Seducing the Bachelor (The Bachelor Auction Returns Book 3) (15 page)

“I thought you wanted to move out.”

She tried to swallow the dread lump, but there it squatted. Cold. Bitter. Familiar.

“I don’t want to, but obviously you are going to need to do something with the house and the land. If you want a caretaker, I’d apply. If you want to sell, I’d love to rent from you until it sells. But deciding to stay without knowing your plans is not within my realm of choice.”

She bit her lip. She was totally rambling again. And dreaming. She was spinning out a scenario as if Colt would be staying in the cabin for his leave, not traveling or camping with his friends. Meeting women in the Wolf Den because that was where men like him went.

“I was just thinking that if Parker could build something with a man, you know, a project, it would be an experience he could have like a regular kid. With my schedule at the diner, I can’t sign him up for scouts so he doesn’t get to do boy things except sports.”

She couldn’t sound more pathetic and inadequate if she took a college course in it. The tree house idea was dumb. She was meddling. Trying to mend things that were broken. She wanted something for Parker. But she also thought if Colt finished the project he’d started as a kid, maybe he’d build a good memory here. Maybe he’d feel like someday he could come home.

“I’m shipping out in less than a month, Talon.”

“I know.”

He stared at her. That look. That said so much if she could just read his mind. But maybe she could and that was the problem.

“I know it would just be one thing, a memory of something good. Something he built and could be proud of. Like a mentor experience.”

“So Parker and I build a tree house. What do you get?”

“Parker would… have an accomplishment. Someone else take an interest in him for a couple of days.”

Even to her it sounded pathetic and inadequate.

“And then I walk away.”

Those words. Always those words. Talon nodded. “Yes. Parker would understand that.”

And she would, too, she told herself bravely.

The air between them seemed to stretch and grow and growl, fraught with an entirely different tension than before. He walked towards her. She counted the steps. Six. And wished she had the right to touch him. To be held by him.

“I don’t think it works that way, Talon.”

She knew it didn’t. But still she’d had to try. “Something’s better than nothing,” she said in low voice, forcing the words out even though she knew they were useless.

And the words fell on the floor between them like dropped jello, quivering obscenely, impossible to clean up easily.

“Your car’s broken, you said.”

She nodded. She wondered if he knew anything about cars. That would have been a more practical ask. But expensive. But maybe he could tow it into the shop with his truck, and she would have at least saved the towing fee.

He picked up the bag of supplies for the puppy. “You need to be at work by six?”

“Yes, but…you don’t have to…” She trailed off.

“I’ll pick you up at 5:30.”

“Colt, I’m so sorry.” She could barely stop the tears from pooling in her eyes. She pinched her leg hard and reminded herself fiercely that crying never helped and only made her feel powerless. “All your friends are having a fun time and you…” She waved her hand to encompass the whole thing.

The bad memories of his house and childhood, her with her stupid ask for a tree house for her kid, the stray dog giving birth, and his run into town for supplies and groceries that he hadn’t let her pay for. And what had she given him? Dinner that he’d grilled. He’d given her a precious memory and a present, a mixed box of chocolates from Sage’s.

“I’m sorry,” she said again, wishing she could rewind the whole thing. Be normal. Cool. Beautiful. Sexy. Ask for some reasonable experience that wouldn’t be a hassle and dredge up bad memories. “It’s too big an ask and you’ve already given so much.”

He brushed past her, opened the front door and paused.

“No, Talon, it’s too fucking little.”

C
olt sank his
final ball in a corner pocket.

“That’s it,” Gavin said, handing off his cue to Code. “Even though you made it tonight, you buy the next round.”

Colt went to the bar and ordered three more beers and a club soda with three limes for himself.

“So that’s why you’re so sour,” Gavin said. “That’s the secret. Limes.”

They returned to the table where Nick and Code were in a spirited game.

“So?” Gavin took a long pull at the local microbrew. “Your date call your bluff? Did she choose anything? Tell me she chose a long weekend of nothing but sex.”

“She chose a long weekend of nothing but sex.”

“She has a kid,” Nick said. “A funny, mouthy kid who has one of those goofy hairlines like Colt’s. Maybe he’s been making secret trips to Marietta all these years.”

“Kid’s not hers biologically and they moved here only a year ago.”

“Damn, there goes my hope for scandal.” Nick missed his shot and Code walked around the table.

“The hot mama chose babysitting and to have Colt, with all his expertise, to run errands.” Code sounded mock disgusted. “And from the tight look on Colt’s face, sex isn’t in the offing.”

“So what does she want?” Gavin asked.

All three of his friends from high school turned and looked at him, and Colt felt a strange sense of disconnect. He knew them in the past. But not really. He hadn’t told anyone about his life at home. His uncle’s drinking binges. Rages followed by silence for weeks at a time. As an adult, he understood it better. A disease. Alcoholism. Another disease. Depression. He’d felt so separate from other kids so he’d separated himself further. Football had been his only outlet because his uncle had respected and understood and accepted football, so Colt had played hard, even though he had no particular love for the game.

Another thing that had separated him.

“Her name is Talon. She lives in my old house.” He finished his club soda. “She helped to nurse my uncle when he died a few months ago. Like a housekeeper person for room and board.”

“That’s the most I’ve heard you speak in one go,” Nick said. “Must be love.” He hit a shot and missed.

“She wants me to build a tree house for her kid,” he surprised himself by saying.

“Come again?” Gavin demanded. “A tree house?”

Colt expected them to laugh. To mock his manhood and all the other things guys did except talk about the real issues. They’d already teased him about “Dude,” the puppy he had in a box in his truck and had left to feed about half an hour ago. Now he stared moodily into his empty club soda glass and debated another beer. He’d only had one. But he didn’t want to feel the need for one.

“What’d you say?” Code asked. “You gonna do it? That would take some time. Wouldn’t be bad to have you back in town a bit. Can’t do the army forever.”

Colt thought about that.

“I’m up for reenlistment. I got six more months.”

“Gonna do another go around or go for the full twenty?” Nick asked, pausing in his shot, straightening up, and even putting down his cue as he waited.

“I don’t know,” Colt said slowly. “I thought I might as well. What else am I gonna do?”

“There’s a million things you could do,” Code said decisively. “If you’re even questioning it, time to go. Once the lines get blurry, that’s when it starts to mess with your head.”

Colt met Code’s eyes. Yeah, he knew. He understood. They all did. And for him, the line had started to blur on an average August day last year when the target hadn’t stayed just in the target zone. When the target had become a person with a history and a life and a family and all of those things had climbed into his brain and followed him home.

“Colt.” Nick looked at him. “Take your full leave. Keep that runty dog. Build the damn tree house.”

*

Talon looked up
from entering a breakfast order and her heart flipped so fast it took her breath. This must be what a heart attack felt like or maybe it was just the effect Colt had on her stupid heart that wouldn’t get the message, but, damn, he looked good, striding in the Main Street Diner at seven in the morning, and she wasn’t the only one who noticed.

She flipped the switch on the coffee pot and met him before anyone else could.

“Hey,” she said like she was some middle school girl crushing. But did he have to wear running shorts and a tee that was soaked in sweat so that she could see the definition of his shoulders and pecs. “You want breakfast?”

“Among other things.”

Close mouth
. But she was pretty sure it was still hanging open. And unable to form any words, not usually a problem for her.

“Thought I’d clean up a bit.” He indicated an athletic duffle bag he carried. “And have breakfast with Parker. You said he eats around seven?” He looked at his watch. It was seven exactly, but Talon was caught up in the shape of his fingers, and the sheen of sweat on his arms.

“Uh huh.”

He nodded and went towards the bathroom. Talon swallowed but the lump remained and the flutter of her stomach built. He was in the men’s bathroom taking off his shirt and who knew what else to rinse off and change and…it was all she could do to not moan. She wanted to check on him. See if he needed anything. Like her under him.

“Get a grip.” Her life was a hot mess compared to his. He was organized, neat, clean, knew where he belonged and where he was going. She knew where she wanted to go and where she wanted to belong, but she sure was taking the long way around.

“More scenery.” She reminded herself and went to get coffee.

She was about to go wake Parker from his makeshift bed under the desk when she saw him chatting with Colt as they walked into the main part of the restaurant. Gina, one of the newer waitresses, hurried up, her eyes devouring Colt, and Talon couldn’t blame her, but still the desire to call dibs was hard to resist even though it was childish and not true.

“Usual Parker?” Talon asked as she brought coffee for Colt.

“Something different today,” Parker said, sounding all grown up, studying the menu like Colt did.

“Sure, but decide quickly. Bus comes by here at 7:45.”

Colt looked at his watch. “What time’s school?”

“8:15.”

“Bacon and eggs and short stack and a water,” Colt said.

“Me, too!” Parker closed his menu.

“No chocolate sauce?” Talon asked.

Parker looked at Colt and his expression was so open and honest that her heart wept a little. Nothing inscrutable about her little man and how would the world treat that? She thought of Jenna with her bruised heart, loving a man who hadn’t stayed long enough to know they’d made a baby.

“You could have it on the side,” Colt said into the silence. “We could share.”

“Yes! And hot chocolate with lots and lots of whip cream. Do you like whip cream?” Talon could hear him ask Colt as she walked off to place the order and seat more customers.

She tried not to watch them too closely as she worked, but it was hard. Colt seemed less guarded around Parker. They were looking at something on his phone very intently and by the busy way Colt’s finger kept swiping, it wasn’t a game.

When she came with their food, Parker actually tucked the phone under the table.

“More coffee?”

“Yes, please. Thank you, Talon.”

And she tried not to be effected by his deep voice and his manners, but she was failing miserably. On her second trip she saw movement in Colt’s duffle bag and heard a plaintive mewing sound even above all the talking at the diner.

“Did you bring Dude?” she asked.

Colt looked a little embarrassed and it was so sweet she just stood and stared.

“He cries when he’s alone.” Parker offered, stuffing a piece of bacon in his mouth. “He misses his mama so Colt’s being his mama.”

“I’ll just ignore the health code violations and hope everyone else does, too,” she said trying to sound severe, but failing.

It was sweet to see them together, but also made her heart pinch a bit. They could be father and son. Colt’s hair was coppery brown with a hint of wave if it weren’t cut so tight, whereas Parker’s was much darker and straighter, but they each had a widow’s peak and when they were sitting side by side, staring at the phone, Parker talking intently and Colt answering more deliberately and without all the hand waving that Parker punctuated his conversations with, their profiles were similar.

Colt would be a good dad, she thought, forcing herself to turn away, because that was so not where she should let her mind go ever.

*