Two Weeks (The Baxter Family #5)(44)

“What’s she thinking? Any plans?” Ashley didn’t want to push. She prayed every day, asking God to lead the girl. Especially since Cole was more head over heels for her all the time, Ashley wanted to know.

“She really doesn’t know yet.” Cole shrugged one shoulder. “One thing for sure. She’s not going to talk to her old boyfriend about the baby.”

Ashley hadn’t thought much about that. The guy was abusive, Cole had already told them that. But legally, she might need to tell him. “Is she sure?”

Cole’s expression darkened. “Her old boyfriend was . . . a bad guy.” He stopped plucking petals for a moment and looked at Ashley. “Worse than I told you before. Elise keeps letting out little details. He was abusive. In a lot of ways.” He paused. “Her friends say he’s made threats about finding her again.”

Ashley’s heart sank. She hadn’t known that.

“She wants nothing to do with the father.” Cole picked up another rose. “She’s open to adoption. She says it probably makes the most sense.”

Ashley understood that. Still, the idea of placing a child into adoption wasn’t one she had ever considered. What would her life be like without Cole? She angled her head and looked into her son’s blue eyes. “What about you? What do you think?”

“I’m there for her.” He stopped plucking again and let his hands settle on the table. “I told her I’d stay with her . . . help her raise the baby, Mom. If that’s what she wants.”

Cole had hinted about this a time or two. Ashley had even talked to Landon about the possibility, and he had convinced her that Cole wasn’t really serious. Not when he had so much schooling ahead. Not when he was just eighteen. But here . . . now . . . there was no mistaking Cole’s words.

He was serious.

“What . . . would that look like?” Ashley didn’t want to sound panicked. Whatever his plan, Cole wasn’t going to leave high school and marry Elise. Of course not. Ashley wouldn’t let him. But she forced herself not to voice any of that.

“We’ve talked about it.” He looked off. “At least I’ve talked about it.” He took a slow breath and locked eyes with her again. “I’d help Elise after the baby is born, and sometime this summer or maybe at Christmastime, we’d get married. Then we’d find a place to live and I’d take classes online.”

Ashley couldn’t breathe. Was he really serious? “You . . . feel that strongly for her?”

“Yes.” The resolve in Cole’s expression was unwavering. “Mom, I love her. With all my heart.”

If there was a way for Ashley to stop time, rewind the clocks everywhere in the world and take them back to the start of the semester, she would’ve made sure Cole never took science with Mr. Hansen. Made sure he had a normal last semester of his senior year and that he never would’ve befriended Elise Walker.

Ashley’s thoughts swirled and fought for attention, even as she felt terrible for having them. But what was Cole thinking? “Where would you work?”

Cole picked up another rose and once more he looked at her. “I know you’re worried, Mom. But it’s what Dad would do. You know it is.” He returned to the flower. “Anyway, at this point I think she’ll place the baby for adoption. So . . . it’s not really worth talking about.”

Ashley wasn’t finished. “And if someone adopts her baby, what’s next? For the two of you?”

A sadness fell over Cole. This was all very real to him. Clearly he loved Elise. He sighed. “She still wants to go to NYU. And I’d probably go to Liberty, the way I planned.” He stopped and a slight smile lifted his lips. “And as soon as we possibly could, we’d find a way to be together.” He sat a little straighter. “Because one day I’m going to marry her, Mom. She’s the one.”

Questions lined up in Ashley’s mind, too many to count. How could he be so sure, and what was it that drew Cole to her? How was her faith? And what had happened back in Louisiana to make her rebel? But the gentle nudge of God told her not to say a word. This wasn’t the time.

They finished the project with no more talk about Elise.

Ashley didn’t want this to be a stressful conversation. This was a special moment for the two of them. “You realize, this is your last prom.”

“I know.” His smile softened. “I remember that poem Grandma Elizabeth wrote. About the lasts.” He reached out and patted Ashley’s hand. “The ones you always talk about.” He looked at the bowl of rose petals and then back to her. “This is one of them. My last time to ask a girl to go to a high school dance with me. Last time to ask your help with it all.”

“True.” Ashley tried not to think about it. Every year it had been an adventure. Asking a girl with a message on a coffee cup or holding up a giant poster at the first baseball game last season. The girls were all just friends, and Cole always made them feel special.

They were near the end of the pile of roses when Cole shook the basket. “This should be enough.” He took another rose, but his fingers moved more slowly. “Remember when I was little . . . and you asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up?”

“More than once.” Ashley smiled. “You had something new every day.”