Page 6 of Sweet and Wild

“Okay, that’s disturbing. Please never say that in my presence again.” I blow the hair off my face and stare at the ceiling.Daddy give me strength.

Colt’s eyes meet mine. “I can leave if this is too difficult—”

“Oh, don’t flatter yourself, Colton Hayes.”

“That is enough, from all of you,” Mama chastises. “Now, we’re going to eat a nice meal, as a family, and we’re damn sure going to say grace before we do it. So, Colton, why don’t you sit on down next to Lemonade and join hands while West says grace?”

Colt hesitates and meets my gaze, then he glances at Mama and nods resolutely. “Yes, ma’am.”

The chair scrapes against the floorboards as he pulls it out, and I swear you could hear a pin drop everyone is so quiet. Colt sits beside me and places his palm faceup on the table. I stare as if his flesh has the power to burn me, and when I slip my small hand into his much larger one and lace my fingers with his, my chest tightens. He squeezes my hand—crushes it, really—and slides his other arm across the table to join hands with West.

My brother says grace, but I don’t whisper, “amen” at the end like everyone else at the table.I can’t. My heart is too broken from that little touch, from all of the memories his hand in mine drudges up.

“Excuse me,” I mutter and climb to my feet before racing out of the room.

“That went about as well as I expected,” Wyatt says.

I take the stairs two at a time and shut my bedroom door, then I lean against it. This room holds too many memories—too many nights of Colt sneaking in after Mama and Daddy went to bed, too many stolen kisses took place under those covers, and too many tears soaked my pillow when our whole world shifted off its axis. I’d told Colt not to flatter himself, that I could handle lunch with him just fine. But all of the feelings I’d been running from since I was an eighteen-year-old kid came slamming back at once, and it’s clear I’m pretty far from fine. In fact, we left fine behind twelve years ago, and I’m not sure I’ll ever make my way back.

CHAPTER FOUR

Colt

Twenty years old

Iexit the arena, a sweaty shaking mess. Holy shit. That bull about killed me, but coming in first place in my heat division was totally worth it. Hell, it was worth it just to see the look on Jameson Fort’s face when he saw I’d beaten his time.

“Congratulations, son.” Some old cowboy slaps my back as I pass, and I tip my hat. I’m busy looking backwards when I should be looking ahead, so I almost don’t see the two pretty girls who barrel into me until I’m nearly knocked off my feet.

“Nice work, cowboy!” Lemon shouts as she throws herself into my arms and squeezes me tightly.

“Lemon? What are you doin’ here?”

“We came to see you ride.” She smiles up at me, her hands still wrapped tightly around my neck. Sweat soaks my shirt, and I know she can probably feel it. I just don’t know why she isn’t so grossed out about it she doesn’t pull away.

“Zadie.” I tip my hat in her direction and glance between the two of them. “How did you girls get here?”

Lemon bites her lip. “Um …”

“Lemon,” I warn, taking the tone her father and brothers so often use with this little fireball.

She leans up on her tiptoes, her breath washing across my face and smelling too much like whiskey as she whispers, “Don’t worry about it, champ.”

“Have you two been drinkin’?”

“Oops,” Zadie says. “Busted.”

Lemon giggles, throws one arm wide, and proclaims, “Tonight we’re Winchester Wild!”

“Oh, Jesus. Do your mama and daddy know you’re here?”

“Nope,” Lemon says. “We snuck out.”

Fuck. I am a dead man. I may not have had anything to do with this, but I have no doubt they wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.

“Oh my God,” Zadie squeals. “Could you imagine if they knew we’d hitchhiked?”

“You …” I pinch the bridge of my nose, my high from the ride and from having Lemon throw her arms around me vanishing, and replaced almost instantly with dread. “Your daddy’s gonna kill you, and then West is gonna kill me.”

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