The True Cowboy of Sunset Ridge (Gold Valley #14)(56)

And somewhere inside of him, he knew that he was being unreasonable. Because Mallory was looking out for the physical well-being of Lily. Because well-child visits were important, and they knew next to nothing about Lily. Including her actual age. They didn’t have a birth certificate. He clenched his teeth. Yeah, he knew the situation wasn’t going to work long-term. But it wasn’t supposed to be long-term. Things would work out. They just would.

Something had to. God couldn’t be that mean.

Colt picked up an ax and walked over to the wood pile, where a piece of wood was already set up on end. And he brought the ax down on it. Hard. Splitting the wood in two pieces.

That’s what he would do. He would chop wood. In the pouring rain. “How’s that for martyrdom, Callie,” he muttered, directed at his sister-in-law, even though she couldn’t hear him.

His shirt has started to stick to his body, and he stripped it off over his head, flinging it into the mud. And he kept chopping wood. Mud and debris flying back against his face, rainwater dripping down into his eyes. But he didn’t care. His heart was pounding so hard he thought it might go through the front of his chest. He didn’t care.

And that was when he saw her car coming up the driveway.

Lucky for her, he was still furious.

WHEN MALLORY PULLED UP, her heart nearly stopped. Because there he was, in a kind of glory she had never even seen before. He was angry, that much was clear. And he was standing there... Half-naked. His chest was splattered with mud and rainwater, his hair wet and plastered down to his face. His jeans rode low on his hips, revealing those deep cut lines that were just so damn sexy. His body was like a finely carved piece of art. Like something he had chiseled himself using nothing but a knife and wood.

His eyes made contact with hers where she sat in her car. Then he looked away, grabbed a piece of wood and set it up before bringing the ax down on it, splitting it violently.

She got out of the car. “What are you doing?”

“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m chopping wood.”

“Chopping wood in the rain. Shirtless.”

“Yep.”

“Okay.”

“What the hell were you thinking?” He charged toward her, holding the ax down at his side. He looked menacing and glorious.

He looked like the alpha wolf.

And suddenly, she knew exactly what the problem was.

“Colt... Don’t be angry.”

“Oh,” he said. “Okay. I won’t be angry. I’ll just continue being fucking furious.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know that she would call you right away. Usually it takes a doctor a really long time to actually...”

“She’s very prompt. How dare you do that without talking to me? Lily isn’t your baby. This isn’t your mess. It’s mine. You chose to stick your nose in it, and I can’t control that. But this isn’t about you. She’s not part of your path to healing.”

“Oh,” she said. “She’s yours? Or is she a human being who needs to be taken care of.”

“I’m taking care of her,” he said. “And you’re overstepping. You know that. Don’t you pretend that you don’t understand that. Don’t you pretend that this couldn’t... I couldn’t forgive myself. If she ended up getting taken by Child Protective Services, if she ended up in foster care, on top of everything else.”

“That isn’t the goal. That isn’t what the doctor wants. It isn’t what I want. But we do need to make sure that she’s healthy...”

“I have an idea,” he said, closing the distance between them, breathing hard. The rain was coming down in big fat drops, and her dress was starting to stick to her skin. His eyes were electric again, but this time, it was with rage. Rage... But there was desire there too. His well-muscled chest heaved with the force of his breath, water droplets rolling over his muscles. “Why don’t we find better ways to keep your mouth occupied.”

He dropped the ax on its head, onto the muddy ground with a thunk, and it landed next to him, splashing water up between them. Then, he wrapped his arm around the back of her head, cupping her and drawing her toward him, bringing his mouth down on hers in a fierce claiming. This was nothing like the first time they had come together. That time had been intense, filled with a mutual need that had absolutely nothing to do with each other beyond the instant electric chemistry that had combusted between them. But it wasn’t about who they were. It wasn’t about Colt. It wasn’t about Mallory. But this time... This time it was. He might be angry, but this... This was intimate. The kind of intimacy that had been absent from their first time. Because now she knew.

She knew that his friend was dead. That he was trying his best to make his way in this world. That he had left behind his dreams. That he was the sort of man who would take a baby that was handed to him without explanation on the front porch of his home and do his best to take care of her. Would defend her with everything he had in him.

She knew that about him now.

And what did he know about her? That she was frustrating, she supposed, because he was definitely frustrated with her now.

But that he wanted her all the same, and somehow that was even better. Even better than the way that he had wanted her when she was a stranger. He wanted her infuriating. He wanted her when she opposed him. He wanted her when he was absolutely and completely displeased with her in every way.