Colton eyed him up and down. He knelt and set the gun on the ground. “Do you want to talk about it before we go back to bed?”
He did and didn’t. Talking about it meant he couldn’t pretend nothing bad was out there. “I’m sorry, Colton, but when I heard you get the gun, I knew you didn’t think it was just a stray animal.”
“I really did, honey, but it pays to be prepared. Besides, prairie rattlers are a thing.” He pulled Zach into a hug. “I won’t lie to you, though. I am a tiny bit worried. Those boys aren’t local. They shouldn’t be able to hide from us this long. And finding Momma’s house? Well, it doesn’t sit right with me.
“So, I made sure if I ran into anyone, I had something to surprise them with.” Colton planted a soft kiss on Zach’s head. “But just as I told you my one worry, I’m being honest when I say I don’t think?—”
Colton’s phone vibrated. When he turned it over, Zach readUncle Ted, on the screen.
“Hey, sheriff,” Colton’s voice shook a tiny bit, but he rolled his eyes dramatically. “Nope, we’re about to go to sleep.”
Zach could hear the sheriff’s voice but couldn’t make out his words.
“Well, he was too busy snagging our food and getting in my personal business to check; that’s why he couldn’t say if we’d done much.”
He tried to step back, but Colton didn’t let go. “Yes, sir we did. I got us four hidey spots, the back door is blocked, and Zach and I practiced so he could get the hell out if needed, none of the lights are on, and Barley is on the job.”
If the sheriff wasn’t proud of how professional Colton had been, Zach didn’t know what more he could do to fix that.
“Thank you, Uncle Ted. I appreciate it.” Colton’s body relaxed a bit. “Goodnight to you too, sir.” He hung up with a sighand another roll of those eyes. “I tell you what, he’s like an old woman digging hard for every bit of information he can. I swear to God, he wants to be the Joe Kenda of Montana.”
“The who?”
“You know, the old, cool dude with the craggy face on the TV?” Colton lowered his brows and drawled, “My, my, my?”
As if his world had ever been full of TV. Hell, when they were in a hotel, he had to fight with five other guys who were way more invested in watching than he was. “Sorry, I don’t know him.”
“Ah, well, I watch him a lot. I have a close, personal, late-night relationship with my remote control.” Colton’s husky laugh was wicked, full of happiness, and he was getting used to that. The way Colton’s mood buoyed itself up like an air balloon filling with water in a carnival game. “I bet you can break me of that habit if you set your mind to it.”
Zach let one of his eyebrows arch. “Do you now?”
“Yessir. I most certainly do.” Butter wouldn’t melt in Colton’s mouth. “Wanna start my habit-breaking now? Seems like the perfect opportunity.”
Zach responded by rolling on top of Colton.
Some answers were better without words.
