Page 7 of The County Line
But then, I see her. Just a few feet away. She’s squirming, wagging her tail furiously as she jumps up on someone—a woman. A beautiful one. She’s licking her face, circling her legs, her old body’s practically vibrating with pure joy and excitement.
Roxy’s never acted like this with anyone outside of my family. She knows better than to jump on people, let alone a stranger anddefinitelynot a woman. But the woman she’s pawing at isn’t just anyone.
Tight black jeans with rips, a low-cut blue shirt hugging curves I remember being much smaller, and a smile I’d know anywhere.
Molly Patrick.
My childhood best friend’s little sister and a woman who’s consumed my thoughts for years…
Chapter 4 – Colt
Molly Patrick…
When I’d last seen her, she’d had black, raven colored hair that reached straight down to her hips and blue eyes so bright that the contrast was jarring. They were the kind of eyes that’d shock the truth into you, cerulean, blue that you could get lost in. Though I’d never done it, of course.?
She was always my best friend Maverick's little sister growing up. Full of life, a bit fragile, and soft spoken. We used to call herMegan Foxwhich pissed her off plenty, but she looked just like her back in those early days of acting inThe Transformerswith her beautiful smile.I never told her brother that Megan was also my first actress crush.
I’d always looked out for Molly when we were growing up. I was protective of her in a way that felt like she was another one of my siblings. But after high school graduation, she’d vanished—disappeared like smoke into the wind. Maverick and I had kept in touch for a while, especially when we were both working at my family's distillery together and dreaming up plans for the brewery. But life happened, and the close bond that we’d sharedas kids slowly unraveled. By the time I was sent away, that connection felt like a distant memory. Now, I wasn’t even sure if he and Molly were in touch anymore. Hell, I haven’t seen Mav since before I got locked up.
The woman standing before me now is very different from the girl I used to know. The sunlight catches on a small silver nose ring, a glint of something new, something unexpected. Her long, dark hair is braided over one shoulder, but loose strands frame her face, softening the sharpness in her expression.She’s different. Her curves aren’t the same as I remember—fuller, stronger, confident.The way she holds herself, shoulders back, chin lifted, tells me she’s grown into someone who knows her worth.
And yet…There’s something in her eyes. She’s smiling at Roxy, but it doesn’t quite reach them.
She’s changed.Matured. Hardened in ways I recognize in myself. And it’s a dangerous combination for a man like me—someone who hasn’t seen anything this pretty in years.
Then, finally, she lifts her gaze to mine. Her lip’s part, her breath catches. “Colt…” It’s barely a whisper, but that sweet voice I used to listen to tell me stories practically undoes me. “Oh my God. You’re here.” She shifts to her feet. Blinks hard. “I… uh… thought Roxy was here with Regan.”
I step closer, the gravel crunching under my boots, each sound sharp in the silence that’s stretching between us. I know I could call Roxy back to my side if I wanted to, but watching her jump happily against Molly’s legs stirs something in me. I’m too close now—towering over her and breaking every unspoken rule about personal space—but seeing her after all these years is like taking a deep breath for the first time in years.
Before I can say anything, she steps forward and flings her arms around my neck in a tight hug. Her hold is warm, familiar, and for a second, I let myself get lost in how it feels to be touched by her.
“Regan didn’t tell me you were out,” she whispers against my neck.
“Thought you were in Louisiana,” I respond.
She pulls away from the hug far too soon, leaving an emptiness where her warmth had just soothed my hard chest. Rolling her lips under her teeth, she bites down lightly. Her pink tongue darts out to wet them before she shakes her head no.
“I moved back.”
“When?”
“Three weeks ago.”
“Why?” I press.
She twists her lips to the side then stands on her tiptoes as if she’s looking beyond me before releasing a gentle sigh. “It’s a long story, Colt.”
I chuckle and respond with a simple, “Alright,” because it sounds like she’s interested in keeping secrets from me. Something we used to never do before she skipped town without saying goodbye.
I whistle to call Roxy back to my side. She whimpers, but comes, reluctantly. Molly's probably the only person in this world that she’d reluctantly leave. She’s slept between my legs since I was fifteen years old and missed me for four years while I was sent away. The least I’d expect is for her to choose me with a little more enthusiasm.
Betrayed by my own damn dog.
Molly shakes her head and gives me a teasing smile as she watches our interaction. “You don’t have to punish Roxy just because you’re jealous she was excited to see me.”
“Nobody here is jealous. I’d hardly say the life she’s been living at Whitewood Creek Farm is punishment.”
Molly’s lips thin as a scowl paints her pretty, heart shaped mouth before she shakes her head. “Regan didn’t tell you?”
