Holding You (9 page)

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gunner, my father and Colt all walking toward the front door. My heart began to race and my breathing picked up. Gunner was apparently going to keep my father from killing Colt.

Walking toward them, my mother took my arm. “Why don’t you let the guys talk for a bit? Show me this project you had to rush home for?”

Glancing back at my mother, I gave her a dazed look before I turned back and watched the love of my life walk out the front door with my father leading the way. Colt glanced over his shoulder and gave me a quick wink, causing my stomach to flutter.

Turning back to my mother, I looked between her and Ellie with pleading eyes. My hands started to sweat as I thought about all the things my father could do to make Colt hurt. “You’re just going to let them take him away?”

Ellie smiled and peeked over to my mother. Turning to my mother, I grabbed her hands. “Mom, you have to stop Daddy. I love Colt. I’ve loved him for so long, but I’ve been so stupid by pushing him away. I was afraid Daddy would let Colt run the ranch because he doesn’t think I can. I was afraid I wouldn’t have any say in the business, but I see I was being stupid and acting like a spoiled brat and—”

Holding up her hand, my mother covered my mouth as I continued to talk in a muffled voice. “Lauren! My goodness, stop and take a breath.”

My eyes darted back and forth between my mother and Ellie. “If I drop my hand, will you calm down?”

Slowly nodding my head, I closed my eyes in an attempt to hold back my tears. Opening my eyes, I saw something in my mother’s eyes. Understanding. Compassion. Love.

Dropping her hand, she tilted her head. “Darling, where in the world did you get the idea that your father thinks you can’t run the business?”

My mouth opened, but I couldn’t talk. I didn’t like to show weakness and right now, my voice was going to sound weak if I talked. I lifted my shoulders up and made a face. Ellie walked up to me and took one of my hands. “Lauren, you and Colt clearly have feelings for each other. It was evident when the four of us saw the two of you dancing. What threw us all was we had no idea either of you felt things for each other.”

Feeling my cheeks flush, my eyes looked away. If they only knew. I wondered what would happen if I spilled my guts to my mother and Ellie? There were so many things I had wanted to ask them. Like, how long was it going to hurt after sex? Was it normal to already be wanting Colt, even though we had spent the most amazing afternoon together and made love twice? Did guys like dirty talk or was that something I shouldn’t do? Was shower sex really all that?

Okay . . . maybe those types of questions I should save for the girls.

Chuckling, my mother pushed a curl behind my ear. “Your mind is spinning, Lauren. Calm it down, sweetheart.

My mother always said that to me. She could tell when my mind was racing and she would always tell me to calm it down. Daddy said it was a sign of immaturity that I couldn’t keep my thoughts clear.

“I’ve loved Colt since the day he punched Paul Hines in the face and threatened to kill him if he ever touched me again.”

Ellie and my mother both let out gasps. “What did Paul do?” my mother asked.

“Colt punched him?” Ellie asked with her hands over her mouth.

Grinning when I probably shouldn’t have been, I answered, “Yes! Paul Hines had wanted to have sex in high school and when I told him no, he slapped me and called me a whore. Colt punched him and told Paul he would kill him if he ever talked to me or touched me again.” My mother had been looking past me, but her eyes snapped back to me when I said Paul had slapped me.

Ellie drew in a sharp breath and whispered, “That little bastard.”

“That’s why you hit Paul?”

Hearing Gunner’s voice, I spun around. Colt, Gunner and my father were all standing at the front door. Not being able to read Colt’s expression, I mouthed,
are you all right?

Something moved across Colt’s face. I’d seen that look before. It was the same look he had when he made love to me for the first time earlier today. My knees wobbled and I almost reached out for something to steady myself. Gunner stood in front of Colt, blocking my view of him. “Colt, is that what happened between you and Paul Hines?”

“Yeah, the bastard deserved more than just a punch.”

My father’s eyes were burning with anger. What did they talk about outside? What if he told Colt to stay away from me?

“It’s a damn good thing I didn’t know about this when it happened,” my father said.

Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I looked at my father.

“Daddy?” I wasn’t even sure why I called out to my father like I did. Questioning him, as if he could read the questions in my mind.

Giving me a slight grin, he looked around. “Take a deep breath, baby girl, everything is okay. Shall we go get that pizza before it gets too late?”

My mother reached for my hand and gave it a light squeeze. Pulling my eyes from my father, I attempted to smile. “Um . . . sure. Antonio’s?”

Ellie flashed me a sweet smile as she walked by and over to Colt. Slipping her arm around his, she began to talk. “So, I want to hear all about how school is going this semester. Will you drive with your father and I over to the pizza place?”

I took a step back as my mother walked toward the front door behind Ellie. “Lauren, you can drive with your father and I. I hardly got to see you at all the last three days.

Oh God. They were separating us. Why?
Shaking my head, I pulled my hand from hers. “What’s going on? Why did you take Colt outside, Daddy? Why is everyone acting so strange?”

My father looked at me and smiled. “Everything is fine, Lauren. Colt’s parents’ just want to spend time with him like we want to spend time with you, darling. Everything is okay.”

My blue eyes found Colt’s. He quickly made his way over to me and placed his hands on my shoulders. The warmth of his touch calmed me instantly and I wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. He moved his lips to my ears. “I promise you, sweetheart. Everything is fine. I love you, Lauren.”

Pulling his head back just enough to look at me, I whispered, “Okay. I love you too, Colt.”

Kissing me softly on the cheek, Colt made his way out the door, followed by his parents and my mother. Giving my father a fake smile, I walked toward the kitchen. “I better get my purse so I—”

Taking my hand, my father stopped me. “Lauren Ashley, stop for one second and look at me.”

For some reason, I was afraid to turn around and look at my own father. I wasn’t sure why. It was so quiet I could hear my heart beating in my ears. Slowly turning around, I looked up into my father’s eyes. He gazed back upon me with nothing but love. “I simply asked him to take care of you.” My father’s voice cracked and he quickly cleared it before he continued talking. “Protect you, because you are the most important thing in the world to me. My heart belonged to you the moment I first looked into your eyes. You
are
my life, Lauren. It’s hard for me to just give that to someone else, even if that someone else is like a son to me.”

My lower lip trembled as I listened to my father talk. His mouth rose in a half smile as he looked at me. “Seeing the two of you on the dance floor earlier this morning, I saw something change. The way Colt looked at you is the way I see Gunner look at Ellie.” Glancing to the floor, he barely spoke above a whisper. “I hope it’s the way people see me look at your mother.”

My heart hammered in my chest. To hear my father say that Colt looked at me like he looked at my mother brought tears to my eyes. “Daddy,” I whispered as I threw myself into his arms. He held me tight as I cried. “Daddy, I’m so scared.”

“Why, baby girl? Please tell me why.”

“Is it possible to realize in one day how powerful your love is for someone? Daddy, my heart aches for him to just hold me in his arms. His touch calmed me down almost in an instant just now.”

I wasn’t sure this was what my father wanted to hear from my lips, but it was true. Colt’s touch had calmed my nerves and that scared me.

Pulling back, I had to catch my breath. I’d never seen my father cry. One lone tear slowly moved down his cheek. “Oh, Lauren, I wish I had answers for you. Love is such a crazy thing. Do I think it’s bad that Colt makes you feel safe? No, absolutely not. The person you are in love with should make you feel safe. Being in their arms should be the safest place in the world, Lauren.”

“Was it like that with you and Mom? Was she your everything, Daddy?”

Placing his hand on the side of my face, he slowly nodded his head. “She still is, Lauren.”

Grinning until my cheeks hurt, I took a step back. “I’m glad you didn’t kill him, Daddy. Because I really love him.”

Laughing, my father rubbed his hand on the top of my head. “Don’t think the thought didn’t cross my mind.”

Draping his arm around my shoulder, my father led me to the front door. “Come on. I’ll treat for dinner.”

Walking outside with my father, I’d never felt so happy in my life. For once everything seemed to be perfect.

THE ENTIRE TIME
we sat at the restaurant and ate pizza, I couldn’t push the image of Lauren wrapped around my body out of my mind. I could see the lust in her eyes, and I was dying to know what she was going to say to me before the onslaught of parents showed up at our door.

Glancing across the table, I watched as Lauren talked her father’s ear off about an idea she had for his breeding business. I knew how much she loved her family’s business, and I was glad she shared her fears with me and the reasons why she had been pushing me away.

Scott caught my stare and I smiled politely. When he walked up and took my arm back at the house and said he needed to speak to me outside, I thought for sure I was dead. I felt better when my dad followed behind me.

“So, Colt, tell me all about what’s going on in your world. I feel like I hardly get to talk to you anymore.”

Turning to my mother, I couldn’t help but smile bigger. My mother was breathtaking. An older version of my sister, Alex. Her blue eyes seemed to have a sparkle to them always. My father loved my mother with his whole heart. I can remember Alex and I sitting at the top of the stairs many a time, watching my father swoon my mother with something as simple as a dance in the living room. The way she would look at him is what I longed for with Lauren. I saw it today when we made love for the first time. I’d do whatever I could to see that look as much as possible.

Bumping my shoulder, my mother asked, “Colt? Are you lost in thought?”

Letting out a chortle, I nodded my head. “I guess I was. School has been good so far. Hard to tell with it just starting up again for spring semester. I’m ready to start spring practice.”

“We’re really proud of you son,” my father said as he placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a squeeze.

Turning to him, I was overcome by the look on his face. I knew my parents were proud of me and Alex, but they never failed to tell us and show us that support. “Thank you, Dad. That really means a lot to me.”

He nodded but then something changed in his eyes. “Don’t get distracted with school or your commitment on the field.”

Pulling my head back, I gave my father a blank stare. Why would he think I’d get distracted?
Stealing a quick look toward Lauren, my father went back to eating. Did my father think my relationship with Lauren was going to be distracting? Hell, our push and pull game the last three years was a much bigger distraction. Everything would be better now that Lauren and I were finally together.

Picking up my pizza, I took a bite as I listened to Lauren telling her dad about a horse in Kentucky she had been following. Smiling, I took my surroundings in. My parents and Lauren’s parents stopping by, I think, made things even clearer to me.

Life from this point on was going to be different. Things were finally turning around for me and I could see nothing but happiness in my future.

LAUREN AND I
stood outside and said our good-byes to our parents. It was almost midnight and we had been at the pizza place until they closed. We came back here and talked for a while, Lauren showed her parents her project, and we made plans for spring break week. I had to admit, it was nice getting to spend some time with my mother and father. I knew Lauren felt the same way. She was an only child and super close to them.