by C. A. Harms
Loving Colt
(Southern Boys Book 3)
By C.A. Harms
Loving Colt
Copyright © 2015 by C.A. Harms. All rights reserved.
First Print Edition: February 2015
Limitless Publishing, LLC
Kailua, HI 96734
www.limitlesspublishing.com
Formatting: Limitless Publishing
ISBN-13: 978-1507738788
ISBN-10: 1507738781
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
This one goes out to all those who have supported me and continue to do so. I am truly humbled by each and every one of you.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Prologue
Alexis
“Mommy, I’m hungry,” Maddison spoke from behind me. The sound of her sweet little voice only made my heart ache more intensely.
“I know, baby. Mommy will find you something real soon. I promise.” I slowed the car to a stop and reached for the bag in the passenger seat beside me. Digging around, I pulled out the package of crackers I had taken from our last stop.
Turning around, looking back at my sweet little girl, I forced a smile. The last thing I wanted her to see was how unsettled I felt inside. She looked so tired, and seeing that in her eyes made me feel like a worthless mother.
Tearing the package open, I handed her the two crackers. “Here, sweet pea, eat these for now. I know it’s not much, but I’ll get ya something else real soon, okay?”
Maddison nodded her head and took the crackers from me. “Do you still have juice left in your cup?” I asked, and she nodded her sleepy little head once again. “Good, we’ll be stopping real soon.”
Turning back to face forward, I took in a deep breath and began looking around. I had passed a sign that read “Welcome to Brooklet” about a mile back. As I looked around, I found myself wondering if there was even a hotel here in this small town. It was definitely a big change from San Diego.
With only a little over two hundred dollars left to my name, I knew I had to make it last. The thought of not being able to take care of Maddison made me sick to my stomach.
I had no choice; I couldn’t go back. I had to leave, had to hide out. He had crossed a line that could never be fixed. A life like we were living had to stop. I couldn’t go on in fear any longer; we deserved so much more than that.
I knew I was taking a chance by going back home to Palm Beach, but I needed my family more than ever. I knew it would be the first place he would look, but it was the only place I could go.
Keeping Maddi safe came first. It was my job, and for the last six months, I had failed her and the memory of her daddy, Troy.
So the choice to leave in the middle of the night, when Seth least expected it, was an easy one to make. A choice I would never regret, no matter how much I had to sacrifice.
Maddi needed stability and security. When she had that, my needs would come, but not until then.
“I need to potty, Mommy,” Maddison announced from the backseat.
The decision had just been made; it looked like we would stop in Brooklet for now, at least for tonight.
Looking around for a place to stop, I pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant. It was just after seven at night, and the lot appeared deserted. Two vehicles were parked up close to the entrance. The rest of it was empty.
Holding Maddison’s hand securely in mine, we walked side by side toward the entrance.
The smell of grease engulfed me when I opened the door, and it smelled amazing. It had been hours since I had last eaten anything.
“Is it just the two of you?” an older woman with a genuine smile asked. I nodded my head as she led us to a small booth in the back.
“Do you have a restroom my little girl could use?” I asked as I looked around the small dining area.
“Just down that hall, to your left. Can I get anything started for the two of you?” she questioned.
“Yeah, um, a grilled cheese and chocolate milk if ya got it?” I replied as I led Maddi toward the bathroom.
“What are you having darlin’?” she hollered after me.
“Nothing thanks. I’m not hungry,” I said over my shoulder as I nudged Maddi along. I forced a smile as I hurried toward the bathroom.
“Mommy, your tummy is growling.” Maddi looked up at me as I continued to guide her toward the back.
“No, baby. Mommy ate this morning. I’m good,” I assured her.
I had decided when we left San Diego that I would only allow myself one meal a day. Even though I would kill for a juicy burger and fries, I had to use my head. The money had to last until I found a source of income.
When we made our way back to our table, I thought for a moment we were at the wrong one.
There was a large salad at one side, and on the other a bowl of applesauce. A large soda with a cup of chocolate milk sat in the center.
I stood looking around in confusion, just as the lady who greeted us put a plate of fries on the table.
“Ma’am, I didn’t order all this. I can’t…” I began to say, as panic set in. She held up her hand to stop me.
“Don’t you worry yourself over it darlin’. It’s all been taken care of.” She grinned and nudged her head toward the door.
I looked up just as a tall, broad man pushed open the door. He tipped his head toward me and winked, a dimpled grin gracing his lips. I stood staring at him until he disappeared through the exit.
“That sweet man just bought the two of you dinner.” She placed her hand on my shoulder and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “There’s kind people out there, sweetheart. Colt Thompson is a good man.”
Her final words left an emptiness in my chest. A good man. I wasn’t sure they existed anymore.
Besides my father, I didn’t know many others. Troy, Maddison’s father, was a good man—a man who gave his life for his country and never got the chance to know he was gonna be a father.
My brother was also a good man, but other than those few, I was starting to feel as though good men were only mythical.
Chapter One
Alexis
I sat in a musty chair at the side of the motel bed, staring at my little girl curled tightly in her favorite
blanket in the center of it. The moonlight peeking in through the parted curtain highlighted her little form.
My mind raced with fear and uneasiness. How did I get to this point? How could I have let it all go this far?
I had moved across the country to be with Troy. We were introduced by a mutual friend when he was on leave with a fellow soldier. They were vacationing in Florida, and I was hooked the moment I saw him. Blond hair, blue eyes, and a sweet smile. I had no hope. I was a senior in high school and fell hard for the marine from Cali.
After high school graduation, the choice was easy. I chose the college closest to the man who held my heart. Every chance we got, we were together.
The only family he had was his mother, who at the time was in her late sixties. Troy was a shock to her when he was conceived but, as his momma put it, he was the best gift she had ever received.
Now she was in a nursing home with dementia and, on her good days, she remembered she once had a son. She got worse and worse daily.
We had planned to get married one day, and I would have followed him anywhere. He was deployed at the beginning of my senior year at San Diego State University.
A little over a month later my world was shattered.
PFC Troy Aaron Walters died on active duty.
The moment I heard those words, a piece of me died too. Five days after I lost my best friend, I found out I was carrying his baby. And once again, I shattered. It wasn’t because I was pregnant, but because Troy would never get to meet his child.
For weeks I could barely get out of bed; on most days it was a struggle even to open my eyes. I thought about going back home, but I loved California. I loved my school and my friends. Leaving there would be like leaving him behind, and I couldn’t stomach that. It was the place that held all our memories.
So with the help of some good friends and the counselor at school, I pulled myself together.
The day my daughter was born was one of the greatest days of my life. On that day, I knew a piece of Troy was given back to me. I could look at my little girl and see the man I fell in love with. She was the little slice of heaven he had sent back to keep me going.
Maddi stirred on the bed and mumbled a few words before her breathing evened out and she drifted off into a deeper sleep.
Tears burned at the backs of my eyes, as I thought over the events of the last year. Looking back, I know I should have just gone back home to Florida.
After Troy’s death, I focused solely on Maddison Erin Walters—my angel, my gift from Troy. She is and will always be the center of my world.
I never even considered dating or getting involved with any man after Troy. It was the furthest thing from my mind until nine months ago. Just after Maddison’s fourth birthday party, she and I had gone for ice cream. On the way home, we were stranded with a flat tire.
Seth Trowbridge, the sweet-talking man, came to our rescue. We had been friends for a long time but, until then, I had never given his flirty behavior a second thought. I blamed it on those damn blue eyes. Those eyes pulled at something deep inside me, and I suddenly felt alive again. He laid it on thick that day. I fell for it, even though I told myself I wasn’t ready.
I should have walked away the first time he raised his voice at me. I blamed it on the alcohol he had consumed. He was a different person when he drank, and after that night outside of the restaurant, I knew what I had to do. I had to get away. I had to save myself from being another victim at the hands of an abusive man.
I spent over an hour watching Maddison sleep soundly in the motel bed. A heavy weight pressed in all around me, as I let “what ifs” play out in my mind. It was a game I played often with myself.
What if Troy had made it home safely?
What if I had just gone home after his death?
My mother and sister both called me often, trying to convince me to pack up. My brother always threatened to come kidnap me and force me to move back to Florida. I was the middle child, surrounded by those who felt they needed to shelter me. I just needed to feel like I could do it on my own.
So much for that.
My sister, Harper, is twenty five—just three years younger than me.
My brother Jett is the cocky bachelor—he who makes women drool, or so he says. I won’t deny that he’s attractive, because he is. He just needs to lose the cocky arrogance of the ultimate twenty-nine year old man who rules his world. When it comes to me and my sister, though, he is a complete sweetheart.
Jett adores us both and would do anything for either of us. That was one of the major reasons I kept Seth and his aggressive behavior to myself.
The last thing I wanted was for Jett to get into trouble over me and my drama. He had far too much to lose. I couldn’t be responsible for him losing what he had built for himself.
Chapter Two
Alexis
Waking up in a musty motel made my stomach turn. Maddison had slept so peacefully tucked into my side, and I had spent most of my night staring at the water stain on the ceiling.
After both of us took a bath and put on a change of clothes, we went back to the same diner. I figured I could afford breakfast, thanks to the handsome stranger and his generosity the night before.
The restaurant was much busier today than it was last night.
The moment we entered, I felt like I was on display. I could feel eyes on me, and it was unnerving. The moment my eyes locked with the same waitress, I instantly felt relief. Her kind eyes settled the churning in my stomach.
“Well, hello pretty ladies. I’m real happy you came back to see us.” She knelt down before Maddison and brushed her blond curls away from her face. “You have the sweetest little smile. You are such a doll.”
She then stood up and led us to a table. “You want some coffee darlin’?” she asked. I nodded my head and watched her walk off to retrieve the pot.
I took time to allow my eyes to roam the restaurant and found there were still a number of people looking in our direction.
I swallowed hard, attempting to calm my nerves.
“Don’t let them bother ya. They’re all just curious.” A deep raspy voice spoke from behind me. I quickly turned around, only to come face to face with the man from last night. He smiled as he took me in slowly.
“It’s not often we get visitors here in town. You’ll have to ignore their gawking.” His voice was one of those voices that made you want to keep him talking. It made you feel warm inside and safe.
I smiled nervously and quickly averted my eyes. His looks were a little distracting and, for a moment, I found myself forgetting what it was he had said.
Pull it together, Alex, honestly. I had to keep my head on straight.
I looked back up to find he was still watching me closely.
“I never got the chance to say thank you.” He cocked an eyebrow in a questioning manner. “For dinner last night. It was really nice, but you didn’t have to do that.”
“I know I didn’t have to; I wanted to. Just consider it a welcome to Brooklet gift.” A grin broke out over his inviting lips.
Once again I found myself looking away, attempting to slow my sporadic heart rate.
The waitress placed a coffee cup onto the table in front of me, and I was able to use it as a distraction. I needed something to draw me away from him.
I could still feel his eyes on me, and it was a bit unnerving. Not that I didn’t slightly enjoy his attention, but I knew my track record. The last thing I needed was to pretend that there was anything more than a physical attraction going on here.
“Well, I really appreciate the welcome. It was a nice gesture.” I smiled, and the moment he winked, my stomach fluttered.
“You can call me Colt.” He held his hand out, and I gently placed mine in his for a gentle shake.
I was momentarily tongue-tied. His calloused hands were warm, and mine felt so small in his grasp.
The instant Maddison dropped her fork and it clanked against the ground, I had never b
een more thankful for her clumsiness. I needed a distraction to pull me away from his sweet smile.
I did everything possible to keep myself facing forward, with my back to him. It was one of the hardest things I had ever attempted.
When he left, it was then that I noticed he wasn’t alone. The sweet, gentle older woman stopped next to my table and smiled.
“She’s a beautiful little angel. Like a sweet, precious doll,” she said, motioning toward Maddi.
“Thank you,” I said in return.
“You traveling alone, darlin’?” she asked.
“Yes ma’am.” I replied. I could see the concern in her eyes and feel the motherly side of her.
“You be careful sweetheart. Traveling alone with a child is scary. Do you have family nearby?” Colt stepped up next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder.
She turned to face him and smiled lovingly. His interruption saved me from answering her question.
“Okay, Momma, let’s let these pretty girls enjoy their breakfast.” He nudged her along and smiled as he passed.
My eyes never left him as they stopped to pay their bill and walked toward the front door. He looked back as he held the door open for his mom, winking one last time.
Something about the way he was with her made my heart melt. He was careful and gentle as he held her arm. I could still see them through the front windows as he led her to the car.
It wasn’t just a show he put on in front of people. He never once let go of her until she was safely tucked away inside a small blue car that I assumed was hers.
My stomach twisted and turned. What the hell was I doing thinking about any man right now? I was running from the last one, and I was in no position to allow myself false hope. I couldn’t allow myself to believe there was a gentle man out there, one with a kind heart.
It was time for me and Maddison to get back on the road. I didn’t need to develop any friendships here. The only thing I needed was to get back home to the ones who loved me and would protect me.