Page 28 of Kicking Up Dust

“You’re quite pleased with yourself.”

Colt shrugs, still smiling. “Feels like the first time I’ve been able to actually do something for you. I feel kinda useless most of the time.”

I stare at him, mouth a bit agape.

“Useless? Colt, you’ve done so much for me already. You’re literally moving me into your house…”

Colt rolls his eyes. “The least I can do.”

“Technically, the least you could do is nothing at all, which would’ve been totally fine and would still be totally fine if you decide you don’t want anything to do with⁠—”

“That’s starting to piss me off, if I’m being honest,” he interrupts.

I sit back as my stomach sinks. He hadn’t yelled, hadn’t used a cruel tone, but he’d said it so bluntly, and my stupid head twisted it into anger. I fully blame it on his child growing inside of me when my eyes start to well with tears.

His face drops, and I try to duck my head and hide my tears from him so he can’t see them, but our table’s only so big. Short of fleeing to the bathroom, I’m stuck.

“Baby, no. Don’t cry,” he whispers, reaching across the table for my hand, but I pull it back to wipe at my cheeks.

“I’m fine,” I tell him, surreptitiously looking around to see if anyone’s noticing the ridiculous crying girl. Who cries at Chili’s?

Colt sighs, pulling his hand back but leaning forward.

“I didn’t mean to upset you, pretty girl. You’re not pissing me off, but your lack of faith in me is hurting my feelings.”

My head snaps up, brows furrowed.

“No, not—it’s not that I don’t have faith in you. It’s just… Well, you didn’t ask for this, Colt.”

“Did you?”

“Well, no, but⁠—”

“But nothing. I’m sure you didn’t want to be pregnant your senior year of college any more than I expected to become a daddy with a woman I haven’t even gotten to know yet, but things happen.” He shrugs. “There’s no reason you should have to go through this alone, Blair. I know I’m not great at much of anything except planting my ass on the back of a bull, but I’m trying.”

His eyes are so sincere. It breaks my heart to think I’ve been making him feel like he’s not being exactly what I need.

“You’re doing great, Colt. I just feel like I’m trapping you.”

Colt smiles, reaching his hand across the table again, palm up. He flicks his fingers in a grabby motion, and I pull my hand from my lap to give it to him.

“You’re not trapping me,” he swears, pressing a kiss to my knuckles. “One day, I’ll be strong enough to tell you how selfishly grateful I am to you. How I think the stars aligned perfectly for us to be here right now. How I’m goddamn ecstatic you’re having my baby. But I also don’t wanna scare you off, so for now, please stop trying to give me outs. I’m not going anywhere.”

“Okay,” I tell him, and I remember having this exact conversation a few weeks ago where I promised I’d believe him when he said he wanted to stay, but I keep waiting for him to change his mind. Regardless, I don’t have it in me to be cruel, and if the outs are making him feel like I don’t appreciate his help, I’ve got to actually keep my word this time.

“I’ll stop giving you outs.”

“Start asking more of me, too,” he asks, still grinning, still holding my hand. “I try to guess what you need, but when we get to Montana, I need to know you’ll ask me if you need support and I’m not giving it.”

That’s infinitely harder. I can’t stand asking for help. Still…

“Okay. I’ll do my best.”

SIXTEEN

COLT

Blair’s asleep against the window when I turn off the exit toward Billings. I’ve never driven so carefully in my life. This trip would’ve taken half the time if it were just me in this truck, but the thought of wrapping this truck around a tree—or anything else—has become my worst nightmare.