Page 31 of Colt

I turn my head to see Beck resting his arms on the top of the stall door, a funny look on his face as he glances between Colton and me.

“Y’all are enjoying this, aren’t you?” he asks.

“You don’t need to worry, Beck.” I tuck my pen behind my ear. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“Wanna bet?” Colton shoots back. “Speaking of sure things, I reckon you don’t have the courage to pet Big Brother here.”

My heart thuds inside my breastbone, but I manage to step forward. “How much cash do you have on you?”

He lets out a bark of laughter. “Enough. Go for the nose. Softest thing you’ll ever touch. Well, second softest.”

“What’s the first?” I nonchalantly reach out, like my hand isn’t shaking.

The horse balks. I nearly faint, pulling back my hand before I can touch his nose.

“Whoa, boy. Easy, easy.” Colton’s using that voice again. The soothing one. “You’re nervous, and he senses that. Horses pick up on your energy. If you’re skittish, he’s gonna be skittish too. You gotta be confident and calm. Like this.”

Before I know what’s happening, Colton is wrapping his fingers around my wrist and bringing my hand to Big Brother’s nose.

No preamble. No time to psych myself out or second-guess my sanity.

He just puts my hand on the animal. And you know what?

Neither of us—not Big Brother and not me—balks this time.

I do, however, experience a rush of heat that has my scalp prickling with sweat at the feel of Colton’s firm, authoritative grip on me.

The horse’s nose really is soft. It’s almost velvety and very warm.

“Keep your hand steady,” Colton says. “I’m right here, so he isn’t gonna hurt you. I promise he’s just a big teddy bear on the inside.”

“Aw.” Beck sticks out his bottom lip. “Just like you.”

“Shut up, Beck.”

“Love you too, Colt.”

Big Brother sticks out his lips, tucking his sweet nose into my hand.

I can’t help it. I giggle. “You do like that, huh?”

“Big Brother likes girls,” Beck says.

I carefully start to move my fingers, stroking the horse. It’s weird, but Colton is right—I can actually feel the horse relaxing along with me.

I peer into those depthless eyes of his and sense that well of emotion I saw there earlier. Something in my chest catches.

This is really, really cool.

But then Colton is dropping my hand and clucking his tongue and telling Big Brother it’s time to get tacked up, whatever that means.

Watching them disappear, I feel hot all over. And shaky. And more than a little confused.

“I’m not being perverted like him,” Beck says, “but the softest thing on earth? That’d be my brother’s tender little heart.”

“No shit,” I say with a laugh.

But Beck is serious. “I really do hope you stay, Lainey.”