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“Marie?” Cole snickers. “You never told me your middle name.”

I roll my eyes. “I didn’t think we’d gotten to the middle names part quite yet.”

“It’s after her grandmother,” Mom says, then, “What’s your middle name, Cole?”

I turn to look over my shoulder, this should be good. Most middle names are usually embarrassing.

“Clarence,” he admits.

I burst out laughing.

“Ainsley!” Mom chastises. “It’s rude to laugh.”

“I’m sorry!” I can’t stop the giggles and Cole laughs, too.

“I’ll let my parents know you like the name just as much as they do. In their defense, I think they were worried that if they didn’t name me after an ancestor, we’d be shunned out of the family fortune,” Coles says. “Which doesn’t exist, by the way, because it turns out my good ol’ great grandfather had a gambling problem and swindled some peddlers and got himself into a bit of trouble back in the day.”

Me and Mom laugh. Cole’s so easy to talk to and I can tell right away Mom likes him.

Mom’s eyes start to close. “Well, I think it’s a fine name.”

I look to Cole. “I think we need to let her rest.”

He nods. “I’ll go make myself useful while you say goodnight.”

“Thanks, Cole.”

“Goodnight,” Mom says. “Thank you for bringing Ainsley.”

Cole smiles. “Of course, it helps that we’re neighbors now.”

I smile as he leaves the room.

I give Mom another hug. “Stay out of trouble, okay?”

She smiles softly. “I will.”

“I’ll come and see you tomorrow.”

“That’d be nice.”

I kiss her on the cheek as she closes her eyes. I let myself out of the room and Cole waits with open arms.

I hate hospitals. I mean, who doesn’t? But it’s a comfort having him here. As he embraces me, I take in his scent; the earthy and oceanic tone of his faded cologne, and all things Cole that make my insides flutter. He wraps his warm arms around me and just holds me also something I’ve never experienced before. There’s some kind of quiet comfort in a hug that lasts. Something that’s heartfelt and sincere. It makes my eyes fill with tears.

I pull back. “Let’s get out of here.”

He takes my hand as we go and say goodbye to Emma and head back to his truck. His thumb skates over my knuckles as we walk, and he tells me that he’ll come back with me tomorrow if I want him to.

This man.

My bottom lip trembles. I know I’m not cut out for these kinds of emergencies, but Cole has no idea. I have moments when I’m made of tough stuff, but I’m mush underneath.

He helps me into the truck and I take a moment to gather myself while he jogs around to his side. “You know, I was thinking—” he begins as he climbs in.

I don’t think, I just act. I practically jump him, climbing almost into his lap as he holds me steady halfway across the console for balance and I kiss him with all I’ve got.

Our kisses become hot and heavy. My hands slide their way up his arms as my fingers dig into his biceps, he makes a growling sound in the back of his throat that has me whimpering. I want him. I want him here and now.