One Last Chance Read online

  “Did you know he was coming?” She asked as her heart raced with dread. She was not ready for this. “Please tell me you are not part of this.”

  “No,” Nan replied. “I didn’t know he was coming. But Ally, maybe it’s time you two talked. At least hear him out.”

  Ally looked at Cole but she knew she would not get him on her side for this. He and Ally had argued several times about this. Cole wanted her to talk to Gus too. And he didn’t hide the fact that he thought she was handling the situation all wrong.

  “Ally,” Cole said reaching out and taking her hand, and she knew immediately he was in on this too. “Just talk to him.”

  “I can’t believe you did this,” Ally said as hot, salty tears stung her eyes. Before she could say another word, the living room door opened and Pop walked back in followed closely by a very nervous Gus.

  “Good to see you again, Gus,” Cole said standing up and shaking his hand.

  “And you,” Gus replied with a nervous smile as his eyes shot straight to Ally. “You too Ally, you are looking really great. How are you keeping?”

  “I am fine,” Ally replied refusing to even look at him. She could feel her heart banging hard inside her chest.

  “Please, everyone,” Nan said and Ally could hear the nervous edge in her voice. She hated that everyone was so on edge and it was because they didn’t know how she would react to him being here. Suddenly she felt like the villain of the piece and this angered her more. “I will go and get some tea.”

  “I will go with you,” Ally said following her grandmother to the door but Nan turned and stopped her. “No pet, you stay here and relax. I have this.”

  Ally turned and returned to her seat next to Cole on the sofa, sat down and stared at the floor. She suddenly felt Cole’s hand slip into hers and squeeze it softly. She turned to him and he smiled at her. She wanted so much to be angry with him, in a way she was but she knew he was doing the only thing he thought he could do.

  The truth was the situation with Gus was making her miserable. She missed him and the guys at the garage so much. She knew she needed to face this eventually but her heart had been through so much she wasn’t sure she was strong enough for this yet.

  “Is this a picture of the baby?” Gus asked nervously as he reached down and picked the scan photo up off the coffee table where Nan had left it. Ally could feel her stomach heave.

  “Yes,” Cole replied and held Ally’s hand tighter. “That is your grandchild.”

  “Wow,” Gus croaked, trying to mask the emotion in his voice. “My first grandchild. I am going to be a granddad.”

  Ally stood up. She couldn’t listen to anymore. She headed straight for the door and took the stairs two at time and didn’t stop till she was in the safety of her old bedroom.

  She sat on the end of the bed and unable to hold the tears back any longer, she buried her face in her hands and sobbed.

  A few moments later there was a soft tap on the door. Ally quickly dried her eyes and looked up. She expected Cole’s head to pop around the door but instead it was Gus. She stared at him unsure of what she should do. She debated whether she should tell him to go to hell, or sit there and listen to what he had to say. Before she could decide, he spoke.

  “Please, Ally,” he said nervously as he stepped further into her room. “Please talk to me. I know you are angry and you have every right to be. But if you just hear me out, hear how things were back then for me. Well, then maybe you might understand. And if you don’t and you still hate me. I promise you I will leave you in peace.”

  Ally stared at him for a moment and considered his request. She knew sooner or later she would have to hear him out.

  “Okay,” Ally sighed knowing she couldn’t put this off any longer.

  “Thank you,” he replied nervously as he walked towards the bed and sat down next to Ally. Instinctively, Ally edged further along the bed putting a little more distance between her and Gus.

  “I know you are mad at me,” he began as he looked sideways at her before he dropped his eyes back to the floor and continued. “When I met your mom, I fell in love with her in an instant. But she was already engaged to Fitzmaurice, so I tried to put her out of my mind. Then I met Laura. I loved Laura but my heart belonged to Rachel. We both got married.”

  He stopped for a moment and quickly glanced up at Ally before he continued.

  “Laura and I began to try for a baby,” he sighed. “She got pregnant but lost the baby. We were both devastated. Four months later it happened again. The doctor said her having a baby might not be an option as they didn’t think she would carry a baby to term. We were both heart broken. I came to talk to Pops. I thought I should have a vasectomy because I didn’t want to keep putting Laura through this. She wanted to try again.”

  Ally turned and looked at Gus, as angry as she was with him, her heart went out to him as she thought about what it must have been like for him to loose not just one but two babies he desperately wanted back then.

  “When I got to the house, Nan and Pop were out,” he continued. “But Rachel was here and she had been crying. She and Fitzmaurice had been fighting. She told me how unhappy she was but how he had told her if she left him, he would destroy her life. He would never be humiliated by a woman like that. I told her about the situation with Laura. We both cried. Each one of us lost in our grief and one thing lead to another.”

  “I don’t need details” Ally said not wanting a blow by blow of her mother and father’s sordid affair.

  “We tried to stop,” Gus said, blushing a little. “But we were in love. Then Rachel fell pregnant. She knew you were mine and not Fitzmaurice’s. We were going to tell Laura and Fitzmaurice the truth. We wanted to be together. The night I went home to tell Laura I was leaving she told me she was pregnant with Nicole. She was twelve weeks. The longest she had ever carried a baby. She had been afraid to tell me until she was sure it would be ok.”

  “So you picked that baby over me,” Ally said trying to hide the hurt from her voice but failing.

  “Far from it,” Gus replied quickly. “No I wanted your mom and you. But I was afraid if I told Laura she would lose the baby and she would be left with nothing while I would have my dream come true. I told Rachel I needed to wait and she understood at first. But then about four weeks later she came to see me.”

  He closed his eyes as if the memories of what happened back then were so raw and fresh to him still. When he opened his eyes once again, Ally was surprised to see tears dancing in them.

  “Rachel said she couldn’t go through with it,” Gus said, his voice hoarse with unshed tears. “She said she could never leave Sean because he would destroy us. And he would destroy Pop too just because he knew how much Rachel loved her Dad. I didn’t know what had brought on this change of heart but I pleaded and begged her not to do it. But she refused. She promised she would let me always be part of your life but that she couldn’t give me what I wanted.”

  “When I spoke to him, Fitzmaurice,” Ally said unsure why she felt she needed to offer him some sort of reasoning but she did. “When I was in London. He said he knew you and she was having an affair. Maybe he threatened her.”

  “I guess that would make sense,” Gus agreed. “Ally, when Rachel died I wanted to tell you the truth. I didn’t care if Fitzmaurice ruined me. You were so lost and alone. All I wanted to do was take care of you. But Pop pleaded with me. He said it would have destroyed you. That you thought Fitzmaurice was your father and that you belonged with him. I know he didn’t love you and it killed me to keep my mouth shut. But Pop had just lost Rachel and he was beside himself with grief and out of his mind with worry about you I promised I would say nothing.”

  “But why not tell me when he left me?” Ally demanded as the hurt bubbled back upside her. The tears once again began to flow as she jumped to her feet and began pacing up and down the bedroom floor. “I was left with no one. No Mom, no Dad and Grandparent’s that could barely function they were so dev
astated at losing their child. I had no one.”

  “And I have regretted that decision every day for the past nine years. There wasn’t one single day I didn’t consider telling you. It was always there on the tip of my damn tongue. But I was scared.”

  “Scared of what?” Ally said looking him straight in the eyes and her breathe caught in her chest at the sadness looking back at her.

  “That you would hate me,” he admitted sadly. “That you would look at me like you are looking at me right now. Ally you have always been my daughter and I have always been your dad. At least in my heart. Please forgive me.”

  Suddenly he dropped his face into his hands and began to sob, unable to hold his grief back any longer.

  Ally stood for a moment and watched this man she once thought was one of the strongest, toughest men she had ever known fall to pieces and her heart broke.

  She dropped to her knees in front of him and took his hands from his face.

  “Please don’t cry,” she cried, looking up into his sad face. “I am hurt and I am angry but I could never hate you. You have always been the dad I dreamed of having. You were always the one I wanted to be proud of me. You were always the one I loved. You are my dad.”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck hugging him tightly and they both sobbed. But for Ally they were happy tears. She finally had the dad she had always dreamed of.

  There was another soft tap on the door and Ally smiled. She knew this time it would be Cole and she was right.

  “How is everyone doing up here?” He asked nervously as he walked into the room. Ally turned to him and gave him a big, tear-filled smile as she stood up from the floor and walked to him and allowed him to envelope her in his arms.

  “You doing okay?” he asked as he pressed his mouth against her forehead. And held her closer to him.

  “I am good,” she replied with a half laugh, half cry. “We are good.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he said as he looked at Gus and gave him a nod and a knowing smile. Gus reached out his hand to Cole and Cole took it happily and shook it firmly.

  “Thank you,” Gus said to Cole, the gratitude very clear in his voice.

  “Was my pleasure,” Cole replied. “But I did this as much for Ally, both of you were hurting and needed to talk.”

  Ally looked up at Cole in disbelief. Gus excused himself saying he would give them some privacy. But not before he kissed Ally’s cheek.

  “This was your idea?” Ally said looking up at Cole in complete shock once they were alone.

  “Please don’t be mad,” he begged. “This was breaking your heart. I know you missed him and it was eating at you. You needed to talk. I knew once you cleared the air things would be better.

  “You took a big gamble,” Ally replied with a slight smile.

  “I know you Ally Brody,” Cole said as he pulled her back tighter into his arms. “You have a big heart and when you love, you love unconditional. You love Gus. That much I knew. You just needed the push to talk. Please don’t be mad.”

  She stared up at him for a moment, giving nothing away. Then slowly she smiled at him and leaned up and kissed him softly on the lips.

  “Thank you,” she whispered.

  “Anything for you my gorgeous girl,” Cole replied before he claimed her mouth with his.

  Chapter 3

  Cole was sitting in bed reading through some paper work when Ally walked out of the bathroom. She climbed up on the bed, leaned over and kissed Cole than sat back as she crossed her legs and watched him.

  “Are you okay?” He asked when he looked up from his papers and saw her watching him.

  “I’m great,” she said with a half-smile. “But you’re not.”

  “And what makes you think that gorgeous girl?” Cole asked as he put his paperwork down on the bedside table and sat forward, leaning towards Ally.

  “I don’t think, I know,” Ally replied with a sigh, as she reached out and took his hand. “I know you too well Mr. Thomas and I know you miss Ben. And I know that you are worried about him.”

  “But he is not my son Ally,” Cole sighed sadly. “I have no right to worry about him. I need to try to put him out of my mind and move on.”

  “Why don’t you call her?” Ally said reaching over and taking his hand. “Ask her if you can see him. Or just check that they are doing okay, just to put your mind at ease. Cole, I won’t lie, I am worried about him too.”

  She looked down at her stomach and placed her hand on it before she looked back up and her eyes met Cole’s.

  “I think of our Little Bean and how loved and wanted it is,” she continued with a sad smile. “Then I think of that little boy. And I worry about him. Does she even love him? I mean she is his mother, but that doesn’t naturally make her a Mommy. And he deserves a Mommy.”

  “Ally, sweetheart” Cole said smiling at her, his heart almost bursting with love for this woman. She never failed to amaze him with how kind her heart was. Any other woman would have been glad to have Ben out of the picture. But she wasn’t like any other woman. She worried about this little boy, and Cole knew it was simply because she knew what Ben meant to him. “I love that you care so much about him. And I know you only care about him because you love me. But we have our baby on the way. Please, don’t worry about this. Please, I want you calm and happy. I don’t want you to worry about anything but this little one. Let me worry about this. Okay?”

  “Okay,” she nodded and smiled.

  He reached over and placed his hand on her tummy and smiled.

  “Little Bean, huh?” He said smiling up at Ally.

  “Well yeah,” Ally smiled shyly. “That was what it looked like on the screen today. And I hate calling it, it.”

  “Little Bean, it is then,” Cole nodded as he leaned in and claimed her lips with his.

  He slipped his arms around her and drew her closer to him as he lay back onto the bed. His hand slide down her back and around her waist until it came to rest on her stomach once against.

  “I love you gorgeous girl,” he said breathlessly, pulling his lips from hers as he slowly rolled Ally on to her back and moved above her. He gazed down into her eyes. “How did I ever get to be so lucky to deserve a girl like you?”

  Ally just smiled shyly before she leaned up and brushed her lips against his. He kissed her back softly at first, but slowly his kiss deepened as he slid his hand down the soft satin of her nightgown and began to ease it up her body.

  “No underwear!” He exclaimed with a grin against her mouth when he felt her naked body beneath the delicate cream satin. “I approve.”

  “I am so glad you do,” she giggled back before he once again claimed her mouth with his. Slipping his legs between hers before he slipped her nightgown up over her head and let it drop to the floor.

  Ally reached for his boxer shorts, which were the only thing he was wearing, pushed them down over his hips and then his bum freeing his rock hard length.

  Lightly she brushed the tips of her fingers across the throbbing head of his erection and Cole’s breath caught in his throat and Ally smiled against his mouth. She loved the power she had over his body.

  She slowly slid her hands up to his chest and around his broad, strong shoulders as she pulled him closer to her.

  She could feel him against her soft, wet folds and she held her breath as he pushed his entire length into her with one single thrust, his mouth never leaving hers.

  She gasp at the sudden fullness and he stilled giving her a moment. He breathlessly pulled his lips from hers and smiled down at her as he began to move, slowly withdrawing himself from her almost completely, before he thrust into her deeply once again. Once more he stopped.

  Leaning down, he sealed her mouth with his yet again as once more, he withdrew his cock before slamming into her again as she cried out in pleasure. This time he didn’t stop. His thrusting was slow but deep.

  He broke his mouth from hers and dropped it down to her breast, taking her hardened nipple
into his mouth and softly sucked it. Ally hands instinctively slipped into his hair, gripping it as she tilted her hips up to meet his thrusts.

  “Oh fuck Ally,” he growled, as he released her breast from his mouth. “God I fucking love you.”

  He claimed her mouth again as he slid his arms around her and rolled on to his back.

  “Let me see you gorgeous girl,” he breathed against her mouth. Ally sat up straight, resting her two hands against his chest to balance herself. Slowly she began to move. Rocking back and forth, grinding herself in to him again and again.

  Her pace quickened and her breathe became more ragged as she took him, riding him harder and harder, a thin layer of sweat covered her body, her heart hammered faster and faster in her chest.

  She locked her eyes with his and she knew he was near the edge. She pulled almost all the way up. With the tiniest of pulses, she teased the head of his cock, almost driving him insane with pleasure, before she slammed down on to him again.

  “Yes baby, that’s it,” he groaned as his words drove Ally on further. She was close too.

  He suddenly sat up in the bed so they were face to face. He wrapped her tightly in his arms pressing her so close to him so their bodies were almost one. He kissed her deeply as he tilted his hips up, meeting hers as she continued to rock into him.

  “Cole, Yes!” Ally cried as she threw her head back, unable to hold back any longer as she came apart above him, her orgasm tearing through her body, shaking her to her very core.

  Cole held her tighter to him as he pushed up into her and cried out as he emptied himself deep inside her before slumping back on to the bed, Ally cradled safely in his arms, both breathless but happy and contented in each other’s arms.

  “Damn woman,” Cole finally said when his breathing became a little easier. “What you do to me.”

  Ally giggled as she slowly lifted her head from his chest and looked down at him.

  “I think you will find you have a very similar effect on me,” she said as she brushed her lips along his jaw line.

  “Oh I don’t know,” he laughed. “Since the morning sickness stopped and hormones have taken hold, you really are insatiable and very irresistible.”