Page 42 of Dallas

“I know,” he says. “I do. I just mean that I want you to have a family. To fall in love. Whatever that looks like for you.”

“That’s what you thought was happening when you saw a girl on my front door camera,” I say.

He snorts. “Sure. It’s not what’s happening?”

“I told you. She’s like family. I just want to take care of her. All the things that you just said you wanted for me, that’s what I want for her. I want her to have a good life. More than that, I want her to be safe. I want her to feel safe.”

“It’s awful to watch someone you care about go through this kind of stuff. I mean, I don’t have experience with exactly this. But you know, Kaylee had a pretty rough life, and we were friends when we were younger.”

I shift uncomfortably because it feels like he’s turning the conversation back to the possibility of romance betweenSarah and me. Though, I know he’s just telling me about his own life.

“Yeah. But she’s here now.”

“Yep. And she has you.”

Instead, we finish up the ride, and I look at the time and realize I need to go down and pick Sarah up. Eventually, we’re going to have to go back to Sisters and move her out of her apartment, get her car, and get everything that she needs. But right now, it’s okay that I’m the one who’s going to pick her up. But I’m the one who’s going to take care of her.

I shower, get dressed and headed to town, and as soon as I drive in, I see Sarah standing out in front of the shop. With Colt. He’s leaning against the side of the building, chatting to her like she…

Like she’s one of his Buckle Bunnies. I know the posture. I know his game.

Well. That’s not fucking happening. He doesn’t know anything about her. She probably doesn’t want him talking to her. She might even feel…

I pull my truck up against the curb. I know that I can’t come barreling out looking angry at one of my oldest friends, but I feel angry.

How dare he? How dare he assume that Sarah wants his attention? His ego is out of control.

“You come in first in one big event and you start thinking you’re pretty big stuff?”

I think I’ve managed to keep my tone conversational, but a little bit confrontational.

Colt steps back and looks at me, chuckling. “Well, I don’t know. I would leave that verdict up to Sarah.”

Motherfucker.

“Yeah. I think Sarah’s fine. She doesn’t need to give you a Best in Show ribbon just because you want one.”

“Wow.”

“Colt is fine,” Sarah says, shooting me a strange glance and moving nearer to me. “If I didn’t want to talk to him, he would know. But I’ve enjoyed it. Thanks for keeping me company, since Dallas was late.”

I looked down at the time. “Dallas is only ten minutes late.”

“I appreciate the company all the same,” she says, not looking at me.

Well. Well, that’s just fine.

“I was thinking I could take you to dinner,” I say.

“Oh. To Mustard Seed?”

“Sure,” I say. “In fact, we can just walk from here. See you later, Colt.”

He gives me a look that I can’t quite pull apart, and I decide that I don’t really care if I do. “This way,” I say.

She turns and waves at Colt, and as soon as we go around the corner she looks over at me. “What was that?”

“What?”

---