Page 5 of The One Who Never Left: Colter

A familiar protectiveness snapped through her like wire pulled taut.

"So, about my number? Still interested?" she asked, with challenge in her voice incase there were any doubts still lingering.

"What? Oh, yeah." He held out his phone.

Her eyebrows lifted in amused disbelief, but she took it anyway. Sutton punched in her digits and handed it back. "Can't wait for that call."

She fixed him with a steady, challenging gaze, daring him to call her bluff. A sharp panic fluttered in her chest. She kept her face carefully neutral anyway. He might not want her number anymore. Even worse, he might vanish before she could learn everything she needed to know about him.

And what about Lynlee?

Would he want to know his daughter? Or would he be one more person in a long line of disappointments for her little girl?

CHAPTER 2

Therapy in Session

Sunday 8:48 PM

Eli: Heard you struck out with a cutie pie at the market

Colter: I did not "strike out." I asked for her number

Boone: Did you get it?

Colter: It’s complicated.

Boone: Sounds like she’s a smart woman

Eli: Heard he also chickened out the second he smelled a little girl and ran like one himself

Colter: I did not run

Eli: Bridlewood's finest, ladies and gentlemen

Colter: How do you even know this? It happened like an hour ago and you're not even in this hemisphere

Eli: Boone

Boone: I heard it from Vivi, who heard it from Jo

Colter: Jo wasn't even there

Boone: Jo heard it from Maribelle at Granny’s Grocer and Grain. Maribelle saw the whole thing firsthand. Says you nearly took out the tampon display doing your little gentleman routine. If you needed one that bad you could've just asked Vivi. She keeps a stash

Colter: Dick

Eli: Look at you, going all hormonal

Colter: I hate this family

Boone: Dream Girl's got you rattled already. This might be the best thing to happen to me since Vivi

Colter: She is NOT Dream Girl

Boone: Too late. Logging it in the official record

Eli: Does the official record include the melon comment you keep almost telling us and then not telling us