Page 67 of Ride Me Reckless
Callie shrugged, but her smile was pure trouble. “Technically, yes. But when you know, youknow, right?”
“Callie,” I said slowly, setting down my drink. “You’ve known this guy for, like, seven days. That’s barely enough time to learn his coffee order, let alone if he leaves his toenail clippings on the nightstand.”
She rolled her eyes and pulled out her phone. “Oh, ye of little faith. Look.”
She tapped around for a second, then turned the screen toward me.
The picture wasn’t even filtered—just Matt, standing beside his truck, sleeves rolled up, one hand in his pocket, and looking like he could model for a ranch supply catalog. I hated how easy the “wow” slipped out of me.
“Okay,” I admitted, “heishot.”
Callie beamed. “See? You get it.”
“I get it,” I said, taking another bite of my burger. “But just promise me you’ll make him prove he’s not secretly married or living in a doomsday bunker first.”
“No doomsday bunkers,” she promised. “Just a killer smile, good manners, and the best hands I’ve ever seen. And not in a creepy way, I swear.”
I shook my head, grinning despite myself. “I swear, if I end up raising this baby in your empty trailer because you ran off with Mr. Six-Pack, I’m gonna haunt you.”
Callie raised her beer. “Then you better start taking Colt up on his offer. Rhett told me you turned down staying with him.” She took a sip. “He loves you. You know that, right?”
I nodded and grinned. “It’s just—things are moving so fast.”
“Fast. Like five years, fast?” Callie smirked.
“Don’t make it sound worse than it is,” I teased, rolling my eyes.
Then, quieter, I added, “I love him too.”
The words slipped out before I could second-guess them. Hearing my own voice say it gave me pause, like naming it made it more real.
Tangible. Permanent.
When our burgers arrived—hot, greasy, stacked like always—I let myself breathe a little easier.
Because yeah, everything was changing. I didn’t know what tomorrow held. But tonight, with my best friend across the tableand Colt’s baby growing inside me, I felt the edges of something I hadn’t in a long time—hope.
Messy, complicated, stubborn hope.
Chapter Eighteen
All In
Colt
Ipulled up and parked next to Tessa’s little camper. It looked the same from a distance—still tucked under the shade of a couple of stubborn oaks—but as I stepped out, I noticed a few new touches.
A strand of faded fall garland was draped around the awning, and a shiny copper wind chime twisted in the breeze, catching just enough sunlight to flash like fire. It clinked gently, that hollow, melodic sound that made me pause for a second. It was peaceful, even hopeful.
I looked up. The trees were already starting to shift—amber and gold creeping into the green. A handful of leaves danced to the ground as if reminding me winter was on deck, just waiting in the wings to blow in hard. And no matter how tough she was, there was no way Tessa could ride out a Central Montana winter in this damned tin box. Subzero temps, sideways snow... Hell, even the wind here had a mean streak in April.
I walked up the makeshift steps and knocked gently. The door creaked open just a few seconds later.
“Hey, cowboy,” she said, smiling.
She looked good. Tired, yeah—but she’d pulled herself together. Jeans, boots, a soft cream sweater, and her hair braided over one shoulder.
“Well, would you look at you,” I said, sliding my hands into my pockets so I wouldn’t do something stupid, like reach for her. “All polished up and ready for the doc.”
