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“Isn’t that CindyLou’s decision?” Colt asked.
“Nobody’s talkin’ to you,” Daryl shot back. “Stay out of this.”
Colt opened his mouth to counter, but the screen door burst open, and my aunt stood in the doorway. “How about if everybody comes inside and has some breakfast. Y’all can talk over whatever’s got you all riled up once your bellies are full. Everything’s always easier on a full belly. I’ve already made a stack of pancakes, and I’m about to put a mess of eggs in a pan to scramble. Bacon’s nice and dry and crispy, Colt. Just the way you like it.”
“Colt won’t be joining us,” Daryl said, leering over at Colt.
My aunt ignored him. “Sure, he will. Nobody can resist my pancakes.”
Then she walked right over to Colt, slipped her arm through his, and escorted him into the house. “Been a while since you stopped by to see us, hon. You’re looking a bit scrawny. Muscular, but still scrawny. Let me put some calories in that belly of yours.”
And they disappeared into the kitchen, leaving my uncle and me standing outside.
“This don’t change a thing,” he told me.
“I’ll leave with Colt to look for a place. Darci and I will be out of your hair once we can get settled.”
“Settled where? With Colt? Mickey? Where you gonna go?”
“I don’t know that yet, but wherever I go, it’ll be on my terms, not on yours. I’m sorry about what happened last night, but I can’t promise it won’t happen again.”
I loved my uncle, but I wasn’t about to allow him to dictate my personal life. Besides, now that I had a real job, and with the little bit of money I still had, I might be able to rent a studio apartment somewhere in town. After last night, I didn’t want any restrictions on my personal life. Now that I was wide awake and could remember how good sex felt with Colt, I wanted more… much more. I wanted a partner in my life or maybe two. I didn’t know what that looked like yet, but I didn’t want to be alone anymore.
And I certainly didn’t want to depend on my aunt and uncle.
“You gotta do what you gotta do,” he said. “I’m sorry it has to be this way, though.”
“Same goes for you. I’m sorry, too, Uncle.”
“It’s gonna kill your aunt to lose Darci.”
I knew that would never happen. Besides, Darci loved them, and they were perfect babysitters for her.
“She won’t lose Darci. I want them to have a good relationship, and besides, Auntie already said she’d babysit whenever I got a job. That is unless you have a problem with that.”
He rubbed his chin. “I think that’s fine, just fine. Darci is always welcome here. Same goes for you, just not… well, you know.”
“I understand, but what about Colt?”
“What about him?”
Sunshine caused my uncle to squint when he gazed at me, until he pulled his brown cowboy hat lower on his forehead. I usually wore a baseball cap, but now that I was in Sweet Whiskey, I decided I might need a Western hat of my own. They weren’t just a symbol of the Old West, they served a purpose.
Besides, a cowboy hat was sexy as hell.
“Were you serious about what you said? That you don’t want him to come around anymore? Colt’s like a son to you. Do you really want to do this?”
He hesitated for a moment, gazing down at the floor. Then he looked up at me and said, “I can’t forgive him for what he’s done. He knows my rules. He should’ve known better.”
Then he walked into the house, letting the screen door slam behind him.
“I HAVE A big house, with more bedrooms than I can use. You and Darci can have your pick,” Colt said, once our awkward breakfast was over, and he and I were in his truck. “No strings… unless you want strings. Well, you know what I mean.”
As we drove away from the ranch, I felt as if I had finally taken a step to do what I’d wanted to do all along, live on my own terms. I didn’t want to live under someone else’s rules ever again. I wanted my own place more than anything, but I knew I couldn’t afford that yet.
“If I did agree to this, and it’s still a big if, I’d want to pay rent. I wouldn’t want you to feel as though you had any say over any part of my life… especially who I date… if I date.”
“Absolutely,” he said. “Rent is good. No strings whatsoever.”
