“Get your stuff,” Colt ground out, turning away from her as he dropped his arms.

  “I was hoping…that is…well, I just flew in and I drove all the way out here. My flight out isn’t until tomorrow morning. Can I stay here?”

  “No,” Colt unequivocally replied as he turned to face his mother once more.

  Elise stepped between them, her back to Colt. “Of course you can stay one night. Colt wouldn’t turn you out.”

  “Like hell I wouldn’t,” he ground out from behind her.

  Elise’s temper began to rise. He may resent his mother, but she’d been raised with certain manners and with his emotions riding high, he seemed to have forgotten his…common decency and all.

  She turned to face him and said in a calm tone, “Colt, surely she can spend one night before she has to leave tomorrow morning.”

  Colt’s hands were balled into tight fists, his entire body tightly wound. He looked down at her, his expression livid. “No.”

  Sighing, she turned back to Sharon. “You were misinformed. The ranch is not being sold. As part owner of the Lonestar I say you can stay one night—”

  She’d barely gotten the words out of her mouth before she heard the back door slam behind her. She glanced back to see Colt had walked out.

  “Thank you,” Sharon said in a quiet voice, drawing her attention.

  Elise faced her. “I didn’t do that for you. I did it because it was the way I was raised.”

  A sad, disappointed look crossed the woman’s face, making Elise feel guilty. She had no reason to dislike this woman other than the hurt she’d caused her sons and their father.

  Tempering her voice to a lighter tone, she responded, “I believe it would be best if you collected your belongings and left before Colt arrives to work on the animals in the morning.”

  Turning she started to ask, “Nan, would you show—”

  “I’ll show Sharon to the guest bedroom,” Nan interrupted in a disgruntled tone.

  Oh boy, Elise thought. Not only had she pissed off Colt, she’d also alienated a woman she’d come to respect. She knew Nan thought of the Tanner boys as her very own. Elise hoped Nan would eventually forgive her.

  * * * * *

  Feeling very sad, Elise walked outside. She felt for Colt, for what he’d been through in his life. How would she feel if the situation was reversed? Yeah, she’d be pissed, but she’d want someone whose emotions weren’t so closely involved to keep her from being a complete ass. Noting Colt’s truck was missing, she ran to the office, collected her purse and keys, and climbed in her car.

  She wondered where he would go as she drove down the ranch’s long driveway. More than likely he wouldn’t go to the bar because he was in a thunderous mood. Home. He’d go home.

  Turning in the direction of his ranch, she stiffened her spine, unsure what kind of reception she’d get from him. Her stomach knotted when she thought of the fact that Colt had just started to open up a bit to her right before this happened.

  Sighing, she gripped the wheel and thought of a statement her Aunt Marie had made about relationships. “Every relationship has its ups and downs. It’s the weathering the storms that shows the true strength of the relationship in the end.” Elise knew that as strong-willed as she and Colt both were, they’d have many storms to weather, but she also believed in their relationship. She hoped Colt did too.

  When she pulled up to Colt’s house, she turned off her engine and lights. Her heart sank to see the entire place pitch-dark. She got out, peeked in the garage window, and saw it was empty. Where was he?

  Feeling depressed, she walked back to her car. As she opened the door, she glanced at the house then let her gaze scan the surrounding property. When she spotted a large shadow out in the field behind Colt’s house, her heart leapt. It had to be Colt’s truck.

  Her stomach knotted as she walked around the house and approached his vehicle. Colt sat on the toolbox, leaning against the window inside the back of his truck.

  Elise walked up to the truck and put her hand on the side, looking up at him. He didn’t turn or even acknowledge her presence. Just when she started to say something, he spoke.

  “I’ve spent all my life forgetting about her, resentful that she left my dad, hurt him the way she did. But the hardest damn thing was having to comfort Mace whenever he got hurt or had a bad nightmare and cried for her, or to try to reason with Cade when he got in fights at school just for fighting’s sake.” He paused and sighed heavily. “Thank God my brothers weren’t here tonight.”

  The bitterness in his voice conveyed the heavy weight of responsibility he must’ve carried. It tore at her heart. Guilt swept over her as she swiped silent tears away.

  “Colt, I’m sorry for your past. I can’t change it, though I wish I could. You’re a good, honorable man and I know you well enough to know that in your heart you would’ve felt like a heel if you had turned your mother out, no matter what she’d done. So I took the heat. I became the bad guy. That’s what—” she paused over the word, not knowing best how to categorize their relationship, “partners do. They look out for one another.”

  When he didn’t look at her but kept staring into the woods, Elise took a deep breath and climbed up into the back of the truck until she stood directly in front of him.

  Colt didn’t look up at her but instead stared at the center of her chest, an impassive expression on his face.

  Elise squatted down and put her hands on his knees. Looking up at him, she let her emotions for him pour into her words, “I care what happened to that young teenage boy in the past, but I care more about the man you are today and the person you’ll become in the future.”

  Colt looked down at her, the night shadows hiding the expression in his eyes. Elise’s hands felt clammy and her heart rammed in her chest as she awaited his response. Had she totally destroyed the tenuous trust they’d worked so hard to build with one another?

  Without a word he swiftly pulled her between his legs and speared his fingers through her hair. She set her knees on the floor of the truck as he cupped the back of her head and pressed her head against his chest, burying his nose in the thick mass of hair between his fingers.

  Elise clung to his waist, snuggling as close as their position would allow. Tension flowed from her body as she pressed her nose against his shirt and inhaled his fresh, masculine scent.

  Colt reached over and slid one of the windows open to pull out a blanket from the backseat of his truck. Elise helped him spread the soft, thick material out across the truck’s bed. When he laid down on it to stare up into the sky, she crawled up beside him and settled her head on his shoulder.

  He gathered her in his arms and finally spoke, “Whenever I felt my lowest, I’d walk to an open pasture and lay down in the grass. While I stared up into the stars, I thought about all the people who had lived and died before me and basically gave myself a pep talk about how my lot in life could be worse. I still had my dad and my brothers. We had our health and we weren’t dirt poor.”

  After that, Colt didn’t speak again. She understood. He was sharing his time with her—time he normally sorted things out in his mind, alone. She ran her hand over the hard planes of his chest, giving him the best comfort she could—closeness and companionship.

  * * * * *

  Colt awoke to the sound of birds chirping, his clothes damp from the overnight dew. The sun was just beginning to peek over the horizon. As he sat up, he rolled his shoulders and pressed his hands against his sore lower back. Sleeping in the back of his truck wasn’t the most comfortable bed he’d ever slept on, but holding Elise was certainly the best way he could remember falling asleep when he was troubled.

  For a brief moment, seeing the truck bed empty, he felt that old feeling creep into his consciousness, making his stomach pitch. Tensing, he shook off the sense of desertion that threatened to consume him. In his heart he knew he’d find Elise somewhere on the ranch. Rubbing his hands down his face and over his stubble, he thought about the woman he’d come to love.

  Last night, as she lay there with him, he admitted to himself just how much he loved Elise. The thought made him almost sick to his stomach—not the idea of loving her but what openly loving her would do to his own vulnerability, when he finally admitted his feelings out loud. Somehow, not admitting to Elise how he felt had given him a sense of control and even now, the thought of telling her still scared him. But he would tell her he loved her. Today.

  * * * * *

  Elise had slept fitfully because she’d wanted to wake up before Colt. She’d showered and dressed at his house before she headed to the ranch, intending to get there in time to say goodbye to Colt’s mother. She had a feeling Sharon wouldn’t be receiving a warm send-off from Nan.

  Right as she drove up in front of the ranch house, Sharon was walking out to her car. Elise got out of her car and made her way over to the older woman’s rental car as she opened the door. “Does your flight leave this early?”

  Sharon sighed and turned her blue eyes—the same color as Colt’s—her way. “No, but I figure sitting in the airport for a couple of hours is better than the alternative if I wait around here.”

  Elise nodded her understanding and held the door as Sharon got in the vehicle. Once she closed the door, Colt’s mother rolled down the window and leaned out with her hand extended.

  When Elise took her hand and the older woman pressed something in her hand, she glanced at his mother in surprise.

  “Colt won’t accept this from me any time soon and may never.”

  Elise looked down at the silver antique pocket watch in her hand. She glanced back up as Sharon continued, “Regardless of your motives, you’ve shown me a kindness I didn’t expect to see on this visit, so I feel leaving the watch with you may eventually get it to Colt. I have regrets in my life. Three of them live right here in Texas, but the one thing I wish I had done was try harder to see them.”

  Elise’s heart raced at Sharon’s words. Gripping the watch tight, she asked, “You tried to see your sons?”

  Sharon nodded slowly. “Several times, but their father forbade me. Technically, I could have gotten a court order, but in the end I realized he spoke the truth, at least while they were young and my leaving was so new. He told me I’d be doing more harm than good, unless I planned on coming back to stay.” She frowned and brushed her hair away from her face. “After a while I just stopped asking. When several years had passed, I was afraid to ask…afraid of the rejection I would receive.”

  She glanced at the watch in Elise’s hand, a poignant look on her face. “That watch belonged to my father. He passed away two years ago and I know he would want his eldest grandson to have it. Please make sure Colt gets it.”

  Elise’s chest felt tight, her heart breaking as she held back the tears that threatened. To think Colt had carried his emotional baggage around as long as he did when his mother had been out there waiting for him but was too afraid to approach him after all this time. She bit her lip and nodded her agreement.

  Sharon gave her a sad smile and started the engine. “Goodbye Elise. It was nice to meet you.”

  Elise watched the car’s taillights going down the driveway as she slipped the pocket watch into her jeans’ pocket.

  * * * * *

  Colt arrived at the ranch, his shoulders tight with pent-up tension. He wanted to find Elise right away to tell her how he felt, but even though it was Saturday, the early morning chores around the ranch still needed to be done first. As he headed for the stables, he admitted to himself he was thankful for the reprieve.

  He’d been working for half an hour when Mace walked into the stall he was in carrying a pitchfork full of fresh hay.

  “Hey ya, bro,” he said in a lighthearted tone as he dumped the hay. “How’s it goin’?”

  Colt leaned on his own pitchfork and eyed Mace. His little brother never volunteered for stall duty. Too many years of having to do it as a kid had set him against it.

  Rubbing the back of his gloved hand across his jaw, Colt said, “Nan talked to you this morning, didn’t she?”

  Mace glanced up from moving a pitchfork full of hay. “Yeah, she told me.” Setting down his pitchfork, he adopted the same position as Colt. “So, what’s going on in that head of yours?”

  Mace always was the one willing to talk things out. Drove Colt nuts when he was that one who was supposed to be the “dad”. Sometimes he thought Mace was much better equipped to deal with his mother’s desertion than he was. Then again, he was the one who’d comforted Mace for many years when his mom wasn’t there. Life was all about balance, Colt thought.

  “Not much to say,” he said in a gruff tone as he commenced working.

  “And Elise?” Mace prodded, concern etching his expression.

  Colt stopped working and looked at his brother. “Is the best damn thing to happen to me in a very long time.”

  Mace gave him a broad smile. “That’s what I wanted to hear.”

  When he turned to walk out of the stall, Colt called out, “Hey, get your lazy ass back in here and finish the job. At least let me ‘believe’ you didn’t come in here on a fishing expedition.”

  He looked down, hiding his grin as Mace sighed heavily and came back in the stall to help.

  “Just like old times, eh, little brother?” he looked up, teasing.

  Colt chuckled when Mace gave a disgruntled snort in response.

  * * * * *

  After he finished his chores, Colt’s spirits were high. Even if he was still tense, he left the stables to go find Elise. His heart lurched and he stopped dead in his tracks at the site before him as he exited the stables.

  Elise stood leaning on the fence in a similar position she was in the first day he met her. But this time, she wasn’t alone. This time a man had his hand on her neck, massaging it as if he’d done it a million times. Then he pulled her close and kissed her temple.

  Colt’s blood boiled as he took in the city slicker and his red sports car. The man stood a good foot taller than Elise. He had short, dark brown hair and was dressed in tan slacks and a white button-down shirt. Yep, the man definitely looked out of place on his ranch. Colt wondered if he’d break some kind of law if he punched the man for daring to touch his woman before he kicked him off his ranch.

  Colt walked up behind Elise and her guest, saying, “Mornin’ Lise.” He kept his voice calm when all he really wanted to do was yank the man’s hand away from her. To be faced with the reality of someone else touching Elise was an experience he wasn’t prepared to handle.

  “Colt!” Elise said as she jumped at his voice. Shrugging out of the man’s hold, she turned to introduce him. “Colt, this is Jason Richardson. He just arrived from D.C. Jason is —”

  “Her fiancé,” the man supplied with a pleased grin as he held out his hand to Colt.

  At the man’s statement, Colt felt like his head was going to explode. Anger rolled through him in such relentless waves, he didn’t hear what Elise said. Ignoring Jason’s hand, he folded his arms over his chest and scowled. “I wasn’t aware Elise had a fiancé.”

  Elise frowned at Jason as she elbowed him in his ribs. “Quit trying to rehash old stuff, Jason.”

  The man gave her an indulgent smile. “You know as well as I do we’re a perfect match. Now that the summer is coming to an end, your rebellious days are over, honey. It’s time to come home and take on the responsibilities you’ve avoided as long as I’ve known you. Your father planned to announce our engagement at the party next week.”

  “Rebellious?” she said, anger obvious in her tone.

  Why didn’t she argue the fact he’d said he was her fiancé? Colt wondered. That’s because there’s some freakin’ truth to it, he realized.

  Jason’s expression turned skeptical. “Hmmm, let’s see. When you graduated from college you took off to Europe instead of joining your father’s company. Then, when you finally came back, you disappointed your dad again when you accepted a job with that start-up dot com company—”

  “That was my decision to make. It’s my life,” she interrupted, her voice rising. She didn’t give a flip who overheard their argument.

  “He wanted you to be the Chief Information Officer,” Jason argued, incredulous.

  “Then you take the position. A piece of my father’s business is all you and your father want anyway,” she replied, crossing her arms over her chest with a mutinous expression on her face.

  “That’s bullshit and you know it, Elise,” he replied in an angry tone. “We’re good together, always have been. It’s time you grew up and settled. No more,” he paused and swept his gaze over the ranch before finishing in a mocking tone, “pet projects.”

  “You’re as bad as my father,” she said as she uncrossed her arms. “I’m not coming home with you.”

  “Don’t forget your financial obligation,” he reminded her.

  Her cheeks turned hot at the reminder she’d yet to come up with the money she’d promised to the charity. “That’s none of your business.”

  “As your future husband, it’s entirely my business,” he countered. “Keeping your promise is a reflection on my reputation as well. Mr. Riley’s offer was higher for your share of this ranch. I think you should take it. There’s your financial solution and then some.”

  “What the hell are you doing snooping in my personal paperwork?” she raised her voice.

  “Hey, since you’ve apparently turned off your answering machine and you don’t answer your cell phone, I needed to find out exactly where this ranch was so I could talk to you. Your dad handed me the paperwork.”

  “Which I’m sure he was ever so happy to do,” she replied in a sarcastic tone.

  “Enough,” Colt barked. Grasping Elise’s upper arm, he said in a cold tone, “We need to talk. Now.”

  Jason put a restraining hand on her shoulder and cast him an annoyed look. “She’s not going anywhere. I came here to talk to her.”