Dave.”
“Don’t be.” He kissed her cheek, sighing. “Sometimes things just don’t work out no matter how much we want them to.
Ain’t that the truth!
Chapter Five
Colt was moping over a beer at Rusty’s, the local watering hole, when a hot little redhead who looked vaguely familiar claimed the bar stool next to him. She sat there for a minute, apparently waiting for him to acknowledge her, but he just didn’t care.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” She stirred her drink with a straw before sinking her teeth into the plastic as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
He didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to get plastered and cab it home. “No, should I?”
“We went to high school together. You were a couple of years ahead of me though.”
His only response was a grunt as he polished off his longneck and tapped the bar for another. If he was going for effect, he should have asked for a whisky, but that was the old man’s poison of choice. Colt couldn’t stand to hear himself order it.
“I have to admit I had a huge crush on you.”
“Huh.” He didn’t give a shit about her adolescent crushes, but he had a feeling he was going to hear about it, like it or not.
“But you were so into Gabby back then. No one else stood a chance.”
“Some things never change,” he muttered, nodding when the bartender delivered his fourth beer. A few more would help numb the pain. Six more should be enough to make him pass out and forget that Gabby was with another man, one who was probably in love with her and hell-bent on convincing her that she belonged with him.
“Oh, so you guys are still together then?”
“No.” I wish. Colt realized how stupid he’d been to think he could come back to Vista Falls and have a casual relationship with Gabby. If he’d had a brain, he would have realized that would never be enough for her before he’d uprooted his life.
“But you want to be with her?”
“Look,” Colt said, turning his head to look at her, “I’m not really in the mood to talk.”
“What are you in the mood for?” She bit her lip as her eyes drifted over his body.
Her question was obvious: your place or mine? And for half a second, Colt actually considered it. Sex had always been his go-to when he needed a little stress relief, but he knew no matter who was under him tonight, he’d only see one woman’s face.
“That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why not? Because of her?” she asked.
“You don’t want to be with me, not tonight.” He was furious, and that meant it would be hard and fast with one goal in mind—release.
“Shouldn’t I be the one to decide that?” she asked, scooting her stool closer to his as she curled her arm around his neck.
Before he could respond, Rush appeared at his other side. “Hey, Bren,” he said to the redhead. “You mind givin’ us a minute?”
Wes’s kid brother always did have impeccable timing. Colt would have to thank him later for saving him from another stupid mistake.
“Can’t it wait?” Bren asked, pouting as she looked from Colt to Rush. “We were kind of in the middle of something. Weren’t we, honey?” she asked Colt.
“Uh, no.” Colt peeled her arm from around him. “Like I said, not a good idea.”
“Fine.” She squeezed Colt’s bicep as she slid off the stool, adjusting her short, tight black skirt. “But I’ll be over by the pool tables if you change your mind.”
Colt watched her walk away as he tipped his beer back. Nothing could erase the image of how sexy Gabby had looked when she’d stripped down for him.
“What’re you doing here?” Rush asked, leaning over the bar so he was in Colt’s face. “Didn’t you tell me you were spending the day with Gabby?”
“Yeah, I spent the day with her.” Colt took another deep swallow of the cold beer, trying to wash away his bitterness. “And she’s spending the night with someone else.” He gestured to his half-empty bottle.
“Don’t be.” He kissed her cheek, sighing. “Sometimes things just don’t work out no matter how much we want them to.
Ain’t that the truth!
Chapter Five
Colt was moping over a beer at Rusty’s, the local watering hole, when a hot little redhead who looked vaguely familiar claimed the bar stool next to him. She sat there for a minute, apparently waiting for him to acknowledge her, but he just didn’t care.
“You don’t remember me, do you?” She stirred her drink with a straw before sinking her teeth into the plastic as she looked at him out of the corner of her eye.
He didn’t want to talk. He just wanted to get plastered and cab it home. “No, should I?”
“We went to high school together. You were a couple of years ahead of me though.”
His only response was a grunt as he polished off his longneck and tapped the bar for another. If he was going for effect, he should have asked for a whisky, but that was the old man’s poison of choice. Colt couldn’t stand to hear himself order it.
“I have to admit I had a huge crush on you.”
“Huh.” He didn’t give a shit about her adolescent crushes, but he had a feeling he was going to hear about it, like it or not.
“But you were so into Gabby back then. No one else stood a chance.”
“Some things never change,” he muttered, nodding when the bartender delivered his fourth beer. A few more would help numb the pain. Six more should be enough to make him pass out and forget that Gabby was with another man, one who was probably in love with her and hell-bent on convincing her that she belonged with him.
“Oh, so you guys are still together then?”
“No.” I wish. Colt realized how stupid he’d been to think he could come back to Vista Falls and have a casual relationship with Gabby. If he’d had a brain, he would have realized that would never be enough for her before he’d uprooted his life.
“But you want to be with her?”
“Look,” Colt said, turning his head to look at her, “I’m not really in the mood to talk.”
“What are you in the mood for?” She bit her lip as her eyes drifted over his body.
Her question was obvious: your place or mine? And for half a second, Colt actually considered it. Sex had always been his go-to when he needed a little stress relief, but he knew no matter who was under him tonight, he’d only see one woman’s face.
“That’s probably not a good idea.”
“Why not? Because of her?” she asked.
“You don’t want to be with me, not tonight.” He was furious, and that meant it would be hard and fast with one goal in mind—release.
“Shouldn’t I be the one to decide that?” she asked, scooting her stool closer to his as she curled her arm around his neck.
Before he could respond, Rush appeared at his other side. “Hey, Bren,” he said to the redhead. “You mind givin’ us a minute?”
Wes’s kid brother always did have impeccable timing. Colt would have to thank him later for saving him from another stupid mistake.
“Can’t it wait?” Bren asked, pouting as she looked from Colt to Rush. “We were kind of in the middle of something. Weren’t we, honey?” she asked Colt.
“Uh, no.” Colt peeled her arm from around him. “Like I said, not a good idea.”
“Fine.” She squeezed Colt’s bicep as she slid off the stool, adjusting her short, tight black skirt. “But I’ll be over by the pool tables if you change your mind.”
Colt watched her walk away as he tipped his beer back. Nothing could erase the image of how sexy Gabby had looked when she’d stripped down for him.
“What’re you doing here?” Rush asked, leaning over the bar so he was in Colt’s face. “Didn’t you tell me you were spending the day with Gabby?”
“Yeah, I spent the day with her.” Colt took another deep swallow of the cold beer, trying to wash away his bitterness. “And she’s spending the night with someone else.” He gestured to his half-empty bottle.
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