by Alicia Rae
My gaze fell to his mouth, and I suddenly yearned to kiss him. It had been so long, too long. Before he could respond, I reached up on my toes and sealed my lips over his.
I could feel his surprise at my unexpected forwardness, but he didn’t let me go as I’d feared he might. Instead, his hold on me tightened, and his mouth devoured mine, taking over our embrace with a heated passion and desire that mirrored how I felt inside. Everything else faded away, except for him and me and the butterflies that bloomed in my belly.
I melted into him and caressed my lips and tongue with his. Nothing had ever tasted sweeter, and no one else but Colton could ever make me feel this way. His palm cupped my cheek as he deepened our kiss, causing me to softly moan against him.
“Ahem,” someone cleared his throat rather loudly.
At the intrusion, I broke my connection with Colton, gasping for air.
A blush crept across my face at the boyish grin Colton was sporting. Seconds later, I rotated my head to face the intruder responsible for ending the passionate embrace with my cowboy.
A middle-aged salesman in a flashy blue suit and black tie was smirking over at us while holding open one of the doors. “May I be of any help inside the store?” He motioned behind himself. “Or would you like me to come back in a few minutes? Either works for me.”
My insides screamed, Come back later! But I restrained myself by quietly clearing my throat. “We’re done.”
I swore I heard Colton murmur, “We’ll see.”
The gentleman asked, “Then, would you like to come inside and take a look around? We have some superb sales going on this month.”
I glanced at Colton with inquisitive eyes as the corner of his mouth curved up into a smile.
I took that as a yes and returned my attention back to the salesman. “That would be wonderful. Thank you.” I smiled. “We’ll be right in.”
“Of course.” The salesman bobbed his head, excusing himself.
As the door closed, Colton chuckled deeply at my side.
I pivoted to face him. “What could possibly be so funny?” I was completely embarrassed at the salesman catching us making out in public, especially since I’d soon have to be in the same room with him.
“You.”
“Me?” I probed.
“Yes, you.” He sauntered up to me.
I tried to ignore how delicious his full lips looked because that was what had gotten me into trouble in the first place. They were just so irresistible.
“You’re such a conservative country girl.”
Unsure what he meant, I breathed, “And?”
He paused when his chest bumped into my breasts. My heart kicked into overdrive at his proximity, and I had to tip my chin up to see his eyes.
He bent forward and kissed me once, teasing me with a leisurely brush of his lips, and then he drew my lower lip into his mouth before releasing it. He lifted his hand and ran his knuckles down my cheek as he pulled back. “And I love making you blush.”
He lowered his hand to capture mine, and slightly tugging on my arm, he stepped toward the door. “Come on. Let’s find me a new power toy.”
At the swift change of pace, I was pretty sure my jaw hit the floor as my legs struggled to keep up with him.
After three hours and at least a dozen test-drives later, I sat on the green grass and watched Colton glance back and forth between the two tractors he’d finally narrowed his choices down to. Colton’s back was facing me, and from here, I had the perfect view of his toned ass. The only thing that would make my view better was a bucket of popcorn.
“Talk motors to me.” Colton crossed his arms over his chest and looked sideways at the salesman. “I want to know every last difference between the engine specifications and uses of these two tractor models.”
The salesman, Victor, went into great depths, explaining each detail. One tractor was fractionally larger and had more power, but the other one had an enclosed cab with two more control options and included attachable accessories, so it wouldn’t require another hefty purchase.
By the end of Victor’s speech, I was even more confused.
“Paige?” Colton called.
I whipped my eyes up to him as he glanced over his shoulder at me. The mirth in his eyes told me that he’d caught me scooping out the rear of his denim jeans.
“Which one do you like?” he finally asked.
I shrugged. “I like them both.”
“So do I,” he agreed. “But I can only buy one, so which one do you like more?”
“Uh, can we do eeny, meeny, miny, moe?” I kept my indecisive tone hopeful.
Colton laughed for a split second and then gave me a look of utter horror. “Hell no. This is serious. I’ll be stuck with this tractor until I’m bald and gray.”
I tilted my head to the side as I imagined a wrinkled old Colton, but I couldn’t quite get a picture of him being bald.
“I don’t think you’re going to go bald. Besides, your dad still has a full head of hair.”
“You know what I meant.” Colton glared impishly. “And just because my father’s not bald doesn’t guarantee that I won’t be someday.”
I raised a playful brow at him. “Don’t worry, cowboy. I’ll still think you’re cute if you do go bald.” I rose and walked over to him. “But if you start to lose your hair, can I shave your head?”
“Not a chance in hell.” Colton laughed as he drew me under his arm, and then he positioned me until he was holding me in his arms from behind. “Now, focus, Paige. Which one can you envision me driving on the ranch?”
I didn’t know where his sudden change of mood was coming from, but I would take it any day over him pushing me away.
“Hmm…” I pondered aloud. “It’s a tough choice between power…and options,” I said, simplifying our decisions at hand.
“Yep, that pretty much sums it up.”
I smiled and pointed to the green tractor with an enclosed cab. “Options.”
Colton made a sound of pain behind me, and he bent forward to brush his lips to my ear. “You just deeply wounded me, woman,” he said to me before telling Victor his choice.
Once Victor dismissed himself, saying he’d round up the paperwork to sign, I spun around in Colton’s embrace and clung to his nape. Oh, did it feel so unbelievably good to have him in my arms.
“You are the one who asked for my opinion, so I took it as my cue to rein you in.”
“I was.” Colton shook his head. “But it still doesn’t make the pain hurt any less.”
“I think a six-hundred-eighty horsepower engine is plenty. You need ample power and options around the ranch, not a ridiculous abundance of torque with minimal options.”
Colton threw his head back and laughed wholeheartedly. When his eyes met mine again, they were bright and optimistic. Seeing that for the first time since the fire gave me hope that things would continue to brighten in his future.
“See?” he asked. “This is why I love shopping with you.” He kissed the tip of my nose. “You make me focus on what’s important. You ground me.”
I smiled up at him, feeling that he did the same for me, and I was happy to share this moment with him.
Suddenly, he asked in awe, “Did I just buy a new tractor?”
“Yes.” My expression mirrored his. “Yes, cowboy, you most certainly did. Congratulations.”
Colton picked me up and spun me around as laughter flowed out of us. I couldn’t help but feel that, just maybe, Colton and I would make it over this bump after all, and it gave me faith that our hearts would find their way back to one another again.
IT HAD BEEN THREE DAYS since Colton’s tractor was transported to the farm, and all his excitement with his new power toy had long passed.
Colton had returned to distancing himself from me again, pushing me away at every turn. Yet, each morning, I’d shown up, ready to dig right in to our workload and help him in any way I could.
It was just another day of Colton an
d me picking up scattered burned debris between the horse barn and equipment building. I had lost count of how many tractor loads Colton had made back and forth from the buildings to the extra-large garbage container that had been delivered yesterday morning.
There was just no end in sight for a workforce consisting of two people. We hadn’t even begun to put a dent in the remains still lying about, which made it extremely hard to stay positive.
As Colton lowered the bucket of his new tractor for the umpteenth time, scraping up another load of broken boards, I tried to keep from becoming discouraged.
Something had to give, and the only solution I could come up with was that we needed more hands.
It was time to call in reinforcement, so I stepped over to the side and pulled my phone out of my back pocket. My finger scrolled through my list of contacts until I found Kyle Madison’s name.
Kyle was a longtime friend of Colton’s, and I also considered Kyle to be the brother that I never had. He owned M & J Construction Co., with his wife, Lily’s, three cousins—Jason, Damon, and Blake. With Colton, I’d met all of them along with their wives on several instances over the years. Our most recent trip was when the ten of us had gone on a camping trip together in Lake Tahoe, California, where they all lived.
I waited for Colton to drive another tractor full of debris to the garbage bin just to be sure he was out of earshot before pressing the Call button.
Kyle picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”
“Hey, Kyle,” I said, hiding the defeat I felt inside.
“Paige?” Kyle’s deep voice sounded surprised.
I could hear chattering in the background. It seemed as though he was in the middle of something.
“Yes, it’s me.” I didn’t want to be rude, so I told him, “I’m so sorry to intrude. It sounds like you are busy, so I’ll try to call later.”
“Hey, Pixie.”
I could practically tell he was smiling.
“You’re not interrupting. It’s no trouble at all. What’s happening?”
I bit back the sisterly urge I felt to debate the nickname he’d given me the first time I met him many years ago, knowing I’d never live it down. Plus, my spirits weren’t the greatest today.
“I was hoping you might be able to help me out with something.”
“Anything for you.” He paused to excuse himself, and then he asked, “What’s the trouble?”
“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I didn’t know who else to call.” I felt an onslaught of emotions crashing over me.
“Paige, you can always come to me. Now, what’s wrong? Is Colton okay?” he asked, sounding concerned.
“I’m not sure if you heard or not, but Colton lost a couple of his buildings in a horrible fire last week.”
The other end of the line went dead silent.
“Kyle?” I murmured, wondering if I’d lost the call.
“I’m here. Jesus, Paige.” Kyle breathed a troubled sigh. “I had no idea. Are you guys all right? Why the hell didn’t Colton call me to tell me what happened?”
“Yes, Colton and I are okay, and all the animals are safe, too,” I reassured him. “But we’ve been clearing debris for days, and there is still so much to do. I just don’t see an end in sight. I think Colton feels it’s his responsibility to do all the work himself, but it doesn’t seem possible,” I rambled, nearly crying. “He needs help. Is there a crew or someone you might know who could give us an extra hand even if it’s only for a few days?”
“How bad is it?” Kyle asked almost hesitantly as though it was too much to bear.
“He lost the horse barn and the equipment building along with everything inside of each, except for the horses.” I briefly closed my eyes.
“Christ.” Kyle sucked in a sharp breath. “Say no more. You just take care of Colton and yourself, and leave the rest to me. I’ll be on the first plane out tomorrow.”
Tears filled my eyes, and I had to force myself not to collapse to the ground. “I’m so sorry to burden you, Kyle. I don’t have anyone else to turn to.”
“Truly, Paige, it’s no burden. You and Colton are family, and we take care of our own. That’s what we are here for.”
At the love and devotion in his voice, I wiped away the dampness on my cheeks. “Thank you so much, Kyle,” I cried, overflowing with gratitude. “I don’t know what I would have done without your help.”
“You’ll never have to find out. I’ll see you guys in the morning, Pixie. Get some rest.”
“Bye.”
I drove over to Colton’s house the next morning on my Gator, and I couldn’t seem to keep a smile off my face. Kyle would be arriving soon to help around the farm, and I hoped his presence would lift Colton’s spirit. Even my dad was going to come over today and give Colton a helping hand. I grinned inwardly. I loved it when a plan came together.
I approached Colton’s gravel driveway and saw him feeding the cattle in the east pasture. Since he was already outside this morning, my intuition told me it was unlikely he’d eaten yet, so I went straight into the house and cooked him a breakfast burrito and a side of hash browns with ketchup. I made two plates and went in search of him.
I found him by the horse fence, carrying square bales into the pasture for the horses. The morning air was crisp, yet Colton’s forehead and the front of his blue plaid T-shirt were damp with sweat.
Colton was the definition of a hard worker. He wasn’t a man who could be deterred by any type of problem, large or small. His father had instilled commendable work ethics in him when he was just a small boy, and Colton had taken them to heart. While I accepted his responsibilities around the farm were great, I couldn’t help but feel he was overdoing it.
Sitting down on one of the bales by the entrance gate, I studied Colton as he used his metal clippers to snip the two strings made of twine before separating the flakes and distributing them into the feeders.
Pivoting around, Colton started walking toward the gate while his hands dusted the stray pieces of hay off his shirt and jeans. He lifted his hat, revealing his unruly brown hair, and used his other hand to brush more straggling pieces away while shaking his head.
“Damn hay is everywhere,” Colton grunted to himself.
I smirked. I wasn’t sure if he’d spotted me yet, so I said, “Need help there, cowboy?”
Colton’s eyes searched for me. When he finally saw me, I had to remind myself to keep breathing. Even all disheveled, he looked irresistible.
He sat down at my left side, and our legs brushed one another as he replied, “Morning. You’re up early.”
“I’ve been up since before the sun rose.” I extended my arm to pass him his breakfast. “Here. I made you a tasty burrito, and I even drenched your hash browns with ketchup, just the way you like it.”
He took the plate and balanced it on his thighs. “Mmm…that’s the only way to eat them.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Thank you, but you didn’t have to do that. I’m not very hungry,” he finished.
I observed as he reached into his pocket and withdrew one of his bandanas that he never left the house without. Lifting it to his face, he swiped the cloth over his forehead and down his temples.
He looked exhausted and worn down.
My gaze sank to his mouth, and I saw a toothpick between his lips. “That’s because you’re chomping on wood,” I teased to lighten the mood. “Anyone would lose their appetite with that awful taste.”
I reached over to grab it, and my fingertips brushed along the edge of his lips. Colton’s eyes burned into mine with such intensity that my heart raced within my chest. It was a simple touch, yet with him, every connection we made was always powerful.
I slowly lowered my hand.
His gaze bounced between my mouth and the toothpick. “You know how much I love those damn things.”
“I know,” I answered with consideration, realizing the bigger problem at hand. “But you’ve barely eaten all week, Colton. Your body ne
eds food to fuel your strength, or you’re going to burn yourself out.”
He gazed ahead and was quiet for a moment. I could feel his conflicting emotions rippling out of him. He was off-kilter today, but I couldn’t quite put my finger on what exactly was bothering him.
He finally blinked over at me. “You make it hard for me to keep you away, you know.”
As difficult as it was for me to accept the truth of his statement, I understood he only wanted to protect me. “Your reasons for keeping me safe aren’t enough to change my mind,” I argued.
“You should.”
“I won’t.” I stubbornly narrowed my eyes at him. “Nothing you say will make me give up on you or us, Colton. I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” I lifted my hand and skimmed it across the curve of his jaw. “Fate brought us together long ago, and no pompous asshat is going to take you away from me.”
My choice of words brought a smile to his face.
His expression faded quickly, making me frown. Something was definitely weighing heavily on his mind.
“Reid Grayson stopped over after you left last night.”
I racked my brain, trying to recall the name. “The fire marshal?”
“Yes.”
Curious, I raised my brows. “What did he say?”
“What I expected,” he sighed. “Your pictures of Hank’s barn containing my stolen horse sperm aren’t sufficient evidence to link Hank to the fire. I’ll have to file a separate complaint with the courthouse to legally acquire back my stolen property.”
“That’s horse crap,” I said, outraged.
“Yes, it is, but as they say, he’s innocent until proven guilty.” Colton laughed humorlessly. “Even worse, as of now, that fucker will walk because they have no solid proof that he started the fire—except if he admits to it, which probably won’t happen unless hell freezes over or a witness comes forward.”
Anger continued to rise within me. “What are you going to do?”
Colton looked over at me with steel eyes. “For how quickly the fire spiraled out of control, someone had to have helped Hank, and I’m going to find out who it was.”
