Holding You (Love Wanted in Texas 3)

“You know, Colt. She’s only been gone for two hours, yet you’re sitting here like someone just ran over your favorite dog.”

Frowning, I looked down. “Feels like it. I don’t understand it, Dad. It’s not like I don’t want her to go and enjoy herself, because I do. I really honestly do. I guess I’m feeling . . . lost . . . which kind of freaks me out a little bit.”

Letting out a slight chuckle, my father jumped up and sat next to me on the tailgate. “I’ll never forget the first time I saw your mother. She had just punched a guy right in the face after she found out he had been cheating on her.”

Pulling my head back, my mouth dropped open. “What? Mom punched a guy?”

A smile slowly grew on my father’s face. “The little fucker deserved it.”

Laughing, I shook my head. “Damn, somehow I can’t picture Mom hitting anyone.”

My father looked out over the pasture and nodded his head. “Your mother is a very strong person, Colt. She rocked my world that day and nothing was ever the same after that.”

“It scares me sometimes, Dad.”

Turning back to me, my father asked, “What scares you?”

Blowing out a deep breath, I rubbed my hand across my hair and shook my head. My father and I had always been close. I knew I could talk to him about anything and that was an amazing feeling. “Love I guess.”

Laughing, my father bumped my shoulder. “Love scares you, Colt? Why?”

Shrugging my shoulders I looked into my father’s eyes. One thing about my father, he was always there for me. When we talked, I could see it in his eyes, at that moment, I was his only concern. “I feel like I crave her, Dad. Her touch, her smile, her laughter, and the silly way her blue eyes light up in the mornings when she comes skipping into the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. She is so full of life and I’m drawn to it like a moth to a flame. When I’m not with her, I feel lost. I keep thinking it’s because we’re fairly new in our relationship. Puppy love phase maybe?” I let out a nervous chuckle.

Clearing his throat, my father nodded slightly. “It’s not a puppy love phase, Colt. That is something special. Rare, that not everyone is blessed to experience. It never stops, it only grows. There are times when I’m away from your mother and nothing seems to go right.” Laughing, he shook his head. “It’s like I can’t think right or function right because she’s not there. She is almost like my energy source sometimes.” Glancing back at me his eyes glassed over. “That is scary, son. But at the same time, it’s the most precious gift in the world. Never take that feeling for granted.”

Placing my hand on his shoulder, I gave it a squeeze. “Lauren and I would be blessed if we had a marriage as strong as you and Mom.”

My father smiled, then dropped it. “Marriage? Um . . . are you two . . . ah.” Shaking his head a

s if he needed to clear his thoughts, my father looked straight ahead. “Marriage.”

Tossing my head back, I let out a laugh. “You should see your face right now, Dad. Don’t worry. Lauren and I have not even talked about that step. Wipe the look of panic off your face.”

Scrubbing his hands down his face he whispered, “Thank God. I was trying to come up with some kind of plan to keep Scott from breaking your legs.”

My smile faded. “Huh?”

Still looking straight ahead, my father blew out another breath as he slowly moved his head back and forth. “Man oh man, that was a close call. You really scared me there, buddy.”

Jumping off the tailgate, he took his cowboy hat off, ran his hand through his hair, and placed the hat back on his head. “I need a cold beer after that.”

My eyes widened as I watched my father walking to his truck. Jumping off the tailgate, I attempted to catch up to him, but I stumbled and had to catch myself from falling flat on my face. “Dad! Wait. Why would Scott want to break my legs? I thought he liked me?”

Looking over his shoulder, he let out a stronger laugh. What the fuck?

Stopping at his truck, he turned and watched me as I made my way to his truck. My legs felt like rubber. “What in the hell is wrong with you? Are your legs asleep?”

Stopping in front of him, I glanced down to my legs. “No! You just gave me the image of Scott breaking them and I’m a little concerned. Why would he break my legs? I mean, Alex and Will are engaged and you didn’t want to break Will’s legs.”

My father’s eyes grew dark. “Please, if you only knew the different ways I was going to torture that boy, your eyes would pop out of your head.”

Taking a step back, I tried not to look stunned. “Dad. Will’s like your son.”

Pursing his lips together he nodded in agreement. “He is, just like you’re like Scott’s son. But I can promise you one thing, Scott cares more about his little girl than he does you. You mention marriage right now and all I think about is you’re wanting to get married because of a baby. ” Leaning closer, my father looked around, then looked back at me and talked in a hushed voice. “Don’t forget, his best friend was a trained killer. One shot and how in the hell am I gonna explain it to your mother?”

Sucking in a breath of air, I said, “Wait! What? There is no baby! No baby . . . none. None! Seriously, Dad you’d let someone kill your own son?”

Pulling his head back in surprise he widened his eyes. “Hell no I wouldn’t. But as much as Scott loves that girl and she is their only child, I’m almost positive he’d find a way to hurt you in some way.”