Then another knock rang through the house and the girls stopped talking. Colt dropped his phone on the counter and went toward his bedroom.
Vicki whispered, "Don't. See who it is first."
She would have an opinion on guns. They needed to find out why reporters were here.
Colt unclenched his fists and took a few deep breaths as Vicki glanced at the door. "I'll get rid of them."
"Thank you, Colt."
He stormed toward the door.
Reporters were never good. Vicki's hand covered her racing heart, and her legs were still weak. For a moment she thought she'd faint, but then she stared at Clara. Their innocent girl needed to stay that way. They'd go to the kitchen or her room. "Help me clean up."
Colt went outside to deal with a second set of reporters on his property.
Vicki kept her daughter close. Clara helped with the dishes and the pair of them brought everything to the sink.
Her daughter stared at her. "Mom, Dad made breakfast, but never ate. Can we pack him something?"
At least their baby wasn't disturbed. Vicki nodded. "Great idea, though he should return in a moment."
Clara stepped onto a stool to help with the dishes. Vicki turned on the faucet, and Colt stormed through the hall. Seconds later, he returned to the front door with some paper in his hand.
She said nothing as he went outside.
Clara elbowed her lightly. "Dad said I can't take you to show and tell. At school, will you meet my friends?"
"Sounds like a plan." Vicki laughed, and rubbed her daughter's arm as she kept her gaze on Colt at the door. "Why can't we throw a party for your friends here?"
"Yeah!" Clara shouted.
A party for five-year-olds couldn't be too hard. Vicki nodded. "Okay, but we'll have to ask Dad if it's okay."
Vicki bumped into her daughter's shoulder, and they both stared at Colt as he said goodbye to someone at the door. Neither one of them moved until he closed the door behind him. His lips were pressed together, and he shook his head.
For moment, Vicki blinked, and her hands clenched on the counter. Colt closed his eyes like he needed a moment.
Clara turned the faucet off, and Vicki placed the last dish in the drying tray. She swallowed and then asked, "Can you go to your room for a few minutes, sweetie, and let me talk to your dad?"
"Sure." Clara jumped off the stool. "For the record, I like you, Mom."
Vicki sipped on a coffee Colt had made for her and stared at him. She waited for him to open his eyes again. Whatever happened outside had him tensed up in his shoulders.
Clara's bedroom door closed. Then Colt opened his eyes and met Vicki's gaze.
Vicki took another sip, pointed to the dining room chairs, and then walked over to sit. He followed. Then once he was settled, she asked, "What happened?"
"It's not true." Colt stared at the ground. "Belle is at the local hospital."
"I thought she was in D.C?."
He nodded. His face was white. "So did I."
Neither of them said anything for a moment. Then Vicki said, "Why is she in the hospital?"
"She's unconscious, but witnesses have linked you to the driver that hit her."
"What?" Vicki's skin jumped. She shook her head. "How? Yesterday we went to see your sister. My car wasn't in any accident."
Colt's hand trembled until he tucked it under the table. "You went for ice cream with Clara, and someone saw you speak to the hit-and-run driver."
"I didn't speak to anyone." Vicki shook her head. They had gone to get ice cream with Alice. "Wait. Some man needed money for gas, and I gave him a dollar."
"That was probably it, then. The reporters are all saying you paid for a hit-and-run because you wanted me. The story is the House of Morgan has gone bad."
"I would never."
Colt nodded. "Of course not. Just don't leave this house today, Vicki."
Ice traced down her spine. "People actually think I hurt Belle?"
"I don't know what the neighbors believe." Colt scooted his chair closer. He wrapped his arms around her shoulders and hugged her. "You're going to need your lawyer. The press is making it seem you're guilty."
She secured her arms around his shoulders. "What are they saying?"
He massaged her, but nothing stopped the heavy beat of her heart. "The trash basically says that the only daughter in the House of Morgan who came back from the dead is just another spoiled, rich brat who will do anything to anyone."
"Imagine if I actually went to nightclubs what people would say." Her heartbeat was wild, but Colt's was steady. She could hear the thump of his chest, and hers slowly went in sync with his. She sighed. "I don't know what to do."
"Trust me." Colt took her hand in his then placed it on his chest. She gazed into his dark eyes. The world faded away, and her lips tingled in hope for another kiss. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Vicki."
Colt would protect her better than anyone else. He was amazing.
Chapter 23
Colt peeked out his blinds. No one was there. His pulse remained steady as he turned away. The porch had been quiet for a while now, so his threats to stay off his property had worked.
Vicki pressed her hand on his arm. "What should we do?"
"Let's find out what happened."
She let go of him. "I'll go get my phone."
"Delete anyone's voice you don't recognize."
She walked to her bedroom and came out a moment later with the phone on her ear.
He massaged his neck as he stared one more time out his window. Then he went to get his phone.
As he returned to the dining area, Vicki pursed her lips as she listened to her voicemail.
To comfort her, he sat beside her. Then he hit the button to get his voicemail and held the phone up to his ear.
She took his offered hand to hold as he listened to the first voicemail, from his mother. "Colt, honey, what have you done? I'm coming over to check on you this morning. Belle is in the hospital, and the news is saying you and Vicki caused her accident."
His heart raced. He'd dropped Belle off at Miami International, though he did speak to her on the phone in his panic to find Vicki. His breath caught. The other day, as he'd told her the wedding was off, she had tears in her eyes, and the memory haunted him. Vicki squeezed his hand, and he opened his eyes to stare at her.
His phone clicked to his next message from Alice. "Colt. You and Vicki aren't answering. What's going on? Vicki was with me yesterday, at the ice cream parlor. We didn't hit-and-run anyone. The news is crazy. Call me. John and I want to help."
Her messages must be the same. Vicki nodded at him as he listened to his last message. "Colt, it's Belle. I don't know what happened last night. It was a stupid car accident. I'm fine, and someone took something I said and completely changed every word I said or meant. I'm so sorry."
All the energy in his body left.
His chin dropped into his chest, he stood and paced toward the window.
Vicki reached for his shoulders and massaged his neck for a moment. He turned around and stared at the blonde bombshell who'd changed his life years ago. His heart lifted as she stepped closer to him and wrapped his arms around her. She sighed and said, "Alice sent me a newspaper article. I want to show you." She handed him her phone.
Vicki Morgan, the daughter of the notorious Mitch Morgan, is yet another heiress behaving badly. An affair, revenge, and a secret pregnancy all rolled up into a day in the life of a bored and wicked life.
He blinked and reread that first line. "We had sex the other day. You can't be pregnant."
"I'm not." She shook her head. "I even had my yearly gynecological exam yesterday, so it's definitely not true."
"Why did you go to the doctor? Perhaps that's where that story came from."
"I was waiting for Alice and the doctor was available. I wouldn't have to come back if I did it then, and that sounded good. Every year I get tested for cancer because I don't know my mother's health history.
"
He nodded. "Okay, princess. Don't worry about it."
Clara's door opened and she tiptoed back into the dining area. "Mom, Dad, is everything all right?"
Colt scratched his chin, and then he told both of them, "Grandma will be here soon, and we shouldn't plan on leaving the farm today."
Clara smiled and went into the living room to watch something on television.
Vicki's face went white, but she held her tongue. Colt traced her arm and offered her a small hug. "Everything will be fine."
Vicki's arms trembled. "She doesn't want me here. Maybe I should go to Alice and John's…"
He hugged her. "Princess, you don't want to go anywhere. Not until we figure out a game plan."
"What happened?" Vicki shook her head, and he took her hand in his. They were in this together. "This entire story doesn't make sense."
"Clara's settled in the living room now. We'll figure out how to handle this."
"Peter's message said to call him. He'll have his staff take care of the press, if we want."
"If he can make the reporters go away, then call your brother."
She picked up her phone. A few seconds later, she said, "Peter, whatever you can do. The new story is one hundred percent nonsense. I'm not pregnant. I drove Alice to the doctor's yesterday, and she was with him the entire time."
A minute later, she hung up and said, "Peter said lie low for twenty-four hours and his team will threaten lawsuits to anyone running this story."
"Not a problem."
She averted her gaze. "On a different note, I'm scared to meet your mother."
He turned and took both of her hands in his. "We'll have grown-up talk. If my mother says anything to you, she's gone."
"Dad, I want to see Grandma," Clara called out, and then turned again to the television.
"Of course." He kept his hands entwined with Vicki's as he told his daughter, "I am speaking to your mom."
Clara called back, "Daddy, I like having a mom."
Vicki's big blue eyes threatened to water again. He held her hands closer to his chest and swayed her gently as he said, "I like having your mom here too. So don't worry about anything."
Clara stayed quiet, and he assumed she was watching a cartoon.
His gaze returned to Vicki, who closed her eyes as she leaned forward and hugged him. He traced her back with his hands as he let his heart still. This was his family, and they needed him.
"I think we should get married to protect Clara."
She bolted out of his arms. "What?"
Had he said that out loud? The idea came from thin air. Vicki completed their family and him. Colt reached out for her hand. "She deserves a family, and the gossip will die down fast if we appear as a team."
She stared into his eyes. "So you want to get married for our daughter?"
"Vicki, I know it sounds crazy, but it will work." He came closer and placed his hand on her shoulder. "We're already a family, but the negative news cares about us because your last name is Morgan. Collins are respectable and boring farmers with a ranch. Besides, it worked for John and Alice."
Vicki paced and crossed her arms. "Not because you love me?"
"Vicki, we're adults." The word love wasn't fair. He reached for her hands, but she jerked away.
She placed her hand on her forehead and shook her head, "I'm not that much of an adult, Colt. And no. Marriage without love is the worst idea."
Then Vicki walked away. He listened for her door closing. The moment he heard it, he understood that he had said the wrong thing. His mind raced. He had no idea how to fix this now.
He gazed outside. The wind rustled a few branches of his trees, and outside would smell like oranges. Vicki was part of this place now.
In the desert he had dreamed she'd come back to him. For years as he'd juggled his career and raising his daughter, he hoped Vicki would return to them. The moment she'd returned to his life and sent her bolts of chaos in everything, he'd been right back to the same thing. This time he needed to ensure she stayed with him. She made him feel alive.
Chapter 24
Vicki's heart raced. As she leaned on her bedroom door, she ran her hand through her hair. Colt thought they could get married without love? Her entire body trembled.
Then she heard a knock at the front door.
Every muscle in her body stayed tense as she heard Colt open the front door with a "Hey."
Pinpricks settled on her skin, and she paced. There was no way she could face someone who wanted her gone right now. His mother must be with him. She'd tell him that he was a fool to ask her to marry him. If their roles were reversed, she'd not be fond of any guy who hurt her own daughter.
As tension raced up her spine, she rocked. Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. Colt would be the worst choice, as she loved him.
No voices emerged outside.
As she stood, she listened. Eventually her throat was parched, and she went into the kitchen for water.
Images of the worst-case scenario played in her mind as she filled her glass. At any second, they could walk inside and face her.
She took her glass and tried to slip into her room, but Clara called out, "Can we go see my horse, Mom?"
Colt must have taken his mother outside. Vicki sucked in her breath. "Let's shower and get ready first."
"Yeah!" Clara jumped off the couch and raced to her room.
Vicki gulped down her water. The dryness remained. Eventually Colt could love her, but he needed time to see it. There had to be a way to stall. She'd not marry out of obligation or because it was the "right thing to do."
Then her phone rang. Vicki heard Clara's shower as she answered, "Hey."
"Why hello, my villainous, man-stealing best friend out to trap my brother." Alice giggled. "That sounds even more ridiculous if you say it out loud."
A small smile broke out on Vicki's face. "Alice, don't be silly. I don't know what to do. Your mother is outside, talking to Colt."
"She's nice. Relax. She'll help you."
Vicki closed her eyes. "I can't. Colt's big plan today was to marry me just to keep me safe."
Alice answered fast, "What?"
"Relax, I said no." Vicki opened her eyes and stared out the window that led to the porch. She inhaled. "Now your mother is coming inside, and I don't know if I can handle someone's hate."
Alice said, "She doesn't hate anyone. You're being overdramatic."
Vicki's hand went to her waist. "To stay out of the papers, I have to stay here. I have nowhere to go."
Alice asked, "Why do you think my brother asked you to marry him to keep you safe? I think he's always had a thing for you."
"He said it was to protect me."
"Okay, Victoria, why would he want to protect you if he didn't love you?"
"'Cause Colt is great guy and he's Clara's dad," Vicki whispered as her heart thumped against her chest.
"Love has nothing to do with it?"
Vicki's skin heated. "No, not consciously, anyhow."
"So it's possible he loves you subconsciously?"
This conversation made her skin tingle. "This is getting confusing. I don't know."
"My brother's an idiot if he doesn't love you, and I think he does. I think he always has."
"I'm not a mind reader. I can't tell. If he does, I need him to tell me."
Alice sighed. "Okay, let's change topics. I don't think we can do anything except wait for him to figure it out. So my advice is to be calm and peaceful today. Don't worry about Mom."
Vicki dropped her arms back to her sides. "Easier said than done. Peter said he had his team of lawyers on the case for me, so the news nonsense will die down."
"I suspected that, as no one has asked my opinion in the past hour. Besides, you have bigger issues. Stick to my brother's side like glue, and be supportive if he tells you he's off to visit the ex anytime soon."
Vicki hadn't thought of that. "You think he will?"
"He's going to want to se
e for himself," Alice said. "So when he goes to visit Belle, be gentle. I don't think he loves her, and if he broke it off with her, he knows it too."
"I don't know." Vicki stared at her daughter, who came out of her bedroom all dressed to go out.
"Don't worry. Stay and be calm with Colt until he figures it out."
Clara tugged Vicki's pant leg and stared at her as she stepped into her boots. Vicki nodded at her and told Alice, "I have to go. Talk to you soon."
"Bye."
Vicki went down to her hands and knees and tied Clara's boots. She held out her hand, "Let's go."
Clara clasped Vicki's hand, in total trust. "Grandma will be back with Dad for lunch, so we can't spend all day. Stewball needs an apple."
Clara tugged at her to move faster. Vicki's heart lifted in her chest, and she felt lighter. They went out the back door.
"Is Stewball your horse?" Vicki wouldn't keep Clara long. Vicki had no clue about horses and hadn't visited the stalls. Now, as her muscles relaxed, Vicki wanted to see all of her daughter's life.
"Grandma helped me name her when she was born." Clara ran ahead into the side structure that must be a barn. "This way, Mommy."
Mommy was a great word. Vicki quickened her pace, until they walked into the barn. The overwhelming smell made her nose curl. Despite the smell of manure, Vicki's smiled from one look at how animated her daughter became near the horse. The bop of her blonde hair was all Vicki needed to see. She'd figure out a way to stay.
"Mom, you're not over here. Come faster."
Vicki rushed to the stall and saw a miniature horse. A grin grew on her face.
Colt was a good father and a good man. He was worth waiting for.
Patience was a virtue she'd somehow figure out.
Chapter 25
After his mother left to run an errand, Colt finished with his double check of every security measure on his farm. No one else would dare set foot on his property. He brushed past a line of trees in his truck, peered through the fence, and saw a small crowd of reporters gathered across the street. Clearly her brother Peter hadn't called everyone off yet.
[House of Morgan 01.0 - 03.0] Boxed Set Page 36
