“That’s weird,” Ty said. “I don’t break up with women I like.” He looked over to Trap. “Do you?”
“I absolutely do not break up with women I like.” Trap fully turned toward Colt, his eyebrows raised.
His face turned a ruddy shade of red, and he drained the rest of his Diet Coke. “I like someone else more than Sariah,” he finally said. “All right? Are you satisfied?”
“I’d have been satisfied with any answer,” Trap said. “Why are you hiding this from us?”
“I’m not hiding it,” Colt said. “I just—I can’t ask this other woman out right now.”
“Why not?” he asked.
Colt glared at him. “It’s complicated,” he said. “Something happened, and it’s not my place to say what, and she’s not telling anyone.”
“Is she why you’re late all the time?” Ty asked.
“No,” Colt said. “We’re astronomically busy at the orchards as we try to winterize our trees and meet the county requirements for slash.”
“I told you I’d come help,” Trap said.
“Yeah, well, just like I haven’t been able to ask this woman out, I haven’t been able to ask you to come do that, because I know how incredibly busyyouare too.”
“Yeah, how are you even here?” Ty asked.
Trap looked between his two best friends, not liking how this conversation had suddenly turned on him. “I told you I wouldn’t be as busy once I hired more guys,” he said. “And it did take a couple of weeks, but I’ve got some good carpenters on my team now, and I don’t have to do everything or be everywhere.”
“Yeah, he’s practicallylivingwith Lila Mae.”
“Hey, I am not,” Trap said, swinging his attention to Ty.
“Well, you’re out there every afternoon and all evening.”
“Yeah, just like you see Winnie every afternoon and all evening,” he shot back. “We’redating.”
Colt grinned at him. “Well, I’m glad it’s going well and that you’re to the daily part of the relationship.”
“Thank you,” Trap said, because he did like Lila Mae, and while they had just moved into a daily routine of seeing each other in the evening without having to make specific plans, Trap was excited to be there. He’d never made it this far in a relationship with a woman before, and he loved that he didn’t have to ask to see her and then plan an elaborate date.
He simply texted her a little bit after lunch and asked if she wanted to come to his place, or let her know when he’d be out at Feline Friends.
She’d hired a couple of new people since her visits to Shiloh Ridge and Three Rivers Ranch, and if Trap had any complaints about Lila Mae, they would center around the business part of their relationship, where she wanted to go over designs—and over and over andoverthem—as she saw other operations and got new ideas.
He didn’t begrudge her for going to Shiloh Ridge or Three Rivers, but it had definitely made his life harder and slowed the progress at Feline Friends. She’d already been somewhat on the controlling side when it came to the design and construction of the cat houses, but since the tours, Trap would now label her ademanding client.
Now, he dealt with demanding clients all the time, so she was no different in that regard. The difference was he’d neverdatedany of them before, and the frustration he experienced at having to meet a demanding client’s needs usually got processed by a good vent session with someone close to him. But he couldn’t do that with Lila Mae, because she was both who he was frustrated withandwho he’d vent to.
“Anyway,” Ty said. “I’m supposed to double-check with you guys that you’re still okay to be in the wedding party. Winnie’s going to be buying ties and vests this weekend.”
“I’m good,” Trap said.
“Yeah, me too,” Colt said.
“Maybe you’ll be dating your new mystery woman by then.” Ty flashed him a smile, but Colt shook his head, as stoic as ever.
“I doubt it. The wedding is six weeks away, and she’s not ready for a boyfriend,” he said.
“So what are you doing? Dropping off flowers and hoping she’ll think of you?” Trap grinned at him, and Colt’s face broke into a smile.
“Something like that.”
