The Cowboy and the Cougar (The Cougar Chronicles #1)(25)

"I’m afraid so. I need to leave. I don’t have a car. Jack drove me."

"What’s wrong? Is it an emergency?"

"No, no. Nothing like that." The only emergency is that I need to get out of here. Her breath caught in her chest. Breathe, Holly. Breathe.

"How can I get a ride home? Will a cab come out here?"

"Carlos can drive you home. He gets Sundays off."

"God. Thank you. I’ll owe you both big time. Where’s Jack?"

"He’s in his office. Then he said something about checking on a few things in the main barn."

"Will he be gone long, do you think?"

"I don’t know. You can run out and tell him what’s going on."

"No!" Holly adjusted her voice quickly. "I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound so upset." But upset she was. "I need to get home right away. How quickly can Carlos get here?"

"In a couple minutes. Please, Holly, can you tell me what’s wrong? Jack will be worried."

"It’s nothing to worry about. Just something came up that I need to take care of."

"What do you want me to tell Jack?"

"Just that. I’ll...I’ll call him later. Tell him not to worry."

"Okay. If you say so."

Holly raced to the bedroom while Luisa picked up the kitchen phone, presumably to call Carlos.

Within fifteen minutes, she was packed and in Carlos’s truck, driving toward downtown Denver.

The only problem was, she’d left her heart at Jack’s ranch.





Jack didn’t call her. Hell, she didn’t blame him, the way she’d run off like a freaking coward. Minutes turned into hours as she lay on her bed, holding her pillow to her face, inhaling Jack’s scent. She’d never wash that pillow case. How long would the aroma last? It would slowly dwindle away and she’d be left with nothing.

Why had she fallen in love with him? A man so young, so vibrant, with a beautiful little son who deserved so much more than she could ever give either of them.

Now she had no one to turn to.

It served her right for leading Jack on far too long.

Wait! The Cougar Club chatters!

Night had fallen, and darkness surrounded her. She glanced at her alarm clock. Nine-thirty. Would anyone be in the chatroom on a Sunday night? Of course, the other day she had logged on at midnight and three women were there.

It couldn’t hurt to try.

Still hugging her pillow laced with Jack’s musky fragrance, she wandered into her office and fired up the computer.

MrsRobinson: Holly, good evening! Nice to see you again. Afraid it’s just you and me tonight. Sundays are usually pretty low key.

Holly typed frantically, correcting typos as she went.

HollyGolightly: I’m so glad someone’s in here. I really need to talk.

MrsRobinson: Talk away. That’s what I’m here for.

Where did she begin? She sat and tapped the spacebar for what seemed like hours.

MrsRobinson: You still there?

HollyGolightly: Yes.

MrsRobinson: You’re safe here, Holly.

Safe. That’s what Cublover had told her the first time she’d wandered into this chatroom. Safe. She could tell her story. Tell it to someone who might understand. MrsRobinson’s name was Megan, wasn’t it?

HollyGolightly: May I call you Megan?

MrsRobinson: Of course. Is your real name Holly?

HollyGolightly: Yes.

MrsRobinson: What’s going on? I’ll help if I can.

Holly inhaled deeply and blew the air out her nostrils in a slow stream. Megan couldn’t help. No one could. But at least she could listen. Holly had never said these things out loud. But for the first time, she needed to get it all out.

HollyGolightly: I met a man. A wonderful man. He’s twenty-nine and I’m forty. I didn’t mean to fall in love with him, but I couldn’t help it. He’s nothing like I imagined he’d be. We actually met on a one-night stand. Something I never do....

MrsRobinson: Why did you do it that time, then?

Holly sighed. The million dollar question.

HollyGolightly: I was in a bad place. I had just been diagnosed with cervical cancer.

There, she’d said it.

MrsRobinson: I’m so sorry, Holly. Are you okay now?

Okay? Physically, sure, she was okay. A picture of health, in fact. But emotionally? A wreck.

HollyGolightly: Yes. It was only stage one. I didn’t need any radiation or chemo. They got it all.

Yes, they had gotten it all, but at what cost?

MrsRobinson: I’m so glad to hear that.

HollyGolightly: Problem is, they did a hysterectomy. I got to keep one ovary, to keep my hormones balanced but other than that, I’m empty. I’ve never been married, never had kids. I had to accept that I never would.

MrsRobinson: I’m so sorry, Holly.

HollyGolightly: I tried to look at the bright side. I was alive. They’d caught it in time to cure me. I’d gone this long without kids and my biological clock was ticking anyway. I wasn’t in a relationship, so what did it matter? I figured any man I’d get involved with would probably have kids by now anyway. At least those are the things I told myself. Do you have kids, Megan?

It was a while before she answered. Holly knew Megan pitied her, which annoyed her.