by Tessa Layne
“Colton Kincaid, I don’t care how angry you are,” blustered Dottie. “You will not swear in church.”
“What did I tell you about breaking her heart?” Travis thundered, looming over Colton.
Lydia stared down at her new boots, arguably her best work yet, willing the floor to swallow her up. This was all too much. She needed time to think, to sort this out with Colton. In private, not in front of her family and friends who’d appointed themselves judge and jury. But she couldn’t hide from this, and she darned well wasn’t going to leave Colt to fend for himself with this crew.
Across the room, he stood his ground, jaw tight, eyes flashing. His was not the face of a guilty man. It was the face of a man who’d been unjustly slapped around one too many times. Her heart went out to him. She brought her fingers to her lips and let out the deafening whistle she’d perfected in New York to hail a cab.
The cacophony stopped abruptly as everyone turned to stare. Icy calm came over her, and she looked her sisters, her parents and Travis in the eye, one by one. “Mama, Travis, back down.” She let the iron in her voice sink in before she continued. “Colt has every right to clear his name.”
The room exploded with opinions, head shaking, and more shouting. She couldn’t hear, she couldn’t think.
“STOP TALKING,” she screeched above the noise and throwing her bouquet against the door.
Again, the clamor died down, but not before she heard a voice muttering. “Calm down.”
“Calm down?” She was on a roll now. “Your wedding wasn’t just ruined by a jealous harpy. Your fiancé wasn’t just accused of fathering someone else’s baby in front of the whole town. Don’t tell me to calm down.” She glared at everyone. “For what it’s worth, I believe Colton.” She held up a hand. “Uh-uh-uh, don’t even start.” She turned her gaze to Colton and nearly lost it. But she would not cry. Not now. Not in front of her family. Her throat closed, all prickles. Colt’s face was the picture of devastation. His eyes bleak and hopeless. She crossed her hands over her heart. “I believe you, Colton. Maybe I shouldn’t, and I’ll come out of this looking like a fool. But I do.” She held his gaze, tuning out the rest of the room. “I believe you. But I’m not going to live in limbo while I wait for the results of a paternity test. I’m going home to Mama’s and staying there until I hear from you in five days’ time”
Colton’s face crumpled. “Please don’t go,” he pleaded.
For a second she wavered. But she knew herself. She needed space to think and to pull herself together. Her sisters knew her well enough to run interference where her mother was concerned, and no one from town would dare cross Dottie once word got out she wanted to be left alone. Opening the door, she stepped into the sanctuary, head held high, walked herself down the aisle – alone – and out into the brilliant afternoon sun. Only then, did she let the tears come.
CHAPTER 33
It took everything Colt had inside him not to chase her down the aisle. But at the moment, he had bigger fish to fry. He swept his gaze across the crowded room. Meeting his brother’s eyes. And Teddy’s. Next, Dottie’s, then Lydia’s sisters, who glared daggers at him. “I’ve never seen that woman before today. And I certainly didn’t contribute to her state.”
His declaration was met with ominous silence.
“I understand that my reputation is less than stellar. I made mistakes, big mistakes, when I was a kid. But you have to believe me when I swear to you I love Lydia with all my heart, and I would never betray her.”
“You offered to undergo a paternity test?” Travis’s question sounded more like an interrogation.
Colt fought the urge to lash back defensively. “Of course.”
Teddy, normally taciturn in the presence of his wife and daughters, spoke up. “I’m sure Doc Winslow’s over at the clinic. We can head there now.”
Colt hid a smile, sure that if they’d been at the Grace ranch, he’d have been polishing his shotgun. Teddy was a quiet man, but when he made up his mind, there was no changing it. “Yes, sir.”
“But you’ll need the lady to consent to a blood test too,” said Lexi.
“I wouldn’t call her a lady,” Colton retorted.
“I could write a letter,” she offered, ignoring him. “Most of the time a scary legal letter is enough to get someone to comply.”
Lydia had mentioned Lexi was a lawyer. He’d gratefully accept any help he could get right now, especially since his own lawyers were in Colorado.
“How fast can you put one together?”
“I have letterhead in my bag.”
“You carry it with you?” Always prepared, these Grace twins. For a split second he wondered if Carolina and Cassidy were the same way.
She nodded. “And a printer. All I need is an internet connection.”
“The diner has Wi-Fi,” Dottie said. “We added that in the rebuild.”
“Great. I’ll head to the clinic and then meet you at the diner.”
Halfway down the aisle, Lexi caught up to him. “For what it’s worth, I believe you too,” she said quietly, heels clicking on the wood floor.
Colt stopped and stared, blinking hard, because she looked exactly like Lydia but with longer hair. It unnerved him. “Thank you,” he murmured, needing to look away. Looking at her was too much.
Lexi continued. “My sister always sees the best in people, and if she believes you, it’s with good reason. Besides, I can tell how much she loves you.” She pointed to her head and then her heart. “Twin thing.”
“Thank you,” he said again, clinging to Lexi’s words like a lifeline. “I’ll see you at the diner.”
Hopping in his truck, he drove to the edge of town where the Warren G. Hansen Memorial Clinic had opened a few weeks previously. It was a surprisingly large facility for the size of the town, funded by the community in the wake of a killer tornado a little over a year ago. With grim determination, he marched into the small waiting area and rang the bell.
A moment later a beautiful young woman with a blonde ponytail pushed through the doors, a warm smile on her face. “Yes? Can I help you?”
“Uh, hi. I’m looking for Dr. Winslow?”
Her eyes lit. “That’s me. How can I help?”
Colt’s stomach dropped like he’d just jumped off a cliff. Taking a deep breath, he started, face flushing. “I need a blood test. For a paternity test.”
Dr. Winslow looked nonplussed. As if she dealt with things like this every day. “Of course. Test results take about five days. Will a lady be coming in as well?”
“That’s where it gets complicated.”
“Would you prefer to sit?” she asked gently, reaching for a clipboard behind the desk. “I’ve got some paperwork for you to fill out.”
Colton found himself pouring out the whole sordid story as he followed her back to an exam room. She responded with sympathetic noises and no judgment. By the time she wrapped the rubber cord around his arm before taking the blood, Colt felt surprisingly hopeful about the whole situation.
Dr. Winslow, labeled the vial of blood and put it on a tray. “Since we’ll only need a blood sample from the mother, if you don’t want to bring her all the way back here, I can print off a label with a barcode, and any clinic in Manhattan can draw the blood and mail it to the lab.” She gave him a sympathetic smile. “That might be a little less stressful for you?”
Two hours later he strolled into the Bison & Bull Inn in downtown Manhattan, scanning the lobby for any signs of the Carters. Sure enough, they were relaxing by the fireplace, cocktails in hand. Tightening his grip on the envelope Lexi had given him he strolled over and flicked the letter to the table.
Three pairs of startled eyes jerked up to him. “Where is she? Did you bring her with you or is she local talent?”
“That is no way to talk about the mother of your child,” Sammy Jo snapped.
“That baby is no more mine than it is yours.” He braced his hands on the table, lowering himself to eye level. “Why’d
ya do it? Didn’t have the balls to fire me to my face? Or is this because if you couldn’t have me, no one could?”
Harrison pushed back from the table. “Don’t you threaten my daughter, son.”
Colt righted himself. “Suck it, Harrison. Your daughter is a liability to your brand far more than I am.”
Hal cleared his throat nervously. “You don’t know what you’re saying.”
“The hell I don’t,” he growled. “I should have parted ways with you years ago, and that’s on me. I was too chicken shit to tell you to fuck off the first time you tried to get me to marry Sammy Jo.”
She gasped audibly, going pale. Harrison turned purple.
“And then for some stupid-ass reason, I had a misguided sense of loyalty to your brand because you were the first to take a chance on me. But no more.” He pointed to the envelope. “This is a letter from my lawyer demanding your pregnant actor, wherever she is, undergo a blood test for a paternity test. You’ll be receiving another letter from my legal team, dissolving our contract effective immediately.”
“You can’t do that,” Hal sputtered. “You have obligations.”
“Those ended the second you showed up to my wedding with an uninvited guest. Now, we can do this the easy way – quietly. Or we can do it the hard way – in public, with lots of press and lots of lawyers. You decide. And in case you’re on the fence about it, I can guarandamntee you that if you choose the latter, it will be your name dragged through the mud. Not mine.”
He swiped the whiskey cocktail sitting in front of Hal and drained it in one gulp, slamming the glass down so hard, the table shook. “You have two hours to get the lady to a clinic for a blood draw. Everything you need is in that letter.” He glared at each one of them. “Don’t even think about not complying.”
Spinning on his heel, he stalked out of the lobby and back to his truck.
*
The five days crept by with the slowness of a snail climbing a fence post in February. Colton paced in front of the fireplace at Resolution Ranch.
“Coffee?” Travis offered from the kitchen. “Why don’t you have a sit? You’ve been pacing like a caged animal.”
Colt stopped, bracing an arm on the large fieldstone mantel. “You have no idea. I’ve been doing everything I can not to go out of my mind.”
Travis let out a wry laugh. “Hate to break it to you, little brother, but you’re already there.”
“Shit. I’m sorry.” He stared up at the ceiling for a count of ten. “I can get out of your hair. See if the Sinclaires have space over at their hunting lodge. Or go to Manhattan.”
“Hell, no,” Travis said, pouring him a cup of coffee. “You’re gonna park your ass on the couch and talk to me.” Travis rounded the large farm table that stood directly behind the couch, holding out his hand. “Here. Have a seat.”
“Since when did you get all domestic?” Colt grinned over at his brother.
Travis’s eyes lit. “Marriage and family. What can I say?”
“You wear it well.” Colt stared into his mug, letting the steam warm his face. “I hope to know something about that soon.”
“When does the test come back?”
“Sometime today, I hope.”
“And then what?”
Colt shrugged, unease twisting his insides. “Wedding tomorrow.”
“And after that?”
He knew where this was going. Travis had tried to return his Resolution Ranch investment as soon as he’d learned that Colt had drop-kicked the Carters and Carter Holdings back to Texas. “Back on the road.”
“No honeymoon?”
“Said the man who didn’t take one.” Colt shrugged. “Lydia and I talked about going somewhere after the last qualifier in mid-October. But now that I’ve got an offer on the table for the ranch, we’ll probably head to Steamboat.” Even coffee couldn’t wash away the bile in his throat. He loved his ranch, and it killed him to let it go, but with his liquid assets tied up in Resolution Ranch and Grace Boots, he didn’t see how he could keep it. And at the end of the day, he’d rather be dirt poor with Lydia than rich without her.
Travis grew determined. “I wish you’d let me return the money you fronted us.”
“No,” he said flatly. “Not open for discussion.”
“You took a bet on us, and I’ll always be grateful for that.”
“Keep it. You know you need it.”
*
Lydia paused outside the entrance to the church, heart pounding. She shouldn’t be this nervous, she was more than ready to see Colt. Keeping herself from him the last week had been sheer torture. She’d lain in bed counting the hours as the moon tracked across the sky, willing herself to not cut across her property to his, to not meet him in the barn for a midnight tryst.
Cassie’s hand came to rest on her back. “Do you have the check?”
“Are you sure about this?” Lexi asked.
“As sure as I know my own name,” Lydia answered with conviction.
Carolina wrapped her in a fierce hug, putting on a brave face in spite of the lines of grief still showing around her eyes. “Then go get your man. Will thirty minutes be enough? I saw Gloria McPherson sitting in the parking lot.”
“Fifteen will be plenty.”
Cassidy pulled open the heavy oak door and gently pushed her through, letting the door creak shut behind her. Lydia stood at the back, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim.
“Lyds?”
A figure stood at the front, and slowly Colt came into focus. Tears wet her eyes as soon as she saw him, and forgetting her plan, she hurried down the aisle and launched herself into his arms.
He swung her around, holding tight. “I missed you so much,” he said, voice husky. “I’m never letting you go.”
“Never.” She nodded, tilting her chin to receive his kiss. The second his mouth touched hers, the tears fell and a sob lodged in her throat.
Colt pulled away, panic flickering in his eyes. “Sweetheart, what is it?”
“I’m happy, I swear,” she laughed, through her tears. “Kiss me again.”
He complied with a fierceness that left them both breathless when they pulled apart. He brought his hands to her face, wiping her tears with his thumbs. “Have I told you how much I love you?” His eyes, brimming with love, told her all she needed to know.
“I’ll never get tired of hearing it.”
“I promise to tell you ten times a day. Twelve.” Holding her shoulders, he took a step back, perusing her with a sultry tip of his mouth. “Look at you. You’re stunning. But that’s not the same dress you wore last week, is it?”
She turned in a circle, showing off Emmaline’s miracle work. “The other one left a bad taste in my mouth, so Emmaline helped me change it this week.”
“For the record. I’d still want to marry you if you wore shit kickers and a feed sack. You look beautiful in anything.” He pulled her close, wrapping an arm around her, hand splaying across her hip. This time, when he kissed her, she sensed the need, the urgency.
With a sigh, she opened to him completely, receiving his offering as his tongue licked and flicked her lower lip, slowly stoking the fire building between her legs. “Can we just get married now?” she whispered when they parted.
“The next time you walk down that aisle, it’ll be for good,” he murmured back. “But first, I need to give you something.” He pulled an envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. “Paternity results, showing I’m one-hundred-percent not the father.”
“You didn’t need to do this.” She handed it back. “Your word was good enough.”
His eyes flashed gratitude. “I still wanted you to have it.”
She cupped his cheek. “I love you. And I trust you. Always.” His hand covered hers as their gazes tangled, adding weight to the moment. “I have something for you, too,” she murmured, pulse kicking up like she was chasing down a taxi.
“Oh?”
She raised her brows wickedly, then slowly s
lid a hand down the vee of her dress.
Colt cleared his throat. “I’m not sure we should have a quickie in the church, sweetheart.”
Her chest shook with laughter, and her smile broadened as she continued her slow tease.
Colt’s eyes went dark with desire, then widened in surprise as she pulled out a folded envelope from her bra. “What’s this?”
She handed it over, heart in her throat.
He opened the envelope, making a noise in his throat before folding the check and holding it out. “No,” he said flatly, shaking his head. “I’m not taking this. I already have an offer on the table for my ranch. We’ll be fine once I sell it.”
“But you have to. I sold Grace boots. This is your initial investment plus the interest we agreed upon.”
“What?” He stared incredulously as her words sank in. Then he sprang to action, pacing in front of the altar. “No. I can’t let you do that.”
“It’s a little too late.”
He whirled, fixing her with a glare. “Then get it back. It’s your dream. I’m not going to be the one who made you give up your dream.” He sliced his hand across the space. “Absolutely, unequivocally, no.” He stalked halfway down the aisle, then back. “You’ve worked too hard on this, it’s too important to you.”
“Colt,” she laid a hand on his arm. “It’s done.”
“But why?”
She didn’t think it was possible to love him any more than she already did, but his reaction expanded her heart to giant-sized proportions. “I got approached by Trinity Apparel a few months back and said no.”
His jaw went slack, and hurt flashed in his eyes. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because at the time, it wasn’t that big of a deal. And I wasn’t even sure they were serious. Honestly, they asked and I laughed, and didn’t think about it again.”
“What changed your mind?”
“Running a boot company by myself was a great idea, but I had no idea how hard it would be, or how hard it would be to find qualified help.” She held up her hands. “You were right to be concerned about me trashing my body. The CEO talked to me about the toll repetitive motion took on his sister’s body. The more I thought about it, the more I realized I didn’t want that to happen to me.”