* * * * *
Colt awoke to the sound of birds chirping, his clothes damp from the overnight dew. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. As he sat up, he rolled his shoulders and pressed his hands against his sore lower back. Sleeping in the back of his truck wasn’t the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept on, but holding Elise was certainly the best way he could remember falling asleep when he was troubled.
For a brief moment, seeing the truck bed empty, he felt that old feeling creep into his consciousness, making his stomach pitch. Tensing, he shook off the sense of desertion that threatened to consume him. In his heart he knew he’d find Elise somewhere on the ranch. Rubbing his hands down his face and over his stubble, he thought about the woman he’d come to love.
Last night, as she lay there with him, he admitted to himself just how much he loved Elise. The thought made him almost sick to his stomach—not the idea of loving her but what openly loving her would do to his own vulnerability, when he finally admitted his feelings out loud. Somehow, not admitting to Elise how he felt had given him a sense of control and even now, the thought of telling her still scared him. But he would tell her he loved her. Today.
* * * * *
Elise had slept fitfully because she’d wanted to wake up before Colt. She’d showered and dressed at his house before she headed to the ranch, intending to get there in time to say goodbye to Colt’s mother. She had a feeling
Sha
ron wouldn’t be receiving a warm send-off from Nan.
Right as she drove up in front of the ranch house,
Sha
ron was walking out to her car. Elise got out of her car and made her way over to the older woman’s rental car as she opened the door. “Does your flight leave this early?”
Sha
ron sighed and turned her blue eyes—the same color as Colt’s—her way. “No, but I figure sitting in the airport for a couple of hours is better than the alternative if I wait around here.”
Elise nodded her understanding and held the door as
Sha
ron got in the vehicle. Once she closed the door, Colt’s mother rolled down the window and leaned out with her hand extended.
When Elise took her hand and the older woman pressed something in her hand, she glanced at his mother in surprise.
“Colt won’t accept this from me any time soon and may never.”
Elise looked down at the silver antique pocket watch in her hand. She glanced back up as
Sha
ron continued, “Regardless of your motives, you’ve shown me a kindness I didn’t expect to see on this visit, so I feel leaving the watch with you may eventually get it to Colt. I have regrets in my life. Three of them live right here in Texas, but the one thing I wish I had done was try harder to see them.”
Elise’s heart raced at
Sha
ron’s words. Gripping the watch tight, she asked, “You tried to see your sons?”
Sha
ron nodded slowly. “Several times, but their father forbade me. Technically, I could have gotten a court order, but in the end I realized he spoke the truth, at least while they were young and my leaving was so new. He told me I’d be doing more harm than good, unless I planned on coming back to stay.” She frowned and brushed her hair away from her face. “After a while I just stopped asking. When several years had passed, I was afraid to ask…afraid of the rejection I would receive.”
She glanced at the watch in Elise’s hand, a poignant look on her face. “That watch belonged to my father. He passed away two years ago and I know he would want his eldest grandson to have it. Please make sure Colt gets it.”
Elise’s chest felt tight, her heart breaking as she held back the tears that threatened. To think Colt had carried his emotional baggage around as long as he did when his mother had been out there waiting for him but was too afraid to approach him after all this time. She bit her lip and nodded her agreement.
Sha
ron gave her a sad smile and started the engine. “Goodbye Elise. It was nice to meet you.”
Elise watched the car’s taillights going down the driveway as she slipped the pocket watch into her jeans’ pocket.
* * * * *
Colt arrived at the ranch, his shoulders tight with pent-up tension. He wanted to find Elise right away to tell her how he felt, but even though it was Saturday, the early morning chores around the ranch still needed to be done first. As he headed for the stables, he admitted to himself he was thankful for the reprieve.
He’d been working for half an hour when Mace walked into the stall he was in carrying a pitchfork full of fresh hay.
“Hey ya, bro,” he said in a lighthearted tone as he dumped the hay. “How’s it goin’?”
Colt leaned on his own pitchfork and eyed Mace. His little brother never volunteered for stall duty. Too many years of having to do it as a kid had set him against it.
Rubbing the back of his gloved hand across his jaw, Colt said, “Nan talked to you this morning, didn’t she?”
Mace glanced up from moving a pitchfork full of hay. “Yeah, she told me.” Setting down his pitchfork, he adopted the same position as Colt. “So, what’s going on in that head of yours?”
Mace always was the one willing to talk things out. Drove Colt nuts when
he
was that one who was supposed to be the “dad”. Sometimes he thought Mace was much better equipped to deal with his mother’s desertion than he was. Then again, he was the one who’d comforted Mace for many years when his mom wasn’t there. Life was all about balance, Colt thought.
“Not much to say,” he said in a gruff tone as he commenced working.
“And Elise?” Mace prodded, concern etching his expression.
Colt stopped working and looked at his brother. “Is the best damn thing to happen to me in a very long time.”
Mace gave him a broad smile. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”
When he turned to walk out of the stall, Colt called out, “Hey, get your lazy ass back in here and finish the job. At least let me ‘believe’ you didn’t come in here on a fishing expedition.”
He looked down, hiding his grin as Mace sighed heavily and came back in the stall to help.
“Just like old times, eh, little brother?” he looked up, teasing.
Colt chuckled when Mace gave a disgruntled snort in response.
* * * * *
After he finished his chores, Colt’s spirits were high. Even if he was still tense, he left the stables to go find Elise. His heart lurched and he stopped dead in his tracks at the site before him as he exited the stables.
Elise stood leaning on the fence in a similar position she was in the first day he met her. But this time, she wasn’t alone. This time a man had his hand on her neck, massaging it as if he’d done it a million times. Then he pulled her close and kissed her temple.
Colt’s blood boiled as he took in the city slicker and his red sports car. The man stood a good foot taller than Elise. He had short, dark brown hair and was dressed in tan slacks and a white button-down shirt. Yep, the man definitely looked out of place on his ranch. Colt wondered if he’d break some kind of law if he punched the man for daring to touch his woman before he kicked him off his ranch.
Colt walked up behind Elise and her guest, saying, “Mornin’ Lise.” He kept his voice calm when all he really wanted to do was yank the man’s hand away from her. To be faced with the reality of someone else touching Elise was an experience he wasn’t prepared to handle.
“Colt!” Elise said as she jumped at his voice. Shrugging out of the man’s hold, she turned to introduce him. “Colt, this is Jason Richardson. He just arrived from D.C. Jason is —”
“Her fiancé,” the man supplied with a pleased grin as he held out his hand to Colt.
At the man’s statement, Colt felt like his head was going to explode. Anger rolled through him in such relentless waves, he didn’t hear what Elise said. Ignoring Jason’s hand, he folded his arms over his chest and scowled. “I wasn’t aware Elise had a fiancé.”
Elise frowned at Jason as she elbowed him in his ribs. “Quit trying to rehash old stuff, Jason.”
The man gave her an indulgent smile. “You know as well as I do we’re a perfect match. Now that the summer is coming to an end, your rebellious days are over, honey. It’s time to come home and take on the responsibilities you’ve avoided as long as I’ve known you. Your father planned to announce our engagement at the party next week.”
“Rebellious?” she said, anger obvious in her tone.
Why didn’t she argue the fact he’d said he was her fiancé? Colt wondered. That’s because there’s some freakin’ truth to it, he realized.
Jason’s expression turned skeptical. “Hmmm, let’s see. When you graduated from college you took off to Europe instead of joining your father’s company. Then, when you finally came back, you disappointed your dad again when you accepted a job with that start-up dot com company—”
“That was my decision to make. It’s my life,” she interrupted, her voice rising. She didn’t give a flip who overheard their argument.
“He wanted you to be the Chief Information Officer,” Jason argued, incredulous.
“Then
you
take the position. A piece of my father’s business is all you and your father want anyway,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest with a mutinous expression on her face.
“That’s bullshit and you know it, Elise,” he replied in an angry tone. “We’re good together, always have been. It’s time you grew up and settled. No more,” he paused and swept his gaze over the ranch before finishing in a mocking tone, “pet projects.”
“You’re as bad as my father,” she said as she uncrossed her arms. “I’m not coming home with you.”
“Don’t forget your financial obligation,” he reminded her.
Her cheeks turned hot at the reminder she’d yet to come up with the money she’d promised to the charity. “That’s none of your business.”
“As your future husband, it’s entirely my business,” he countered. “Keeping your promise is a reflection on my reputation as well. Mr. Riley’s offer was higher for your share of this ranch. I think you should take it. There’s your financial solution and then some.”
“What the hell are you doing snooping in my personal paperwork?” she raised her voice.
“Hey, since you’ve apparently turned off your answering machine and you don’t answer your cell phone, I needed to find out exactly where this ranch was so I could talk to you. Your dad handed me the paperwork.”
“Which I’m sure he was ever so happy to do,” she replied in a sarcastic tone.
“Enough,” Colt barked. Grasping Elise’s upper arm, he said in a cold tone, “We need to talk. Now.”
Jason put a restraining hand on her shoulder and cast him an annoyed look. “She’s not going anywhere. I came here to talk to her.”
Colt’s gaze dropped to Jason’s hand, his stare emotionless, deadly. “Remove your hand, Yank, or I’ll remove it for you.”
“Colt!” Elise admonished, shocked at his tone and rude behavior. Her stomach had tightened into a hard knot at the complete change in Colt’s demeanor. Granted, Jason was pissing her off and his comments were probably making Colt wonder, but sheesh! What was up with these men?
He released her arm, his expression stony as he turned and walked away. When Colt rounded the barn’s corner, she glanced at Jason. “I’ll be back in a minute. While I’m gone you’d better come to terms with the fact once and for all I’m not going to marry you.”
Her heart raced as she walked at a brisk pace to catch up to Colt. No way was she going to run to find him. He could stew for a minute or two.
When she came around the corner of the barn, Colt stood there, his arms crossed, an impassive look on his face. Her heart lurched as she feigned a relaxed position against the barn. She felt anything but calm, but she didn’t want him to know how much his current attitude scared her. “What’s got you all riled up?”
Before she could blink, Colt closed the distance between then and pressed his hands against the barn wall on either side of her, caging her in. Stormy blue eyes locked with hers and he demanded, “What the fuck is going on? I knew I should’ve trusted my instincts to stay away from you. Not only are you pretty much promised to another, but you’ve been playin’ screw the cowboy in more ways than one, haven’t you?”
Outrage swept over her, making her cheeks grow hot. Elise balled her hands into fists and before she realized what she was doing, she punched Colt in the gut as she hissed out in a low voice, “How dare you accuse me of anything but good intentions, Colt Tanner.”
Colt let out a grunt when she punched him, but he still managed to rile her even more as he continued as if he weren’t affected by her hit, “I call ‘em like I see ‘em, Princess. Playtime is over. You can go back to your
fiancé
now.”
Princess? If he was back to calling her that, it wasn’t a good sign. “What the hell do you mean ‘I’m trying to screw you’?” She crossed her arms over her chest, frowning up at him.
“Why didn’t you tell me about Riley’s offer?”
Understanding dawned and she shrugged. “There was no reason to tell you. He contacted me in Virginia and I just assumed he wanted to buy the land. When I turned him down, I had no idea the large role the Lonestar land played in the history between you and your neighbor until Nan filled me in on the details the day May sabotaged the fence.”
“And your fiancé? How’d that tidbit slip your memory while you were sleeping with me?” he bit out, his tone rough, accusing.
“Because there was nothing to tell,” she replied with a stubborn tilt of her chin. “Ever since Jason and I were kids, our fathers wanted us to marry, to merge the family businesses. Yes, Jason and I dated several years ago, but that’s the past.” She paused, then said with conviction, “I don’t do something just because I’m expected to. I never have and I never will.”
Meeting his gaze head-on, she decided to throw her own question his way. “Not that I had to tell you all that, but what this all boils down to is…you either trust me or you don’t. Which is it going to be?”
Colt narrowed his eyes for a second before he turned on his heel and walked toward the stables, leaving her leaning against the barn.
Her heart sank that he could mistrust her so completely. Obviously, she understood where his distrust came from, but she’d be damned if she’d be the brunt of it. Shoving her hands in her pockets, she took deep breaths to calm herself as anger and deep hurt flowed through her.