He smirks at that, but it’s reluctant. “I’ll have my phone on me. You call the second you need me. No hesitation.”
“I will.”
“Are you sure?”
“Colt.”
“Okay, okay,” he says, holding his hands up, then lacing his fingers through mine.
“We just have to find our new version of normal,” I whisper.
He nods. “Then let’s start tonight. Shower, dinner, and some damn peace.” He presses an intense, grounding kiss to my lips, his hand tangling in my hair like he never wants to let go.
The Next Day
Johnny and Anna pull up out front of the house, and Princess barks excitedly, tail wagging like crazy as she races to the door. I lean over the kitchen counter and press a quick kiss to Colt’s lips. He kisses me back, firm and sure, then zips up his guitar case and slings it over his shoulder.
We walk to the front door together.
“Princess, shush,” I say, and she instantly quiets, sitting like the obedient little queen she is.
I open the door as Anna and Johnny make their way up the steps. Anna’s holding a giant bunch of flowers, all wrapped in soft tissue paper, and I tilt my head at her with a half-smile. “Really?”
“I know they won’t fix anything,” she says gently. “But I wanted you to have something pretty to look at. Something to brighten the space, even for a second.” She hugs me tight, and I sink into it, grateful for the small kindness.
Johnny glances at Colt. “You sure you wanna do this today, man?”
Colt’s eyes slide to mine, silently checking in. I give a small nod. I’m still not okay, but I want him to go. Need him to go.
He wraps his arm around my shoulder, tugging me close as he presses a kiss to the top of my head. “The wife wants girl time,” he says with a soft smirk. “And she wants to hear some music. So what the wife wants, the wife gets.”
I snort. “Damn right.”
Johnny chuckles. “Well, we’d better hit the road then.”
Colt turns to face me, that alpha still present in his gaze. “You sure you don’t want me to stay?” he asks one last time.
I roll my eyes, but it’s affectionate. “Just go, Colt. Have fun, make magic in that studio, and then come home and sing me all the songs you record today.”
His smile grows slow and full, like I’ve handed him every fantasy on a platter. “I can do that. Love you.”
I nod. “I know.” I swat his ass. “Now go make beautiful music, rock god.”
He winks, then heads down the path with Johnny.
Anna steps inside and closes the door behind us. “You seem better than I expected,” she says, glancing at me.
I shrug, trying to play it off. “I’m okay. Colt took it hard, so I’ve had to be strong for him. But I still feel like I’m walking a razor’s edge, like one wrong step and I’ll lose it completely.”
Anna wraps a protective arm around me and pulls me in close. “Well, if you need to lose it, I’m right here. Cry it out, scream, throw something… I’m your girl.”
“I might take you up on that. Where’s Aston?”
Her smile fades just a little. “I… I thought it might be too soon. Dropped him at Mum’s before we came over. Figured you didn’t need that kind of heartache today.”
A sharp pang hits my chest, but I nod. She’s right. Seeing a baby right now might wreck me completely. I’m already dangling, barely holding on, and one soft coo might be enough to send me into free fall.
“Thanks,” I murmur.
