifully decorated cake and a vase full of flowers on the counter.
"Hey," I laughed.
His head jerked up, his eyes locking with mine. "Sleep alright?"
I walked over to him. "Mhm, what's this for?"
"You," he whispered. "D-Do you like it?"
"It's so pretty," I whispered. His nervous stuttering was cute, I liked that I made him nervous. I felt I had some sort of power that I had never had.
He took a step closer to me and placed his hand on the side of my neck. Okay. Maybe he was faking the nervousness. I felt my heart rate quicken.
"Not as pretty as you though," He whispered.
I looked up into his eyes, I never noticed the small gold flecks in his hazel eyes. Time seemed to stop. Until a screeching noise filled the room. I backed away from Cole and sat down at the island.
"Sorry," Mary whispered. "I thought you two were outside."
"It's fine," I replied. I stuck my finger in the frosting and tasted it. It was light and fresh with a vanilla taste. I looked at Cole who was giving me a look, he was stuck in the moment.
"I was thinking about making soup tonight with the leftover vegetables," she explained. "Does that sound alright?"
"Yeah, of course," I answered. "Sounds delicious, right Cole?" He had been staring at the mark I made on the cake since I made it, his OCD was taking hold of him.
He just nodded. "Mhm."
"Oh, I'm sorry Hon, I didn't think that would upset you," I laughed. He was like a little child with some things. I took a knife and fixed the small divot with one swipe. He finally looked up from the cake and at me.
"Nicknames already?" Mary laughed.
"I call everyone Hon," I argued.
Mary smiled. "Whatever you say Hon." She took the vegetables out of her basket and set them down. "I'm still sorry I interrupted Cole, maybe tomorrow you can cut the cake when I'm gone." She gave him a small wink. I had no idea what that was about, I might have to do some investigating.
Cole cleared his throat. "Yeah, I probably will," he replied. "Well, I should go check on the horses." He started to walk out the door.
"I'll come with," I answered. I ran out the door after him. The horses got their afternoon hay and grain. We then filled their water up. Cole shook the bucket and water splashed onto me.
"Cole!" I shrieked. "Now I have to go home and change."
He laughed. "I'm sure Mary has something you could borrow. Aren't you staying the night here anyway?"
"I wasn't planning on it," I mumbled. "Maybe, only if I get too drunk to go home."
"Challenge accepted," he said.
I didn't know what he was talking about so I just went along with it and filled up Ashing's water. Ashing was my horse that I kept here. He was a beautiful nightmare-ish horse of all black.
We eventually made it back in the house, Kade was back from his meeting. Mary gave me a dress so I didn't have to wear my wet one. All four of us sat down at the dining table and ate the dinner Mary had made.
"Thank you for having me for dinner," I smiled.
Mary nodded. "You know you're always welcome here. Same with you Cole." She turned to Kade. "How was the meeting Sweetheart?"
"It went very well actually," he said. Kade yawned and looked at his watch then nodded. "I ought to be off to bed soon."
"I was just about to get the wine out," Cole interrupted.
"Well you and Daisy can enjoy it, I'm pretty tired too," Mary added. She picked up the dishes and set them in the sink.
Gosh. Another night with Cole, just what I needed. I always seemed to tell him everything when I was alone with him. A bad habit.
"Sounds great, right Daisy?" Cole asked.
My head bobbed up and down like a ship on an open sea full of sharks.
I would soon be eaten by words and thoughts. What lovely thoughts I have.
Mary smiled. "Okay, have a good night you two."
"Goodnight," Kade added.
"Goodnight," Cole and I said in sync. I looked at him and he just smiled at me.
That boy is so confusing yet so understandable. This night was going to be a long one for sure. If I had a choice I'd go home.
But my heart told me to stay and my brain told me to go. Yet, I listen to my heart because that's always easier than thinking about what would've, could've, possibly ever happened if I did.
Cole waved his hand in front of my eyes. "Daisy?"
"Sorry, just thinking," I whispered while taking my glass of wine from him.
- - -
The night was filled with continuous laughing, scenes blurred together. Wine glasses cling and clang. I couldn't concentrate by the end of the night.
Gosh. Where's my magic genie when I need him?
I laughed.
Too bad lifes not a fairytale. It's a nightmare with fun games.
I frowned.
Good memories and bad lives.
I sighed.
Long times and short lives.
I looked up and saw Cole hanging upside down off the edge of the couch. I smiled again, just to tell him I was alright.
I am so poetic sometimes.
"What's that wonderful mind of yours thinking right now?" he questioned.
How can I fall in love with someone I just met less than a month ago? Sadly I can't say that. It's 'unladylike'.
"Nothing," I whispered. I grabbed the wine glass and tipped it to pour it into my glass, and a drop of wine fell out. "I'm more drunk when-than I thought."
I could not talk.
"Same," Cole yawned. "I'll make breakfast in the morning."
I nodded, my head bobbing again but this time it stayed hanging down.
"You should head up to bed," he chuckled. "You don't look okay."
"I'm...I'm fine," I muttered.
The words I spoke glared at me as if I was unjustified to speak with them.
They hated how I used them so stuttuterdly, yes I made up another word.
I feel bad for words.
They can be used in such an unpolietful way.
They never mean to be mean.
"Okay, enough zoning out," he laughed. "I'll walk you up the stairs."
"My feet hurt," I groaned. "Can't I just stay here?"
I could feel his smile. "I guess." He got up and grabbed me a blanket, drowsy draping it over me neatly. He didn't make it far, he lay on the ground right next to the couch I was on.
"Cole," I giggled.
"No more walking," he grumbled. "My head's killing me."
I smiled and shook my head at him as I turned off the only lamp lighting up the room. "Goodnight Cole."
"Goodnight Love."
He's drunk. He didn't mean it like that. He can't talk straight like I can't right now. What was I even thinking about? I have no idea.
I soon drifted off to sleep quickly. No dreams. No nothing.
CLANG.
My head snapped up. I saw Kade looking at me with an apologetic smile. I turned and saw Cole looking at me with the same amount of confusion I was feeling.
"Sorry," Kade whispered. He picked the pan up off the kitchen ground and set it down. "It's already lunch, Mary and I tried our best to be quiet all morning."
"Thanks, I guess," I mumbled. My voice was raspy and hoarse from talking so much last night. I pulled a chunk of hair from my mouth and began to wrap my hair up into a bun. I tied it with a blue ribbon.
"Looks like you two had an interesting night," Kade chuckled.
I looked at Cole and saw something. A lipstick smear on his lip. I grabbed my glass of water and splashed it on Cole.
"Oh my gosh!" I exclaimed. "That's all my fault, let me help you dry off." I grabbed Cole's hand and tried my best to ignore my hangover headache as I dragged him to the bathroom.
"Good morning to you too," he coughed.
"Did we...um-kiss?" I questioned awkwardly.
Cole looked in the mirror and then looked at me. He laughed and then sat down on the ground. "No, I asked how ladies put on lipstick so well and then you tried showing me but you were half asleep."
I blushed. "Oh." I slid down the door and looked at Cole.
"I think."
I stared back at him, not realizing how close we were
"Your eyes are really pretty up close," he whispered. I felt myself blush.
Someone knocked on the door. My stomach lurched. I rushed over to the toilet and before I knew it I was puking. Cole got up and kneeled next to me, setting his hand on my back.
Kade walked in. "Well, this seems fun." He grabbed a towel from the cabinet and soaked it with cold water.
"I don't feel so good," I mumbled. I leaned against the wall. I kept my eyes closed as something cold pressed against my forehead.
"Let's get you up to bed," Kade whispered. He laughed and lifted me off the ground. "Cole. You got a little something on your face."
I was too tired to blush anymore. I felt so sick it wasn't even funny. I barely drank just because I hated hangovers.
"Oh, I tried putting lipstick on last night," Cole explained.
Kade chuckled. "Is that right? I'll get her to bed and then I have to head into town for groceries. Mary is at her flower shop getting ready for tomorrow. Will you be okay here?"
"Yeah, I've got it handled."
Kade took me up the stairs and set me down in bed. "You and that boy," he laughed.
"He's better than all of the others you tried putting me with," I mumbled. "I don't mind him. He understands me."
"Have a good nap," Kade said. "I'll be back later."
"Okay, goodnight."
"Goodnight," he chuckled.
I fell asleep quickly and woke up a couple of hours later to find Cole sitting next to me on the bed reading a book. I pulled the blankets higher over my shoulders and sighed.
"Sleep well?" he whispered.
"Mhm."
"That's good."
I couldn't believe he had been sitting next to me this whole time. It was sweet of him, he did actually care.
"So, shall I make you some late afternoon breakfast?" he asked.
I nodded, not wanting to talk. My head still hurts a little bit. I slowly but clumsily stood up with the blanket still around me.
"I'll let you get changed, just come downstairs when you're ready," he said. He stood up and walked out the door, leaving me alone.
I quickly took a shower. The warm water felt so good, I smelled of lavender when I stepped out. I dried my hair and ended up putting it back in a bun, not caring. I changed into sweatpants and a tank top. I walked out and wrapped the blanket back around me as I walked down the stairs.
Cole was baking pancakes and bacon. I took a seat at the island once again. I smelled a sweet kind of cologne, he must've taken a shower too. This morning we both smelled of wine.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Of course, anything for you," he said.
I smiled as he handed me a plate of pancakes and bacon. "I'm not good at cooking."
Cole shrugged. "Well, it's a good thing I am then."
"You know...most men only want a woman who can cook and clean. I'm bad at both of those," I mumbled. I knew what I was doing, I had no idea if he did though.
Cole looked at me over his shoulder. "What makes you think I want a woman who can cook and clean? I'm capable of doing those things," he whispered. "I don't want my woman to have to do any cooking or cleaning unless she wants to."
I nodded slowly and took a bite of the pancakes, quietly thinking if he got what I was proposing. "I might go on a trail ride soon. Care to join me?"
"I would love to, hopefully, Kade won't mind if I borrow his horse."
I laughed. "Well, you won't have to because you'll be riding Ashing, my horse."
He gave me a look. "Why is that?"
"Because my horse is a good judge of character and I need to know," I muttered.
He raised his eyebrow. "This'll sure be interesting."
- - -
"Just relax," I laughed. Ashing wasn't in a good mood today and kept speeding up.
"I don't know if you should trust this horse to judge my character."
I smiled as Ashing suddenly sped up into a canter, scaring Cole. Soon enough Ashing started bucking and Cole flew off into a shallow swamp on the side of the trail.
I gasped and rushed over to him, his head popped out of the water, seaweed coated his head and clothes. Ashing neighed at him and began to roll over in the dirt, slipping the saddle off.
"I hate that horse," Cole said.
I shut my mouth and began laughing so hard I almost fell off Kade's horse. "Best. Day. Ever."
Cole pointed to Ashing. "He's literally laughing at me," he exclaimed. I got down and went to help Cole up. I held out my hand. Cole took it and pulled me in with him.
I screamed and landed in the muddy mush. "Cole."
He began laughing. "Yes. Best. Day. Ever."
I shoved him. "We should head back."
"I think your horse likes me," Cole said. I laughed and shoved him back into the mushy water.
What do you think will happen next?
What is your judge of character for Cole?
I want pancakes now, anyone else?
Thanks for reading this far! Be prepared for chapter four. I love reading your comments, even though I've only gotten one so far. Hope you continue to stay with me on this journey!