Page 67 of Better Together

“It’s September! Why are you thinking about Christmas presents?”

Abby snickered and flicked her light on and off.

“Well, I already got yours,” Colt said.

Remi gaped. “You did not.”

“I did too.”

“Did you get me one?” Abby asked.

“Don’t worry. You’ll have more than one.” Colt kissed her forehead and turned to kiss Ben, who rolled over and threw the covers over his head.

“Good night, kids.”

“Night!” they shouted together.

Colt followed Remi out of the room and closed the door. “What does insinuate mean? And where did she hear that?”

Remi rounded on him and put her hands on both sides of her head. “I have no idea where she heard it, but I also don’t know what insinuate means.”

Colt tried to hold back his grin, but Remi was already swatting at his arm.

“I’m serious. I’m so dumb when it comes to vocabulary.”

Colt took her by the shoulders and turned her toward the living room. “You’re not dumb. You’re just not as smart as others.”

She pretended to whine as she sank onto the couch. “They’ll know more than me in a few years, and they’ll stay up late at night laughing about the stupid things I say.”

Colt took his spot on the couch next to her. “Probably, but don’t let it bother you. At least you’re pretty.”

Remi laughed, and it was followed by a snort. “That’s not funny.”

“Sounds like it’s funny. You snorted like a pig.”

Remi wiped her eyes and sagged into the couch. “This thing is pretty comfortable. I want to fall asleep every time I sit down.”

“It’s not so bad. I’ve slept in worse places.”

When Remi’s eyes closed, Colt took in the peace in her stature. Slumped against the couch, she looked comfortable.

“I miss making music with you,” he said. They used to perform on weeknights in the dance hall, but they hadn’t started the gig back up since bringing the kids to the ranch. The evenings were spent at home, and there wasn’t anywhere he’d rather be.

“Me too,” Remi whispered, but she didn’t open her eyes.

He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I have a surprise for you.”

That woke her up. “What is it?”

He turned the phone to show her. “Ava downloaded a streaming app on my phone. We can watch sports.”

Remi gasped and sat up, clutching the phone in both hands. “Are you serious? I don’t know any of the standings anymore. We missed a whole week.”

“We can catch up,” he said, clicking on the button Ava had shown him.

“You’re my favorite,” Remi said as she settled up against his side.

Colt ignored the urge to read too much into that statement. He wanted to be her favorite. She’d been his since the day he met her. “Where do we start?”

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