Page 42 of 7 Dirty Lies

Okay, so maybe I was wrong.Maybe chocolate was the key to theworld.

“Where’s mine?”I joked, but she immediatelyreplied.

“Waiting on your bed.You’re in the O’Hara room.Myfavorite!”

She really was a delightful little fairy.“Umm...thankyou.”

“No, thank you.That’s why I came over.”She pulled me to a stop a good distance from the crew.“My brother came home from vacation a different man.I understand I have you to thankforthat.”

I blushed.“I think you should probably be thanking yourself.You’re the one that senthimaway.”

Her eyes glittered.“The fact that you know that says Colt felt very comfortable around you.He doesn’t share anything withanyone.”

That awful ache that I seemed to get every time I thought about Colt came rushing back.“Trustissues?”

“Well earned,” she saidquietly.

My heart skipped a beat, angry that anyone wouldhurtColt.

“And that,” she murmured.“You careabouthim.”

I was apparently transparent to all the Landry’s.“We were on vacation for similar reasons.We clicked becauseofthat.”

“I know.I’m a huge fan of your grandmother’s.”She kind of let that sentence hang partiallyfinished.

“DoesColtknow?”

“No,” she said quickly.“He never pays any attention to gossip.If it isn’t in his business news it doesn’t exist.In speaking with him yesterday I realized how very little he actually knew about you.I assumed there was areason?”

She gave me space, focusing on her horse, petting his nose and feeding him something from her hand.It was a very smart tactic for making my feel comfortable duringquestioning.

Because let’s be clear.This was a questioning.There might not be a two-way mirror and a spotlight, but the intention wasthesame.

“As I’m sure you’re well aware, my family situation is complicated.”I watched her reaction to this.I learned long ago that the way people did or did not fan-girl and conspiracy-theory told me a lot about whether they were curious people or intrusivesuperfans.

“Coming from a complicated family, I fully understand why you might feel compelled to be careful withstrangers.”

I let out a relieved breath.Christina got it.“Careful and,” I was taking a chance on revealing this part, “protective of Colt.He’s been just as careful with me as I’ve been with him.So I don’t want to add anything to hisplate.”

She smiled.“I like you.Very much.This is why I’llhelpyou.”

“Help me?”I ran back our conversation and nope.There was no part where I askedforthis.

“I love my brother more than anything else in this world.AndOne Night in New Yorkwas one of my favorite movies of all time, butMine to Keepis the one I watch over and overagain.”

I blushed again.One Night in New Yorkwas my grandmother’s biggest movie.It was a classic.I expected that when people told me they were fans of hers.ButMine to Keepwas my movie.It was my favorite even though it was more of a cult classic.It had a very small box office and was ignored by the critics.And yet, it had word of mouth and now had a dedicated, rabid followingoffans.

“So?”

“So I want to see Colt happy and I really like the idea of him being happy with one of my favorite moviesstars.”

And this was the thing I didn’t quite get.Ted was doing the exact same thing—forcing me together with Colt even though we had only known each other a few days.“May I ask why?You’ve known me all of twominutes.”

She grinned and then launched herself up into the saddle with the kind of deftness you expect from someone who grew up around horses.“Even if I never met you I’d want this.I don’t need to know anything about you, Lily.All I needed was the look on mybrother’sface.”

His sister seemedto think she had the answers, so I figured I’d call mine for someinsight.

“We’ve had aridiculouslife.”

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