Page 102 of Colt

“Please never say the word ‘foreplay’ again when you’re with me, thanks. You’re also guilty of instigating shit by giving her my number.”

Beck just keeps grinning. “You’re welcome. And what’s wrong with foreplay? Nothing at all, if your good mood is any indication.”

“I mean, I get why you like her,” Mack adds. “She’s gorgeous⁠—”

“Don’t.” I’m back to grunting. “And please don’t say anything to anyone else about…um, anything. Not that there’s anything to tell, but—yeah, Lainey’s an employee. She’s workin’ hard. Don’t wanna fuck with that, yeah?”

Beck puts a hand on his chest. “You got my word.”

Mack nods. “Same. But I’m just sayin’, she’s a lovely person. Not who I would’ve necessarily picked for you, granted. You know, her being⁠—”

“Nice?” Beck tilts his head. “Smart? Different?”

Mack makes a pistol with his thumb and forefinger. “Bingo.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, dickheads.” I drape my forearms over the top railing.

Mack nudges me. “You know we’re just busting your chops. I’m actually pretty dang thrilled by this development.”

“Maybe different is good.” Beck squints at me. “Maybe it’s what you need.”

His unspoken words hang in the air between us. Lainey is different from Abby.

I’ll always love the mother of my son, but when we were deep in the trenches and I was debating whether to agree to a separation, I often thought that if I could go back and do things differently, I wouldn’t have married her. We were so young. So unaware of the larger world that existed outside the little bubble of Hartsville.

I gotta give my brothers credit—they do pay attention. Working alongside your family isn’t always easy. We fight. Get on each other’s nerves. Get up in each other’s business. But at the end of the day, we show up for each other.

Which is why I don’t wanna lie to them. I could easily keep my mouth shut. That wouldn’t be lying, per se. But it wouldn’t be telling them the whole truth.

And maybe—hell, maybe I need their advice. I don’t always get along with Beck and Mack, but I do respect their opinions.

“We’re just having some fun together.” I pick my words carefully. “I didn’t go in expecting we’d hit it off, but here we are.”

Mack nods. “Here we are.”

“Dean is obsessed with her,” I add.

“So are you,” Beck replies.

I squint into the distance. “It can only be fun, though. She’s leaving.”

“Ah. Right.” Beck settles his arms on the railing beside mine. “Nothing wrong with that.”

“I just don’t want anyone getting hurt.”

Mack scoffs. “I imagine you’re pretty good at making sure expectations are clear.”

“Because I’m the best damn foreman you’ve ever worked for?”

“You’re the only foreman I’ve ever worked for,” Mack continues. “Well, other than Dad, but that doesn’t count because we were, like, ten.”

Beck’s turn to scoff. “Dad only taught us everything we know.” My brother eyes me. “You gotta tell him, you know. About you and Lainey. Even if it is just fun.”

I heave a sigh. “I know.”

Probably a good time to discuss why he didn’t tell me about hiring Lainey. I have a good idea of what he’s going to say—that I’d pitch a fit and it wouldn’t be worth the hassle of me making his life a living hell while we waited for her to show up. Which, fair. I’m realizing how hard I’ve been on myself and on everybody else. I like to be in control. Makes sense when I think about how out of control everything was when Abby cheated and then got sick.

Let’s not forget the fact that I feel the weight of generations counting on me to keep shit going.