Page 99 of Brim Over Boot
I can feel my uncle’s eyes on me, but mine are on the chessboard.
“He’s skittish,” I explain. “And maybe, at first, it wasn’t…anything.” At least, I tried to convince myself of such. “But now… I need to go slow.”
Walter hums. “So it is serious.”
I raise a brow his way, but my uncle only smiles back. “He’s Colton Darling,” I tell him a little hotly, knowing he’s perfectly aware of all that means to me. “Excuse me for taking a minute to come to terms with it myself.”
“I’m curious how it happened,” my uncle says, waiting patiently on my move. The way he doesn’t ask outright tells me he’s not going to pry.
But I don’t mind telling him the truth. “Pure accident,” I say, finally plucking my queen off the board and moving her three spaces over. “I kissed him on accident.”
My uncle barks a laugh. “Must’ve been one hell of an accidental kiss.”
I let out a laugh. That it was.
“Checkmate,” my uncle says.
I groan, and he chuckles lightly.
After Walter demolishes me in chess,twice, I head out to the barn to work on the metal crown. It’s nearly finished, and I’m anxious to put the final touches on the piece. The smaller details that will bring it all together.
I flick on the lights and start up the forge before pulling out my phone. Colton’s name stares back at me for a long moment as I wonder how the fuck we went from…what wewereto what we are. Steeling myself, I send him a message while I wait on the forge to heat.
Me: Doing all right?
It doesn’t take as long as I’m expecting to hear back. I’m just pulling my tools off the rack when my phone pings.
Colt: Fine.
I hold back my sigh at the perfunctory response, wondering if we’ve already taken a step back. But then another text comes through.
Colt: I told my family I’m bi.
My brows pop up, something akin to hope settling in my chest right alongside my surprise.
Me: Were they good to you?
Colt: Jesus, I don’t get you sometimes.
Colt: Yeah, they took it well.
I release a breath.
Me: That’s good.
Colt: You left fucking marks all over me, you dick. My ass looks like a Rorschach.
I bark a laugh, fingers moving swiftly.
Me: Send me a picture.
Colt: Fuck off.
It’s only a couple seconds before he adds…
Colt: Hold on.
My pulse beats heavily as I wait. Is he really going to send me a photo of his ass?
