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But picking up that Colton loved her was altogether different. The man never uttered more than a few words to her. From what she could tell, he wasn’t even around to follow her with his eyes. So what did Dude see that she didn’t?
She didn’t get a chance to ask, because at that moment, Colton walked into the barn.
He looked straight at her. “I need to talk to you.”
With her heart thundering in her chest, she went to meet him.
What could be serious enough for him to actually come to her?
* * * * *
When he spotted the confusion in Meadow’s eyes, Colton’s stomach dropped. He never cared about being an asshole to women before. They were all one-night stands who meant nothing.
But hurting Forest’s sister made him feel lower than the manure on the bottom of a boot heel.
The urge to touch her, to drag her into his arms—hell, slam his cock into her—damn near stole his mind. He curled his fingers to keep from doing any of those things.
Instead, he twitched his head for her to follow.
Outside, the early morning sunlight had grayed. In the distance, over the mountains a thick gray line of rain moved this direction.
He led her around the barn and continued on to the far end of the training pen. When he leaned his elbows on the top rail of the fence and stared at the dirt, she came to stand at his side.
“Colton.” Her soft tone burrowed under his skin.
Hell, he wanted her more than anything he ever wanted before. That first year of military school, his parents left him there over the holidays, and he thought he’d never want anything more than to go home to his family.
Turned out there was one thing he wanted more.
And she stood at his side, still and silent, waiting to hear what he had to tell her.
“Forest’s letter.”
She moved closer to him, the sleeve of her blue and white plaid shirt brushing his.
He went on, “Forest told me to take the letter seriously because he was asking me to do something serious.”
“What was it?” Her hair fluttered around her beautiful face. A face he wanted to wake up seeing on the pillow beside him for the rest of his days.
He swallowed a lump. “He said it isn’t a small commitment but a lifelong one.” He held her stare. “He wants me to be with you. Same as he told you in your letter.” Before she could speak, he plowed ahead. “He said he admires your drive, your determination. That maybe you have the biggest heart in the Gracey family—the only heart.”
She shook her head.
“But that ever since your momma died, you’ve been an uncontrolled wildfire, Meadow. And Forest needed to know that you’re with someone who can tame that fire. Properly direct it. And help keep you from wrecking everything.”
“How kind of him.”
The corner of his lips twitched at her sarcasm. “What he didn’t say is something I know well.”
Big baby blues stared up at him. “What’s that?”
He couldn’t stop himself from reaching out to stroke the curve of her cheek. “It’s what comes after a fire, Meadow. The rebirth, the regrowth.”
She blinked rapidly. “You mean that in the face of all this tragedy…that it’s time for a transformation.”
He nodded and cupped her cheek. “He wanted me to be with you.”
She let out a hiccup of a sob and leaned into his palm. Unable to wait another second, he swooped in and claimed her mouth.
