They’d been kids then. She was an adult now.
Being back in Clearbrook meant she could ensure a good, moderate, secure lifestyle for her baby. It was enough.
It had to be.
CHAPTER TWO
THE IRONY OF it struck Colt.
If he hadn’t gone to Heidi’s, he wouldn’t have known Charish was back.
But once she’d figured out how he’d spent his night, she’d ramped up her efforts to run him off.
Not going to happen. Six years ago, she’d removed him from her life. Just as she’d changed, so had he. For the most part he was still easygoing, but in this? No, he wouldn’t let her push him away this time. He’d get to know this more mature version of her. Not that he expected it to go anywhere. The past was there, still between them, both good and bad.
With her long-distance breakup, she’d robbed him of closure.
He wouldn’t be robbed again.
Diesel was at Uncle Jason’s when Colt got home, but immediately trotted over to join him when he pulled into the driveway. Because he would never cheat Diesel, he went to the backyard with him to throw his ball a few times, then spent a while just petting him. As a German shepherd mix, the dog shed in the summer no matter how often Colt brushed him. He found it funny.
Would Charish?
After Diesel settled in for a nap, Colt took a speed shower and shave, pulled on sloppy shorts with an old Zac Brown Band T-shirt and running shoes without socks, then headed out again. As he drove to the diner, he considered his plan. He had a feeling Charish would find a reason to be away if he didn’t return quickly. Catching her while the movers unloaded was his best bet.
It wasn’t his habit to chase women, but then, he usually didn’t have to. In his intimate relationships, he strove to be polite, respectful, and generous in bed. If a woman wasn’t interested, he moved on to another who was. He kept things casual, and he enjoyed himself.
He did not let things get intense.
Coming through the door of Screwy Louie’s, the diner his dad and Violet ran together, he headed for the counter. Because he’d worked here for many happy years, he was as familiar with the place as Violet herself.
Kristy was still employed there, now as an assistant manager, and she looked up with a smile. “Hey, Colt. Joining us for lunch?”
“Takeout, actually. Can I get a couple of loaded burgers, a double order of fries, two chocolate shakes and... What dessert do we have today?”
Just leaving the kitchen, Violet said in her sweet accent, “Hey, sugar. Joinin’ us for lunch?”
His grin spread out and he grabbed her up for a hug. Being at Screwy Louie’s meant being with family. He’d never take that for granted.
“Kristy asked me the same thing.”
Pushing back, brows up, Violet asked, “What’d I do to deserve that?”
“You know I adore you.” So damn much. She was a terrific stepmom—and a perfect wife to his dad. After the mess his own mother had left behind, Violet had brought a healing touch, along with a lot of joy, back into their lives.
“Well, I adore you, too.” She squeezed in for another hug, then headed over to clear a booth, saying, “We have a few different berry pies, chocolate cake, and bread pudding.”
“Two slices of cake,” he said, rounding out his order to Kristy.
“You’ve got it.” She hustled away, always doing three things at once, which was pretty much the way of it at the diner.
Starting past him with a tray full of dishes, Violet said, “Paisley is out back with Hogan.”
Colt stole the tray from her hands, felt her dishrag smack him in the ass, and laughed. After depositing the dishes in the sink, he detoured out of the prep area to find his dad standing over the grills, preparing the ribs for the evening, while Paisley sprawled on her stomach in the shade with posable soldiers arranged in the grass.
She wore a cute sundress that rode high in the back, showing the edge of her panties. Her wildly curling dark hair framed her little frowning face as she set up a frontal assault with the soldiers.
“Hey, squirt.”
With something sticky on her lips, Paisley squealed and shot to her feet. “Colt, look, I have a whole army now.” She ran to him, arms up, fully expecting a hug.
He lifted her high, tossed her once, making her shout with laughter, then lowered her back to her feet. “What did you eat?”
“Cake.”
His dad handed him a napkin, delegating cleanup duty while he slathered sauce on the ribs.
Kneeling, Colt drew Paisley close. Keeping her chin tilted up, he gently cleaned icing off her mouth, smoothed her thick hair, and then kissed her nose.
Smiling, she asked, “Want to fight?”
If he hadn’t heard that question nonstop over the past year, he might have misunderstood. “I don’t have an army,” he said, trying to sound serious instead of amused.
She generously offered, “I’ll share a few soldiers.”
God, he adored her. She liked dolls on occasion, but toy soldiers were her true love.
To his dad, he asked, “Was I this bloodthirsty?”
Hogan snorted. “You two are as different as night and day. Both unique, both pretty damn wonderful.”
Leaning in, Paisley said, “Don’t tell Mom he’s cussin’ cuz she’ll smack him, but I don’t even repeat him no more, so it’s okay.”
It took all Colt had not to laugh. “Give me six guys and I’ll play until Kristy has my food ready.”
Sporting an amazing pout, Paisley asked, “You’re not stayin’?”
“Sorry, honey, I can’t. But I’ll visit this weekend and we’ll stage an entire war, okay?”
That put a huge grin on her face. “‘Kay. I’ll go get ’em ready.”
No doubt she’d set the stage in a way that she could quickly obliterate him. Her tactics were often ruthless.
With his heart full of love, Colt stood and leaned on the outside wall far enough away from his dad’s grills to avoid some of the heat. Because he and Hogan talked about everything, he didn’t hesitate to say, “Charish is back in town.”
As was usual for his dad, he quickly gauged the situation and Colt’s mood, moved the meat around a little, and wiped his hands on a towel. Now that he could give Colt his full attention, he stepped closer and studied his face. “For good?”
“I think so. She’s moved back into her family’s home.”
Taking up a spot on the wall next to him, Hogan asked, “You saw her?”