Something in Colt’s eyes flashed at that, but he turned away quickly before I could read it. He grabbed his cowboy hat from where it was perched on the back of a chair before walking out the front door. I rose from the dining room table to watch as he secured the hat firmly on his head as he walked down the driveway to his truck that was parked next to Rick’s.

Even if I didn’t like to think of it this way, Colt did have a point. Bill Coates abused his animals, but setting the barn on fire with his horse inside was a bit odd. I frowned as I stared across the sweep of pastures and evergreen pines. The gas cans though. I couldn’t remember setting them anywhere near the barn or even filling the gas cans up that weekend.

My phone buzzed from where it was charging on the kitchen counter. I grimaced when I glanced at the caller ID. For a moment, I debated on just letting the call go to voicemail.

“It’s better to get this over with now rather than later,” I grumbled, and hit the answer button. “Hi, Mom. What’s up?”

“Why didn’t you tell us about the fire?”

I grimaced at the harsh question. “I didn’t want you and Dad to panic over it. Everything is fine. I have the insurance adjuster coming out this week to look at the damage.”

“Damage? The barn is completely burnt down?”

“Yes,” I replied, numbly. “Completely burnt to the ground.”

“Were there any horses stuck inside the barn when this happened?”

Tears filled my eyes at the thought of the stallion screaming in terror before endless silence. “Just one horse. Mom, I don’t really want to talk about what happened. I’ll start crying if I think about it again.”

“I wish you would tell us what is going on with you, Cheyenne. I told you that having a sanctuary would be hard work, that you would be facing some questionable characters. Fires are personal.”

“Right,” I said.

“So, you are staying with Colt Smith then?”

I loved my mother more than anything the world, but when it came to my life, she liked to pry her fingernails into everything. Whether it was my work or my love life, she liked to know what was going on at all times. I didn’t know how to answer her question either. A part of me never wanted to leave the safety of the Smith ranch, while the other part knew if I stayed any longer, something was bound to transpire between Colt and me. It was only a matter of time before it happened.

Swallowing, I looked away when Colt came from the barn to hop into his truck gracefully. I didn’t want to include that tidbit into the conversation.

“His sister, Tiffany, works with me. She volunteered that I come stay here with the horses until insurance pays for a new barn and supplies.”

My mother sighed into the phone. “Do you honestly think that I was born yesterday, Cheyenne?”

“No. I meant—”

“I’m all for you finding someone to love, but is this really the proper way to go about it?”

“Go about what?”

“Pursuing a relationship with a man you don’t even know. After what happened—”

“There is no relationship going on right now, Mom,” I interrupted, rolling my eyes. “None. Trust me. I told myself that a relationship was far from my mind when I came to Green Point. They are good friends of mine. They are helping me out is all.”

“I really want to believe you when you say that, but I know how you are, my dear. You are an old-fashioned romantic with a fixation on cowboys. I’ve seen Colt Smith from afar. I know what you’re looking at.”

“Nothing is happening,” I said, exasperated. Unfortunately… I chased that thought away. I wasn’t about to give my mom the satisfaction of being right. I wanted something to happen. The both of us did, but I couldn’t let it happen. I wouldn’t let it happen.

Chapter Twelve

Colt

The Iron Stallion was crowded with conversation and laughter. I pulled out a few glasses from the dishwasher, grimacing at the heat. It seemed as though everyone in Green Point and neighboring towns decided to walk in through the doors. I didn’t want to complain. I was excited to see the sales at the end of the night, but my head kept wandering over to Cheyenne, who was now a permanent fixture in my head.

No matter what I said or did, that guard of hers was up all the time. There were small cracks though, small glimmers of what I recognized as a mutual attraction. I had no idea what had happened to her before in Portland, but it had done some damage according to Tiffany. I just didn’t know how much longer I could take having Cheyenne at the ranch without craving some sort of physical contact.

I couldn’t even remember the last time I had taken a woman to bed with me. I was never the sleep-around type of guy, but I had my fair share of casual relationships over the years. It’d been at least one year since New York and then Green Point. I just never had the time it felt like anymore to enjoy the intimacy of having some, but Cheyenne was there first thing in the morning and at night. That made it a lot easier, and she didn’t strike me as the type of woman who needed a fancy dinner every single night. She had her own life to attend to.

I was dreading the moment the insurance adjuster arrived because it could have meant losing Cheyenne’s presence at the ranch, something that I was steadily growing attached to.

Tags: Claire Adams Romance
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