AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Talk to me.”
I stare up at him behind confused eyes. “’Bout what?”
“What’s botherin’ ya?” he demands to know.
“Just your usual shitty day at Simon Energy. Nothing that warrants a conversation.”
He cups my face and leans closer to me. “I mean it, Carly, you know I’m here if you need to talk. Stop hidin’ behind that hard ass act.”
Just then two bells ring followed by an “Order Up” and a shrilling bubbly voice. “Carly Jo! Daddy said that was your muscle in the parkin’ lot. You can eat dinner with me now. Daddy, is that okay; can Carly Jo eat with us?” Kylee Jo squeals, dancing around in front of Luke, Colton, and me.
Colton doesn’t even acknowledge her question; his gaze is set on Luke. At first, Luke barely acknowledges Colton, but once the tension fills the room, Luke stands, towering over Colton, shielding me. Luke and Colton size each other up for a beat. Colton is rigid, his arms flexed tight at his waist as he grips his fists, rotating them in circles. His breathing is rough, and his face is marred in anger. Colton is pissed. Luke stands relaxed, barely even acknowledging the aggression rolling off Colton. Luke smiles and nods, “Weston.”
Colton steps forward, and sneers, “What’d you call me? Who the hell are you?”
Luke chuckles to himself, then shakes his head. Colton is a ticking time bomb by the second, and as much as I’m enjoying their pissin’ contest, Kylee Jo is getting scared from the scene that’s playing out before her. I don’t think she has ever seen her daddy react in such a harsh way.
I step between Luke and Colton, pressing my fingertips on both of their chests before giving a slight nudge. “Do I need to call the zookeeper to wrangle up the lions and tigers?” I glance back and forth from Luke to Colton.
Luke throws his hands up in defeat and steps back, taking his seat on the stool with a sly smirk splayed across his face. Colton doesn’t budge, and his chest rattles with fierce roars threatening to escape.
“Piss contest is over, stud.” Colton’s eyes are dark and trained on Luke like an animal waiting to pounce on his prey. I snap my fingers in front of his face to get his attention. “Seriously, Colton, snap out of it. Look at how scared your daughter is. Can you please drop the whole alpha male He-Man shit and calm the hell down?”
Colton’s eyes flicker from Luke to me, to Kylee Jo who is standing in the center of the diner with her hands wrapped around her waist. Colton takes two strides to Kylee Jo and kneels in front of her, checking her over to make sure that she isn’t too startled. “Princess, I’m sorry. Daddy was just bein’ a butthead.” He kisses her forehead and then scoops her up in his arms. “Let’s just grab a pizza tonight, princess. That sound like a plan?”
“Only if Carly Jo can come too.”
“I think Carly Jo already has a dinner date tonight; maybe next time, ’kay?” Colton spits the words in my direction, and it feels like vinegar on a fresh wound. With a pained look in his eyes, he turns on his heels and stomps out of the diner with Kylee Jo firmly on his hip.
Mitzi had left the to-go order on the counter and headed to the back, just before the circus act started. I place my hand on Luke’s shoulder and give him a small apology, before grabbing the bag of food and leaving.
I unlock the Camaro and place the to-go order in the back floorboard along with my purse. Just as I squat to climb inside, Colton grabs me by the crook of my elbow and pulls me against his hard body.
“Who the hell is that?” His voice is a low feral growl.
As pissed as I am at his little show and tell in the diner, I’m still having to clench my legs together to will down the blaze of heat that sizzles in my core. He sets fires in places unimaginable. Pressing my fingers to his chest, I try to push him back, but he’s too solid to budge.
“I ain’t movin’, darlin’, ’til you answer me.”
“Colton, you’re bein’ an ass.”
“Maybe so. Who the hell is he, Carly Jo? Don’t make me ask you again.” He presses harder against me, breathing his hot breath across my face.
“Luke Ashton.”
He takes a step back and looks at me with quizzical eyes, then laughs. “Bullshit.”
I cross my arms over my chest and pop my hip to the side just as the attitude starts to fly. “Bullshit, really?”
“Go ask him. Hell, ID him. After this little act you put on in there, I’m sure he will get a barrel of laughs out of that.” Laughter bubbles up in my chest, and it’s clear that I’m so stressed with my life that I’m truly on the breaking point. I see a pretty new pink jacket in my future. Ya know, the kind that buckles in the back?
“THAT is Luke Ashton? The little, lanky white trash shit who used to live up Millers Branch?”
“One in the same, honey,” I sneer at him. If smoke could roll out of his ears right now, I’m sure it would.
“And just what the hell are you doin’ with that dick?”
“I ain’t doin’ nothin’ with any-damn-body.”
