Page 61 of Better Together

Colt studied the list before handing it to Brett. “I’m telling you she doesn’t want to talk about it, so we don’t.” Not knowing Remi’s whole story left him antsy, but there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

Brett shrugged. “I guess that’s your answer.”

“Yeah.” That was the response he’d expected–the one he’d been accepting for years. But he told Remi everything, and it bothered him a little bit that she kept that part of her life from him. Why? Knowing would only help him understand.

“I’m just saying, Remi gets hit on by men all the time, and she never takes the guys up on a date. Why’d she all of a sudden decide to elope with you and ride off into the sunset?”

Colt frowned and stared at his friend. “Do you have a filter?”

“No. Take it or leave it.”

“Thanks for reminding me that I’m one little fish in a big ocean.” How could he ever think he had a chance to be the one man who reached Remi? The Lord knew he wanted to be, but she’d always been unattainable. It had been a little easier to accept when they were not talking about that one time he’d made a fool of himself. Now, they were not talking about the vows they’d made to stick together, till death do they part.

“So, you figured out how to be a married man over your honeymoon vacation?”

Colt grabbed a bag and started packing. “Not in the slightest. I love the kids, but I wish I already knew how to be a good parent for them. Like, they have expectations, and I’m afraid I won’t measure up. I feel like I got dumped into a race in the middle.”

“I felt that way when I found out about Ava,” Paul said.

Colt and Brett exchanged a glance. Paul was pretty tight-lipped, and any input from him was typically something to perk up and listen to. He’d only found out a couple of years ago that Ava, the granddaughter of the owner of Wolf Creek Ranch, was his daughter.

Paul snapped a pack and set it to the side. “When I found out Ava was mine, I was happy, but I’d missed so much that it was tough not to think about what I’d lost. Over twenty years of her life. Once I got to know how great she was, I realized how important every second is when you have someone to love in your life.”

“Right. I know I was there for Ben and Abby when they were babies, but I had no idea what all I’d missed until now.”

Paul nodded. “I wish I could say it gets better, but try to focus on getting to be a part of their lives now.”

“You’re right. I should look on the bright side.”

Brett shoved Colt’s shoulder. “Yeah, how ungrateful of you.”

“Trust me. I’m plenty grateful. I’m married to my dream woman, and I just got two kids that I already love.”

“Stop bragging and get to work,” Brett scoffed. “Nobody wants to hear about how all of your dreams came true.”

Colt continued to pack, torn between having his prayers answered and not knowing what to do with the gift now that he had it.

After a stretch of silence too long for Brett to handle, he finally huffed. “Dude, why are you so glum? I thought you wanted this.”

Colt chuckled. “I do. I was just thinking about how much I miss Remi and the kids.”

Brett threw his pack down in dramatic fashion and turned toward the door. “I can’t work like this. Paul, he’s all yours.”

When Colt and Paul were the only ones left in the pack shed, Paul sighed. “I wish he’d find a woman so I wouldn’t have to listen to him chatter on anymore.”

“Best get to prayin’. He’ll need all he can get.”

Chapter17

Remi

Remi pulled up in front of Ben’s school and parked her beat-up Bronco. Only a few cars remained in the parking lot of the small school after hours, and she stopped to say a quick prayer before walking in.

“Lord, help me to know what’s right. I don’t know what Ben needs, but I need to figure it out.”

She looked up at the sign on the front door.

Buzz, and we’ll let you in.

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