Page 25 of Along Comes Trouble

Colton scrapes up one last bite of his pancakes. “Yup .”

“Faye told me high school football was big around here. I thought she was crazy, but nope. For every clump of teenagers I saw, there was an equally big clump of adults standing around .”

“Sounds about right .”

“And most of the time, that clump of adults was standing around you. What are you? Royalty ?”

“Not anymore.” Colton smiles. “Although sometimes, when I go to a game, it still feels like I am.” His eyes soften and something in his face changes. His smile is both more alive and sadder at the same time .

“What do you mean ?”

“I played football in high school. It was kind of my thing .”

“Where you good ?”

“I was alright .”

I narrow my eyes. “You don’t get to be the guy walking around a high school football stadium a decade after graduation and have everyone stop and talk to you if you were just alright .”

“Fine.” Colton holds out his hands in concession. “I was pretty good. There were more than a few colleges scouting me and there was talk of me going pro .”

“See! I knew it. What happened? Did you get hurt ?”

“You mean why am I living on a farm in Ohio instead of trying to figure out what to do with all my Super Bowl rings ?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.” I grimace as I remember one of the players taking a devastating hit. “I bet it only takes one bad tackle to end a career .”

“Nah. Nothing like that. Football was David’s thing, too. He graduated high school and got a full scholarship to OSU. Everyone expected him to get picked up by an agent, and then go right on to the NFL. After he left, my parents needed help on the farm and Sarah wasn’t going to be the one to do it, so I stayed home and let David have the football thing. Figured the farm would be my thing .”

I stare at him, waiting for more .

He sighs. “Dad had a stroke at the end of David’s sophomore year. David came home. Gave up his scholarship to help out while Dad recovered. As the oldest son, it made sense that the farm was more his thing than my thing and he slowly took over. He’s running the place now. I’ve never really known where I belonged since .”

I tilt my head to the side. “Why don’t you belong on the farm ?”

“It’s hard to explain .”

“Try me .”

Colton sits back in his seat, his gaze fixated on something on the other side of the window. When he speaks, his voice is quiet. “Imagine the house you grew up in. Imagine spending your whole childhood knowing that after you’re grown, that house would go to someone else. Someone who definitely deserves it as much as you, but maybe deserves it slightly more simply because he had enough luck to be born first. Now, imagine that for a few short years, that house and all the history it holds belonged to you. Imagine pouring your soul into the place, fantasizing about generations of your children handing it down to their children just like every generation before you. Now, take all of that away and give it to someone else. There’s so much me in that farm, but none of it is mine.” Colton licks his lips. “After David came home, I realized there’s not much of a point to anything we do. I sacrificed football for my family, and then my family sacrificed me for tradition. So, I make the best of it. Finding all the ways to make this pointless life we live a little more enjoyable .”

And suddenly, a few things about Colton make sense. He’s not an irreverent asshole because he doesn’t care. He’s an irreverent asshole because he cares too much .

I smile. “And sometimes that means teaching your niece that donuts are more important than perfect attendance .”

Colton’s face lights up. “Exactly! Claire is an amazing little girl and, I don’t know, doesn’t it feel like kids today don’t get a chance to be kids? As her uncle, it’s my place to spoil her and let her have some fun from time to time. Especially because, as an adopted Carmichael, who’s to say that any of that farm will belong to her. The last thing I want is for her to end up like me.” Colton lets out a long breath and then grabs his hat off the table. “Not that ending up like me is a bad thing .”

“Not a bad thing at all,” I agree. “I’m starting to think I might actually like you .”

Colton puts a hand over his heart. “Tessa! Stop! I don’t deserve such kind words .”

We pay our bill—well, Colton pays while I protest—and head back to my apartment, chatting and laughing the entire time. We park and he walks me up to the door. There’s a moment of silence while I realize I’m not ready to say goodbye .

I barely have time to understand what I’m feeling before Colton takes me by the waist and lowers his mouth to mine. I grip his arms, welcoming the kiss. It’s warm and insistent, passionate and all encompassing. I open to him, inviting him to take more, losing myself to the sensation of his touch, the faint taste of cinnamon on his lips. Heat grows in my body and Colton wraps his arms around me, stepping into me. I stagger back until my ass and shoulders press against the wall near the door, exploring the muscles in his back while his hands trail down my waist and grip my hips .

Oh, Colton is trouble alright. He’s everything I need wrapped up in everything I don’t want and after this kiss, he’s officially in my system. Now that I’ve had a taste, he’s all I’m ever going to want .

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