Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy #1)(26)

She hesitated a moment, feeling unsure about the entire situation. “I mean us.”

“We go to Denver to see Cal so he can fast-track your divorce. And then we get on with our lives. Together.”

She looked down at her plate and fiddled with the sandwich. A thousand questions crowded her mind, and she didn’t know where to start.

“Want to go riding after lunch?” Ryan interrupted.

She looked at him in relief. Fresh air and a break sounded very inviting. She nodded then caught herself.

“I assume you mean horseback riding? I haven’t ridden in a long while.”

Ryan shrugged. “I’ll make sure you have a good mount.”

“Don’t go too far,” Adam warned. “We’re in for a storm.”

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Ryan said darkly.

Holly shoved her plate aside, no longer hungry. Maybe getting out of the house for a while would help. She wanted to relax and not worry about looking over her shoulder for once.

Ryan pushed away from the table. “You ready?”

She nodded and stood up. “Let me go get something warmer on.”

“I’ll be in the barn. Head on out when you’re done.”

“They’re a lot alike you know.”

Adam turned his head to Ethan after watching Holly leave the room. “What do you mean?”

“Ryan and Holly,” Ethan replied. “They both know pain. You can see it in their eyes.”

Adam’s lips tightened. He didn’t like to think of either of them in pain, but he knew Ethan was right. Holly and his younger brother fought their demons. He just hoped they won.

“What do you suppose happened over there?” Adam muttered.

Ethan shook his head, sorrow washing into his eyes. “I wish to hell I knew. I wish he’d talk about it. Maybe then the poison would leave his system. I never wanted him to join the damn military anyway.”

Adam nodded in agreement. But Ryan was stubborn, and once he’d made the decision, no one had been able to sway him. He’d left a cocky, arrogant young man and come back a brooding, tortured soul.

“Maybe she’s what he needs,” Ethan murmured. “Maybe she’s what we all need.”

“And maybe she needs us just as badly,” Adam added.

* * *

Holly stepped into the snow, shivering as a wash of cold air blew over her. She crunched her way down the slight incline to the barn. Ahead of her the terrain sloped upward, a testament to the mountain they were nestled on. Snow-capped peaks jutted skyward on the horizon. Around her the world was ablaze with white.

Her breath came out in a cloud in front of her as she mounted the last few steps to the barn door. Then she slipped inside, enjoying the warmth that greeted her.

Eight stalls lined either side of the barn. In the back, there was a large open area where stacks of hay bails stood. Ryan stepped out of one of the stalls leading a horse by the reins.

He glanced in her direction. “I’ve got her saddled for you. Come hold the reins while I ready my mount then we’ll head out.”

Holly hurried forward and took the leather reins from Ryan.

Ryan motioned toward the back. “Take her over there and wait.”

Holly moved to the back, her horse clopping obediently behind her. While she waited for Ryan, she smoothed her hands over the mare’s neck. She was a beauty. Gentle looking. Her head bobbed appreciatively as Holly stroked her mane.

A few seconds later, Ryan walked up, leading his mount behind him. “You ready?”

Holly nodded. As Ryan moved ahead of her, she cast an appreciative glance over his body. Damn, the man filled out a pair of jeans like no one else. He looked exceedingly masculine in his lambskin-lined coat, cowboy hat and scuffed boots. And his ass. What could she say about a man who had an ass that begged to be touched, fondled and squeezed?

She squeezed her legs together and picked up her pace. She was a walking hormone. But who could blame her after the night she’d experienced? Her cheeks warmed to the point of discomfort when she thought of all they had done. She couldn’t wait to do it again.

“Do you need help up?” Ryan asked, his voice close to her ear.

She jumped and looked around. Hell, she hadn’t even realized they’d walked outside. Hard to notice the cold when her entire body was erupting in flames.

She flushed and turned her attention to the horse. She was short, and it was a long way up into the saddle.

She looked back at Ryan. He grinned and in one swift motion, he wrapped his large hands around her waist and hoisted her up as easily as a sack of potatoes.

“Misty’s a good mount. She’ll follow my lead, so don’t worry about it. Just enjoy yourself,” Ryan said.

She smiled down at him. His hand lingered on her leg then he squeezed it before he walked over to mount his horse.

They picked their way through the snow around to the front of the cabin and down the drive to the road. Holly glanced back at the cabin. It was fully ensconced on the mountain as if the brothers had carved their home right into the surface. Snow covered the roof, and smoke drifted lazily from the stone chimney. It looked like a scene straight from a Christmas card. And it was now her home.

Her chest tightened, and she had the absurd urge to grin like a kid in a candy store. Home.

Life was a strange chain of ironies. She’d learned that quickly enough. Only in the demise of her dreams had she actually found them.