Colt pushed a hand through his hair and leaned away from his former girlfriend. How dare Cally leave him five years ago, basically tell him he wasn’t good enough when he tried to chase after her, not communicate with him the entire time, and then think she could show back up and he’d be here waiting? Did she really think he was that pathetic of a loser?

She was going on and on about him being married. Part of him wanted to admit that it was a sham, but he was too hurt and angry. Being married to Brikelle was the perfect reason to keep his distance from Cally. There was also a small part of him that yearned for Cally, or at least the Cally he used to know. This Cally, who was giving him the what for, was definitely not his Cally. Her face was too taut and too hard. Her voice had lost all its happiness and lilt. What had she seen and experienced in Chicago? Where had her innocence and laughter gone?

“Why are you looking at me like you’re not even paying attention to what I’m saying?” She sighed heavily. Her thick eyelashes fluttered as she closed her eyes, like she couldn’t handle this conversation any longer.

“Sorry. I just figured when you were done telling me off we could actually talk.”

“You probably don’t even want to talk to me. You just want to get back inside to your little … wife.”

“Yeah, I would.”

Tears sprang to her eyes again, and Colt knew he could handle the ticked-off Cally a lot better than the crying Cally. “I can’t believe you got married. Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t Tate or Uncle Joshua tell me?”

“Tate?”

“I’ve kept in touch with Tate to keep tabs on you. He’s not exactly friendly, but he usually tells me what I need to know.”

Good to know his brother at least wasn’t friendly with his ex, but he was going to beat him up for talking to her. “Uncle Joshua?”

“He’s my mom’s brother. We didn’t see him much growing up, but the past few years he’s been an invaluable help to me.”

That explained why Joshua would bring her here, but why had he wanted to perpetuate the lie with him and Brikelle? Just to appease Emma? He hated himself for asking, but he couldn’t help it. “Why didn’t you keep in touch with me to keep tabs on me?”

She cocked her head to the side and brushed away her tears. “I don’t know.” Her shoulders sagged. “I was a brat to you when you came to Chicago.”

“Agreed.”

“I wanted to do something on my own, be successful on my own. All through high school, I was only Colt’s girl. Everybody loved you and every girl wanted you and I never had my own identity. I pushed hard at the U so I could go away and make something of myself, prove I was more than just your girl.”

His brow furrowed. “Cally, I’m proud of you for making something of yourself. I never thought of you as just some pretty appendage on my side.” He shook his head. “We could’ve been great together, but you threw me away just to prove something. What about the love and friendship we’d shared for years? You didn’t trust me enough to just explain that you needed to stand on your own before we could stand together?”

She drew in a shaky breath. “I didn’t say I went about it the right way. I’m just trying to explain.”

“Explain, then.”

She folded her thin arms across her chest. “When you followed me to Chicago, I hadn’t had the time I needed to find myself. I was selfish, telling you to go away like I did, and I know I can’t ever make that right. I didn’t really mean what I said about you not being enough. I wasn’t enough. Does that make any sense?”

He nodded, a strange sense of relief washing over him. Brikelle had told him he was enough and he’d believed her. It was nice to hear this from Cally, but he didn’t need it from her.

“So I lied and pushed you away. Then I worked my butt off and I have become ultra-successful. I am enough now, and I know what I want. I want you.” She shook her head sadly. “And you’re married.”

Colt didn’t want to hurt Cally. He was definitely over her, but they’d been friends for so many years and he still cared about her. “I’m not married,” he admitted.

“What?” Her eyes snapped up to meet his.

“It was a misunderstanding, and then Joshua asked us to play along to get to this party and secure Emma and her friends’ work.”

“Colt! That’s so unlike you to lie.”

He winced. “Yeah. It got a little out of hand.”

Her real smile appeared, and he felt a little pang as he remembered how much he used to love her. “But this means … you’re not married, so … Oh, Colt!” She threw her arms around his neck.

Colt half-heartedly patted her back.

“Why didn’t Joshua tell me? He probably knew I wouldn’t come. Oh, but who cares? You’re still mine.” She pressed her lips to his.

Colt was stunned and didn’t react as she kept pressing and pressing. It was so odd. He felt nothing like the sparks and desire Brikelle stirred in him. He could’ve been kissing one of his sisters and probably felt more emotion, because then he would’ve been disgusted that he was kissing them. He laughed at the thought.

“What are you laughing at?” Cally asked breathlessly.

“You. That kiss.” That joke of a kiss, but what he had to say next would be hurtful enough without him explaining how little he felt for her now.

“You’re so happy you’re laughing.” She laughed too, and then she was kissing him again.

Colt managed to free his lips and then pry her arms off of his neck. He shook his head. “Cally. I listened to you; now it’s time you listened to me.”

“Okay.” The fire had gone out of her. Her eyes dimmed and she bit at her lip.

“Why don’t we sit down?” Now that they were both more relaxed, hopefully they could talk like adults and then he could go and find Brikelle, tell Emma the truth, and date his beautiful wife properly. He smiled to himself and glanced back through the dining room windows, but didn’t see Brikelle or Emma. Ezra’s wife waved to him and he waved back.

He and Cally sat in the soft patio chairs and he angled toward her. “I was shattered when you left, and especially when I followed you to Chicago and you didn’t want me.”

“I know. I’m sorry.”

He held up a hand. “It’s okay, Cally. I am proud of you for succeeding, but it was a hard time. I didn’t date much for years, honestly. Then Momma cussed me up one side and down the other that I was getting old and needed to move on and make her grandbabies.”

“Sounds like your mother.”

Colt realized right then and there that his choice of women was dead on. Brikelle had been great with his mom, and his dad had basically given the two of them his blessing. Though both of them had loved Cally, having watched her grow up, they’d also both cautiously expressed concern that Cally wasn’t the woman they saw him ending up with.

“So I tried,” he said. “I forced myself to go on a date every weekend. I let people set me up. I even tried some online sites.”

“Yikes.”

“Yeah, it was miserable. But you know what it did?”

“Made you miss me?” She winked.

“After those first few months, you were pretty much dead to me, Cally.”

“Ouch.” She swallowed and looked out at the lake.

“Sorry, but after Chicago I had to find a way to shut you out of my heart.” He didn’t want to hurt her, but she deserved the truth. “My dog helped.” He grinned, thinking about Ike and how proud he was when Brikelle had patted his head. “Then I dated … a lot. Getting to know a lot of different women made me appreciate when I did find the right one.”

Her eyes narrowed. “That girl?”

“Brikelle,” he corrected. “She’s funny, kind, caring, talented, beautiful. Our marriage is a hoax, but I’ve fallen in love with her through it.” He thought about last night and how he’d ached for her. He could hardly wait to date her properly and hopefully, someday soon, make their marriage real.

Cally grabbed his arm, and her claw-like nails dug into him. “You can’t do this to me.”

Colt laughed at that. “I can’t do this to you? You ruined us five years ago by not sharing your dreams with me and working through it together. I didn’t do this; you did.” He stood. “And it’s past time that I get back to my wife.”

He ignored her sputters and strode to the dining room patio door. Emma stood by it, glowering at him. “Emma, where’s Brikelle?”

“She left.”

“What? Why?”

“When she saw you kissing that … blonde, she asked me if someone could drive her home. Ezra took her home ten minutes ago.”

“No.” Ice ran down his spine. Brikelle was gone?

Cally appeared at the door. Her eyes were cold and sad at the same time. Colt nodded to her, then focused on Emma.

“You’d better figure out what it is you want,” Emma said.

“I know what I want,” Colt told her.

“Then go after her!”

Colt took off for the stairs.

“Don’t worry about your clothes. I’ll get them to you,” Emma called.

“I’m not worrying about my clothes, but I do need my truck keys!”

“Run faster!” she urged.

Colt pounded up the stairs two at a time, grabbed his keys off the dresser, and ran back down the stairs and out the front door.

“No,” he groaned as he reached his truck. He was pinned in by an Escalade, a Porsche, and a flowerbed. Aw, crap. Would Brikelle just go home? What if she left and went straight back to Idaho or something? He’d find her, but he didn’t want any more distance between them. He had to find her quick.

He pivoted back toward the house. Emma and Cally were on the porch. “Go!” Emma yelled.

Cally didn’t say anything, just watched him.

“I need the Porsche or the Escalade to move,” he hollered at Emma.

“Go over the flowerbed, they can fix it.”

He grinned at her. He loved that lady. Running back to his truck, he hopped in and drove straight through the flowerbed, leaving deep, muddy gouges in the expensive landscaping. He glanced in the rearview mirror to see Emma waving happily. Cally was watching him like he was nuts.

He drove twenty miles over the speed limit toward Brikelle’s house. Slamming his truck to a stop in her driveway, his breath rushed out of him. Her car was here. She was here. He could talk to her. He could explain and she would forgive him. Hopefully.

Pounding on the door a few seconds later, he waited and waited and waited. Finally, he tried the door, but it was locked up tight. Was she just ignoring him? He called her number and waited until her voice mail picked up. He called again and listened, not on his phone, but with his ear to the door. Either she had her phone turned off or she wasn’t in there. Had Ezra not brought her home? Where else would she go? He was so frantic to find her, he couldn’t think straight.