But last night, he’d started dating another woman. Audrey. And it exacerbated every insecure part of her and made toxic, invasive thoughts creep in. That maybe Audrey would have been able to give Colt a baby. Or if she couldn’t, maybe she would have been able to handle the IVF and the mother-in-law and the military commitments without feeling like the world was closing in on her.
Her heart squeezed.
Of course she knew Sylvia had said it to get a reaction out of her, and even if it was a lie, which it more than likely was, ithadgotten a reaction out of her.
She stopped at the coffee-pod holder. Empty.
No. She was not mentally or emotionally equipped to deal with the day without caffeine.
She dropped her head into her hands, but the second she closed her eyes, that dream flashed back to her. Of Colt with his arm around Audrey…and Audrey’s big pregnant belly.
Tears suddenly filled her eyes.
Her doctors had always said their infertility was unexplained. Which seemed ridiculous to her. If she couldn’t get pregnant, then something had to be wrong, and it was the doctors’ job to work outwhat.
But they never had. And that was one of the hardest parts of the whole thing. Because with the absence of any medical reason for her infertility, she’d started to blame herself. In her head, it had becomeherfault that she couldn’t have a baby. That she couldn’t give Colt a child.
She squeezed her eyes shut to try to stop the tears, but one still slipped out. She scrubbed it off her cheek.
The knock on the front door had her straightening. She wasn’t expecting anyone, and she was not in the mood for company.
She moved to the door and looked through the peephole. Her chest rose on a sharp inhale when she saw the person on the other side.
Nope. Absolutely not. No part of her felt up to seeing him right now. Not after her dream last night. And not without caffeine in her system.
Maybe if she stayed really quiet—
“Indie, I know you’re in there. Please. I just want to talk.”
Her nose wrinkled. Well, that plan wasn’t going to work. She could simply not open the door. But Colt had a key, and there was no question in her mind that he’d use it if he was worried about her. And shehadbeen avoiding him for the past four days, so he could definitely be worried by now.
With a deep inhale, she opened the door and was immediately hit by Colt’s dark, intense eyes. By the way he towered over her looking so strong and fierce and protective.
And his smell. How did he always smell so dang good? A warm, cedarwood kind of scent.
“Hey.” Her voice was quiet. Probably too quiet.
His brows flickered. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.” She walked to the kitchen, taking the moment turned away from him to gather herself. She opened the fridge and pulled out two bottles of water. “I don’t have any coffee, sorry.”
She closed the door and turned to see Colt had followed her. He was close.Reallyclose. He lifted a hand and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. “You’re pale.”
She gasped at the light touch. “I didn’t sleep well.”
“Why not?”
Because of you. The words whispered in her head. But they weren’t entirely true. It was also because of her, and his mother, and the insecurities that remained buried deep inside.
“A few reasons.” It was the best she could give him right now.
He watched her for another moment before gently saying, “Come here.”
He tucked her into his chest. For a second, she was frozen, the sudden feel of his arms around her like a shock to her system. Then she melted into him, letting his strength, his familiar scent, chase away everything that had been haunting her that morning.
She wrapped her arms around him and breathed him in. God, he was so achingly familiar.
He’d known how desperately she needed a hug. Because Colt knew her better than anyone else in the world.
