“Just came from there.” At six-three, he stood a few inches taller than both his dad and his uncle. “I’m taking lunch back to her.”
Hogan considered that for a moment, then asked, “You’re glad to see her?”
Up in the air.
Or was it?
Seeing her had stirred long-dormant emotions. The problem was that not all of them were good.
“I guess. Overall anyway.” Mixed with pleasure had been residual bitterness, but he’d rather no one knew that because it sounded petty. To deflect, he added, “She looks good. More mature.”
“Meaning more like a woman than a girl?”
Flashing him a grin, Colt said, “Definitely a woman, and now totally stacked.”
That hadn’t been the reason for his interest, though, and they both knew it. Hogan waited, giving him time to sort through his thoughts.
“I was at Heidi’s when I saw her.”
Understanding what that meant, Hogan winced. “Awkward.”
“Maybe a little. Not like Charish and I are still involved.”
They both knew that was bullshit, too, at least on Colt’s part, since he clearly had unresolved feelings. Sure, he’d gotten on with his life. But Hogan was an involved father, they talked often, and he knew Colt better than anyone.
The silence stretched out while his dad watched Paisley move barefoot over the lawn, his smile full of affection and pride.
Colt got that, since he felt the same. His little sis was quite the character.
After shoulder-bumping him, Hogan asked, “Why don’t you bring her around tomorrow for dinner? Everyone will be here. It’ll be like a reunion.”
“Maybe.” He liked the idea of having her on his own turf, surrounded by his family and friends. In case Charish refused, he didn’t fully commit. “I’ll see. For now, I have a battle to fight with the pip-squeak before Kristy brings out my food.”
Hogan laid a heavy hand on his shoulder. “Let me know if you need anything.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Colt moved away to join his sis on the grass. Twenty years separated Colt from Paisley, but Hogan had barely been eighteen when Colt was born. Though Hogan had stepped up to be a terrific father, Colt realized how much responsibility had been dumped on him at such an early age.
It was nice that this time around, his dad was older, more settled, and he’d made the decision with eyes wide open, rather than being handed a surprise. He and Violet shared everything, good and bad.
That’s what Colt had always wanted, too, but he hadn’t been in a hurry to get there. Not since Charish moved away.
“I have time for one battle.” Sitting on the grass, Colt surveyed the soldiers she’d given him, all of them standing upright while hers crawled through the grass. He noticed hers were all armed, too, and she even had a cannon.
“One battle,” she agreed, and immediately launched into sound effects as she advanced her men.
Laughing, Colt tried to deflect her efforts, but it wasn’t this battle that occupied his mind.
It was the coming battle with Charish—and in that, he planned to win.
* * *
CHARISH REMOVED THE lamp and rearranged the end table once more. The couch, she found, was a bit heavy to budge. She had her shoulder to it, her bare feet firm on the floor, pushing hard, when a knock sounded on the door and startled her enough that she did a face-plant.
“Oof.”
Opening the door on his own, Colt peered in, spotted her in the process of getting up, and quickly set aside bags of food.
Before she could regain her feet, he’d caught her upper arms and lifted her.
Still with his hands on her, he studied her cheek, probably red from where she’d collided with the floor. “I heard the thud. What happened?”
Even knowing he shouldn’t be there, and that she shouldn’t let him be there, Charish’s heart bumped into a fast beat. Excitement. Happiness. So dumb. But she was close to him, his hold was familiar, and she... You’re not a high school girl anymore. Get it together.
Gesturing at the big leather couch, Charish explained, “I want to move that monstrosity.”
“Why didn’t you have the movers do that?”
“I did. Twice. But you know how it is with a new place. You need to reconfigure until you get it right.”
Wearing an indulgent smile, he asked, “Where do you want it?”
That “let the big man do it for you” tone got her molars grinding. Truth, though, he was bigger, and she felt like she’d pulled a muscle trying to move it on her own. “There,” she said, gesturing with one hand while rubbing the small of her back with the other. “In front of the window.”
Colt considered that and shook his head. “You’ll put the TV opposite it, right?”
“Yes?”
Another superior smile. “The sunset will make it impossible unless you get black-out blinds.” He retrieved the food and headed for the kitchen. “Let’s give it a little thought, okay? Eat while your burger is still warm and then we’ll figure it out.”
We? Where did he get a “we” in there? It was her house, her furniture...and that burger smelled divine. She still needed to get the bedding together, the TV hooked up, and all around her packed boxes waited. At least now she had a table and chairs in the kitchen.
“Sustenance,” he declared. “Start with that.”
“Is that from Screwy Louie’s? Oh my God, I’ve been craving one of their burgers.” No sooner than the words left her mouth, she froze. She definitely shouldn’t have mentioned cravings. Going for a quick save, she clarified, “I mean, no one makes them like the diner.”
“I remembered how you like yours—loaded.”
Of course he had. Colt was one of the most considerate people she’d ever known. Smart, too.
And even in her own head, she would stop singing his praises.
“Thank you. I’m hungrier than I realized.”
With the food already set out, including two packages of cake, Colt pulled back her chair for her. “Dig in.”
As she was sinking into the seat, she grabbed up the burger, took a big bite, and groaned as her taste buds rejoiced. In the time she’d been gone, she’d sometimes dreamed about those burgers. “So good.”
Gaze fixed on her mouth, Colt stuck a straw in her drink.
It made her self-conscious, how intently he watched her. She quickly wiped her mouth with a napkin, then nodded at the drink. “Chocolate shake, too?”