Page 55 of Colt

“Seven works for me. I have a lot of work to catch up on since everyone was off for the holiday.”

“You should have kept at least one person here on Friday.”

“It’s fine. The men deserve time with their families, and they work hard every day.”

“How’s the new guy doing?”

“He seems a bit cocky, but he’s a good worker.”

“I heard Christine say that Kim is working out well.”

“Is she?” Colt asked.

“Well, Christine also mentioned that Kim gets distracted by the ranch hands. Oh God, I hope she doesn’t see you,” Chelsea laughed, and Colt smirked.

“I haven’t met her yet, just John.”

“I’ll have to introduce myself to them.” She kissed him again and then left, closing the door behind her.

Man, you are in deep trouble, Monroe.

After finishing the payroll, he headed to the riding stable to meet the new employee. He entered the warm stable and walked to the rail where he saw Christine leading a horse with a teenage girl riding on it.

Christine noticed him and waved. He acknowledged her before scanning the area.

“Where’s your helper?” he asked when Christine brought the horse closer to him.

“She’s on break. She should be back in a minute.”

“I just wanted to introduce myself.”

“I can send her to your office when she returns.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure I’ll meet her eventually.” He looked up at the girl on the horse and asked, “How’s the lesson going?”

The young girl smiled and replied, “Great! I love this!”

“Good. Christine will have you riding like a pro in no time. You two have a good day.”

Colt strode from the stable, his boots thudding against the hard-packed ground as he made his way to the barn. The sun beat down on his shoulders, still strong despite it being the end of November. He had been working tirelessly to catch up on all the tasks that had piled up during Thanksgiving and the long weekend that followed. But even with extra hours, they were still running behind schedule.

As the day drew to a close, Colt finally found himself able to relax as he lay in bed next to Chelsea. He gently placed his cheek against her head, enjoying the softness of her hair and the warmth of her body against his. He heard her sigh and couldn’t resist asking, “You okay?”

She shifted slightly in his arms before replying, “Yes, I’ve been trying to figure out whether or not to sell my coffee shop.”

“Why are you thinking about selling?” Colt’s curiosity was piqued.

“It’s just become too much to handle. Running two businesses is incredibly time consuming,” she explained with a hint of exhaustion in her voice.

“I can only imagine,” Colt responded sympathetically.

“And whatever profit I make from selling, I can invest into this place,” she continued.

“For what? We’re already pretty busy as it is,” Colt pointed out.

“I just mean, it would be nice to have some extra funds in case of emergencies or unexpected expenses,” Chelsea clarified.

“True,” Colt conceded.

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