Chapter 10

Cole packed some clothes for him and the girls, and headed to Debbie's child hood home in La Grande. The funeral would be held at the small church her family attended.

It was her mother's wish, and Cole didn't mind. It would be hard to go back to La Grande and face her family.

Phoebe watched as Cole's truck drove by her house. Cole and Phoebe hadn't talked in two weeks, since the night of her attack. Many times she wanted to go to his house and tell him she was sorry about Debbie, about everything. She wanted to hold him and comfort him…but she knew she couldn't.

Michael and Phoebe were cold to each other, and they were drifting farther apart. Sometimes Phoebe would want to grab him, when they would pass in the hall, and hug him, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. She knew he couldn't forgive her for what she did, and how could she ask him to.

Michael felt rage and pain, and regret. He missed how Phoebe would run her fingers through his hair when they were in bed, and how she would walk around the house in his t-shirts and nothing else. How she would wrap herself around him and make him stop what he was doing to kiss her.

Now she wouldn't even look at him. He knew she didn't love him like she loved Cole. The thought of Cole made his blood boil.

Cole pulled into the families large ranch, and drove up to the house. He hadn't saw it in a few years. Debbie took the kids to visit with out him.

He didn't exactly get along with Debbie's family. Cole was never up to their standards for their daughter. It was a subject that he and Debbie often fought over.

"Imagine what they would think of your boyfriend Debra?" Cole thought to himself.

Debbie's family didn't know about Robert Stein. Cole asked the detectives not to tell them. He figured it was hard enough for them to except her death. It was easier for them to hate Cole instead of destroying her parents image of their only daughter.

"I see Grandma" Kate said.

Grace, Debbie's mom, was standing on the porch waiting for them to arrive. Cole pulled up and turned off the engine. Grace walked up to the truck as Cole was getting the girls out.

"Hi babies" Grace said as she hugged both of them.

Just then Cora walked out and stood on the porch. Cora was Grace's sister, Debbie's favorite aunt. They were very close.

"Hello Cole" Cora said walking up to him and putting her arms around him.

Cole hugged her back and whispered "Thank You" in her ear. Cora nodded at him and then hugged the girls. Grace looked at Cole and then gave him a half smile.

"Thank you for bringing Debbie's girls home to me Cole" Grace said.

"Well I know how much our girls means to you Grace" Cole corrected her.

Grace ignored him and lead the girls inside. Ed, Debbie's father walked out onto the porch to greet the children. He nodded at Cole, then walked in the house with Grace and the girls.

Cole rolled his eyes and scratched the back of his head. Cora stood there with Cole.

Phoebe walked out into the barn and found Michael shoveling the hay pile. Phoebe was taken back by the way Michael looked.

The sun shown through the panels of the barn on his tan muscular back . He walked back and forth and aggressively stacked the hay bails.

"Michael?" Phoebe said

Michael looked up at Phoebe with his green eyes. The sweat dripped from his forehead and he wiped it from his eyes.

"What?" He answered her in a panted voice.

Phoebe walked up to him. Michael threw the pitch fork into the hay stack. Phoebe stood in front of him, and wiped his brow with her red cloth. Michael stood there motionless and stared at her.

She smelled like clean cotton, and rose soap. She had her hair pinned up on her head and her loose fitted working dress hung around her body nicely.

Michael looked down at her hand as Phoebe wiped down his neck to his chest. He put his hands on her hips.

Phoebe stared at his chest and then up into his eyes. They were hungry and filled with lust for her.

Phoebe stared at his throat and his jaw and touched his lips with her fingertips. Michael leaned in slowly and started to kiss her. Phoebe pulled away, but Michael pulled her back and kissed her again. Phoebe pulled away again but Michael grabbed her arm.

Michael wanted Phoebe, and he was going to have her. Phoebe was turned on my Michael's aggressiveness. Michael tore her dress off her shoulder and pinned her against the hay bails. He lifted her legs and Phoebe wrapped them around his waist. He hurried with his pants, and then found the warmth of her insides.

"It's really hard on them Cole" Cora said.

"She was my wife Cora!" Cole said annoyed, "I know you loved her too…I don't see you acting like that"

"I know, I loved her like my own. " Cora said with a heavy sigh, "So… how are you holding up?" she asked smiling sorrowful at him.

Cole leaned over, and folded his arms on the side of his truck and sighed.

"It is all so new Cora. I am just in a daze, and the girls…well they are missing their mom" Cole said as he squinted in the evening sun.

"Why don't you leave them here with Ed and Grace while you sort things out?" Cora said folding her arms on the truck beside him.

"I thought about it…but if I leave them…I don't know if I can go back home" Cole said leaning over and looking at her.

"Why do you have to?" She asked.

Cole looked at the horses in the pasture. Phoebe's face appeared in his mind. It seemed like months since he saw her. The only reason he wanted to return was to see her.

"I…well work…" Cole stopped. He thought of Phoebe. He had to stay away from her. It was dangerous to be with her right now. He was vulnerable, even more than before. He longed for her even worse now…"

"Hey, what is it Cole?" Cora calmly asked, breaking his thoughts.

"I guess there is nothing I need to go home to" Cole said finally.

Cora smiled. "Well, are you ready for this then?" She said nodding to the house.

"I guess" Cole said and walked with her to the house.

They walked inside and Cole winked at the girls. They looked at him in the door way.

"Sit down Cole…there are some things I want to talk to you about" Ed said sitting at the kitchen table.

Cole sat down, and watched the girls in the living room.

"What's on your mind?" Cole said rubbing his forehead.

"Well…we want you to stay here at the ranch Cole" Ed said

"I plan to for a few days" Cole said folding his arms.

"No…not just for the funeral…I mean for good" Ed said

Cole just looked at him. A thousand thoughts ran through his head.