Her mouth pursed into a rueful moue. “I’d dispute that claim except you’re darn great most of the time.”
“Most of the time?” He bit the tip of his tongue then ran it over his teeth. “Huh.”
She drifted a hand over his shoulder, trailed a fingernail along his nape, replacing the earlier touch that had made his skin crawl. “What did Coach Z tell y’all back at football practice? Men have to step into the challenge?”
A laugh worked its way up from his chest. She’d invoked that man’s name with him on purpose, while talking about their sex life. “Keep it up, little girl. You act like I won’t spank you.”
“Oh.” Her eyes brightened with intrigue and mischief, gleaming like her skirt, like the joy she brought to his life. “We haven’t tried that. We might like it.”
Lord help him.
On a deep chuckle, he abandoned the dancing position and wrapped her close, hugging her hard. “Hell, Holly, I love you.”
Her arms closed about his waist and she pressed close, her nose against his throat. “You know what, Colton? I love you, too.”
Dropping a kiss on her hair, he tightened his hold. Nothing about the past mattered, not when he had her in his arms, in his life, like this. All was right in his world, in this moment he lived for.
And nothing could touch that.
Half-humming, half-singing along to Creedence Clearwater, Colt fitted the drawer joints together and swiped off a bead of excess wood glue with his thumb. He’d given away this surprise last night, but that was okay. She’d love the piece when he was done.
She had his grandma’s ring and her grandma’s dress for her something old. Maybe he’d tuck something new in one of the drawers when he presented her with the finished product. Earrings or a bracelet or necklace she could wear with Mrs. Sadie’s wedding dress. Maybe something with a sapphire or an aquamarine for her something blue. He’d get Mrs. Jane at Hodges to help him out with that.
Outside, Ralph erupted in a paroxysm of wild barking, his gleeful hey-I’m-wonderful-pet-me routine. Fitting another small drawer together, Colt shook his head. Holly had spoiled him for real.
Footsteps crunched on the gravel, heavier than Holly’s light step. Wally, then, and he was guilty of making Ralph rotten, too. His presence made more sense as well, since Holly had a couple of photography sessions scheduled, a young couple celebrating an engagement and some family shots for Sara and Trace Davis.
The footsteps stopped at the door.
Colt concentrated on another joint. “Thought you were taking your husband to lunch in Bainbridge.”
“Actually, I had lunch with my wife and Louise.” Lamar’s voice shot through him, an electrical surge of shock.
Colt fumbled the drawer pieces and swallowed a curse. On a deep breath, he steadied the sides and his hands, fitted the tenon and mortise together. He didn’t look around. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Tick’s shoes scraped on the sawdust-laden floor with a step forward. Colt frowned, setting one side to the other. What the hell was he doing here? Tick’s slight inhale rang in his ears. “Nice workshop.”
“I like it.”
“The whole place is nice.” Tick cleared his throat. “Solid work.”
Geez, this defined awkward. Tick hadn’t dropped by to compliment him on his construction skills. Might as well put them both out of their misery. Setting the drawer aside, he straightened to face his cousin. “What are you doing here?”
“Making things right.” Tick’s jaw tightened. “I should have handled your apology better.”
“So you thought you needed to drop by for a visit?” Swallowing a scoff, Colt turned back to the stack of drawer pieces waiting to be assembled.
“I thought we needed to talk.” Tick’s voice held the patience Colt associated with Gene . . . and D. “Maybe that I should apologize, too.”
Colt stilled, then slanted a look over his shoulder. Mouth pressed to a taut line, Tick shrugged.
“I let my temper and my hurt keep me stubborn with you too long. Shouldn’t have gone as long as I did without listening to you. Talking to you.” Tick spread his hands. He cleared his throat, tendons flexing with a hard swallow. “Forgiving you. Think I needed some maturity and experience on me, though, to be man enough to step back into things with you. This last year or so . . . I’ve had to find a way to live with mistakes I made andcan’t undo. Plus, Cait can’t let go of the past with her brother, and it’s annoying as hell–”
“I shouldn’t have been in that room.” The words hurt Colt’s own throat, but he couldn’t let Tick stand here and own everything wrong between them, not when it had started with Colt himself. “Shouldn’t have–”
“I think we’re done with that night.” Tick’s low voice was steady, firm, giving Colt his first real glimpse of the man Tick had become. Back then, they’d still been boys, struggling to navigate world-shaking losses. They were different people now. “If you want to be.”
He’d wanted to be done with that night as long as he could remember now. The past couple of months with Holly had helped him step out of the self-imposed punishment of his isolation. And now here was Tick, handing him what he’d given up hoping for a long time ago.
