Colters' Woman (Colters' Legacy #1)(33)

They wanted forever. She wanted forever. But. There was always a but. If only she hadn’t made so many bad decisions. Then she might be able to trust the decision to stay with Adam, Ethan and Ryan.

Adam continued to hold her, stroking her hair. The sound of a ringing cell phone jarred her senses. Adam cursed softly, and she felt him fumble for his pocket. She drew away to give him easier access, and he pulled his phone out to answer it.

“Adam here,” he said shortly.

There was a long pause then he turned away. Holly stood shivering lightly. She wanted back into the warmth of his arms.

“All right, I’ll be right there,” he said as he turned back around.

He clicked the phone shut and shoved it back into his jacket. “I’ve got to run into town. Lacey needs my help.”

A sharp pang twisted in Holly’s chest. She was surprised at its ferocity.

“Come back inside where it’s warm,” he said. He took her arm and led her back in the door.

In the living room, Ryan and Ethan both looked up.

“I’ve got to run into town. Lacey’s got a problem, and her deputies are out on calls.”

“Do you need us to go with you?” Ethan asked.

Ryan snorted in disgust.

“No. At least I don’t think so. Looks to be a runaway. If I need trackers, I’ll call you. I’d rather you stay here and look after Holly.”

Holly gritted her teeth. She didn’t need looking after, damn it, and she sure as hell didn’t want Adam off with a woman who very clearly wanted him.

Jealous? Oh, hell yeah, she was jealous. And it pissed her off. She hadn’t thought she could feel more miserable than before, but she was wrong.

“There isn’t anyone else she could call?” Holly asked.

Adam looked strangely at her for a moment. “We’ve helped track missing persons before for her.”

Holly bit her lip to keep from saying anything further. There was nothing more unattractive than a shrew.

“I’ll call if I’m going to be too late.”

Adam bent and gave her a quick kiss then turned to the door. He put his Stetson on and walked outside.

Holly watched him go, hating the way it made her feel. She glanced at Ryan and Ethan and winced. It was obvious they could see right through her. She seemed to have a knack for humiliation lately.

Her shoulders sagged, and she turned to head down the hallway toward the bedrooms. She stopped in the middle. Hysterical laughter bubbled from her. Whose room would she take refuge in?

She opted for the bathroom instead. She ran cool water in the sink and splashed her face. When she raised her head up, she saw Ryan’s reflection in the mirror. He stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame.

“Wanna play Monopoly with me and Ethan?”

She managed a shaky smile and nodded. At least he wasn’t trying to dissect her emotions.

She waited a second then headed back to the living room. Ethan was setting up the Monopoly board on the coffee table, and Ryan was carrying in three mugs from the kitchen.

“Want some hot chocolate?” Ryan asked.

“Sounds yummy,” she replied.

She took position on the couch while Ethan and Ryan both sat on the floor at either ends of the coffee table. She cupped the mug in her palms and sipped at the cocoa. Anything not to think of where Adam was and who he was with.

“I hate to see you so upset,” Ethan said in a low voice.

She jerked her glance sideways, startled from her own thoughts. Her jealous thoughts.

She sighed and set her mug down. She rubbed tiredly at her temple. “I’m being unreasonable.”

Ryan muttered something under his breath.

She turned to him, sensing an ally. “Why don’t you like her?”

“She’s a manipulative bitch.”

Holly laughed. “Thanks. I needed that, I think. She doesn’t seem to like me, that’s for sure.”

Ryan grunted. “She’s pissed because she set her sights on Adam, and he never took the bait.”

“Never?” she asked softly. “It seemed to me that you and Ethan were all that stood between Adam seeking a deeper relationship with her.”

Ethan fixed Ryan with a hard stare.

“Is he sleeping with her?”

She meant the question to sound casual, but instead it came across as fearful.

Ethan swore. “Look, sweetheart, I don’t know if he ever slept with her. I know that he isn’t now. Not after you.”

Somehow the idea that Adam had slept with Lacey didn’t make her feel any better. It wasn’t as though Holly had been here any length of time.

“We’re not saints, Holly. We’ve had our share of women, but we’re not faithless jerks. Adam wouldn’t screw around with another woman. Not after committing himself to you.”

Ryan nodded in agreement.

“Then why is he going to her?” Holly strained out.

“He can’t stand the idea of not helping a woman in need,” Ryan said. “He has a weakness for damsels in distress.”

Holly felt the blood drain from her face. Was that what she was? God, she certainly fit the mold. Tears swam in her vision, and she blinked hard to keep them back. She didn’t want to make an ass of herself. More than she already had.

Ethan threw one of the dice at Ryan, hitting him in the head. “You’re not the brightest bulb are you?”