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“The sheep, actually,” Colt says, a sway of long, blond hair appearing through the crack of the door. His stubble is thicker this morning, darker around his neck. “And who says a mountain man doesn’t like to look nice?”
He steps in, a big hand clutching my waist.
“Good morning,” Colt says, eyes soft and brighter than yesterday. “The storm has cleared. The sky is blue and you’re just as beautiful as I remember.”
His breath touches my lips. “Thank you, Colt.”
“So,” Colt begins, holding me close. “I was thinking we could get outside today, tidy up any mess that’s blown around and then I’ll cook up some lunch from the garden. I want to show you around the place, and if you have to, maybe you can bring that stupid clipboard with you.”
“I do have to finish the report. My brother will kill me if I don’t.”
Colt’s expression twitches. “No, he won’t. He won’t fucking touch you.”
I chuckle but his frightening expression shows me he’s deadly serious. “Oooo… Mr. Protective now, are we?”
A smile tries to escape, but I see his eyes drop to the logo on my shirt. I can almost see the thoughts racing through his head. The blue in his eyes darkens, as if the fear is taking over and something has ignited deep inside.
“Colt…” I choke out. “You know I have to go home-”
He steps back, a large palm blocking me out. “Don’t say it.”
I grab his hand and guide it down. “I have to go back to work. I have to finish the report today and get it back to the office.” I step in, trying to lay a hand on his chest. “I’m sorry.”
He grunts, a wild, angry growl and snatches his hand away. “I knew this was going to happen.”
“I have to return the report, it’s overdue!”
“Fuck the report,” he grunts.
“Colt… I don’t have any clothes…”
He shakes his head and storms away. I follow close behind, but he’s waving a hand over his shoulder like he’s not listening anymore.
“My brother will be worried. My family, too. No one knows I’m up here, Colt. They could be looking for me for all we know! What if they come and find me here? You’ll be in trouble.”
He stomps across the floorboards. Jesus. The entire cabin feels like it’s shaking.
“I can come back though. I promise I want to…” I struggle to keep up with him. His steps are fucking enormous. “Colt, please stop! Listen to me!”
I’m skipping alongside him, tugging at his arm. He grabs a plate from the bench in the kitchen, his frown blanking me out as if I don’t exist. He staunches across to the stovetop and begins spooning the yellowest scrambled eggs I’ve ever seen onto a plate.
The smell is incredible, but I’m too worried about the scowl on Colt’s face.
“Colt, please…”
“You won’t come back.”
I jerk back with shock, a frown ripping my brows downwards. “I won’t?”
He adds a few rashers of bacon to the plate and a charred piece of sourdough. When he spins, his lips have formed a straight line again. He’s certain of his words, but I know there’s more to it than that. Something is bubbling beneath the surface, the way his eyes have changed.
It makes me want to know what’s going on in that mind of his.
I’m shaking, hating the way he’s turned so quickly. Over something so simple, so stupid.
Maybe this was all a big mistake.
The tightness at the corners of his eyes more prominent than moments ago when he held me with such softness. Such care and love. He looked at me like I was his entire world, a feeling I’ve never had before.
