by Jess Bryant
He glanced up from where Remy had a firm grip on his shoulder as he spoke to him and their eyes met across the room. Shit. Sometimes he and Colt really did look so much alike it was disturbing. Despite the differences in their haircuts and the tattoos, those sharp blue eyes met hers and the pain and anger in them was so familiar she almost forgot how to breathe.
“Sky! What’s going on?”
She turned just as Jemma engulfed her in a hug and despite what she’d been telling herself about being strong, she felt tears well in her eyes again. She latched onto her best friend like a lifeline. Amid all of the commotion, she’d forgotten that Jemma and Cash were due home tonight.
“Oh, honey…” Jemma softened her tone and stroked her hair when she whimpered and clung to her, “It’s okay. He’s going to be okay. That’s what Remy said. Right?”
She nodded and wiped at her face, “Yeah. I think so.”
Jemma pulled back to look her in the eyes, “When we pulled up and saw all the cars and the guys, Cash just about lost his mind. Why didn’t you call?”
“I didn’t think. I’m sorry. It all happened so fast.”
“Okay. Okay. Let’s settle down and you can tell me what’s happening okay?”
“Yeah I…” Skylar’s gaze jerked up when she heard Lincoln’s voice across the room, “Hold on a sec.”
She forced herself to release Jemma. As much as she wanted to hold onto her friend and take the comfort of the familiar that she offered, she knew that she couldn’t. Not yet at least.
“Lincoln.” She grabbed his arm when he didn’t notice her amid some tense discussion with a man she didn’t recognize. “Lincoln!”
“What?” He snapped at her.
“Nessa said she needs the bag out of the car.”
“Fine.” He flicked his wrist at the other man, “Go get it. Now! My cousin is bleeding in there. Move your ass.”
Since the guy hadn’t even hesitated before rushing from the room, Skylar raised an eyebrow at Lincoln. He looked edgier than he had when he arrived. She glanced over him and sucked in another surprised breath when she saw that he was holding a gun in his hand.
“What the hell?” She stepped back, “Where did that come from?”
“What?” He looked down at where her horrified gaze was and snorted, “I’m always armed, Skylar. Just because you couldn’t see it doesn’t mean I didn’t have it on me.”
And she’d been yelling at him? God, she was horrified. He must have seen the realization dawn on her face because he scowled.
“Don’t fuckin’ look at me like that. It’s for protection and I hardly need it against a hundred pound girl no matter how feisty she might be when it comes to protecting her boyfriend.”
She shook her head, “I don’t…”
“Link? We gotta go now.” Another voice cut her off and Lincoln nodded before turning his attention back to her.
“Stay here and don’t go outside until I call Remy and give the all clear.” He raised his head and scowled at Cash and Jemma, “That goes for all of you.”
“Where are you going?”
“We found the guys that hurt Colt so we’re gonna return the favor. I’ll leave Nessa here to work her magic but I’ve got to go deal with this. Stay safe and have Remy call me if Colt worsens.”
Her stomach turned and she gripped his arm tight again, “Wait, you’re not gonna…”
“We’re thieves. Not murderers.” His lips curled into his patented playboy smile and he winked at her as he backed out the door, gun in hand, “Oh and Sky, let me be the first to say welcome to the family.”
Chapter Sixteen
“Oh my God, what’s wrong? Are you sick?”
Skylar winced when her mother dropped the hedge clippers she’d been holding and rushed towards her. She’d known when she got into her car and headed to her parents’ house that this would be the most likely response. As soon as she’d gotten out of the car and her mother had stood up to face her she’d seen her face pale as concern pushed away all other emotions.
She knew she looked like hell. She’d barely slept a wink in the past forty-eight hours. She was exhausted, emotionally distraught and to be completely honest, she wanted her mommy so she didn’t pull away when she was grabbed by the shoulders and held too tight.
“I’m not sick.”
“Are you sure? You’re…”
“I’m not sick. I just…” Her voice cracked and she saw the look of distress she knew so well color her mother’s unlined face, “Can we talk?”
“Of course.” Melanie Holland nodded quickly, “You know we can always talk.”
“Is… Is Dad here?”
“No. There was a problem at one of the rigs so he went out to take a look.”
Skylar nodded, unsure if her father’s absence was a good or a bad thing. It would be easier to have this conversation one on one with her mother but her father deserved to hear it from her too. It was his money after all.
She’d spent a long time thinking about this while she was lying in Colt’s bed, watching him sleep, too afraid she’d hurt him to curl up at his side. There was a part of her, some leftover remnant of the rebellious teenage girl she’d been maybe that said it was her money and she could do what she wanted with it. That part of her wanted to keep the withdrawal she’d made earlier in the day a secret the same way she’d kept her first tattoo a secret from her parents for months. That part of her whispered that they wouldn’t approve and wanted to delay the inevitable argument as long as possible.
But another part of her, the adult, rational, reasonable part of her had won out. Yes, it was her money. Her parents had told her that for years, but it had still been a gift from them to her and she knew they deserved an explanation for why she’d finally touched it. At the very least, they needed a heads up before the withdrawal showed up on their bank statement. She didn’t want to be responsible for giving her father a heart attack when he saw the number with all of those zeroes behind it missing from the account.
She’d also reasoned that if she wanted them to give Colt a chance, give her relationship a chance, then she had to tell them what she’d done with the money. If she hid it, that was as good as hiding him, and she couldn’t do that. She wouldn’t. They needed to know he was important to her and why.
Now, standing in front of her mother, she couldn’t seem to find the words.
“Why don’t we go inside?” Melanie offered when Skylar didn’t say a word, “It’s too hot to be out here right now anyway. Come on, let’s go in the house.”
She nodded and let her mom guide her up the porch steps and into the house. Neither of them spoke but Skylar didn’t miss the questions crossing her mom’s face. Her silence was worrisome. She knew that. She’d never been a quiet child except for the times she was in the hospital, too sick and too tired to get into trouble. She knew her mother must be thinking the worst but her worry over what her mother would say when she told her the true reason she’d come kept her quiet.
Would she be mad? Angry? Disappointed? Skylar had, in no uncertain terms, paid off a known criminal with her trust fund money. Sure there was paperwork to show that she’d legally purchased a percentage of Fine Lines but that was a cover and anyone with half a brain would know that. Her parents were not stupid. They would know what she had done but they wouldn’t understand why unless she told them what Colt meant to her.
“Would you like some iced tea?”
Skylar slid into a chair at the kitchen table and watched her mother remove her gardening gloves and hat. Melanie smoothed her sleek blonde strands back and tried for a smile that didn’t fool either of them. The tension in the room was palpable.
“Sure.”
“Good. Okay.”
It would keep her mother’s hands busy and buy her a few more minutes. Skylar watched as her mom bustled around the kitchen, pulling glasses from the cabinet and then filling them with ice. As she did, she thought about how much she loved Colt and wondered if this was how her
mother had felt when she first met Skylar’s father. Desperate. She’d heard the term before in the movies. Desperately in love. She hadn’t understood it then but she did now.
“Mom…”
“Yes, honey?” Melanie paused in pouring the tea from the pretty glass pitcher into the waiting glasses.
“How’d you know Dad was the one?”
“I…” Her mother furrowed her brow, “I don’t know. It was just a feeling I guess.”
“What kind of feeling?”
Melanie finished pouring the tea and then put the pitcher back into the fridge, “I loved him the instant I met him. It was like something just clicked into place inside of me. I know love at first sight sounds naïve but for us, it was true.”
“Yeah, you’ve told me that before…” She chewed the inside of her cheek as her mother crossed to the table and took a seat.
“But if you’re asking when I realized he was it for me, that I couldn’t imagine my life without him, I guess that happened when he said he was coming back here.”
Skylar tilted her head, “To Old Settlers?”
“Uh huh. He was leaving Tulsa, moving back to this tiny, dusty backwoods town to take over his father’s business and he didn’t ask me to come with him. He didn’t have to. I knew that I’d go anywhere with him, give up anything for the chance to be with him. That’s when I knew.”
“Oh…” Her throat felt tight and she couldn’t say anything more.
Her mother reached out and took her hand, “Honey, what’s this all about? I know you told me that you and Trey broke up because you were better as friends but if you’re having second thoughts…”
“I’m not.”
“Trey is a very nice boy and you two seemed to get along well but, if I’m being completely honest, it never seemed like there was much of a spark. Did I miss something?”
“I’m in love with someone else.” She admitted and watched two perfectly sculpted eyebrows rise on her mother’s face, “That’s the reason Trey and I broke up. You’re right, there was never a spark with Trey because my heart wasn’t in it. I had feelings for someone else. I’m in love with someone else. I think I have been for a really long time and it’s big and scary and I don’t know if I’m handling it right at all.”
“You’re in love?”
“Yes.” And because she couldn’t stand the way her mother was looking at her, Skylar admitted, “I’m in love with Colt. I love him. So much it scares me. So much that I know, without a doubt, that I’d go anywhere with him and do anything to be with him. I’d give up anything for him.”
As she spoke, she watched confusion cross into understand and then her mother’s face softened again, “Colt? Your friend, Colt? The boy you’re always talking about?”
“He’s more than a friend, so much more.”
“And is he…”
“A Bomar? Yes, he is, but he’s not his family and he’s not a criminal. He’s a good man.” She felt the rest of her defense get stuck in her throat and her hands clenched before she could stop them.
He wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t. He’d done some bad things in the past because it was the only way he’d known how to survive. He wouldn’t have to do it anyone. She had made sure of that.
Her mother reached out and squeezed her hand, “Skylar, I was going to ask, is he good to you?”
“Oh…” She felt her cheeks heat at the disapproving way her mother said her name.
“I would have thought we’d raised you to understand that we don’t judge people by the actions of others but since it seems to be a worry for you just know, I don’t care what his last name is so long as he treats you well and makes you happy.”
“Oh…”
She hadn’t been expecting this. The easy acceptance. The understanding. No questions of who and what Colt was. No condemnation of the family he came from. Her mother was only worried about her and after all of the drama and stress of the past few days, Skylar realized she’d needed somebody to make sure she was okay more than she realized.
She burst into tears.
“Oh, baby…” Her mom was instantly there, dragging her chair closer and wrapping her in a hug, “It’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s going to be okay.”
“Th…Th…Thank you.” She sobbed.
“You don’t have to thank me. I love you.” She smoothed Skylar’s hair back and held her until the worst of the sobs passed, “You could see how I might be worried, Bomar or not, that you burst into tears telling me you love the boy, right?”
“It… It’s not like that. He makes me happy.”
“Yeah, I can see that.” Melanie pulled back to meet her daughter’s watery gaze, “You don’t look ridiculously in love, Skylar. You look tired and exhausted. Tell me what’s going on so I can try to help you.”
Skylar wiped at her eyes and tried to pull herself back together. She’d never cried this much in her life. Not even when the doctors had told her that her heart was broken and she’d need surgery to fix it. Not even when they’d told her she’d have to be on medication, have to be careful not to overexert herself, for the rest of her life. She’d dealt with her health issues without a tear but this thing, with Colt, it had the power to break her heart for real, for good, and no matter how many times she told herself to be strong, that scared the crap out of her.
“Is this about your shop being broken into?” Her mother asked hesitantly when she didn’t immediately speak, “I know that boy’s tattoo parlor is next to yours and the rumor is that the people that attacked it only meant to hurt him because of his family but if they know you two are involved maybe…”
“Mom.” She cut her off with a shake of her head, “Can you let me get this out? I’ll tell you what I can. I just need you to promise to hear me out.”
Melanie’s lips pursed, “Of course. Go ahead.”
“I…” She took a deep breath for courage and then started with the real reason she was here, “I can’t give you all of the details but Colt is in trouble. He was attacked Saturday night. He was beaten and he’s hurt pretty badly.”
“Oh my God! Is he okay?”
Just thinking about him lying in that bed threatened to tear her apart again. When she’d left this morning, he’d been awake but groggy still. Nessa had come back to check on him over the past few days and been pleased that he seemed to be doing well. She’d said his concussion was mild and that despite a couple of broken ribs that it was mostly superficial cuts and bruises. He would be up and back to his usual self in a few days which didn’t give her much time to finalize her plans with Lincoln.
“He will be. I’m going to make sure of it.” She blew out a breath, “The thing is, the best way I can help him right now is to buy out his silent partner at the shop.”
There was a long moment of silence, “Wait, you’re buying part of his business?”
“Kind of.”
Her mother winced, “Skylar, honey, I’m not sure that’s a good idea.”
“Neither am I but I have to help him and this is something I can do. He needs the money and I have it. It’s really that simple.”
“Did he ask you to do this?”
“No. He would never ask me for money, for anything. He doesn’t even know I offered it. I made the deal with… well with his silent partner. I’m buying him out of the business to keep Colt safe. It’s better for everyone this way.”
“Sky…”
“I love him. I do. Mom, I love him and I can help him so I have to do it.”
“Skylar.” Her name again in that concerned, motherly tone made her shake her head, trying to combat any argument.
“No. Don’t do that. Don’t tell me it’s a mistake. You said yourself that you knew Dad was the one when you’d give anything to be with him even though he didn’t ask. Well, Colt didn’t ask but I’m willing to give this, to do this. You have to understand that!”
Her rising voice earned her another sigh, “Honey, calm down. I’m not saying you shouldn’t help him. I only t
hink you should talk to him about it first. Mixing business, money, into your relationship is trouble… particularly when it’s as new as yours is with this boy.”
“I couldn’t talk to him about it.” She bit her lip, “He would have said no.”
“Would have said?” Her mother winced, “You’ve already done it then, haven’t you?”
“Yes. I went to the bank before I came here. They’re drawing up the paperwork to transfer the money as we speak. I have to go back to sign it in an hour.”
Her mother’s face softened again, “Did you do it before coming here because you were worried your father and I would tell you no too?”
“Maybe.”
“Skylar, you’re a grown woman and it’s your money. Your father and I gave it to you and we trusted that you would use it for something that was important to you when the time came.” She started to open her mouth but her mother held up a hand to silence her, “If this is what you choose to use it for, I’ll support you. So will your father. We love you and if you love this boy that much then he must really be something.”
Her throat felt tight, “I do. He is.”
“Then all I need to know is… does he love you the same way?”
Skylar bit her lip to stifle another flood of tears. She couldn’t tell her mom that she didn’t know. Couldn’t tell her that he’d only told her he loved her for the first, and last, time when he thought he was dying.
But then she thought about how Colt had tried to push her away. He’d told her that she deserved better, deserved more. He’d told her that she made him want to be a better man and despite how he felt, he’d put her first. He’d tried to protect her, even when he wanted her for himself, even when he’d been injured. She’d been the thing he was worried about even when he was fighting unconsciousness.
“Yes.” She nodded.
Melanie smiled softly, “Then I hope you’ll talk to him about what you’ve done. I don’t know the boy but he is a man and they tend to react badly when they think we’ve made their decisions for them. You’re doing something kind, impulsive and a little crazy, but kind. Don’t let it come between you.”
