by Alicia Rae
Crap, I’m pissed, too.
The thought of someone hurting my little sister was devastating, but our parents would be here any minute. This was not the time to have a family debate. There would definitely be one in the near future though.
I exhaled calmly, glancing at my sister. In an attempt to redirect the conversation to safer territory, I asked, “So, Kayla, are you back only for today?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” She scrunched up her nose. “I have class at nine in the morning.”
“Oh, okay.” I tried to hold in my disappointment. “Maybe you could text me your schedule, so I can come visit you one afternoon even if it’s just for a few hours?”
“I’d love that, Paige,” she answered with a brief smile.
I could see the anger slowly dimming from her face, and her brighter-than-life normal glow was returning.
Thankfully, a knock sounded at the door. When I heard chatter outside, I guessed that both our families were here.
Still sensing Colton’s anger from his stiff posture, I acknowledged the fact that I couldn’t leave him here with Kayla, or she was surely going to get a stern talking-to. Growing up, Colton had been fiercely protective of my sister and me, and I had no doubt that would never change.
Of course, I had my own concerns that I wanted to express to Kayla, too, but my way would be more…civil.
I pivoted and slipped my hand into Colton’s while glancing up at him. “Come on. Let’s go greet our families,” I said, yanking on him.
With the flex of his jaw, he allowed me to drag him in the direction of the living room.
We made it halfway there before his steps caught up to mine, and he leaned into me. “That discussion isn’t over yet, Paige,” he protested under his breath.
“I agree, but our parents are here, so it will have to wait until later.” I pursed my lips together at him and made a kiss noise, towing him the last several steps.
Colton came to a halt while unleashing a sound of disapproval. “What kind of kiss was that?”
Less than a foot from the door, I paused and stepped into him, taking in his devilish smirk. I’m going to fix that.
I swiftly went up on my toes, placed my hands on the sides of his face, and crushed my lips against his. He wasted no time in tightly gripping my waist with one hand and my nape with the other while kissing me. His lips moved with mine as though we were going to be spending days apart from one another. More importantly, I felt his previous anger ease from his body.
“Ahem…” Kayla coughed from behind us.
Colton and I drew apart at the unwanted noise.
I asked him, “Better?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned.
“So…our parents?” Kayla probed, stifling her laughter.
“On it.” I pointed at her before whipping around to close the short distance to the door.
When I opened it, on the other side, my mom and dad smiled at me, as did Colton’s parents, Josephine and Johnathan. Josephine’s long brown hair was curled at the ends, and her blue eyes were all on me. Johnathan was dressed in his usual attire—a red-and-brown plaid shirt, a black cowboy hat with a silver rim, and boots. Surely enough, his Wranglers were paired with his big round Western belt buckle.
I stepped outside onto the patio to greet my mom and dad first with a combination of hellos, kisses, and hugs, as did Colton. Then, he and I switched parents. Kayla soon joined the mix, too.
“Hi, Josephine. It’s so great to finally see you again!” I exclaimed, warmly embracing her. It had been far too long since I saw her last.
“Uh-huh,” she muttered.
My shoulders sagged at her quiet and less-than-enthusiastic welcome. I stared at her in confusion, feeling like something was off-kilter. It wasn’t her normal reaction to me. She was usually so happy to see me, like I was with her.
Before I could decode the meaning behind it, Johnathan swooped his big arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. “There’s my darlin’.” He kept his hold tight, squashing my cheek against his chest. “Boy, we sure have missed you around these parts.”
That was more of the response I had predicted from Josephine.
“I missed you all, too.” I smiled as he finally let me go to catch my breath.
Johnathan tipped his cowboy hat up while gazing down at me with a pleasant grin. “Glad to see you finally made it back to where you belong, little lady,” he replied, tucking one thumb behind his black belt buckle.
Josephine shot daggers at her husband and admonished, “Johnathan!”
Johnathan shrugged nonchalantly at his wife. “What? This is Paige we are talking about. It’s the truth, ain’t it?”
Josephine rotated her head away from Johnathan, not answering. I suddenly felt uncomfortable as I watched the two of them.
I was clearly missing out on something, but I couldn’t put my finger on exactly what it was. I was stunned by Josephine’s demeanor. This wasn’t the same woman who had welcomed me into her home with nothing but open arms on a regular basis while growing up.
I pushed aside the hurt I felt and made a mental note to later ask Colton what information I was missing out on. It appeared I had some catching up to do.
Colton neared and set his hand on the small of my back. He politely addressed everyone as we stood on the concrete, “Paige cooked up a storm in the kitchen.” He motioned behind him to the front door we had left open in the midst of our greetings. “Feel free to fill a plate and bring it on out.”
“You don’t have to tell me twice, son.” Johnathan snorted, taking off his hat, as he passed by us to go into the house.
Josephine avoided my stare as she followed after her husband. My parents and Kayla went next, and Colton and I slowly brought up the rear of the line.
My questioning eyes wandered over to Colton as we stepped into the living room that was now fully painted with a few different kinds of artwork on the walls. All he had left to do was put finished hardwood on top of the underlayment to complete the flooring and then pick out furniture.
“What?” he asked, seeming to notice my eyes on him.
We entered the kitchen and came in close proximity to our guests.
My concerns would have to wait. Instead of asking about his mother, I smiled and said, “Nothing.”
He tipped his head down at me while leaning into me. “Nothing?” he probed, not letting the subject go.
Always so stubborn. I laughed inwardly.
I looked toward our families and then returned my attention to him. He appeared to have caught my drift.
“Later?” he asked.
I noticed my mom watching us from the other side of the kitchen island.
“Yes,” I murmured just above a whisper so that only he could hear.
“All right.” Colton connected his nose with my temple, and he affectionately kissed me, instantly calming me. He whispered, “Smile.”
I did just that as I tucked away my worries of Josephine’s mood.
OUR BRUNCH OUTSIDE went smoothly as our parents, Kayla, Colton, and I all made small talk.
I learned that Josephine and Johnathan were both thrilled that they had downsized their living space. Since retiring from the life of a rancher, Johnathan volunteered a few hours a week at a local church to stay busy, and Josephine enjoyed the quiet time by working on her quilting and sewing projects at their new condo.
My mom and dad were going about their lives with no major changes. Daily, they kept busy with completing the house and ranch chores, gardening the flowerbeds, and enjoying the country life.
Dad and Colton discussed the need to divide the cattle herd before fall since they each had more calves than usual this year. Dad had eight calves whereas Colton had eleven between his two cattle pastures.
My gaze was on the two of them as I listened intently. I was surprised to find myself intrigued by their conversation.
Roping cattle had always been so much fun in the past. It was kind of like fishing, but instead, the person had
to get a rope around a thousand-pound cow running for its life in the opposite direction. After we had gotten old enough to join in during our teen years, it was one of Colton’s and my favorite things.
My dad and Colton seemed to be ending their talk, and from the corner of my eye, I could see Josephine sitting up straight in her chair with her head held high. She spun her head to face me. I turned and met her gaze with a smile, feeling relieved that she was finally going to speak to me.
She pressed her lips together in a line and swallowed. “So, Paige, are you going to join Colton on one of the horses for the upcoming roping season?”
My mind went blank as I gaped at her. I was stunned at her unexpected question.
The table went quiet around the two of us.
Eyes danced back and forth between Josephine and me. It suddenly seemed as though I had been thrown into a boxing ring, and I was pretty sure Colton had turned as still as a stone beside me.
The lump that formed in my throat was thick. It took me a great deal of effort to swallow it. “Um…no,” I finally murmured.
At Josephine’s displeased looked, my gaze flitted away from hers in embarrassment.
“But, Paige, you know as well as we do that Colton will need help with those kinds of tasks around the ranch.” She laughed a humorless sound as she briefly scanned her eyes across everyone at the table. “You wouldn’t let him do all that work by himself, would you?” she probed, unwilling to let the subject go.
“I can handle it just fine on my own, Mom,” Colton said. The tone in his voice left no room for argument as he held his mom’s gaze. “So, please, not another word.”
Across from me, my dad gently set down his glass. His eyes darted from Colton to Josephine to me. The tension was so dense that I felt blinded by it.
“Colton, feel free to swing by when you’re getting ready to cut the herd. I’d be more than happy to give you an extra hand,” Dad offered.
After a moment, Colton tore his eyes away from his mom and glanced at my dad. The hard line of Colton’s jaw seemed to loosen a fraction. “Thank you, Dave. I appreciate the offer.” Colton nodded thoughtfully. “But you have a lot on your plate, too. I can manage the cattle just fine on my own.”
“So, son, how long did it take you to install the new fence?” Johnathan asked out of the blue. “You should have given your old man a call. I would have helped.”
I wanted to run over to Johnathan and give him a hug. I was grateful that he’d redirected the attention off of me.
“I actually had Dexter’s Fences install the fence,” Colton explained. “That project was next on my list, and I heard Dexter had a last-minute cancellation, so I gave him a ring.”
“That was nice of you to keep the business local,” Johnathan responded.
Knowing I was finished with my meal and in desperate need of a breather, I stacked my plate on top of the empty French toast platter. I picked up a couple of other dishes and rose from the table in an attempt to quietly excuse myself. For once in my life, I was thrilled that dishes were calling my name.
“Yes, Dexter is a great guy, and he is a talented craftsmen,” Colton said, watching my every move.
I turned and kept my eyes on my path to the door. I continued inside toward the kitchen without a backward glance. Then, I carefully placed all the items on the counter in front of the dishwasher.
My mind swarmed with conflicting emotions as I clicked the lever and opened the appliance. I set my fork, knife, and plate on the bottom rack. Anger burned through me because I could not put Josephine’s brash attitude toward me into any logical perspective. I was missing something, and it frustrated me beyond reason.
I tried to push away all the negativity and hurt I felt inside as I filled the sink with soapy water. I began to wash the large platters, one by one, since they wouldn’t fit in the dishwasher, but I was losing the battle to calm myself.
I went to the stove and reached for the griddle that was now cool before returning to the sink. With a soapy sponge in one hand, I balanced the griddle over the sink and began scrubbing it with more force than necessary.
Just as I was about to rinse my sponge, I felt as though someone had thrown me against a brick wall. My vision fixated on the large pile of bubbles contrasting against the black pan. Then, it dawned on me that maybe Josephine was right.
Sure, I had worked my way up to standing next to a horse and cuddling it, but that didn’t mean I would ever ride one again. The thought of falling off a thousand-pound animal five feet from the ground with an unpredictable landing had me so sick to my stomach that I wanted to vomit in the sink.
I had experienced my fair share of flying off horses as a child. But I had been young and fearless, and back then, I’d managed to bounce to my feet with those elastic rubber bones that kids seemed to be blessed with.
That wasn’t the case nowadays. Furthermore, as much as I loved Colton, I wasn’t sure if I had the courage in me to sit on a saddle again—ever.
My hands went slack as reservations plagued me, and I was slightly aware that the griddle had partially slipped into the soapy water.
For Colton to have a strong, successful career as a worthy rancher, he would need a partner with the same attributes by his side to fully prosper.
Will I ever be that woman again?
“That’s the last of them,” Kayla murmured, entering the kitchen. She came to my side and set down a handful of dishes next to the sink.
From the corner of my eye, I saw her intently studying me.
I sniffed discreetly before briefly looking at her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” she answered.
A moment of silence passed before Kayla set her hand on my shoulder. “Paige, you’ve known Josephine your whole life. I honestly don’t think she meant anything by what she said outside.”
It was true. Since day one, Josephine had always loved me like her own daughter. “I completely agree with you,” I said truthfully. “But what she said to me is still the truth, and the truth hurts.”
As soon as I finished speaking, I felt Colton’s presence in the room, even without turning to make sure it was him.
“Kayla, can you please excuse Paige and me for a few minutes?” His tone was passive, but I heard the underlying stress in it.
I kept my gaze forward.
Kayla gave me a slight squeeze and spun around on her heels. “Of course. I’ll be on the patio with the others.”
Not ready to face Colton, I went back to washing the dishes. His eyes felt like they were burning into my back, telling me to acknowledge him.
What am I supposed to say? Your mom hurt my feelings? Or, furthermore, I think she’s right, and I’ll never be cut out to stand by your side as an equal partner and carry my weight around the ranch.
That would go over well.
No, silence was better than arguing and taking the chance of making the situation worse.
Colton set his hands on my waist and leaned forward. “Talk to me, Paige,” he demanded against my hair.
“There isn’t much to say.” I prayed for some kind of distraction, like an earthquake. I would take anything to avoid this confrontation.
“Yes, there is,” he countered with certainty ringing in this voice.
His tone sent me over the edge. It frustrated me that he could read me so well. I pivoted around on my heels to face him, causing him to let go of me. “What do you want from me, Colton?” I threw my hands up in exasperation as he fixated his eyes on mine. “To say that I’m hurt? Yes, the truth hurts like fucking hell.”
Anger radiated out of my every last pore. I hated myself for allowing my irritation to defeat my pride, but I was on a roll.
“Do you want me to promise that, someday in the future, I’ll hop on a saddle and gallop through the fields like we used to?”
His brows furrowed in deliberation, and he parted his lips to respond, but I didn’t give him the chance.
“If that’s what you want from
me, Colton, I’m not sure I can give—”
As quickly as the flip of a switch, his eyes went stern, and he took control of the moment. I gasped, breathing heavily, as Colton banded his arms around my sides and pulled me flush against him.
His eyes bore into mine with such intensity that it rendered me speechless.
“No, Paige, that’s not what I want. I just want you.” He brought one hand to my cheek and ran his thumb back and forth along the base of my jaw. “We could live on a ranch with horses and cattle or somewhere in the city. It makes no difference to me as long as I have you. What do I have to do to make you see that?”
Back to ground zero. I sighed. I’d thought we had come so far.
If Colton was forced to leave this lifestyle, he would end up being miserable, and I’d never forgive myself for being the cause of his unhappiness.
I let the fight drain out of me, knowing apples could never be oranges. He would give up everything to be with me, but I would never let him sacrifice his dreams for me.
I lifted my hand up to his face. With a certain tenderness he always used with me, I brushed my fingers across his sexy lower lip. “I won’t ever let you give up your dreams for me, Colton.”
Those baby-blue eyes of his narrowed and went dark. He was pissed. I was saved from his wrath by the sound of the door opening. Our families began congregating inside, chatting noisily.
“Colton,” my mom chimed in, her voice coming from the living room. My hand fell from Colton’s face as she breeched the kitchen and added, “You must do the honors of showing us all around.”
“Yes! That sounds like an excellent idea!” Josephine piped in, staring at the room in wonder. “Colton, I never pegged you for dark blue painted walls, but I must admit, it looks fabulous!”
Colton’s eyes were still locked on mine. “It is Paige’s favorite color,” he stated simply.
“Well, that makes sense now.” My dad chuckled loudly from behind us, breaking the tense atmosphere.
A smile worked its way across my face at my father’s innocent comment.
“The lines are so neat and straight.” Josephine admired kindly.
Colton’s eyes finally softened, and he gazed over at his mom. “Paige did that part.”
