Page 25 of Brim Over Boot
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Colton retorts icily. “Was I supposed to welcome you with open arms?”
“Christ, Colt. I’m trying to be an adult here.”
“By all means, please do try.”
Groaning, I scrub my hands through my hair and exhale a breath. “Why the fuck did you let me have Marie’s new horses?”
“I was beingnice,” he grits out.
I don’t believe that for one goddamn second. “I wanted them fair and square, Colt. Not because you…pityme or something.”
He throws his hands in the air, eyes wide. “I can’t win! You want her horses back. You don’t want them. Which is it?”
“I want them because Iearnedthem. Not because you stole them and then decided to toss a few back my way as a consolation prize.”
“Jesus Christ,” he groans, looking heavenward. “I can’t with you.”
“You never could.”
“The fuck does that mean?”
I shake my head, not wanting to get into history that’s so far behind us it’s not even worth dredging up.
“I accepted the job,” I tell him. “Because I know I’ll do right by those horses. But if this is some ploy to make me look bad or trick me or—”
“Trick you?” he cuts in, incredulous. “How?”
“I don’tknow. But I don’t trust you.”
And that’s the crux of it, isn’t it? Colton Darling has proven he’s someone I can’t trust.
“Well that’sfine,” he shoots back. “Not like I was planning on inviting you in to make friendship bracelets or anything.”
I huff, realizing, at some point, we moved closer to one another. I take a big step back, debating whether or not I even want to bring up the other thing. The topic that’s been weighing on me for days.
But if I don’t, I’ll keep wondering. Keep waiting for Colton to use it against me somehow.
“I didn’t mean to do it,” I tell him. “Behind the bar.”
He looks confused for all of a split second before his expression blanks, becoming surprisingly unreadable.
“I don’t like you,” I go on, wanting to make that absolutely clear.
Colton crosses his arms again, the lines of his face and body tense. “Are you…”
“Am I what?” I ask when the silence becomes too much.
“Nothing,” he says quickly. “Doesn’t matter. You kiss me again, and I’ll knee you in the balls.”
“I won’t be kissing you again,” I say firmly, my skin prickling in irritation. “Got it?”
“Good. I’d hate to have to file a restraining order.”
I shake my head, beyond done with this conversation, and turn to go.
“I’m not trying to trick you,” Colton says at my back. “I’m trying to make things right. I know you don’t believe me, Noah, but I never meant to lose you that job.”
“And yet I still haven’t heard an apology come out of your mouth,” I point out, not bothering to turn around.
