Lila's Loves (Haven, Texas 1)

Colin remained quiet. “Colin? What are you thinking?” she asked, reaching out to touch him. “Please talk to me.”

He shook his head and turning, took off out the door. Lila looked after him, her face devastated.

“Oh God, he doesn’t want this, does he?” she asked, looking back at Gavin and Trace, tears in her eyes.

“Give him time, Lila,” Trace told her, coming over to wrap his arms around her. “He needs to think things through.” They heard a door slamming then the roar of a truck. She winced.

“I don’t want to force him.”

“None of us do, baby girl.” Gavin came over to her and clasped her face between his hands. “But I don’t want you fretting about this, all right? Colin needs to work things through for himself. Tell you what, how would you like to spend the whole day with us?”

“You have the day off?” she asked in an excited voice, making him smile.

“Yes, baby girl. So how about you go get ready why I get some breakfast together. Then we’ll all go for a ride. Would you like that?”

She nodded eagerly then kissed Gavin’s lips before raising her face up for Trace to kiss her. “That sounds great.”

Gavin smiled as she left. He only hoped that Colin could let go of his past enough to let himself enjoy their beautiful girl.

Chapter Six

Colin drove without really noticing where he was going. He was ashamed of the way he’d just stormed out without even talking to Lila, especially when he pictured her face, filled with sadness and a touch of fear.

As though afraid he would never accept her.

He just found it hard to trust that this is what she really wanted. Part of him expected her to call him a sick bastard, to look at him in disgust. He never wanted to see Lila looking at him the way Sara had. Shaking off old memories, he pulled up outside the Ferguson ranch house. Max and Logan were his best friends. They and their wife, Savannah, lived on a large spread.

As he climbed out of the truck, Max walked out onto the porch.

“Morning,” Max called out. “Bit early to offer you a beer but I have some coffee.”

“Thanks man,” Colin called out.

Max nodded. “Stay out here, I’ll bring it out.”

Ten minutes later they were sitting on the wide porch, looking out at the land, cups of cooling coffee held in their hands.

“So how are things?” Max asked casually. “How are your brothers and Lila?” Colin had confided in Max and Logan years ago about what he and his brothers felt towards Lila. Before Sara had made him feel ashamed of his own feelings.

“Okay,” Colin replied, smiling without humor. “Well, except for the fact that I just stormed out in a fit of temper.”

Max didn’t react, just sat back in his seat. “Not like you to lose your temper,” he mused.

Colin sighed and, leaning forward, rested his elbows on his knees. “You remember Sara?”

Max snorted. “Yeah, I remember Sara. That woman was a bitch. Savannah hated her.”

Colin raised his eyebrows. “She did?” As far as he knew Savannah got on with pretty much anyone and she’d never let on that she disliked Sara when Colin had arranged dinners between all of them. He’d thought he and Sara were good friends. Turned out she’d wanted more, and he’d been naïve. Why did he confide in her about how he and his brothers felt about Lila?

Because he’d trusted her, that’s why. And he’d been wrong to. Was he wrong to trust Lila as well?

“Oh yeah, I had to bribe her to spend any time with that woman. I know you thought you guys were friends and she hurt you, but you are better off without friends like that.”

Colin blew out a breath. “Yeah, I know. Turns out I wanted a friend and she wanted to get married and have me take care of her.”

“So you going to tell me what happened? Don’t tell me Sara has popped back up, she’s not making trouble with Lila, is she?” Max looked furious at the thought. Colin knew his friend viewed Lila like a little sister—she’d grown up around Max and Logan.

“No, no, the only one causing trouble between me and Lila is me. I’m just having problems believing she really does want to be with all of us.”