Page 103 of Brim Over Boot
“Yeah,” he mumbles. “Fuck. This is weird. See ya, Noah.”
When Colton clicks off the call, I set my phone down on my workbench and run through possibilities. Would it be so bad if Colton and I were to…date? Our rivalry is known around town, being that we’re the only two farriers here, but I’m fairly certain no one save the two of us and our immediate families know of the animosity we’ve held for each other. I imagine folks would be pleased to see us together.
Is Colton ready for that?
I don’t want to keep this a secret forever. It doesn’t feel right. Maybe, in the beginning, it was the only way for us to be. I certainly didn’t know what we were doing. Didn’t even know what I wanted.
But now that this thing between us has become starkly real in a way I never anticipated, staying hidden and sneaking around until the end of time isn’t an option. At least, it’s not one for me. But Colton is still wary.
Like any colt, he needs an outstretched hand. Encouragement to move forward.
The man would certainly knock me on my ass—or try to—if he heard me making that comparison, but it’s an apt one. He’s been scared from the start. Like his father told me before I truly understood what he was trying to say, Colton is afraid of asking for the things he wants. The things thatmatter.
Because what if the answer is no?
I won’t tell Colton no. Not ever. What he wants from me, he can have.
But until he’s ready to ask for it, I need to be the one propelling us forward.
Donning my gloves, I pick up my unfinished crown. A few thorns for balance. Evening primroses that only open at night. A sprinkling of forget-me-nots for the man who refuses to leave my head.
I work on the additions long into the evening. And when I set the finished crown down, a weaving of past and present in one, I’m certain I’ve made my choice.
Colton goddamn Darling is going to find out what it means to be mine.
Chapter 29
Colton
“Whatinthefuckis this?” I mutter, slowing on my way to the sandwich shop.
Noah’s truck is idling beside the curb.
I approach slowly, and the passenger side door opens. “Get in,” comes Noah’s voice.
I peek inside the cab, finding the man waiting for me with an arched eyebrow. “Are you…abducting me?”
“There’s a roast beef panini on the seat,” Noah says in lieu of explanation. He lets off the brake long enough for the truck to squeak an inch forward. “And technically, you kidnapped me first. In or out, Colt.”
He rolls another inch down the street, and I hop into the vehicle, shutting the door after me. “This is coercion,” I point out.
“I’m not above a little bribery if it gets me what I want,” Noah says, pulling immediately into the lot behind the businesses on this stretch.
I look over at him as he parks. “Quite the ride.”
“Eat your sandwich, Colt,” Noah says, looking—and sounding—smug. He grabs his own lunch off his lap, peeling back his sandwich wrapper before taking a large bite.
With a grumble, I open up my roast beef panini, groaning at the first mouthful of warm gooey deliciousness. “Fuck, that’s good. Don’t tell Ash, but Louise makes the best paninis. It’s the commercial press.”
Noah hums.
“Ash is a damn fine cook, though. We lucked out getting him at the ranch.”
I take another blissful bite.Damn. That’s delicious.
“And look,” I say, keeping my mouth mostly closed as I talk, “I’m not gonna thank you for kidnapping me, but this sandwichismy favorite, so—”
My words cut off when Noah takes my chin in hand, forcibly directing my face his way. He presses his mouth against mine, licking over my closed lips, and I about bite my tongue.
