Colters' Gift (Colters' Legacy #5)(6)

Chapter 3

LAUREN finished tidying the tiny living room of her efficiency apartment and stared around in satisfaction. It was small, but it was filled with furniture and knickknacks, and was decorated to look homey and cozy.

Max had been so helpful in her getting back on her feet, but she owed the most to Holly, Lily and Callie. The three women had dragged her shopping and they’d spent a tireless amount of time making sure Lauren’s apartment was one she was comfortable and happy in.

It was her day off from the diner, and while she had standing invitations to drop in on her brother and sister-in-law or any of the Colters, today she just wanted a quiet day in her apartment reading.

Later she’d take a walk down Main Street and do some windowshopping. It amused her that window-shopping in Clyde consisted of looking into the one women’s boutique that sold everything from lingerie to accessories and everything in between.

There was a small, used bookstore at the end, and she always looked forward to scanning the new stock to see what struck her fancy. Callie had been after her to buy an e-reader so she could just download books from the online retailers without ever leaving her house, but there was something about the trip to the bookstore and returning home with a bag of books she couldn’t wait to dig into.

And there was the simple fact that she couldn’t afford the e-reader right now. It had taken every penny to move in and buy what was needed for the apartment. If she splurged and bought the reading device, she’d be uncontrollable with buying e-books.

For now, she’d have to stick with gently used and savor every book. Besides, she couldn’t trade in a digital book when she was finished.

She perused her bookshelf and finally selected the newest Jaci Burton book she’d purchased. Just as she settled down to indulge, there was a knock at her door

Frowning, she pushed herself up from the couch and went to the front door. It was probably one of the Colter women. It could even be Max, but he was usually better about calling to let her know he was stopping by, whereas the Colter women—especially Holly—just dropped by whenever they got the urge.

But when she opened the door and saw who was standing there, her jaw went completely slack as she gaped at Noah Sullivan and Liam Prescott.

They didn’t belong here. They represented a part of her past she wanted to forget. They were a world away, in a city she’d fled.

“Lauren,” Noah acknowledged with a tight nod. “You’re looking good.”

“You look great,” Liam amended softly.

She still couldn’t find her tongue. What were they doing here?

“Can we come in?” Noah asked. “We need to talk to you.”

“A-about w-what?”

She clutched the door tighter and pulled it so it narrowed the gap.

Liam frowned. “Lauren, we aren’t going to hurt you. We just need to talk to you. It’s important.”

Her pulse was racing fast enough to make her light-headed. She knew Noah and Liam posed no danger to her. Or at least she thought she knew. It wasn’t them she feared as much as why they were here.

“Open the door, Lauren,” Noah said in a quiet tone.

Realizing how much attention they were likely attracting, she finally opened the door and let them walk into the living room.

If it had seemed small to her before, now it was tiny with the two big men filling it.

She had a love seat and an armchair, and she quickly took the armchair so the two men would be left with the love seat.

Perched on the edge, she waited while they made themselves comfortable. Or at least as much as they could, trying to fit their large frames on her small piece of furniture.

She balled up her fingers together and stuck her hands between her knees to prevent them from shaking. Their presence unnerved her for too many reasons to list.

And yet she drank in the sight of them, unable to tear her gaze from the two men who’d once been hired to protect her.

They were the complete antithesis of Joel, and maybe that was why she’d allowed herself to relax around them and trust them. In the beginning she’d thrown up every barrier she could, anything to prevent them from getting close.

But they’d broken every wall she’d placed between them. They’d bullied her mercilessly, making sure she ate, that she took care of herself. They couldn’t possibly know just how much she’d softened toward them, because she’d been too intent on shutting them out and treating them indifferently.

When Max had arrived at her apartment, determined to take her home with him and Callie, part of her was hugely relieved while the other part of her was reluctant to let go of the two men she’d come to rely on.

Having them near her just made her feel safe in a world where she was anything but. If they knew what she’d done and all she’d kept from them, they’d be pissed as hell.

She’d made some horrifically stupid choices. She could admit that now. But at the time, she’d been a scared-out-of-her-mind woman who desperately wanted a way out of her situation. She hadn’t been thinking straight. But who could blame her?

She blamed herself enough without anyone else knowing the extent of her stupidity.

“Lauren?”

She looked up quickly at the sound of Liam’s voice. She realized that one or both men had been talking to her, and she had no idea what they’d been saying.

“I’m sorry,” she blurted. “You should have called. You caught me completely off guard.”