Total pages in book: 53
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 50043 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 250(@200wpm)___ 200(@250wpm)___ 167(@300wpm)
“Damn it! I need to be there to hold you. I do not have a girlfriend, sweetie, or any other romantic partner in my life. I’m trying to figure out who you talked to. Did she sound young?”
“Oh, yeah,” Harper confirmed, nodding. “No problem, Colt. I was…silly to believe we could be more than friends. I’m not exciting enough to be part of your life. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Amber, Maisie, or the guys.”
“You are not silly and we are very definitely more than friends. I’ll be on a plane tomorrow to come see you.”
“Not necessary. Thanks for Wombles. I love him.”
“Do not hang up, Little girl,” he warned as if he knew what she was planning. “Remember when we created our rules? I asked you to trust me.”
After swallowing hard, Harper pressed the screen to disconnect. Hugging Wombles, she checked through her calls to see a message from Amber. Rio had a broken leg and had made it through surgery well.
Relieved that he was going to be okay, Harper texted back a short response, offering her help if she could do anything as her phone buzzed with an incoming call from Colt. With determination, she turned off her phone and picked up the TV remote. She selected her favorite movie—an animated sweet story that ended with her finding her perfect prince.
This time, it felt false. How long could happiness really last?
CHAPTER 17
The next evening, Harper locked the back door to the daycare and turned to walk to her car. Next to her battered sedan sat a large, shiny truck. Colt stepped out and shut the door with a definite push before walking forward.
“Colt? What are you doing here? You have a concert tomorrow in Nashville.”
“I do,” he confirmed as he stopped in front of her, looking more disheveled than she’d seen him before.
Harper tensed all her muscles, forcing herself to stay in place and not run to him. “Okay, well, safe travels.”
“Your bottom is in so much trouble.”
“That sounds like a threat, Colt. Should I call the police?”
He stared at her for several long seconds before walking forward. She started backward when he reached her but froze as he wrapped his arms around her to haul her tight against his body. Without saying a word, he buried his face against her neck. Harper felt his warm lips brush her skin softly. Stiffening herself against his warmth, she held her breath to keep his beguiling scent from weakening her resolve.
“I’m sorry you are so hurt. I’d do anything to whisk this doubt from your mind.”
“Enough, Colt. I know I always took longer to understand things back in school, but this is pretty simple. We played around for a while and you got bored. It happens.”
His hand landed on her bottom in a swift swat that caught her completely by surprise. She bolted forward the scant distance between them only to run into his hard body. “Little girl, you have convinced yourself that something bad happened. It did not.”
“Sure. That’s why you were naked in a room with a drunk twenty-two-year-old.”
“I was in the bathroom in my hotel room. I had left my phone on the bed. My manager came in with his fourth wife, who happens to drink way too much.”
“He just came in to hang out with his wife while you were in the shower?” she said skeptically.
“We had a meeting scheduled for a half hour later—just him and me. Why she was there, I don’t know.”
“You take a shower to smell nice for your manager?” she scoffed, studying his slightly reddish complexion. He even looked guilty.
“I had thirty minutes. That wasn’t enough time to talk to you. So, I took a shower while I waited.”
“And he had a key to your hotel room?”
“He had my guitar from practice. He needed it for a publicity photo shoot.”
“You just have all the answers, don’t you?” she demanded, pushing against his chest.
“I have the truth.”
“Okay, Colt. You just wallow in the truth.”
Harper pushed his shoulders hard, and he let her step back away from him. “See you on Zoom, Colt.”
“I’ll follow you home.”
“I’m going to my apartment alone.”
“I’ll sit in the hallway until you’re ready to talk to me, Little girl.”
Harper whirled on her toes and fled to her car. As she jumped in, Colt was there to close her door. Before he pushed it closed, he said sternly, “Do not hurt yourself or others on the way home. Drive carefully. Promise me.”
“I promise,” popped out of her mouth before she could stop it. Colt shut her door firmly and stepped back. He watched her start the car and drive sedately out of the parking lot before running to jump into his truck.
At the first stoplight, she saw him appear behind her, several vehicles back. He followed her at the same deliberate, safe pace he always did. He made her nervous and much more cautious about driving home. She definitely paid more attention to the old familiar route than she normally did. Sometimes after a long day at work, her car seemed to drive itself home, surprising her when she pulled into a parking spot.