Page 91 of Soldier Cowboy
“Whydon’tyou want me to let him in?” Dan narrowed his eyes.
“She’s afraid I’ll tell you everything that’s wrong with her,” Colton replied through the door. “And there’s plenty.”
“See? I’mwaymore supportive than this guy. What do you even see in him?”
“If you open the door, I’ll tell you,” Colton said.
For the love of a cowboy, he wasn’t giving up!
“Colton, he has agun!”
Dan gave her a disgusted look, like she’d outed him and betrayed his confidence. “You didn’t have totellhim that. I bet he has his own.”
“Actually, I left my weapon behind. Thought it might discourage conversation.”
Was he being serious right now? The man who’d walked all over town with a holstered gun under his jacket decidedthiswas the moment to leave it behind?
He was lying. Probably.
If he was smart.
“Maybe I want to find out what the hell you see in this guy that you don’t see in me.” Dan opened the door and brandished his gun. “Come on in. Join us.”
“Hey, thanks.” Colton walked in, hands in the air.
“Show me you don’t have a weapon. I need proof.”
Colton gave a half smile. He turned in a circle, quickly glanced in Jennifer’s direction, and sent her a short wink. Then he opened his jacket, and the holster and gun were both missing.
Missing.
He wasn’t lying.
“Do you want to put the gun down so we can talk?” Colton said.
“I better not. You might try to take her, and I don’t want to have to shoot anyone.”
“That’s smart. The sound of a gun is far louder than most people realize. It’s going to bring quite a bit of attention your way.”
“Right,” Dan said, but if she wasn’t mistaken, he looked uncertain for the first time. “This is simply insurance. What did you want to talk about?”
Colton cocked his head toward her. “Could we untie Jennifer? I mean, she looks uncomfortable.”
“Don’t worry about that. She’s fine.” Dan glanced at her. “Right, sweetie? Tell your ex-fiancé you’re fine.”
“I’mfine,” she repeated like a parrot.
She was still trying to figure out Colton’s plan. He didn’t have a gun, and a soldier in a situation like this one without a weapon was an anomaly. She thought of Joe. She thought of her father. They’d both come in weapons blazing. This is what she’d expected from Colton, too. But he’d surprised her. He was trying totalkto Dan instead, and God knew he was completely out of his element.
But in this moment, she loved him for trying. Loved him for stretching to be a better man. Maybe he now saw what she had. Dan was a man who needed help and maybe,maybehe was even somehow crying out for someone to stop him. And no one had. She hadn’t been able to because her safety had to be the first consideration. But other than asking him to get help, she hadn’t done more. She hadn’t reached out to try to find members of his family who might help him. Who might intervene. No, that wasn’t her place but it had been her plan until everything escalated so quickly and she let fear take over.
But if this were Joe, she’d want someone to help him.
Dan backed against the wall and appraised Colton from head to toe. “You’re tall but nothing special.”
“Don’t I know it,” Colton said. “I’m just a cowboy.”
“Why the hell do all women love cowboys? I mean, seriously. Every woman I know is in love with the bad guy onYellowstone. Is it because of the beard?” He turned to Jennifer and stroked his jawline. “Because I can grow a beard.”
