All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [130]
"Cole is not a child. He's a man. And he needs to live his life. He's wanted this for so long. I'm glad he's going."
"I thought you loved him."
"Enough to want him to be happy." And she did want him to be happy. He'd given up a lot of years for Emily and his parents. He deserved his freedom.
Janet wiped a tear off her cheek. "I know you're right, but it's hard to let him go. Don't you feel the same way?"
"More than you know," Natalie replied. "I'll walk you out."
* * *
Cole's first story appeared in the San Francisco Tribune on Friday, when he reported on a terrorist attack in Turkey. His next story was published on Tuesday and discussed the plight of refugees along the Afghan border. In the Sunday edition, he wrote about the formation of new governments switching the balance of power in the fragile Middle East. The following Thursday his article focused on the changing value of the dollar in Asia. The next weekend he reported on an earthquake in China and four days later he wrote about the proliferation of journalists and media in every corner of the world, including war zones. That article was accompanied by a photo of Cole in a tank.
Natalie stared at the photo for a long minute, her finger tracing Cole's face with a loving sigh. She had learned a lot about world events in the past three weeks. Cole was certainly getting around, living the life he'd always wanted. And she was doing the same. She'd accepted the job at St. Timothy's. Since Cole wasn't in San Francisco, there was no reason for her to leave. And she was enjoying her renewed friendships with Madison and Laura.
Setting down the newspaper, she leaned over and slipped on her running shoes. It was Sunday, and she had nothing to do until the evening when she was going to attend the first concert of the Atherton Community Orchestra featuring their newest flute player, Laura McKinney. Just thinking about Laura's new independent venture made her smile. They were all moving on with their lives in good, positive ways. She knew Drew and Laura still had some marital problems to deal with, but Laura had said their relationship was much more honest now, and they were working hard to keep it that way. Drew had decided to turn down the job in L.A. but was interviewing with a new firm in San Francisco.
Natalie got up, stretched for a few minutes, then jogged down the stairs and out onto the sidewalk. It was a beautiful, crisp, and clear November day. There were a few wispy white clouds in the blue sky, but the storms of winter were still weeks away. As she turned down the street, she stopped dead in her tracks, unable to believe her own eyes. Cole was jogging toward her, dressed in navy blue sweat pants and a gray T-shirt. Even in the baggy clothes, he looked thinner than when she'd last seen him, and as he drew closer, she saw the shadows of fatigue under his eyes.
"What are you doing here?" she asked in amazement. "I thought you were on the other side of the world."
"I got back last night. You're getting a late start this morning. I thought I'd probably missed you."
"I was reading the newspaper. There's a foreign correspondent whose stories fascinate me."
"You've liked them?" he asked with a proud smile.
"Very much. They've been terrific. You're doing a great job, Cole. I feel like I'm right there with you."
"But you're not," he said, his smile fading. "You're not there with me, and ..."
She waited for him to finish his sentence. Damn the man. He could write articulate stories about world events, but when it came to telling her how he felt he seemed to go completely speechless. "And ..." she prodded.
"I miss you." His eyes darkened as he gave her a long, intense look.
A shiver shot down her spine. "I've missed you, too, but I'm glad you're doing what you always wanted to do. It's important not to give up on your dreams."
"It's not my dream anymore, Natalie."
"Are you sure? It hasn't been that long. Just a few weeks."
"I was there only two days when I knew that being a foreign correspondent wasn't what I wanted anymore. I stuck it out a few