Leather, Love and Tattoos, page 14
Cole slowly let go of his best friend. He put his hands in his pockets so he wouldn’t be tempted to take another shot. “I’m so sorry. I’m just so frustrated. Everything was going great and then … the dinner. I knew it was a disaster. I told you I tried talking to Abby about it, but she was all smiles and just kept saying it was a perfect evening and how much her father liked me.” Cole snorted out a laugh. “Can you believe she actually thought her father liked me?” Cole paused and looked at his friend. “Sorry I took it out on you.”
“It’s okay. That’s what best friends are for. Now relax! I don’t think either one of you is at fault. There must be a rational reason for what’s happening. Let’s talk this through, and maybe we can figure out what made Abby disappear.”
“How can we figure out what happened when she doesn’t even answer my goddamn phone calls?” Cole picked up his phone and checked it again for the hundredth time just in case he’d missed a text from Abby. Of course he didn’t. He threw the phone down again. “The only reason is that her father must have demanded she cut all ties with me. I mean, I can’t think of anything else that would make her stop talking to me.”
“Cole, she’s a grown woman. Do you think she would cave to her dad’s demands like that?”
“I agree she’s an independent woman, but she told me her father is still supporting her. Maybe he’s holding money over her so she has no choice but to do what he says.”
Scott patted Cole’s back in a sign of support and solidarity. “That seems a bit far-fetched.”
“Well, Scott, what else could it be?”
Hearing the anger in Cole’s voice, Scott took a step back so he was no longer directly in the line of fire. “I don’t know, Cole, but I know that Abby seems like a pretty cool chick. I’m sure she’ll figure out a way to see you or at least get a message to you. In all the years I’ve known you, I’ve never seen you happier, and that’s because of Abby.”
“You’re right, Scott. She’s everything to me. I started having feelings for her from the very first minute I met her and by denying it, I almost messed everything up. Now that she’s gone, I realize she’s the best thing to ever happen to me and I want her back. I know in my heart that she’s the one for me. The one I will wake up next to in bed for years to come. I love her, man!”
“Dad, why does my phone not work?”
“Sweetheart, what are you talking about?”
“Dad, don’t play dumb with me.”
“Well, this morning I had your phone cancelled,” Matt said as if it was the most normal thing a father could do to his daughter.
“You did what?” Abby couldn’t believe her dad would be so cruel. “Why the hell would you do that?”
“Sweetheart …”
“Don’t sweetheart me!” Abby interrupted.
“Watch your tone, young lady. I’m still your father.”
“Sooorry, Daddy!”
“Better. I don’t want you talking to that hoodlum, and since I was paying for your phone and it’s my money, my rules, I cancelled the service!”
Both Abby and her mom were shocked. “Dad!”
“Matt!”
“I can’t believe you did this to me. When are you going to get it through your thick skull that Cole isn’t a hoodlum? He’s a kind and wonderful man! If you just gave him a chance, I know you would like him too.” The plan was to have a rational conversation with her dad, but it seemed that was no longer happening. “By the way, if you think for one lousy second that I would stop seeing him just because you cancelled my cellphone, you’re crazy! I’m not going to stop.”
“You will stop seeing him. Clearly, by your actions, you’ve shown that you’re unable to make adult decisions that will affect the rest of your life.” Before his daughter said the standard line “Can to!” he continued. “By the way, I did more than just cancel your phone. I won’t be returning your house key.”
“Why?”
“Because I put your house up for sale. I called the realtor this morning. The sign should be up right now. I don’t expect it to be on the market long, so we’ll have to go over and pick up your stuff this afternoon.”
“Dad, you can’t!”
“Sweetheart, I can’t believe you still haven’t figured it out yet. My money, my rules. I own the house, and I can do what I want. I’m your father, and I know what’s best for you.”
Mary looked at her husband and couldn’t believe what she’d heard. She started to protest but then stopped after looking into her husband’s eyes. She knew right away that he would not be swayed this morning. He meant business, and in his current state of mind, he wouldn’t be budged.
Two days had passed and still no word from Abby. Cole’s mind was all over the place, and he was finding it extremely difficult to concentrate on his work. Without even being there, Abby was still a distraction. Cole tried calling her but there was still no cell service and no landline. He even tried calling her parents’ house. He wasn’t surprised when the call went unanswered. He actually thought of driving over and confronting her father, but he was worried the situation would escalate. If Abby was his future, then so were her parents. He’d already started on the wrong foot; he didn’t want to make matters worse.
He desperately wanted to talk to her. Hell, he just needed to see her. He was hoping she would show up on the jobsite but every time he looked up from his work she wasn’t there. He decided he would call it a day when he’d almost smashed his hand with a hammer … twice. To save his own life and potentially others, he grabbed his keys and went home. His pisser of a mood that plagued him all day increased when he arrived home and saw the for sale sign on Abby’s lawn.
“What the fuck!”
He got out of the truck and slammed the door. He rushed over to Abby’s house and stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the sign. It had been up for a couple of days but now there was a “sold” banner on top. He immediately called his buddies and said, “I need you guys here, now!”
Scott and Tim arrived fifteen minutes later and joined their pissed-off friend.
“Son of a bitch! Sorry, Cole, I wish I knew what to say,” Scott said.
“Me too, bro! This sucks!” Tim said.
Cole paced. “What am I going to do?”
It was at that moment that a purple jeep pulled into the drive and parked. Cole prayed it was Abby, but it wasn’t. Instead, a slender, pretty redhead stepped out and rushed toward Cole. Although all three men were hot as hell, Beth knew right away which one was Cole. Even if she hadn’t spent hours ogling him with Abby, she would’ve been able to pick him out of a crowd. The look of devastation in his sad eyes definitely gave him away. Before she spoke, she did take a selfish moment to notice the incredibly sexy man with the goatee and sunglasses standing to Cole’s left. What Beth didn’t know was that Scott was watching her back.
“Cole, I’m Beth. I don’t know if Abby has ever mentioned me.”
“Yeah, she did. You’re her best friend.”
“I am.” Beth paused before blurting, “Abby sent me.”
“Where is she? What happened? Is she safe?”
Beth heard the panic and desperation in his voice. “I spoke with Abby last night. Don’t worry about her, she’s safe. She’s at her folks’.” Beth patted Cole’s arm in support.
Cole let out the breath he’d been holding since he’d first tried to reach out to her. “At least I know she’s safe. Why is she there and not here? Did I do something to upset her?”
“No! No, Cole, you didn’t do anything wrong. It happened at the dinner party, but it wasn’t your fault, and Abby knows that. She understands that by introducing you to her father she put you in a precarious position.” Beth’s words did nothing to calm Cole down, but she needed to get the entire story out. “Don’t get upset, but no matter what you did her father was never going to like you …”
“I knew it,” Cole interrupted. “That was one of my concerns about dating Abby in the first place!”
“You shouldn’t worry. Abby and her mother are trying to convince her father that you’re a good guy, but he’s still pushing back, which is why her phone was cancelled and her house is up for sale.” Beth gestured to the for sale sign. “Correction, her house has been sold. Wow, that was fast. Abby doesn’t even know that yet. Boy, is she going to be pissed.” Beth looked back to Cole. “She loves you, Cole, and wants to be in your life. I’m pretty sure everything will work out for the two of you. You might just have to be patient.”
“I can’t take that chance. I can’t just sit around and hope for the best. I have to do something.”
“Well, unless you get a new job and remove your tattoos, I don’t know what else you can do to win her father’s approval.”
“Beth, is that the problem? My tattoos, my job?”
“Matthew Pearce is old-school. He pictured his daughter with a stuffed-shirt doctor type who can support his daughter and give her the finer things in life. When he saw you and the tattoos, he labelled you a hoodlum and he wants better for his daughter. She is the only child, and he doesn’t want a gold digger charming her for the family fortune. There was a guy like that before, and Abby fell hard for the loser before she saw the truth. Her father is not going to let that happen again. Abby told him she loved you. She told her mother she thought you were the sexiest man she’d ever seen.”
“Beth, I know Abby loves me, and I know I charmed her mother, but I’m afraid her father won’t change his opinion about me. I’m so screwed.”
Scott patted Cole on the back. “If you want Abby back so you can have a future with her then there is only one thing you can do … fight for her.”
Turning to face Scott, Cole’s frustration was evident. “How, Scott? You heard Beth, I can’t change the things that truly matter to her father.”
Scott and Tim looked at each other and once again used their mind tricks to come to a non-verbal agreement. Tim spoke up. “There is only one thing you can do that will work.”
Cole should his head in frustration. “No!” He turned to Beth. “You know her best. Do you have any ideas?”
“I agree with your friends.” Beth smiled at Scott like he was the wisest of the three. “Don’t give up. Do or say anything you have to in order to get her back. Go to her parents and fight for her. And fight dirty if you have to!”
Scott appreciated Beth’s endorsement and could not help but notice the fit of her shorts. Scott and Tim headed toward their bikes and started pulling on their gear. “Cole, do you want us to come with you?”
“No, I’ll go by myself.” Cole walked into his garage to get his bike. “If he already has issues with bikes and tattoos, the three of us rolling up will freak him out. He may even call the cops on you assholes.”
Scott put on his helmet. “Call us if you need us to post your bail.”
“Funny! Thanks, guys! Beth, can you please give me the address of her folks’ place.”
“No problem.” Beth rattled off the address as Cole punched it into his GPS. “Go get our girl!”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Abby took a sip of the honey tea her mother made for her and curled up under her blanket on the couch. She was exhausted from arguing with her father. She’d spent hours trying to convince him that he was wrong about Cole, but he didn’t care what she had to say. He was stubborn as hell, and he wasn’t listening to her. He would rather Abby be miserable with a doctor instead of with a wonderful deadbeat with tattoos. Abby had no idea how she was going to change her dad’s mind, but she knew she needed to keep trying.
Abby put the tea on the table and rested her head on the armrest of the couch. She knew Cole must be so upset with her departure. Abby never realized until now that she was the stereotype Cole had told her she was when he was avoiding her. Without Daddy’s money, she was literally a captive in the home. She was an independent woman but was without means. With her phone disconnected and her father watching her like a hawk, she hadn’t been able to contact Cole and explain what was happening. Thank God Beth was available and willing to help out. Abby just hoped Beth was able to convince Cole that no matter what happened, Abby would find a way back to him.
Cole’s first instinct was to ride his bike to get Abby, but he had second thoughts. He picked up his truck keys and stopped to ponder his choices. Truck or bike. His mind was all over the place and he couldn’t make a simple decision. He knew he wanted to mend his relationship with her father, so he had to make the right choice. The truck would remind her father that he was a blue-collar labourer, and the bike was the choice mode of transport for any tattooed rebel. Either option was bad, but he decided to take the Harley. It would help calm and clear his thoughts, and besides, if they were going to accept him into their daughter’s life, they needed to accept all him, including his tattoos and the bike.
He pulled up in front of the colonial ranch house and parked his bike. He sat there and stared at the house. He knew Abby came from money, but he’d never expected she came from this much money. No wonder her father didn’t like him. Cole wouldn’t have liked Cole either. He clearly wanted his only daughter to have the lifestyle she was raised in, and the image of a construction worker with ink would definitely not fit into his plans. It was exactly the reason he’d wasted so much time and effort trying to get Abby to find someone else. Get it over with, Cole, you were wrong. You and Abby are meant to be together, he thought as he faced the door and banged his head against it in despair. He half expected it to open like last time.
No one answered, so he used the door knocker. He turned and looked around the neighbourhood. This was definitely the type of community that would have security and he was surprised it wasn’t gated. It was only a matter of time before he was approached and asked to leave the property.
Cole turned and was about to give the doorbell and knocker another go around when the door slowly opened. Another sign that Abby came from money—her family had a maid. She was a little white-haired woman who was about five feet tall, and she had to look up into Cole’s eyes. Cole saw sadness in her kind brown eyes. She didn’t have to say anything for him to know that she’d heard all the stories about him and clearly felt sorry for him.
“Good … good afternoon, ma’am, is Abby home?” Cole could feel himself sweating through his shirt. If he was this nervous talking to the maid, how was he going to handle talking to Abby’s father?
Even though she knew the answer, the maid didn’t lose her politeness. “Whom may I say is calling?”
Before he could answer, Matt Pearce showed up. “It’s okay, Meredith, you can go about your duties. I can take care of this gentleman.” The nice lady left the doorway without looking back.
Matt turned to look at his visitor. “You’re not welcome here. I believe my actions have made that abundantly clear.”
Matt started to close the door. Cole stuck his foot out just before the door smacked him in the face. He needed to say his piece to Matt Pearce. “Wait. You haven’t given me a fair chance. You have no idea if I'm right for your daughter. You owe it to your daughter and to me not to judge me before you get to know me.”
“And why would I do that, Cole? I want the best for my little girl, and I don’t think you are it. She’s been down this road before. Is that so hard for you to understand?”
“Of course not. Mr. Pearce, I also want what’s best for your daughter, and that’s me!”
“Well, I disagree. It’s time for you to go.” Matt attempted to shut the door again, and again it didn’t work. Cole burst through, startling Matt, and started yelling Abby’s name.
“Abby, where are you?”
“That is enough.” Abby’s dad reached out, grabbed Cole by the arm and muscled him back to the door. “I told you to leave.”
“I’m not leaving here without her. You may not think I’m good enough for Abby, but I am. Nobody will love your daughter as much as I do, and that is all that matters.”
“You can’t pay a mortgage with love.”
“Mr. Pearce, if money is the only issue that’s bothering you…”
Matt cut him off. “It’s not!”
Abby heard the commotion and raced down the stairs “Cole, you came!”
“Of course I came for you. I love you, Abby. I need you to make my life complete and happy.”
“Oh, Cole, that is the sweetest thing I’ve ever heard. I love you, too.” Abby headed towards Cole but her father stopped her.
“Abigail Elizabeth Pearce, I am your father and you will listen to me.”
Mary rushed in the foyer and said, “Matthew, she’s a grown woman and she can make up her own mind.” Turning her back to her husband, Mary saw the happiness in her daughter’s eyes. “Cole, don’t you listen to him!” She turned back to look at her husband. “Matt, I have stood by and watched you act like a bully toward our daughter. I should have stood up to you before but didn’t because I hoped you would come to realize on your own that you were acting ridiculous. You should be ashamed of yourself. Your daughter’s happiness should come first. Apparently, you still don’t get it. You are wrong about Cole. He’s a wonderful man, and I would be happy to have him as part of our family!”
“Mary, I have considered our daughter’s happiness, which is why I did what I did. He’s not welcome!”
“In case you have forgotten, I live here too, Matthew, and you can’t make decisions for the both of us without consulting me. My opinion matters just as much as yours. Your daughter is a smart, confident, grown woman who has chosen someone that makes her happy. That is all that matters. Stop being a bully and give him a chance to show you why he deserves to be welcomed into our family!” Mary squeezed her husband’s hand as she gestured to Abby that it was all going to be okay.
