Page 69 of Colt

After saddling her horse, Chelsea rode out from the barn and nodded at Christine as she passed by her.

Once outside, she urged her horse into a gallop and charged through the thick blanket of snow. Flakes whipped her face and the wind howled past her, causing her hair to whip wildly behind her. She pulled her scarf up around her nose, and her beanie down lower, but the bitter cold still stung at her skin and burned her eyes.

As she rode along, tears threatened to fall, and not just from the biting chill. Her heart ached, and she felt completely lost, unsure of how to move forward.

After riding for what seemed like an eternity, she finally turned her horse around and began the journey back. The snow continued to swirl around her.

She entered the barn and dismounted, taking care to cool down the horse before leading him into his warm stall. Smiling affectionately at him as he eagerly dug into his food and water, she couldn’t help but envy his simple contentment.

Looking around for any sign of Christine, she didn’t see her, and made her way out of the barn and toward the house. As she shed her coat and hat and hung them up, she couldn’t help but take in the comforting familiarity of her surroundings. This was her home. But now, in the midst of heartbreak and uncertainty, she couldn’t help but wonder if it was all worth it to lose the man she loved so much.

With a heavy sigh, she got up, made a sandwich, locked the doors, then headed to her bedroom to watch TV. It was getting darker outside due to the heavy snow, and she just wanted to sit in her room, away from the outside world. Her heart was never going to heal.

****

Colt was feeling completely miserable. He only had one week left on the ranch, but he didn’t know what he would do after that. As he sat at his desk, scrolling through listings for places to buy, he couldn’t help but feel like starting over again would be daunting. He leaned back in his chair and ran his fingers through his hair with a heavy sigh. Leaving the ranch was for the best, even though it pained him to do so.

“Who is this really best for?” he muttered to himself.

A knock at the door interrupted his thoughts, and he called out for them to come in. Brian entered the office, causing Colt to roll his eyes.

“What can I do for you, Brian?” Colt asked, sitting up straight and crossing his arms.

“I was wondering if Chelsea has made a decision on who will replace you as manager,” Brian said casually.

Colt clenched his jaw, trying not to show how surprised he was by Brian’s nerve. It was because of him that Colt had decided to leave the ranch, yet here he was acting like nothing had happened.

“No, I haven’t talked to Chelsea since I gave my notice.”

“Really?” Brian shook his head.

“What does that mean?” Colt asked defensively.

Brian shrugged. “I just assumed that now that you’re not going to be working here, you and Chelsea would be together.”

“You mean without someone watching our every move?” Colt growled.

When Brian smirked, Colt had to restrain himself from reaching across the desk and knocking it off his face.

“I never said you had to leave,” Brian retorted.

“No, but your actions led me to make that decision,” Colt shot back.

Brian stood up suddenly, causing Colt to do the same. They glared at each other across the desk.

“You broke the rules, Colt. You fired John and Kim—”

“I wasn’t the one who fired them. Chelsea did. And as the owner of the ranch, she has every right to make decisions for it,” Colt said, his anger rising.

“So, if she asks you to fuck—”

Colt didn’t let him finish. He swung his fist and landed a punch on Brian’s mouth, knocking him to the floor. He strode around the desk, and stood over Brian, clenching his fists in anger.

“Get your things and get off this ranch. I’m still the manager here, and you’re fired,” he seethed. He watched as Brian wiped his hand across his mouth, then looked at the blood.

“That was a cheap shot,” Brian said as he got to his feet. “You took me off guard.”

“Well, you’re ready now, take your best shot.” Colt put his arms out to his side, but when Brian swung at him, he leaned back, and quick as lightning, punched him again.

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