He knew he wasn’t able to hide his own insecurities exceedingly well, but he hadn’t expected Sierra to be worried about anything. The one constant in their relationship was her. Both he and Luke made it a point to ensure she was always taken care of. And yes, there were times Cole wanted more. More from Luke, more from Sierra, but he wasn’t about to disclose as much.
“The two of you are always doting on me. I don’t think an hour goes by without one or both of you calling to check up on me. And yes, maybe it’s because of the pregnancy, but I sometimes feel as though the two of you don’t get enough time alone.”
Alone? Cole wasn’t under the impression they were looking for alone time together. They weren’t separate couples. They were in this together, the three of them as a whole. Sure, Cole wouldn’t mind stealing a few minutes with either of them separately, but it was the times they were all three together that he felt most complete.
“Luke and I are close, baby. I’m not looking for anything more than what we already have.” But now that Sierra had planted the seed of doubt in his mind, Cole wasn’t sure that Luke might not be looking for something different.
He and Luke were getting closer, both on a personal as well as a professional level. They had finally developed a level of trust that was critical to the success of their relationship. And maybe Luke wasn’t always shouting his love, but that was what Cole had come to expect from him. Sure, he’d like a little reassurance from time to time, but he accepted Luke for who he was. Changing him wasn’t in the cards, nor did Cole want it to be. He wouldn’t have stuck around if he truly thought Luke didn’t love him.
Maybe this could be chalked up to hormones. Cole knew they were all a little antsy these days, both fear and anxiety from becoming new parents were intensifying as the weeks progressed. They had yet to have a full conversation about some of the logistics, such as the baby’s last name, which Cole knew was inevitable. Biologically, and on record, there could only be one father. The subject alone had presented some conflict in their relationship early on.
Thanks to his conversation with his stepbrother, Tag, Cole had attempted to address the issue with Luke. He was told not to be ridiculous in so many words; however, he could see some concern in Luke’s eyes. Not that the man ever would admit as much.
“I love him, Sierra, just as I love you. I don’t expect things to be easy between us. This isn’t a traditional relationship. We have to expect a few bumps along the way.”
“Yes, there will be bumps, I know that,” she argued. “That doesn’t mean that you and Luke have to drift apart.”
“Did you lie about being tired the other night just to push us together?”
Sierra looked away again, and Cole knew the truth. She was trying to get them closer.
He wanted to tell her that the alone time wasn’t going to be what brought him and Luke closer. He couldn’t bring himself to admit that there was a connection they’d yet to make and in Cole’s eyes, it was a piece that would likely change them both forever.
“So, you’re telling me I shouldn’t worry?” Sierra asked, sounding both distraught and a little relieved.
“That’s exactly what I’m telling you.” Cole smiled. “This isn’t temporary. We’re in this for the long haul. Right now, we all need to be focused on the baby. I’m pretty sure the rest will work itself out.”
At least Cole hoped it would.
Chapter Seven
One week later…
Cole couldn’t pinpoint what the issue was, but over the last few days, he’d come to one conclusion: he had to talk to Alex. He needed to confront the man and try to get them on the same page because at the moment, he feared they were reading from different books.
Ever since Alex set him up on that debacle of a meeting with Carson Throckmorton, the man hadn’t been acting like himself. He was vague in his direction, and even somewhat standoffish. As much as Cole wanted to believe that Dylan was the only reason for all of the changes taking place, something told him that wasn’t the case.
Walking into the office of CISS, Cole peered in the small section that Jake and Nate had commandeered as an office that they both shared during the few times they weren’t out in the field. Neither of them were in. Not surprising.
Cole continued, stopping to peek in Dylan’s office. He wasn’t in either, but that was to be expected. He hadn’t seen or heard from Dylan in at least a few weeks, even though Cole had left him a couple of messages in the last few days, suggesting they get together to talk. Based on what everyone was telling him, he shouldn’t have been surprised at Dylan’s avoidance.