Holding You (Love Wanted in Texas 3)

Ellie mentioning my father right then was kind of putting a damper on things. Nodding, I gave her a weak smile in return.

“Dad, I’m going to head back to A&M and bring Lauren. There is a project she’s never done before, and she needs my help.”

Snapping my head over to Colt, I felt my face turn red. Gunner glanced at me and then back to Colt and gave Colt a wink. “Y’all aren’t going to kill each other on the way there, are you?”

Colt and I both let out an awkward laugh. “We’re gonna try not to,” I said as I peeked over to Colt.

Feeling them before I saw them, I turned to my parents who had walked up and stood before me. “Hey, sweetheart. Are you coming back to the house with us or staying with the girls?” my mother asked as she reached over and pushed one of my blonde curls from my eye. I looked just like my mother. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Everyone said I was a mini version of my mother on the outside, but inside I was all my dad.

“I’m actually going to head back to A&M with Colt. I’ve got a . . . um . . . a project I’ve got to get done.”

Nodding, my father looked over to Colt. “Y’all have to leave now? You don’t want to wait until tomorrow morning?”

Remembering I had a class first thing Monday morning, I quickly said, “No! No, I can’t because I’ve got a test first Monday morning, and I missed Thursday’s class for the wedding.”

“All right, well let me have a kiss and a hug. We’ll see you in a month for spring break, right?” my father asked as he pulled me into his arms.

Giving my father a hug and kiss good-bye, I turned to my mother and repeated the process. “Yep, as of now, I’m still planning on spring break at home,” I said with a smile.

Daddy reached for Colt’s hand and shook it as he said, “Be careful driving, Colt; that’s a long drive back.”

Nodding his head and giving that damn smile of his, Colt said, “Always, sir.” Turning to his parents, Colt kissed his mother good-bye on the cheek and told her how much he loved her, as he shook his father’s hand. Glancing over at me, Colt asked, “Shall we, Lauren?” as he began leading me away from our parents.

Oh my glitter. Oh my glitter. Oh my glitter. I’m leaving with Colt. I’m heading back to A&M with Colt. Breathe in through the mouth. Out through the nose. Looking down at my hands as I wrung them together, I took a deep breath. What am I, in junior high? This was insane. I needed to chill the hell out.

Colt placed his hand on the small of my back and butterflies ignited in my stomach. “We need to find Luke and Libby and . . .”

“No we don’t,” I practically shouted, “we need to get out of here, now.”

Colt leaned over and asked, “Lauren, are you okay?”

Stopping, I looked into Colt’s eyes. They were breathtaking. Blue like the sky behind him. “I don’t think I can wait until we get back to A&M, Colt.” Shaking my head, I whispered, “I want to feel you inside me.”

Colt’s face beamed as a wide grin appeared and my heart began to race with excitement. “Luke and Libby know we love them; we’ll chip in and buy them a great gift.”

Nodding my head quickly, I said, “Perfect!”

Reaching for my hand, Colt pulled me toward his truck. “Colt, all my stuff is at Josh and Heather’s house.”

Colt practically pulled my arm out of its socket. Looking back over my shoulder, no one even paid attention to us as we quickly left the reception. No one that is, but Grace. Lifting her hand and giving me a wave, I waved back and smiled. Shaking her head, she turned on her heels and walked off.

Colt stopped and opened his truck door as he took my hand and helped me up and into his truck. Leaning into the truck, his eyes captured mine. They were on fire as I sucked in a breath. “Where we’re going, Lauren, you’re not going to need your purse, or clothes.”

My eyes widened as I simply said, “Oh.” Swallowing, I cleared my throat and said, “What about my cell phone? Or money?”

“I have a phone and I have money.”

Slowly nodding, I whispered, “Clean panties for tomorrow?”

Colt lifted his eyebrows as he attempted not to laugh. “Do you want your bag, sweetheart?”

“I’d feel better knowing I had my stuff. If that’s okay?”

Reaching in further, he kissed me on the nose and my stomach dropped at the sweet gesture. “Of course it is.”

Moving quickly, he buckled me in, shut the door and made his way over to the driver’s side of his truck.

I wasn’t sure how Colt and I went from totally avoiding each other, to fighting like cats and dogs, to leaving our best friends’ wedding to go somewhere so we could be alone. Smiling, I shook my head because I didn’t care. I wanted this. I’d wanted it for so long. I was just too stupid and stubborn to admit it to myself. Libby and Alex had found love and happiness. I wanted that too, and I knew Colt was the only one who would be able to give me both.