Page 55 of Colton’s Inferno

“I wasn’t sleeping. I’ve been waiting up for you.”

“I’m not coming home tonight. There’s a flood warning.”

“The weather is bad,” said Rusty. “You stay put, if that’s okay. If it isn’t, I’ll come and get you.”

“I’ll be fine here tonight,” she said. “Aiden’s a perfect gentleman.”

“Stay safe. I’ll see you in the morning.”

“See you in the morning,” she echoed, before ending the call.

“Everything okay?” Adien asked.

Of course he had heard every word she said. In an apartment this small, there was no privacy. “Grandpa Rusty knows I won’t be home tonight. At least he won’t worry.”

“I don’t know about you,” he said. “But I’m beat. I’ll let you decide the sleeping arrangements. I can stay on the couch, if you want. But I’d like to share my bed with you. Your choice.”

To her it seemed silly to sleep apart after everything they’d already done. “We can share your bed.”

“I’ll find some extra pillows,” said Aiden.

“Be there in a minute.” Lucy waited until she heard the bedroom door open. Then, she knelt on the floor and found her jeans again. Halfway down one leg was her underwear. As she stepped into her panties, Lucy waited for feelings of guilt or regret to sneak up on her, tapping her on the shoulder, and yelling, “I’m here!”

But the feelings never came. She had zero remorse for sleeping with Aiden.

Well, she had zero remorse for sleeping with Aiden tonight.

But the morning could be a different story.

Chapter 14

The alarm on Rusty’s phone beeped, dragging him from sleep. In his dreams, his house had been filled with his sons and their families. His wife of more than fifty years was at his side. There was love and laughter in every room.

He opened his eyes and the dream receded like the tide. His life came into focus. Everyone was gone—everyone but his dear, sweet Lucy. Then, he remembered the storm and the fact that she’d stayed the night in Red Grove.

Rusty was truly alone.

Sitting up in bed, he scrubbed his face with his hands. His knuckles ached, a sure sign that there was a chill in the air. Swinging his feet onto the floor, he stood. His knees popped and pain settled low in his back.

Yesterday, he’d been happy to do all of Lucy’s chores. It had felt like a game. Just like most games, ranching was something meant for the young.

And Rusty was no longer a young man.

He reached his arms overhead, stretching out his back. Moving slowly, he dressed. Rusty walked down the silent hallway, down the stairs, and into the kitchen. He started a pot of coffee, collecting the first drop straight into his cup. Standing at the sink, he looked outside and took a sip of his brew. Fat, gray clouds filled the sky. A fine mist hung in the air.

Last night’s storm had been filled with fury. Who knew what kind of damage had been done to the property by the winds and the rain. Clearing debris would be another task added to the long list of things that needed to be done.

But more had happened last night, other than the storm.

Rusty had spent an hour on the video call with his lady friend, Nancy. It was the closest thing he’d had to a date in almost sixty years. He’d been at the kitchen table, and she’d been on the screened-in porch of her condo. What had she called that thing? Oh yeah, a lanai.

He’d had rain and she’d had sun.

They’d gotten off the call when it was time for Nancy to go to Happy Hour at her retirement community.

Before she signed off, she’d said, “I hope we can talk again soon.”

“Is later tonight too soon?”