by Liz Isaacson
She nodded, because she heard sincerity in his voice. “Apology accepted.”
Ames smiled at her, and that crackling chemistry that had first brought them together definitely hadn’t faded. Sophia wondered if it came from Ames, and if he could feel it as strongly as she could.
“At the risk of being pushy, I’m going to ask again—will you be my date at Cy and Patsy’s wedding?”
Sophia helped Cole with the last bite of his hot dog and handed him a napkin with the words, “Wipe your face, bud. You’ve got ketchup everywhere.” She helped the little boy with that too, trying to decide if there was anything else she needed to know before she said yes to Ames’s invitation.
When she couldn’t put it off any longer, she raised her eyes to his. “Maybe.”
“What are your conditions?” he asked.
“I just need to know the parameters of…us,” she said. “Is this a one-time ‘date’ to a wedding so we don’t have to sit alone? Or is this you trying to start something real for the second time? Or…something else entirely?”
Ames thought about it for a few seconds, and then he said, “All of the above.”
“It can’t be all of the above,” she argued. “If it’s a one-time date, that’s not a second chance at a relationship.”
“Sure it is,” he said. “I don’t want to be alone at the wedding. I do want a second chance with you—at a real relationship. Those are both true.”
Sophia cocked her head at him. She wished she could get inside his mind and see how it all worked in there. “And the something else entirely?”
“Now, that, I don’t have a definition for,” he said with a cheesy grin. He reached over and took her hand in his. He rubbed her fingers, and with the gentle movement she’d felt from him before, Sophia started to melt.
“It’s something else entirely,” he said. “I don’t know what it is. I don’t know how to define it. I just know I want to see if we can.”
Sophia wanted to say no as much as she wanted to say yes. She just had one more question. “Have you found yourself, Ames?”
“Almost,” he said quietly.
Sophia hesitated for another moment. “All right,” she said. “I’ll be your date at the wedding.”
Chapter Six
Colton Hammond pulled into the driveway at the address Ames had texted him that morning. His brother’s motorcycle sat up by the house, in the carport, but his truck wasn’t there. Instant worry hit Colton’s gut, and he hurried to put the rental car in park and get out. He left his suitcase behind and went to the door in the carport. Once up the five steps, he knocked at the same time he twisted the doorknob.
The door didn’t open, which didn’t surprise Colton. He still rammed it with his shoulder, because he’d been hoping to get lucky. Nope.
“Leave it to Ames to lock his house tight when he lives in a small town.” Three Rivers, Texas had charm, Colton would give it that.
American flags hung from every streetlight on Main Street, and the fire hydrants had been painted to look like trolls. They were cute, and Colton had smiled his way through town to his brother’s house.
He was secretly thrilled he could come help Ames before they’d both fly to Coral Canyon for Cy’s wedding. He could easily get time off at Springside, the lab where he worked a couple of days a week. Other than that, Colton had simply adjusted his workout schedule and how often he got to take his dog to the dog park—something that Coral Canyon had just opened two weeks ago—to get on a plane with only a few hours’ notice.
He went back down the steps, his pulse still bobbing somewhere in the back of his throat. Around the corner of the house and down the sidewalk sat the front door. The roof sloped over the front porch, which wasn’t very big. Maybe two people could stand there, if one of them wasn’t tall and broad-shouldered like Colton.
He rang the doorbell and knocked again, calling, “Ames?” this time. His brother didn’t come. This door was also locked, and the Texas heat and lack of his brother drove Colton back to the rental car.
He started the ignition again, because he’d bake to death in the car without air conditioning. In that moment, he was grateful for the cooler mountain temperatures, as he’d never felt heat like this before. “It’s humid too,” he told himself, as humidity wasn’t something he’d ever dealt with in Colorado or Wyoming.
When he’d lived in Virginia, he had experienced some humidity, but Texas seemed to be one degree away from the sun. He called Ames, his concern amplifying with every ring of the line.
He didn’t answer, and that only drove frustration through Colton. What was the point of him rearranging his life to come help his brother if the man wasn’t even around? If he’d gone to the grocery store or driven himself somewhere, he certainly didn’t need Colton.
“You aren’t giving anything up,” he muttered to himself. “Other than dealing with your jealousy.” He looked out the windshield, his heartbeat settling back to normal. He loved his new niece and his new nephew. He absolutely did, and he enjoyed spending time with Wes and his family. Some of the best times in Coral Canyon happened at Gray’s house in the woods, and Colton had never turned down an invitation to go there in the summer.
They’d returned to Coral Canyon for the next few months, and they had a seven-month old baby girl, who was literally the most adorable human on the planet.
Colton simply found himself wanting one of those tiny, precious, adorable humans for himself. Annie had noticed the change in him—he had a terrible time hiding anything from her as it was. She’d asked him about it, and he’d confessed his feelings to her, the same way he had Wes and Hunter last fall.
What should we do? she’d asked.
Colton had no answer for her. She didn’t want another baby, and he had never had one. Her daughters were grown and married, and he completely understood why she didn’t want to start over with an infant.
She had also told him that she was too old to physically have a baby, and Colton had assured her once that he was fine with it.
But now, he wasn’t sure he was. They’d been talking about becoming foster parents or even adopting. It wouldn’t need to be a baby, he’d told her. There are kids of all ages who need a good home.
They’d taken no steps yet, because neither of them really knew what to do. Colton didn’t even know what he wanted. Sometimes he watched Wes and Gray, and he didn’t want their lives. Other times, all he wanted was to snuggle with his wife and child on the couch.
Basically, he was a mess.
He leaned his head back and closed his eyes. “Clear my mind, Lord,” he murmured. He’d been praying for some version of having a clear vision to know what to do for some time now. The pathway before him still felt shrouded in darkness.
His phone rang, and he opened his eyes to see who it was. Annie. He tapped to connect the call. “Hey, love,” he said. “I just realized I never called you when I landed.”
“That’s why I called.”
“I’m alive. It’s hot here. And guess what? Ames isn’t even home.”
“He’s not home? Where is he?”
“I don’t know. He wouldn’t answer his phone.”
“You don’t think he’s hurt again, do you?”
“I hadn’t even thought of that,” Colton said. “Should I go check the hospital?”
“You can call, at least,” Annie said.
“I’ll do that as soon as I hang up here,” he said.
“I have some news.”
Colton forced himself to take an extra moment to take a breath. “Oh? Good or bad?”
“Good,” she said, and he could hear the smile in her voice. It made him smile—as did his whole life with Annie. He’d told her over and over that his unrest had nothing to do with her. She was enough for him.
“All right,” he drawled. “Lay it on me, hon.”
“Emily is pregnant.” She squealed, and a loud laugh came through the line afterward.
“That’s great,” Colton sa
id, and he meant it. Annie had wanted to be a grandmother since the day her oldest daughter had said I-do.
“She’s not due for six more months,” Annie said. “But they’re moving back here, Colt. I’m so happy.”
“I’m happy you’re happy,” he said.
“And you know,” she said. “Maybe this is the way you’ll get to hold that baby you want.”
Colton straightened and looked out the windshield, that clarity he’d been seeking illuminating his mind one degree at a time. “You know what? I think you might be right.”
Annie said nothing, and motion behind Colton caught his eye. Ames pulled into the driveway. “Tell her congrats from me, sweetheart. I have to go. Ames just pulled in.”
“Okay, love you, Colt.”
“I love you, too, Annie.” He ended the call, turned off the car, and got out again. Ames had already gotten out of his truck too, and he seemed perfectly fine. “Why didn’t you answer your phone?”
“I had it on silent,” Ames said. “Sorry.” He headed for the side entrance in the carport, and Colton followed him, sensing something was off. Way off.
“Where were you?”
“The park.” Ames fitted the key into the lock.
“Why do you keep your house locked? You realize your biggest threat here is an elderly woman walking by.”
Ames tossed him a slightly sour look and went inside the house. “I hope you weren’t here long.”
“Long enough to be worried—and call my wife.”
“I’m fine, Colt. I told you you didn’t need to come.”
“I thought you were drugged.” Colton closed the door behind him and paused, taking in the complete chaos that was Ames’s house. “What are you doing here?”
“Renovating,” he said, reaching to open the fridge.
“I can see that.” He moved over to the fridge too, crowding into his brother’s space. “I meant, what are you doing here? You don’t belong here.”
Ames glared at him, and they were so close in height, they practically stood nose-to-nose. “I’m a grown man.”
“You’re stubborn,” Colton said. “And hot-headed. And unreasonable.” He backed up, because Ames could sometimes come at a person swinging. He hadn’t for years, but Colton didn’t really want to find out how short his fuse was right now. “Oh, and I know you’re not telling me something.” He folded his arms and kept backing up until he touched the wall behind him, then he cocked his eyebrows as if to say, So start talking, bro.
“I’m in a lot of pain right now,” Ames said. “I missed my mid-day dose.”
“Yeah, because you were hanging out at the park,” Colton said dryly as Ames shook a pill onto the counter. He put it in his mouth and lifted the bottle of water he’d gotten out of the fridge to his lips, doing everything quite well with only one hand. “Do you have a girlfriend here already?”
Ames coughed, choked, and sputtered as water came shooting out of his mouth. He flew over to the sink while Colton watched, dumbfounded. The moment his brother calmed, he said, “Oh, my holy heaven. You do.”
“No,” Ames barked, his back still to Colton. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
“You’re a bad liar.”
“You should go home.”
“You should come with me.”
Ames turned around, fire blazing in his eyes. “I am not moving to Coral Canyon.”
“Why not? You moved to Texas, and this is way farther from Ivory Peaks than Coral Canyon.” Colton was probably the only brother who could talk to Ames like this. Cy said hard things to his twin, but Ames was head-strong and confident, and he always did what he wanted.
Ames’s fists clenched, and then as if Colton had blown out a flame, he deflated. “Thank you for coming.” He crossed the ripped up kitchen to Colton and hugged him.
Colton knew then that something was seriously wrong with his brother. Still, he hugged him tight and clapped him on the back. “Do you have a couch in this house? Let’s go sit down and talk like normal people.”
Ames fell back a step and nodded. He led Colton out of the kitchen and around the corner to the living room at the front of the house. “I’m going to knock down that wall and open everything up,” he said as he sat on a bright blue couch.
Colton just looked at him. He was far too big for such a tiny couch. “I have literally never seen a couch this color.”
“Nice, right?” Ames grinned at the couch like they were best friends. “It came with the house. It’s sixty years old. Vintage.”
Colton sat on the other end of it. “Feels like it’s sixty years old.” He glanced to his left and saw a hallway. “Tell me the mattresses here aren’t six decades old.”
“I got new beds when I moved in,” he said.
Colton focused back on his brother. “All right. Get talking.”
“About?”
“Don’t be cute with me,” Colton said. He leaned back and pushed his cowboy hat forward, very nearly covering his eyes. “I know you were at the park with Sophia. Just admit it.”
Ames drew in a long breath and held it. “Fine,” he said in one burst of air. “I was at the park with Sophia. But it’s not what you think.”
“No?” Colton turned his head toward Ames and watched him in his narrow range of vision. “What is it then?”
“A cruel trick?” he guessed. “I don’t know. She found me in the drugstore after I nailed my thumb to the wall. She got me to the hospital. I just went to thank her.”
Colton watched his eyes drop to his lap. “Again, not a great liar. You’d think you’d have learned something about lying from all your years with the department.”
Ames lifted his eyes to Colton’s, somehow finding his under the cowboy hat. “I asked her to be my date at the wedding,” he said. “But only because all of you will have someone to be with. You have no idea what it’s like to show up to a family function and have nowhere to belong.”
Colton wanted to argue back, but he couldn’t. In this case, Ames was simply right. Colton could always retreat to Annie’s side. They could leave together. They arrived together. He hadn’t walked in alone to a family party in years now.
“Okay,” he said. “Do you like her?”
“What do you think?”
“I think you just avoided the question.” Colton had a close relationship with all of his brothers. Wes had told him once that Colton was his best friend, but Colton knew Gray thought they were best friends. The fact was, he was very good at reading people, and he cared about them deeply—especially his brothers.
“What are you feeling?” Colton asked. “Is it that nothingness again?”
Ames simply nodded, his eyes back on his hands in his lap, and Colton’s heart tore a little bit for him. “Hunter’s doing great with the therapy,” Colton said, making his voice light.
“I’m not going to therapy.”
“It’s not a failure,” Colton said. “You’re the one who told Cy that over and over. Heck, look at him. He’s doing amazing.”
“Patsy has something to do with that.”
“Just think,” Colton said. “If you went, maybe you’d learn how to embrace what you feel, and maybe this time, you’ll be able to keep Sophia in your life. Then you’ll have someone like Patsy that will help you do amazing too.”
Ames said nothing, and Colton’s eyes grew heavy. He didn’t want to sleep though. Ames had told him about Seven Sons Ranch, and how wonderful it was. He forced himself awake and got to his feet. “All right,” he said, extending his hand to Ames. “Let’s go.”
“Go where?”
“You can show me the ranch, and then take me to the best restaurant in town.” He grinned down at his brother. “And I’ll just say this once, I swear. I won’t badger you to death about it.”
Ames grabbed his hand and Colton pulled him up. With their hands still clasped, Colton looked right into his brother’s eyes and said, “You should consider coming to Coral Canyon for the summer. You can live with me. We’l
l go running in the morning, and you can go fishing with Hunter and Gray. You can see Cy’s therapist—or get one of your own. You’ll be closer to Sophia too. Then you can see if a relationship with her is worth relocating for. Or not.”
Colton shrugged like he didn’t care one way or the other. He did, though. Something in his gut gnawed at him, and he’d learned not to ignore those feelings. They usually came from the Lord, and they nagged at him until he did something about them.
“So I’m offering just this once. You don’t have to decide until we leave for the airport on Sunday. Come stay with me and Annie for the summer. If things go well, great. If not, you can come right back here to this blue couch. No harm, no foul.”
“I’ll think about it,” Ames said, and Colton couldn’t ask for more than that.
Chapter Seven
Ames let Colton lift his suitcase into the back of the rental car. He could use his left hand to do it, but Colton had come to help, and he seemed to genuinely want to. He’d woken the day before to find Colton in the kitchen with a bag of bagels and far too much cream cheese to go with them.
They’d gone to Middlestreet Barbecue for lunch, and Colton hadn’t stopped talking about the sweet ‘n spicy sauce that he’d literally drenched his brisket with. He wanted to go back today and buy a bottle to take home to Coral Canyon.
“Do we have time to stop at that barbecue spot?” he asked when he got behind the wheel.
“Yes,” Ames said, staring straight ahead. “It’s literally on the way out of town.”
“Great,” Colton said, putting the car in reverse. He either didn’t hear the clip in Ames’s voice or he didn’t care. Ames wasn’t sure why he’d suddenly slipped into this grouchy mood. He was the one who’d announced over his second bagel that he wanted to go to Coral Canyon for the summer, and they didn’t need to wait until the weekend.