She nuzzled back into him, and it was only the feel of him around her, the beating of his heart against her back, that finally allowed her to sleep.
CHAPTER 13
Indie traced the outside of Sylvia’s house with her gaze.
She was late. A good fifteen minutes late. Yet that didn’t seem to add any motivation to get her butt out of the car and inside the house.
What would Sylvia be like tonight? The mother-in-law from the start of her relationship with Colt, who was kind and nurturing and had made Indie feel like she was gaining a mother as well as a husband?
Or the mother-in-law she’d turned into a few years later? The one who made Indie feel small and underserving.
Come on, Indie. Just walk in.The sooner the night starts, the sooner it will be over.
One deep breath, and she unclicked her seat belt before grabbing her apple crumble from the passenger seat.
She wasn’t the best baker, but apple crumble had always been her thing. Although, she had no doubt Sylvia would find something to say about it, probably when Colt left the room.
Colt had wanted to drive her, but if she’d agreed to that, the man would have seen every one of her nerves. And yes, she absolutely should have told him about the snide comments from his mother, now that he was out of the military. He wasn’tworking a dangerous job anymore. They weren’t trying to lower stress for fertility. She should have been honest with him by now.
There’d been a few times when he’d asked if there was something going on between her and his mother, and the words had been right there on the tip of her tongue. But they hadn’t come out. Maybe because of everything going on with his father. Or maybe she’d always find an excuse not to tell him because she didn’t want to be the reason for issues between him and his mother.
And therewouldbe issues. Colt would lose his mind.
She reached the door and paused. Maybe things would be better tonight.
She almost snorted. Unlikely, but a girl could hope.
She lifted her hand to knock, but the door opened before her fist hit the wood. Colt smiled at her, and just looking at him completely disarmed her. He was big and beautiful and sexy. And yes, something as plain as jeans and a white T-shirt made him look ridiculously hot.
It wasn’t fair.
Her lips curved into a smile. “Hey.”
“Hey yourself. I was wondering when you were going to come in.”
“You were watching?” Crap. How long had she sat in her car? Five minutes? Ten? Longer?
He stepped forward and slipped an arm around her waist, his lips hovering near hers. “Absolutely, I was watching. I would watch you all day, every day, if I could.”
Heat bloomed low in her belly. He kissed her, and even though his lips only touched her cheek, a warm shiver chased down her spine.
The smile on her lips slipped when she stepped into the living room and spotted Sylvia in the kitchen.
The older woman looked up from the cucumber she was slicing. “Indie, you made it.” She dried her hands on a towel and crossed the space between them. When she pulled her into a hug, Indie tensed. She couldn’t help it. After years of expecting the worst from this woman, she couldn’t relax around her.
When they separated, Indie forced the smile back to her lips. “Hi, Sylvia. Thank you for inviting me over.”
“Of course. I’ve missed having you in my home.”
Yeah, freaking right.
A man stepped into the kitchen from the back door. It took her a moment to recognize him as Ben. She’d met him a few times over the years. He was older, maybe in his sixties, and there was a hardness to him. Despite his age, he clearly worked out. His arm muscles were thick, and even through the jeans, Indie could see the definition in his legs.
Sylvia turned. “Ben, you remember my daughter-in-law, Indie. Indie, Ben will be joining us for dinner.”
Ben stepped forward and shook her hand. “It’s nice to see you again, Indie.”
“You too.” She turned back to Sylvia and held out the apple crumble. “I made a dessert.”
