“Yes.” She wriggled to be free, and once Tick swung her down, she sprinted for the kitchen. Gene slapped his arm.
“Better get in there, boy.”
“Yeah.” Tick dragged out the syllable, loping after his daughter with a rueful shake of his head. He was going to be a father again, and Colt would miss out on all that with him, too.
Colt closed his eyes, gripping his knees. This forgiving himself shit was just that – fucking bullshit – because Tick would never forgive him, never give him the time of day again. He couldn’t get back what he’d thrown away, so what was the point?
A firm grip wrapped around his own hand atop his knee, steadying his shaking fingers. He lifted his lashes to find D’s hand covering his, and he rotated his wrist, hanging on to Daddyas hard as he could. D spread his other hand over their joined ones, giving Colt’s arm a little shake.
The back door swooshed open, Holly’s sparkling voice filling up all the dark spaces in him. His muscles bunched, his entire being ready to push up from the couch, sweep her up, bury his aching heart in the softness of her embrace.
He stayed where he was, clinging to D, listening while she greeted everyone in the kitchen and loved on Ralph, who had no qualms about displaying his affection for her. Gene’s steady gaze lay heavy on his face, and he shifted, letting go of D, but not meeting Grandaddy’s eyes. Hell, who knew what his face said for him? He was too raw right now to face Grandaddy, too.
Uncle Charles finally rolling in provided a distraction, and they gathered in the living room for Gene to say a blessing, Holly sidling up close to Colt’s side. Head bent, he sucked in a deep breath, magnolia and orange blossom, clean and fresh and everything to him. She passed a hand over his arm and squeezed his biceps, and he exhaled, emptying his lungs.
“ . . . and bless this food, Lord, nourishing our bodies so we might serve You.” Gene’s deep voice centered him further. “Amen.”
With a chorus of amens, they broke their circle, and Mama ushered everyone toward the dining tables. She froze, hands at her hips, gazing at the kids’ table. “Oh, shoot, I forgot the kraft paper and crayons–”
“I’ll get them, Sue.” Holly nudged him toward the hallway and Mama’s sewing room. “Come on, Colt.”
Grateful for the reprieve, he preceded her down the short hall and the small room off the master suite. He opened the door and flipped on the light. “You really need me to carry a pack of kraft paper–”
A hand at his chest, she pushed his back to the wall, plastered herself to his front and kissed him. Colt closed his arms about her waist and sank into the kiss, catching her bottom lip between his, swallowing her small sigh of relief.
“Oh, I missed you today.” She smiled against his lips, spreading her fingers over his shoulders, kneading his muscles like Rosetta when she was relaxed. Pressing closer, she brushed her mouth against his ear. “We’ve got like a minute, but I just needed a second alone with you.”
Shuddering under the way her breath puffed across his ear, he fanned his fingers over her spine and turned his head to kiss her again. She curled into him, on the verge of climbing him.
“Let me tell you . . .” She scraped her teeth against the side of his neck, her electric touch shooting down every nerve he had, and he groaned, dick stirring behind his zipper, desire blotting out any angst for the moment. “I am thinking about that shower and how I want you to–”
“You cannot talk about that right now.” He laid a finger against her lips, shuddering all over again when she licked him. With firm hands on her shoulders, he put her away from him and cast a wild glance about for Mama’s kraft paper.
Smirking, she grabbed the stack, passed it over and picked up the mug shaped like a turkey that held a variety of crayons. “So once I get you naked–”
“Stop.” Desperate, he shoved her toward the hall and leaned in to hiss in her ear. “I’m telling Mona we slept together.”
“Hmm.” Her sparkling chuckle, full of devilment, slid over him, smoothing out his jagged edges. “Because that wassleepingwe were doing last night.”
“Wait until we’re alone, Holly.” A hand on her shoulder, he steered her ahead of him. “Just wait.”
“Is that supposed to be a threat?” Her whisper brimmed with laughter. The shining blonde rope of her braid bounced between her shoulders with each sashaying step, gleaming against her black t-shirt. “Because it’s not.”
The sweet distraction lasted until he stepped into the dining room and discovered the remaining seats at the table would place him directly across from Tick. He pulled out a chair while Holly crouched at the children’s table, attempting to persuade them to let her join them. Unsuccessful because she wasn’t a “little girl,” according to Anna, she slipped into the chair next to his, gracing him with a cheeky grin.
Conversation already hung over the table, Bill asking Tick about work, Barb sharing about the kids’ misadventures while they were out of school for the week, Mama and Louise asking about the house Aunt Lenora was decorating with Deanne. Colt concentrated on fixing his plate, holding dishes for Holly so she could fix her own. When they were done, he stared at the turkey and vegetables on his plate, certain he couldn’t eat any of it.
Under the table, Holly folded her hand about his thigh, a warm point of contact holding more comfort than intent to arouse.
Unbelievably, talking about Ralph settled him further – Kev wanting to know how he’d ended up with the mutt. Relating the story, he ignored the occasional weight of Tick’s gaze on his face, the same way he ignored the classy brunette at his cousin’s side. She was a polished silver spoon for sure, intelligent and sharp, but quiet and a little tense despite Holly’s efforts to draw her out.
For Holly to fail at drawing someone out? Maybe she was a lot tense. Colt kept her steadfastly on the periphery of his attention, kept himself out of the conversation as much as possible.
If anything, after dinner was worse, with Holly wrangling them into photo after photo, so by the time he helped her load up her equipment, he was strung tight. In the driveway, he closed her hatch with a solid thud, the rumble of Tick’s Jeep fading away down the street. A relieved breath bled free.
“Colton.” She curved a hand along his jaw and leaned up to brush her lips over his. “Get Ralph, tell your mama goodnight, and meet me at the house.”
That had to be the best idea he’d heard all day.
