Page 34 of Better Together

Colt lifted his hands and cupped her jaw, tilting it up so she was looking at him. His thumbs brushed the dry skin of her cheeks. She wasn’t crying. At least not where he could see. Her heart knew how to cry on the inside.

“I’m sorry you lost her.”

Remi gave a little shrug and tilted her head. “I’m fine.”

But as she looked up into Colt’s eyes, she wasn’t fine. She was silently kicking and screaming and throwing the biggest tantrum. This was about Colt, and she didn’t want to make it about her. She wanted to show him a piece of her he’d been asking about for years.

“Thank you for telling me,” he said.

His thumb brushed over her jaw again, but his gaze stayed locked on her. Not a staring contest. Not right now. Not when she wanted him–more of him. Not when she was wallowing in the bed she’d made. She’d turned him down for years, and now, she didn’t have a choice. She would never have the man she should have said yes to three and a half years ago.

But the look in his eyes said he still wanted her. Did it matter what they wanted anymore? They were picking up the kids in less than an hour, and their lives were changing starting now.

Remi sniffed and took a step back. “Would it make you feel better to watch me belly flop into the pool?”

Colt let his hands fall from her face, and his smile was immediate. “It’s thirty degrees outside.”

Remi shrugged. “The pool is heated. I snuck back there to check it out before we left for town.”

Colt pinched the bridge of his nose, but the smile didn’t fade. “Only Mark would have no money, a nice house, and a heated pool.”

Remi propped her hands on her hips, feeling triumphant for reversing Colt’s sad mood. “I have time for a jump before we have to leave.”

Shaking his head, Colt took a step toward her. “No, I don’t think seeing you in a swimsuit will do me a lot of good right now.”

Remi stiffened. She hadn’t mentioned a swimsuit, and her cheeks heated. She’d planned to jump in wearing the clothes she had on. She had four other outfits packed in her duffel bag. “Don’t want to have nightmares?”

Colt shook his head. “You’re the opposite of a nightmare.”

Her breath caught in her lungs. He wouldn’t think that if he knew all of the terrible things she’d done.

The phone in Colt’s pocket rang, and he read the number on the screen. “It’s the caseworker.”

“It’s probably time to pick up the kids.”

He answered the call, and Remi slipped out of the kitchen. Her bag was still by the door, and she slung it over her shoulder. She’d give him some privacy while she found a bedroom. The house looked big enough that she might not have to sleep on the couch.

She passed a room that had to be Abby’s and another that was Ben’s without a doubt. The next one had an unmade bed and various bottles of medicine and drinks on the nightstand. She’d clean that up before Colt saw it.

The next bedroom was sparse with a made bed. She’d be safe to claim a guest room. She’d let Colt have it if there wasn’t another one. He wouldn’t want to sleep in his brother’s bed.

She tossed the bag onto the bed and checked the time on the clock. Hadley should be home from church, and Remi might not get another chance to call and make sure her fill-in had everything she needed for the coming week.

Remi sat on the edge of the bed and called Hadley.

“Hey! Are you okay? I heard you went to Newcastle with Colt because…” Hadley’s quick greeting trailed off as if she were unwilling to say the bad news.

“Yeah. Are you going to be okay on your own this week?”

“No problem at all. Cheyenne said she would help me.”

“Good. I haven’t even had a chance to call her, but I’m glad she agreed to help.” Cheyenne and her fiancé, Ridge, started a youth learning program at the ranch over the summer, and they’d dealt with kids of all ages in the last few months. Cheyenne would at least know where they could get anything they needed, and Remi had made a detailed schedule before she left.

“So, have you met the kids yet?” Hadley asked.

“Not yet. We’re probably about to leave to meet with the caseworker and get them.” She rubbed a sweaty palm down the side of her jeans.

Something shuffled on Hadley’s end of the call. “Are you ready for this?”

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