Page 54 of The One Who Never Left: Colter

Rea watched them for a long moment before bringing the teacup to her lips and said nothing.

When Sutton caught her eye, Rea simply smiled a warm, unhurried smile of someone who was keeping her own secret.

"Well," she murmured, almost to herself, gaze sliding back to Colter and Lynlee. "Isn't that something."

Then Boone said something loud and ridiculous and the kitchen came back to life and Rea moved on as though she hadn't just seen straight through to the middle of everything.

Sutton tightened her arms around Lynlee, heart pounding.

She hadn’t survived the system just to blow it all up, but she also couldn’t pretend forever.

“Mom,” Lynlee said, tugging on her scrub pants. “Yous gotta wear a crown too. Lady Rea says adults forget how to have fun without reminders.”

Lady Rea, who was leaning against the counter almost regally, leaned forward, her voice dropping into something conspiratorial and fond, the kind of tone earned by years of knowing exactly how the world worked, said, “You know, darling, I learned a long time ago that if you want to be taken seriously, you’ve got to wear a crown. Doesn’t matter if it’s gold, cardboard, or borrowed for the morning.”

She gave Sutton a look that said she’d paid tuition for wisdom—and graduated summa cumulate.

“Adulthood has a way of sucking the fun out unless someone intervenes,” Rea went on lightly. “We get so busy proving we belong that we forget we’re allowed to enjoy the room once we’re in it.”

Sutton cleared her throat, suddenly aware of how full her chest felt.

“Thank you,” she said, meaning all of it. “For watching Lynlee and making it a special moment. I know it was short notice.”

Rea waved her off. “Please. Any excuse to spoil that girl.”

Boone grinned at Lynlee. “Princess duties come with breakfast privileges.”

Lynlee gasped like she’d been handed a royal decree.

Sutton’s gaze flicked to Colter, searching for an exit—a polite excuse for a graceful retreat before this turned into something that felt too much like the morning after.

After waking up tangled like a pretzel on his office couch, the last thing she was prepared for was pancakes and family like she hadn’t spent the night with her face inches from her boss's most prized livestock.

Colter caught the look and held it. Then one brow lifted in quiet challenge, like he knew exactly what she was plotting and had already decided he wasn’t letting her succeed with her plan.

He pulled out a chair. “Sit, Freckles. You’re not leaving without eating.”

Rea tilted her head, eyes bright. “It’d be rude not to. I raised these boys better than to let a lady go on an empty belly.”

“Did you hear that? I’ve been raised better than that,” Colter said, lowering his voice so only Sutton could hear.

“Pretty sure cuddling your employee all night negates whatever manners you’re claiming,” she whispered back, sliding onto the chair.

His mouth twitched and he leaned in like he was reaching for the butter, not her attention. “Funny, I was thinking it proved you trust me or that my lap had excellent reviews.”

“Careful, I’m one comment away from blaming it on the exhaustion and pretending none of this happened.”

“Can’t,” he murmured. “You drooled. There’s evidence.”

Her foot nudged his under the table. Hard. “You just keep digging yourself in deeper.”

“Deeper doesn’t scare me,” he said cryptically, eyes flicking to her mouth. “And you’re still here, eating my pancakes.”

She smiled despite herself. “Don’t read into it.”

“I won’t,” he said, settling back, all smug-like. “Unless you ask me to.”

CHAPTER 20