Page 6 of Colt

He felt awful as tears streamed down her cheeks, but she needed to understand that nothing could ever happen between them. No matter how much she tried to get his attention, it would never work.

With a parting shout of “I hate you,” she ran from the barn and left him standing there feeling conflicted.

But now, years later, she was a beautiful woman who held all the power; because she had just fired him. Was this payback for his past actions? He couldn’t be sure, but the thought of starting over somewhere else ignited a fiery anger within him as he made his way to his office, determined to figure everything out.

****

Chelsea walked across the yard, trying to steady her trembling hands by clasping them together. She had always dreaded confrontations, yet it seemed like that was all she and Colt ever did. And she couldn’t help but wonder if that was because he knew she had a crush on him back then. But it wasn’t just a crush, she had been completely in love with him. As much as a young girl could be and her heart had been broken by how he ignored her.

The problem was, when they first met, he was already a man, and she was just a fourteen-year-old girl. And she wasn’t the only one who was drawn to him; there were three other girls who worked alongside her who also couldn’t help but gush over him. With his tall stature of well over six feet, jet black hair, and dark, dark eyes, Colt Monroe was undeniably handsome. And whenever he flashed his rare grin, every woman in the vicinity would let out a collective sigh. It was no wonder he had such a large following among the female employees. If only he wasn’t such a prick. A gorgeous prick, but a prick, nonetheless.

Chelsea ascended the steps and was about to knock when Mr. Cotton swung open the door, waving her inside.

“You and Colt didn’t come to blows, did you?” he joked.

Chelsea chuckled. “No, actually we never did, but I’ve grown up and won’t let him treat me like a child anymore.”

“Good for you, sweetie.” Mrs. Cotton beamed at her. “I packed some cookies in a bag for you, so whenever you’re ready to leave, they’re right here.”

“Thank you. I should go now. I want to contact the real estate agent and tell them I’m interested in buying this place.” Chelsea cocked her head. “Who’s the agent?”

“Lydia Griffin. Let me give you her number. She’s a lovely woman.” Mrs. Cotton reached for her purse and told Chelsea the phone number, and she put it into her phone.

“I’ll call her when I leave here. I’m really excited about buying this place. I hope I can keep the clientele.”

“Of course, you will, honey. Most people like keeping their horses at a place the horses are familiar with.” Mr. Cotton frowned. “Did that make a lick of sense?”

Chelsea laughed. “Yes, it did. Well, thank you both so much. I hope this goes well for all of us.”

“I’m sure we’ll know after you speak to Lydia.” Mrs. Cotton smiled at her.

“I’ll talk to you soon.” Chelsea walked out the door, pulled it closed behind her, jogged down the steps, and walked to her car. As she opened the door, she looked toward the barn and saw Colt standing there, watching her. Shaking her head, she got into her vehicle, started it, and drove to town.

****

Colt clenched his jaw as he watched her car disappear down the long driveway. The scowl on his face deepened as he realized he would probably have to find another job.

“Fucking hell,” he muttered, kicking at a loose piece of hay on the ground. With a heavy sigh, he turned and headed back into the barn, his boots echoing against the concrete floor.

As he strode down the aisle, he could hear the soft whinnies and nickers of the horses in their stalls. A few people were riding out of the barn on their horses, but Colt paid them no mind. Instead, he focused on his task, cleaning the empty stalls.

It was a never-ending chore, but one that was necessary for the health and well-being of the horses. Standing in wet bedding or puddles could weaken a horse’s hooves and lead to lameness problems.

With three barns to maintain, it took more than one person to keep them clean. Two of the barns housed boarded horses while the third was reserved for the owner’s personal horses.

However, all the stalls required daily cleaning and care. In some cases, if a horse had to be kept inside for an extended time, Colt would have the stalls cleaned twice in one day to ensure their comfort and health.

Colt turned to see one of the ranch hands, Brian, standing in the doorway.

“Hey, boss,” Brian greeted him.

“What’s up, Brian?” Colt asked.

“I’m headed to the Cotton barn to clean out those stalls,” Brian said.

Colt grinned at the nickname they had given the barn to distinguish it from the others on the property.

“Sounds good. I was hoping to get them done while the horses were out. I already took care of the other ones earlier.”

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