TWO
Blaze Murphy bunchedher hands into fists and held her breath.Why is he looking at me that way?The excited thudding of her heart made it hard to concentrate on anything else but the ruggedly handsome man beside her.
Her breaths were faster than normal, and she tried to calm the nerves jumping around inside her chest. She had known Colt too long for him to start thinking of her as anything other than his friend. It didn’t matter that she had fallen in love with him ten years ago. Time had passed, and they were no longer those two teenagers who did everything together.
Being orphaned at a young age, Blaze was sent to live with her aunt. It was difficult to make friends, which was why she decided to be a tomboy. That way, she didn’t have to follow the rules of etiquette, as her cousins Emma and Dakota had done.
Seeing Colt after all these years had brought back feelings that she’d buried after he had left home. His hair was darker now, almost black. No longer was he reed-thin. Instead, he was so much more muscular than she could have imagined. And handsome! She sighed. How could she look at his whiskered-shadowed face and incredible blue eyes without melting?
Regardless, she had to. She would be getting married soon, and she needed to be responsible. The shop needed her future husband, especially because she expected Colt to leave in a few months. He never stayed in one place for very long, anyway.
He stopped in front of the main door, so she stopped, too. Anxiousness was clear in his expression. She wanted to hold his hand and reassure him she’d always be here to help. Yet, after she had taken his hand when he assisted her down from the wagon, her pulse raced with excitement as warmth flowed through her. Since she didn’t need to feelthatway about him, she just wouldn’t touch him at all.
Colt released a heavy breath. “Well, I suppose I need to get this over with sooner rather than later.”
“Yes. That would be the best thing to do.”
He opened the door for her and then followed. The consistent whack of hammering echoed through the barn, mixed with voices. Blaze heard her cousins’ bickering, which was a daily occurrence. Teddy, being the oldest, thought he needed to correct his younger brother. And, of course, Leroy didn’t want to be told when he was doing something wrong.
The boys were the first ones to see Colt, which made them pause in their work. Both boys held the same awestruck expressions when they looked at the stepbrother they didn’t remember.
Aunt Lisa sat at the desk with her back toward them. But once the hammering stopped, the middle-aged woman turned in the chair. A smile broke out on her wrinkled face, and she quickly stood and walked toward Colt.
“Oh, look at you,” Aunt Lisa exclaimed. “You’re as handsome as your father.”
Inwardly, Blaze cringed. She knew Colt well enough to know he wouldn’t like that type of compliment.
“Lisa.” Colt’s smile was forced. “The years have been kind.”
Blaze bit her bottom lip. Colt’s lie was quite comical, especially since they all knew that the wear and tear of George’s health and moving from Colorado to Nebraska had taken its toll on Lisa’s body. Her once dark brown hair was now streaked with gray, and every year, her wrinkles multiplied.
Aunt Lisa stopped in front of Colt and grasped his hands. “It’s good to see you again. Thank you for coming to help your father.”
It wasn’t a secret, but nobody wanted to talk aboutwhyColt had come. They all knew his grandfather had bribed him with money.
Colt glanced around the barn. “Where is my father?”
Aunt Lisa motioned toward the back of the barn. “I sent him home to rest.” She looked at Blaze. “Will you show Colt to the house?”
“Of course.” Blaze nodded.
Colt sauntered toward Teddy and Leroy, who were both holding up a wagon wheel. Colt ruffled each boy’s hair. “You two have grown up into strapping young men.”
The boys’ chests puffed with pride as their expressions brightened. Blaze wanted to laugh out loud but refrained.
Teddy jumped to his feet. “I can’t wait to learn from you. Pa said you are very accomplished.”
Blaze’s heart melted from her cousin’s compliment, but seeing the genuine smile on Colt’s mouth made her heartbeat skip a beat. She was relieved that Colt didn’t say anything snarky to the stepbrother he had never wanted.
“I’m sure I’ll be learning things from you and your brother, as well.” Colt winked. “I haven’t repaired a wagon in a few years.”
The boys nodded vigorously. Their gazes sparkled with happiness.
Colt looked at Blaze. “Show me where the house is.”
She moved past him and toward the back door of the barn. From the road, the house was hard to see since the large barn blocked it. But once they had walked out of the barn, the two-story, white-washed house with the wrap-around porch stood proudly. George had purchased the place when the previous owner had lost her husband and son during the blizzard a year ago. The widow had decided to move to Utah and live with her sister, so she sold her house for a ridiculously low price.
“Nice place,” Colt said as they stepped onto the porch.
