Free Cole by Tess Oliver Page A

you were out on the beach in front of this house with your dad and Jude and Finley. There was another little girl in your dad’s arms. She looked a lot like Finley.”
    It always took me a few seconds to relieve the ache in my throat when I thought about Chloe. “That was our sister, Chloe. She died when we were kids. I can honestly say it was the darkest period in our lives, and with my dad’s fame, we’ve gone through some heavy rough patches. Including the few years when Finley had bound herself to the house, a prisoner of her own anxiety. Chloe’s death had something to do with Fin’s panic disorder. Fin had caught a flu at school and Chloe caught it from Finley.” I stared out at the water and thought about the summer when that picture was taken. Chloe would sit for hours building sandcastles for her dolls. “Chloe was always quiet. She was a thinker. You could always see the little gears churning behind her blue eyes. She was always pale and thin compared to Finley. She just couldn’t fight the flu.” I’d drifted off back to that time, but I could feel Kensington sitting next to me, listening to every word.
    I sat quietly for a second trying to remember if I’d ever talked about Chloe’s death to anyone other than my dad. The waves rustled against the shoreline, and in the distance, someone was playing music. The briny breeze flowed steady over the sand. “I still remember my dad’s face when the paramedics took Chloe out to the ambulance. His skin was this awful gray color, and his eyes were sunken deep in his face. I was scared he was going to fade away and die too. Finley’s mom took off not long after that. Said she couldn’t bear being around the house where Chloe had gotten sick. Fin blamed herself for her mom leaving.”
    A soft sniffle came from below the blanket. Kensington wiped discretely at her eyes. “I’m so sorry, Cole. That must have been so hard on you all. I’ve never experienced anything like that, so I can’t even pretend to imagine how heartbreaking it would be to lose a sister.”
    “The worst part of having a famous dad was that we couldn’t just be left alone to get through it. We had the whole darn world watching to see how Nicky King was dealing with the loss of his daughter. Reporters will do anything to get a picture of a grieving rock star. They wouldn’t leave him alone.”
    Kensington wrapped her arm around mine and rested her head against my shoulder. “I’m glad Finley has found her way out of the anxiety issues. I really like her. She mentioned that I should visit her rescue barn.” She peered up at me. “I think that should be another date. If you’re planning one, that is.” She looked shyly away. “Maybe I’m being a little too presumptuous.”
    “I will definitely take you there. Presumptuous. Never knew big words could be so damn hot. Speaking of hot, are you warm enough?”
    “I’m just fine thanks to you. But just to clear this up, I’m not a pampered, frail kitten. In fact, my dad, who was sure I was going to be a boy, had me playing every sport growing up, soccer, softball, even karate. Much to his dismay, the only sport that really made me happy was riding horses.”
    “You are good. Not that I’ve been watching you like some kind of weirdo stalker or anything.”
    “No? Because I’ve been keeping an eye on the hot guy next door jumping his motorcycle. You’re good too.”
    “That’s probably Denver you’re seeing. He’s a pro. I’m only an amateur with just enough courage and just little enough common sense to pull off an occasional trick.”
    “Oh. Then I guess I’m sitting here with the wrong man.”
    “Probably, and in more ways than you realize. How long have you been riding horses?”
    “Since I was seven. Although I took a break from riding during my sophomore and junior years in high school.” She took a deep breath. “I’d taken a really scary fall. The doctor said I was just an inch from being paralyzed. My parents