by Kaci Rose
“Riley, of course! But you better clear that with Blaze. We always said I would stand with him on his wedding day.”
She laughs. “I think he will give into anything I want.”
“I think you’re right.”
“So, you thinking of a wedding at the church at the other end of the ranch?”
“Actually, I was hoping you would let us get married in the barn.”
“The event barn?”
“No, the one out here. It’s where we met, where he proposed. I feel like it’s where our story began and where this chapter in our life should continue.”
I can’t stop the smile that spreads on my face. “There have been so many bad memories there. I think we’re overdue for some good ones! What about the reception?”
“That we can do at the event barn.”
“Love it! Timeframe?”
“Blaze wants to get married this weekend. I said a year, and he growled and said two weeks. I said nine months, he said one month. So, we still haven’t settled on a timeframe. I agreed to go dress hunting first and then make plans from there. The dress is the one thing I won’t compromise on, and he agreed.
I can’t help but laugh at that. “It seems the men in this family, when they meet their soulmates, are impatient and go all Alpha on us.”
She laughs then looks at me. “So, Colt?”
“He hasn’t left my side other than to get me food.”
The thought makes me smile. He’s still my Colt, the one that always makes sure I’m okay. For that reason alone, I know I will try with all this but to be honest, I don’t know if we can move past everything.
We have both hurt each other so much over the years. Can we heal from that?
“Have you talked?”
“Actually, yes. We talked last night after everyone left.” I go on to tell her about the conversation and the misunderstandings, the event with the nurse, and how he’s staying here with me in my room.
When I’m done, her jaw drops. “Wow, so what are you going to do?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. I want to talk this out, but I’d be lying if I didn’t say I was scared. We hurt each other so much, I’m scared we can’t heal from it. There have been so many misunderstandings, I’m worried we’ll only be reopening old wounds.”
“Oh, you will be, I’m sure of it.”
I roll my eyes. “Thanks for the pep talk.”
She laughs. “But it has to happen for you two to move on. You need to heal right and to do that, you have to reopen the wound and set it right.”
I sigh. “When did you become so smart?”
“When I started hanging around you.”
I laugh. She stays, and we hang out and talk for another hour about wedding plans and school she’s getting ready to start.
Soon as she leaves, Colt is right there, ready to crawl back into bed with me.
“You don’t have to stay with me, you know. I’m sure there’s plenty more you need to be doing.”
“I’m right where I need to be, here with you.”
“You have to be bored to death.”
“I have you in my arms. Everything is perfect.”
I roll my eyes.
“What? You don’t believe me?”
“I’m bored already one day in, how are you not?”
He smiles. “It’s been so long since I’ve gotten to hold you like this, Sage. I’m enjoying every minute of it. I don’t care if we watch The Notebook on repeat for a week, I’ll never get bored of having you in my arms.”
Damn, he makes my eyes water. Just to prove his point, he puts on The Notebook, and we settle in to watch TV, eat snacks, and talk about Blaze’s wedding plans and the ranch.
During an action movie we watch later, one I picked just for Colt, I close my eyes and fall asleep with a smile on my face.
CHAPTER 5
Colt
Waking up again this morning with Sage in my arms is something I will never get tired of. I don’t know how I’m going to sleep in my bed alone ever again. I look over at Sage. God, she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen. Even as kids, she was the most beautiful girl.
She has it all. She’s breathtakingly beautiful but doesn’t know it. She’s sweet and caring. She lights up a room with laughter, no matter where she is, and she’s strong as hell. It just reaffirms what I’ve always known. It will always be her for me. No one else, and I won’t pretend otherwise.
She’s still sleeping facing me. I carefully roll to my side and take her in. Her dark-brown hair and eyes that I know are the most stunning hazel color. They sparkle green when she’s happy, turn blue when she’s turned on, and go dark brown when she’s mad. Eyes that I still see every time I close mine.
I lightly brush a piece of hair from her forehead, and her eyes flutter open. Her eyes lock with mine, and neither of us say a word or move. The whole room falls away, and it’s just me and her. I lightly run a finger over her temple, down her cheek, and across her jaw.
I see her breathing pick up, and her nipples get hard under her thin t-shirt. I’m glad I’m not the only one that still gets turned on by the slightest touches. It’s always been this way between us. I’m rock hard just being able to touch her like this.
I must remind my cock to stand down. This isn’t about us; it’s about what she needs. Right now, she needs is to heal and trust us again. We both need to heal and talk. I want a real relationship, not just sex. He doesn’t seem to care though.
“Let me take you to dinner when you get the okay from the doctor.”
“Colt…” she whispers.
“Please. I want to give us a real chance to work everything out. That’s all I’m asking for and if we just end up friends, so be it.”
Lie. We won’t end up just being friends. I’ll never be okay with just being friends again.
“But I want to work this out. I want to work through this and put it all behind us. During that time, I don’t want you seeing anyone else, and I won’t either. I just want a chance.”
“Colt, I don’t know…”
“I want to take you out, show you off, and let the whole town know it’s always going to be you. So, everyone leaves me alone. This is it for me. No more games. One month. Give me one month,” I plead.
I see her looking into my eyes, and I try to convey everything I can’t put into words. I don’t know what she sees, but it works.
She takes a deep breath and nods. “One month.”
I can’t stop the smile that spreads across my face if I tired.
✽✽✽
Sage
It’s been a week since I agreed to give Colt one month. My stitches are out, and I’m allowed to move around but not to lift anything heavier than my purse, so I’ve taken over all the bookwork for the ranch, so I don’t feel quite so useless.
I love being out on the land, getting dirty, being with the animals. Paperwork has always been part of running the ranch, but I hate spreadsheets and accounting. It must get done so the ranch hands get paid.
I told Mac when he earns his degree, I’m secretly hoping he’ll take up accounting and do all the bookwork for us, but he’s like me. He loves getting dirty and being with the animals. So, Blaze and I take care of the bookwork with help from Colt and Dad.
Tonight is my first official date with Colt. We dated in high school, but it just progressed that way. There was never an official date especially since we weren’t telling people about us. We spent a lot of time together, and I could pick many moments I’d consider a date, but I’m not sure what our first date really was.
It might have been the picnic after our first kiss? Maybe? Either way, I will remember this night, so I’m going all out!
I decide on a lace, off the shoulder dress in a vintage peachy coral color. The sleeves are long and flowy, but the neckline is high enough to cover where the knife sliced me, which is healing nicely. The dress in on the shorter side, kind of like an oversized shirt that hugs all the right places and s
till covers everything.
I pair it with my ivory lace and glitter cowgirl boots and a silver and turquoise necklace Colt bought me at the reservation our senior year of high school. I haven’t been able to bring myself to wear it again, but now seems like the perfect time.
I head downstairs to meet Colt and when his eyes meet mine, his jaw drops. I can’t help but smile. I nailed the outfit; the fact I can cause a guy to have that reaction is a huge confidence booster. Colt having that reaction? It sends the butterfly in my stomach on overdrive.
“Wow! You look stunning, Sage.” He takes my hand and leans in to kiss me on the cheek. He leads me to his truck and helps me in, making sure I’m buckled in before rounding the truck and getting in himself.
We drive in silence until we get to the end of the dirt road. He stops and looks at me.
“Listen, thank you for doing this tonight. I want to show you off because, wow, that outfit needs to be shown off. I want everyone to know that no matter how this ends, I’m yours. I want to have dinner and enjoy ourselves. I want you to tell me about your travels and everything I missed. Then I was thinking we could head out to our old spot by the church and talk some?”
I sigh. That’s my Colt, always with a plan. “Okay.” I smile and relax.
“Once we put this all behind us, if this doesn’t work out, if we can’t move past this, I want nothing more than for you to be happy… even if it isn’t with me.”
I look at him. I see my unsure boy who is scared to make the wrong move, scared to lose me. A stab of guilt hits me. He lost me anyway, and it was nothing he did. But there’s a part of me who is sick at the thought of this not working out.
Would he date again? Would he go back to Kelli? Could I stand to see him with anyone else? I sure as hell can’t stand the thought of him with Kelli. No way in hell will I allow her on my land…
Almost like he can sense me going down that road, he pulls me back to him. “It would crush me. I won’t lie, but I need you to be happy.”
If I were standing, I’m pretty sure I’d be swooning right now. It breaks my heart and makes me fall for this man even more, if that’s possible. I steel my nerves and make myself a promise that I will make sure we can come on the other side together.
I reach over and take his hand in mine, intertwining our fingers all the way to Jason’s bar. It’s called WJs, but everyone calls it Waylon’s after its original owner. He left the bar to Jason when he died since none of his kids wanted it.
The bar has changed, and Jason is now adding food to the menu. Everyone likes it as long as he keeps the bar, stage, and dance floor.
This is the perfect place for our first date, near family with food, music, and dancing. I look over and smile at Colt whose smile matches my own.
CHAPTER 6
Sage
My nerves hit as we walk through the door, but he, as always, is there with his hand on my lower back, using his thumb to rub circles and easing my nerves without a word.
We sit toward the back, and I take in the place. When you walk in, there are tables in front of you, but you have a clear shot of the stage and the dance floor. To the right, towards the back, is the bar. This is Jason’s baby.
He has upgraded this area quite a bit, doing most of the work himself. He’s won a few competitions around the state, and the awards are displayed on the top of the open wood cabinets along the back wall. Mounted on the back wall, he has made an American flag out of beer and soda cans. The liquor and glasses are all displayed in the open wood cabinets around the flag.
The whole bar has wood paneling from old barns around the area. Each section has the barn’s info and the family it belonged to. Lots of Texas and ranching related décor hang along the walls.
Each local ranch in the town has its brand on the wall around the bar. Since this is a family bar, and we’re the second biggest ranch in the state and the largest in this area, ours is proudly displayed near the bar. I think Jason likes having it close. It’s a sign of what we all worked our butts off for.
We get a few of the new dishes Jason wants us to try out. Jo, the café owner, wants to close for dinner. Breakfast is her biggest moneymaker, and she’s open for lunch. Since Jason plans to open for dinners soon, she’ll close later in the afternoon. I guess she plans to offer the café as an event space to make up for any money lost there. More money, less time. I don’t blame her.
Colt and I talk about my travels for the two years I was gone. I tell him about watching the sunrise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park in Maine, swimming with dolphins in Florida, driving Route 66, and touring Alcatraz.
“Is there anything you didn’t get to do that you wanted to?” his eyes watch mine.
“Alaska and Hawaii. I want to see Pearl Harbor, hike a volcano, see the Northern Lights, and climb a glacier. I want to hike Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, but if I’m honest, I’m too scared to do it alone.”
“Any plans to leave again and finish the list?”
I reach out and grab his hand and smile. “Someday. I was thinking I’d skip out on one of the weeks by the lake house with the family and go to Hawaii next. I was going to ask Blaze to go with me, but I doubt that’s an option now.”
“I’ll go with you. Just say when.”
I can’t help the smile that spreads across my face. Traveling with Colt is at the top of my bucket list. The one thing I have been scared to ask for.
“What finally brought you home?”
“I was at the Grand Canyon with Blaze when Dad got the call that my family’s land was going up for sale. I always promised I’d come home if it did. We had all worked so hard for it, so I kept my promise. If I didn’t know any better, I think Blaze and Dad timed it. Blaze had been bugging me since he got there about coming home.”
We dig into our food, and Colt tells me how he’s been doing work at the reservation and helping them with some of the ranches there.
After dinner, he asks me to dance. The last time I danced with anyone was with him at prom. I know I’m a little rusty.
We dance a few quick two steps before the music turns slow, and he pulls me in. We sway to the music. I notice I’m getting more than a few dirty looks from the girls in the room.
Colt must feel me go stiff because his hot breath is on my ear. “Ignore them. Jason has our back. I already talked to him. Plus, this is what I want. I want them to know it’s always been you, and it will always be you.”
I stay silent just looking into his eyes.
“They’re mad because I always refused to dance with anyone. The last person I danced with was you at prom.”
Little by little, he heals my broken heart, and he doesn’t even know it. Knowing I’m the only person who has ever and will ever have a part of him like this, no matter how small, it’s something big to me.
“Really?” I can’t help but ask.
“Yes. I know I messed things up but only you have had my heart. Only you have gotten dates, and only you have gotten the romantic part of me.” He brings his hand up to the side of my face, and his thumb rubs my cheekbone.
“I will say it until the day I die. It has only ever been you, and it will only ever be you.” His eyes travel down to my lips, and I watch the heat flare in his eyes. My tongue darts out and wets my lips, and his eyes snap back to mine.
I can see a split-second decision being made in his eyes before he leans in, pausing just enough to let me pull away if I wanted to. Newsflash, there’s no way in hell I’m pulling away from this kiss. A second later, his lips are on mine, right there on the dance floor in front of everyone.
This is the first time since graduation night that our lips have touched. That was seven years ago. But right now, at this moment, it feels like no time has passed. This kiss is soul searing and melding our souls back together. I feel it.
His other hand moves to my face, and he takes control of the kiss. Holy hell, Colt is an amazing kisser. It’s a hard but sweet kiss, possessive but caring. It st
eals my breath away. One hand moves to the nape of my neck to pull me in closer.
This tender yet possessive kiss has my panties soaked and me forgetting where we are. All I can see, hear and feel is him. The bubble around us bursts a moment later when a few whistles from around the bar catch our attention.
Colt pulls away but stops me from looking around the bar again.
“Don’t look around. Keep your eyes on me. Don’t let them ruin this. That was the best damn kiss of my life, Sage. Better than all of our kisses before this.”
My eyes meet his, and he has the look on his face that I have dubbed as my look. All these years later, I now know that look is a look of love and passion. But it’s still my look, and this is the first time I’ve seen it in seven years.
“Mine too,” I whisper, and it causes him to close his eyes. He takes in a deep breath that makes his body shutter.
“Keep dancing with me?” I ask, not wanting to let him go just yet.
“Anything you want, love.” We dance through several more songs before we head out.
In true Colt style, he walks me to his truck, opens his door, helps me inside, and waits until I am buckled in before closing the door and heading around to get in. I turn sideways in my seat to watch him as we drive out to the church at the edge of the ranch property.
When Dad’s ancestors settled here, there wasn’t a church, so they built one. It’s small but beautiful and while it hasn’t held weekly service in over forty years, it is still used for family weddings and funerals.
As we pull out of the parking lot, Colt looks over at me watching him and reaches out to take my hand.
“I’ve had a really good time tonight, and no matter how the conversation goes tonight, I want to go out again,” I say.
“Yeah?”
I smile. “Yes.”
“Deal.” He squeezes my hand. For the rest of the drive, we talk about the bar and the changes Jason is looking to make.