The gate clanged open and she glanced up, scouring the crowd for Colt. There were so many strange faces and unfamiliar voices, the constant camera flashes and heavy beat of music only adding to the chaos.
Beads of sweat broke out on her forehead, slipping from beneath the brim of her hat and streaming down her cheeks. Diamond jerked his head and stumbled back.
A 14.43. There was no way—
A sharp whistle rang out to the right. Jen’s eyes shot to the stands, then moved to the fence, landing on Margaret’s smiling face. She stood beside Colt, holding her cotton candy with one hand and waving her hat wildly in the air with the other.
You’re gonna be the best one out there.
Jen’s hands steadied and she released a slow breath as Colt nodded. His blue eyes were warm and supportive.
She pushed her hat more firmly on her head and faced forward, eyes planted on the first pocket. “Go for great,” she whispered.
Jen gave Diamond a swift kick and they blasted down the alley.
* * *
COLT TENSED AS Diamond tore into the arena at top speed. The horse’s white mane and tail, a sharp contrast to the dirt, rippled in wild arcs as he and Jen shot toward the first barrel.
“Fire and Ice are running hot right out of the gate,” the announcer blared over the PA. “Let’s see how they take this first turn...”
Margaret grabbed the top fence rail and pulled, hoisting herself up on the bottom rung.
Colt put one hand around her arm to help her balance and his other hand grabbed the top fence rail. He held his breath, his lungs burning, as Jen arrived at the first barrel, gripped the saddle horn and anchored down.
Dirt flew from beneath Diamond’s hooves as the horse dug deep, carving a close curve and hugging the barrel. They rounded the turn smoothly and Jen immediately rose higher in the saddle, lifting the reins and urging Diamond on to the next.
Margaret whistled. The high-pitched sound rang in Colt’s ears as she bounced against his side in excitement. “Look at her go!”
Diamond and Jen streaked across the dirt and angled in toward the next turn. A bright flash exploded just as they began curving around the second barrel, the photographer crouching on the ground aiming for the perfect shot.
“Focus, Red,” Colt whispered, lifting his foot and pressing it on the lowest rung of the fence. “Stay focused.”
She did, executing the second turn as flawlessly as the first. Excited cries spilled into the arena.
“Two down and on to the third,” the voice blared from the PA, shouting over the stadium noise and music. “Help her out, folks. She comes out of this clean and she might have a huge check waiting for her on the other side.”
“Faster, Ms. Jen,” Margaret yelled, pumping her cotton candy in the air.
Colt’s heart stalled as Jen and Diamond shot toward the third barrel. The fence rattled beneath the relieved jerks of his hand as she hit the mark perfectly, then sprinted toward the finish. “Go, baby,” he urged.
“This could be a record setter, folks.” The speakers distorted the shouted words, mixing the announcer’s fast chatter with the fans’ shouts. “Help this gal home!”
Jen and Diamond were a blur as they whipped across the finish line, before cutting to the side and slowing to a trot along the fence.
“Put your hands together. We might have ourselves a winner here.” The speakers crackled over the noise filling the fairgrounds. “The final scores will be up in just a moment.”
“She was fantastic,” Margaret shouted. Her cotton candy fell from her hand onto the grass as she clambered higher on the fence.
“Careful.” Colt chuckled, steadying her.
Margaret thrust her arm out, palm in the air, as Jen and Diamond approached. “Way to go, Ms. Jen!”
Jen laughed, breathing hard. She leaned over in the saddle and high-fived Margaret. Several fans followed suit, lining up on the fence and waiting for their high fives as Jen and Diamond walked by, then circled back.
“And the score is up,” the announcer bellowed, his voice pitching higher. “It’s a 14.38. One of the highest scores we’ve had here in Springfield. Jen Taylor is your winner for the night. Keep your eye on this gal, folks. Come December, she may be leading the pack in Vegas.”
The cheers grew deafening. Colt’s chest swelled as Jen made her way back, her gaze locking with his. He’d never been prouder or happier for her.
She smiled, her flushed cheeks lifting and brown eyes sparkling. “Not too bad, huh?” she called out breathlessly.
“Not too bad,” he shouted back.
The gate swept open, clinking and groaning on its hinges. Rapid flashes and whirring clicks erupted on both sides of the exit.
Jen glanced down, her red hair bouncing over her back. “See you in a bit.”
She winked, nudged Diamond with her heels and headed toward the alley, smiling even wider as reporters called out questions and requests for interviews.
“Can I go help Ms. Jen cool Diamond down?” Margaret asked, hopping off the fence.
“Not right now, Meg.” He grabbed her elbow. “Jen’s going to be busy for a while doing interviews and packing up. We’ll have to wait until things die down and she’s able to get away.”
Margaret’s face fell.
“We can stand outside the cooldown area and watch, though,” Colt added, taking her hand and tugging her out of the moving throng of spectators.
He reached down, scooped up the cotton candy and threw it in a nearby trash can. They paused by the alley gate, waiting for the crowd to thin out, then made their way over to Jen.
She was walking Diamond in slow lines. A group of reporters stood close by the racers, snapping pictures and shouting questions. The number of bystanders surrounding the small space made it impossible for Colt and Margaret to get through.
“I can’t see,” she said, rising to her tiptoes.
“There’s not much to see, Meg,” Colt replied.
Almost half an hour passed before Jen finished cooling Diamond down. Then the interviews started, each new round of questions lasting longer than the one before it. And photographs followed. A few with Jen posing on her own, some of her standing with fellow racers and the majority with her astride Diamond.
They waited through all of it, Margaret leaning more heavily against Colt’s leg with each passing minute. She perked up a bit when the music from the band started.
“Wanna go back to the arena?” Colt asked, glancing over his shoulder at the brightly lit stage. “We could dance a time or two.”
Margaret shook her head. “Not without Ms. Jen,” she said quietly, wrapping her arms around his waist and pressing her cheek to his side.
Colt hugged Margaret, suddenly having no desire to return to the arena, either. Not to dance, ride a bull or for any other reason.
He watched as Jen moved farther away with Diamond for another round of pictures. Several photographers followed, scrambling with their gear and calling out Jen’s name.
Colt’s stomach sank deeper with each step they took, the separation becoming more acute when Jen didn’t look back or search him out in the crowd like she usually did.
He tensed, the elation he felt from Jen’s win at odds with the painful knowledge that she was moving in another direction. And he found himself wishing Jen was by his side again, looking up at the stars, enjoying a cool drink and sharing a few laughs.
He’d enjoyed doing that so much at Raintree Ranch. Where time moved at a slower pace and every day was just that much sweeter. Where Margaret knew she was loved and every one of her days began and ended with him at her side. It was a place he’d never thought he’d find.
Home. A fullness entered Colt’s chest, expanding his heart and bringing him peace. That was what Raintree had become. For him and
for Margaret. What he’d helped to create for her. And he knew he could never take Margaret away from it. Or ever leave her again.
“When’s she coming back?” his sister asked. She blinked up at him, her eyes and voice heavy.
He rubbed a shaky hand over her back and decided right then that he’d do everything in his power to make sure Margaret never felt forgotten. That she would always know, without a doubt, that she was loved. And that with him, she would always come first. Whatever it might cost him.
Colt pulled her closer, drawing comfort from the press of her small frame, and tried to accept the fact that he and Jen might have to go their separate ways.
Chapter Eleven
Colt palmed the steering wheel and turned slowly onto Raintree’s dirt driveway. The truck bounced and swayed over several familiar dips and bumps, the trailer squeaking rhythmically as they drew closer to the main house.
His muscles relaxed and his pulse steadied, the knowledge that his feet would be on the solid ground of the ranch again soothing him.
The drive back from Springfield hadn’t taken that long, because there’d been little traffic on the road. But they hadn’t left the fairgrounds until hours after the race ended, and it was now after midnight. They’d waited for Jen’s interviews and photo sessions to finish before loading up Diamond and packing away their gear.
“According to that reporter, I should rank fourth when the standings come out next week,” Jen whispered at his side. She shifted in the passenger seat, her cell phone lighting up the truck’s cab as her fingers moved over the screen.
Colt frowned and focused on navigating the winding driveway. Jen had looked up from her phone only once the entire trip back. Her attention had remained focused on her texts with Tammy and her nervous search for the results of other races in neighboring districts.
“I think he might know what he’s talking about,” she said, pointing a finger at the glowing screen. “I added everything up, and I’ve cleared forty thousand dollars this season, with tonight’s winnings included in the count.” She hesitated, dragging her teeth over her bottom lip. “I don’t know if that’s right, though. I’ve never been real good with numbers.” Her voice lifted. “But it could be right. By the time we get back to the circuit, I might actually be ranked fourth with the pot I just won.”
Unease settled in Colt’s gut. He propped his elbow on the windowsill and rubbed a hand over his jaw.
“Colt? That could be right, couldn’t it?”
He glanced at her. The hope raising her dark brows and lighting her face made his chest ache. “Yeah,” he whispered, managing a small smile. “That could be right.”
A low rattle sounded from the back of the cab. Colt looked in the rearview mirror, catching a glimpse of Margaret huddled against the window. Her small mouth fell open and a louder round of snores began.
He smiled, turning back and meeting Jen’s amused eyes before facing forward.
“She’s knocked out,” Jen said. She laughed softly and reached back to sweep a strand of hair away from Margaret’s face. “It’ll be a shame to wake her.”
His smile slipped, drawing his spirits down with it.
They reached the end of the driveway and he eased the truck to a stop, then cut the engine. “I’m gonna get her in bed. Then we’ve got to talk, Jen.”
Her smile disappeared, too. But she nodded, unbuckling her seat belt and lifting her hip to slide her phone into her pocket. “Okay. I’ll get Diamond settled, then wait for you in your room.”
Colt took his time getting Margaret tucked in for the night, walking her into the house and standing by her side as she brushed her teeth, her eyes drowsy.
“In you get,” he said, helping her into bed and tucking the covers around her shoulders.
“G’night, Colt,” she murmured.
A sleepy smile crossed her face as he kissed her forehead, her eyelids fluttering shut.
“Good night, Meg,” he whispered.
He stayed there for a while, closing his eyes and leaning against the doorjamb, before making his way to the guest wing. His legs grew heavier with each step.
Jen was waiting inside for him. She stood at the window, her back to him as she stared out into the dark night.
“You’re not returning to the circuit with me, are you?”
Colt drew to a halt in the middle of the room, his heart tripping painfully at the sadness in her low voice.
He pried his tongue from the roof of his dry mouth and answered, “No.”
Her shoulders slumped and she lowered her head, her red hair rippling across her back.
He forced himself to continue. “I’ve decided to take Dominic up on his offer. It’ll give me a chance to slow down. Put down roots.” He inhaled, his lungs stalling. “I’m going to buy some land from him and build a house on one of the back lots.”
“For you and Meg?” Jen pushed her hands into her front pockets, drawing further into herself. “You’re going to keep her?”
Colt nodded, knowing she couldn’t see him, but aware she didn’t need to. “I’m calling Jack first thing in the morning. I’m gonna tell him to send me the guardianship papers and let my grandmother know I’m keeping Meg.” His chest tightened at Jen’s silence. “I won’t leave her. She’s my sister. My family.” He held the word on his tongue, savoring the soothing feel of it and weighing it against the knot in his gut. “You’ve got to understand—”
“I do,” she choked out. She spun to face him, her smile weak and chin trembling. “I do understand. I just wish...” Her brave expression collapsed and she turned her head to the side, a tear streaking down her cheek.
He strode swiftly across the room and wrapped his arms around her. She shook in his embrace, the entire length of her body trembling against his own. He held her silently for several minutes, sliding his hands over her back and lowering his lips to kiss the top of her head.
“There’s something else I need to say.” Colt breathed her in, closing his eyes at the sweet scent of her hair and relishing the rapid pounding of her heart against his own. “I love you, Jen.” He clutched her closer and raised his head, meeting her eyes as she looked up at him. “I love everything about you.”
Her mouth parted on a swift breath and he slowly traced the outline of her lips with a fingertip.
“I love how brave you are, regardless of what you’re up against. I love how gentle and patient you are with Meg. How generous, kind and forgiving you are with everyone, including me.” A low laugh escaped him. “I even love the way you brushed me off when we first met.” He sobered, his hands moving to cradle her face. “How you’ve expected more of me. And how you’ve made me into a better man.”
Her breasts lifted against him as she took a deep breath, her hands leaving her pockets and curling against his chest.
He touched his mouth to hers, parting her lips with his and whispering again, “I love you and I don’t want you to leave.”
With a soft cry, she slid her hands up his chest and wrapped them around the nape of his neck, kissing him back.
The sweet taste of her touched his tongue and the gentle press of her body against his heated his blood, urging him to delve deeper into the kiss and move his hands over her curves with greater purpose.
He lifted his head and nudged her chin up with a knuckle until she met his gaze again. “Do you love me?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
His chest warmed at her words but his heart tripped at the dismay in her expression. “Then stay with me, Red. Marry me.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and tugged his mouth back down to hers, her kiss almost desperate as it silenced him.
He let her take over for a few moments, relishing the passionate movements of her body and hands as she explored him. And he became more anxious than ever to hear the w
ords he hoped for spilling from her lips.
“Stay,” he urged, lowering himself to his knees and tugging her shirt from her jeans. “Be my wife. We’ll build a home of our own. Start a family.”
Her belly rippled, quivers chasing across the flat expanse of her creamy skin and he gave in to the overwhelming urge to nuzzle his face against it. Imagining the possibility of a child nestled safely there one day. His and Jen’s. Protected and loved.
He pressed his lips to the smooth skin above her belly button and hugged her legs, his callused palms moving over the denim covering the toned muscles of her thighs.
“Colt.” She looked down at him with dark eyes, her fiery curls spilling over her shoulders. Her fingers cradled his head gently, her mouth moving, but no sound emerging.
He was afraid to let go of her. Because if he did, he knew he may never be able to hold her again.
He flexed his arms around her, getting a solid grip on her hips and hoisting her up. He carried her over to the bed, laid her down gently, then lowered his body onto hers.“You want me to stop?” he asked, smoothing her hair from her face and waiting.
She shook her head and rose to kiss him again.
Logic left him, the strength of emotion that blazed in his chest drove his hands to remove her clothing. To caress and cherish every inch of her. He lingered over her breasts and the curves of her hips, pausing briefly to help her remove his own clothing, then moved to his back and savored her gentle advances.
At the sight of her flushed cheeks, kiss-reddened lips and yearning eyes, he rolled over her to seek her warmth.
Her arms and legs parted, her fingertips sweeping over his back and her heels hooking around his thighs. She opened to him completely, welcoming him. Urging him on as he entered her slowly, moving with the rhythm of their shared breaths.
Colt held her gaze as soft cries escaped her and the increasing intensity of pleasure swept over her face.
She came apart in his arms and he followed, holding himself still above her. He knew what the answer would be. Had known all along. But he had to ask one more time. “Stay with me.”
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