Page 30 of The One Who Never Left: Colter

Sutton followed her into the backyard, the smell of grilling food reaching out to give her a hug. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d attended a barbecue. Oh right, it was at her ex’s house a few days before she found out about Lynlee’s intended parents wanting to bail. And before he took off like a racehorse out of the chute.

Not wanting to unpack that emotional suitcase, Sutton looked out over the rest of the property instead. The place was enormous—Montana-big, where fences disappeared into the horizon and apparently everyone owned more land than some small countries. The yard around the house was wide and green, while farther out the barn and stables sat against the high sun like something straight off the cover of Rugged Cowboy Living.

She spotted Lynlee first, like she always did. In any room, any crowd, any chaos, the way she found the thing she was most afraid of losing.

Her daughter was at the edge of the pool with Parker, both shrieking and both completely unbothered by the size of the world around them. Sutton watched her for a long moment and felt something move through her that she had no clean name for. Not happiness exactly or guilt but something in between—with teeth. Because Lynlee looked like she belonged here—on this ranch, in this family, in this yard full of Callahans who didn't know yet that she was one of them.

The worst part, the part that sat in Sutton's throat like a stone she couldn't swallow, was that Sutton had brought her here. Had packed their bags and driven them straight into the middle of the thing she was most afraid of because it was the right thing to do, and she was still not entirely sure the right thing and the safe thing were one and the same.

She pressed two fingers briefly to her sternum, like she could hold the feeling in place, then let her hand drop before anyone could see.

Nearby, a stone-lined barbecue pit sat ready, smoke curling lazily into the air as neighbors chatted and laughed around it.

Sutton forced herself not to scan the crowd for Colter—refused, really—but it was like two magnets snapping together. Her gaze found him immediately, leaning casually against the stone retaining wall, watching the frenzy of the party with that laid-back and measured intensity that made her heart stumble.

Then it fumbled because next to him, holding a glass of wine, stood Parker’s mom, Cheryl. She was dressed in a white dress—that did not need an iron—red cowgirl boots, and her hair looked like she’d just come from the beauty salon.

As a busy single mom of a preschooler, Sutton could barely pull off a dress let alone a white one. Leaving her to wonder, not for the first time, how other moms breezed through life without so much as a speck of glitter glue on their day.

She watched as Cheryl placed a manicured hand on Colter’s arm and laughed. It wasn’t fake or for show, whatever he’d said had actually triggered a burst of joy. Not that Sutton should be surprised. Colter had a way with females—furry and otherwise. His smile alone could make a woman’s panties catch fire. Which might explain why hers suddenly felt less like practical cotton and more like a workplace safety hazard.

“Sutton?” Vivi said.

She tore her gaze off Colter and told herself to pull it together. “Sorry, I saw Parker’s mom and was going to wave. But she looks busy.”

“Do you want to go over and say hi?” Jo asked with a knowing grin on her lips.

“Nah, I’ll catch her later. I don’t want to interrupt,” Sutton finished taking stock of the property. “How much land do they own?”

“It’s massive. The biggest in the county. And the property goes further than the eye can see.”

“That’s impressive.”

“Hard work and a lot of responsibility,” Vivi said. “Last year when I came to visit, part of the deal was I had to help with the ranch work. Needless to say, from one city girl to another, it was not my finest hour.”

“It was a total shit show,” Jo said.

Vivi threw her hands up defensively. “Hey! I did my best!”

Jo’s eyes roamed down to Vivi’s boots. “Pink boots, though? Really? Pink?”

Vivi smirked, wiggling her toes. “You can take the girl out of the city…”

“…but you can’t take the city out of the girl,” Jo finished for her, shaking her head like she was embarrassed to be associating with the city girls.

Vivi tilted her head, a curious sparkle in her eye. “How are you settling in?”

Sutton took a slow breath, scanning the yard like it might give her courage. “It’s good. I mean, moving to a new place is scary. And it’s a lot. Besides completing my program online at night, I volunteer once every week in Lynlee’s class, which I love—don’t get me wrong—but taking the time off work to do it is hard.”

“Colter’s an understanding boss, though, right?” Vivi asked.

Jo let out a laugh that sounded like it belonged on a rodeo announcer’s mic. “Understanding? He’s understanding at everything. That’s literally the only reason he agreed to this blind date.”

Vivi crossed her arms defiantly. “He agreed because deep down he knows he’s ready for more than booty-calls.”

"He agreed because you cornered him at the coffee shop and refused to let him leave until he said yes,” Jo said. “There's a difference between ready and hostage."

And that was all Sutton needed for that zing to disappear. Colter was nice, sweet and a complete gentleman. But he was also a playboy. He might as well have morning after optional tattooed on his forehead.