My heart skittered.
That new nickname he used sounded slightly like an endearment coming from his gorgeous lips, but it was definitely a misnomer.
My thoughts were far from angelic every time I looked at Cole Remington.
In fact, they were downright carnal and totally sinful.
I took a sip of my water before I answered, “Maybe a little. You were pretty sick just a week ago.”
“I’m fine,” he assured me. “It took me a few days to get my energy back after you left, but I’m good. How was your week?”
“Busy,” I admitted. “But I’m finally getting close to catching up on my reports. I’m going to start taking fewer projects this year so I can enjoy my spring and summer. I’ve been so busy since I moved back home that I haven’t really gotten out that much. Tanner gifted me a beautiful mare that he keeps at his barn. I named her Daisy. I adore her, but I haven’t ridden her nearly as much as I’d like because I was buying and setting up a new home, starting a new business, and taking on too many projects. I think it’s time for me to get a life of some kind. I don’t want to work every day of the week anymore. I don’t have anything to prove at this point in my career, and I make plenty of money. The cost of living isn’t exactly high here in Crystal Fork.”
He frowned. “You shouldn’t work every day of the week. It’s not healthy.”
He looked annoyed, but that wasn’t exactly unusual for Cole.
I shot him a skeptical look. “Please don’t tell me that you haven’t done exactly the same thing.”
“I have,” he confirmed. “That’s why I know it isn’t good for you, and it’s the reason why Asher and I finally sold our tech company. We were both burned out after working seven days a week for most of our adult lives. We were basically living in our offices. Like you, I think we both just realized that we had nothing to prove.”
“What made you come back to Montana?” I asked a little hesitantly.
Yes, we were chatting pretty easily, which seemed like a miracle to me after our earlier encounters. But I wasn’t quite sure just how much he was willing to share with me.
For some reason, he’d seemed a little distant with me since he’d picked me up earlier.
It was like his walls had come back up now that he was healthy and less vulnerable.
Things weren’t awkward between us, but I could sense that Cole’s edginess and defensiveness were back and securely in place again.
Cole shot me an amused glance. “You don’t think we came back for the warm welcome we knew we’d get from the town?” he asked drily.
I shook my head. “I think you knew exactly how the town would react, but you’re still here.”
He shrugged. “We did, but we really didn’t give a fuck. We had unfinished business here, and the Remington land is in our blood. Our father was an asshole, but our ancestors were some of the first settlers in this area. That acreage has been owned by Remingtons for generations. Being back on that land feels like home to us, even if the town doesn’t feel like welcoming us back with open arms.”
“I get that,” I said with a sigh. “I missed it here, too, and my roots in this area aren’t as deep as yours. The East Coast never felt like home to me. The people in town won’t always be this way, Cole. There are a lot of good people in Crystal Fork, but the gossip and rumors have always been a way of life here. You and Asher coming back was big news, and it stirred up a lot of old rumors. People will eventually realize that you didn’t kill your father, and they’ll move on to newer gossip. I know it mightseem hard to believe right now, but there are plenty of people in town who never believed that you and Asher killed your father.”
Unfortunately, the people who liked to spread vicious rumors just seemed to be heard more loudly than the people who didn’t.
Cole and I had gotten a few rude stares when we’d come into Charlie’s together, but there were a lot of people who had greeted Cole with a friendly nod of their head or an actual wave in his direction.
Charlie had actually hugged Cole and welcomed him back to Crystal Fork with genuine affection.
After the shock had worn off, he’d hugged the older woman back a little warily.
If Cole just spent some time in town, he’d find out how many allies he had in a very short amount of time.
“I think I’m just starting to realize that the entire town doesn’t think I’m a criminal,” he answered thoughtfully.
“That surprises you?” I asked.
He nodded slowly. “It does. We weren’t exactly a social family when we were younger. We didn’t come to town that often.”
I wanted to tell him that almost everyone in town knew that wasn’t Asher and Cole’s fault.
It was common knowledge that Cole’s father was a drunk and an asshole.
