Chapter 3

Misty lingered at the Eagles Hall, dancing mostly with Colton and occasionally with Beau. She wanted to make sure Joe had a chance to get home and hoped he would be passed out and sound asleep by the time she was delivered by the Garretts. She didn’t want to have any kind of ugly confrontation with Joe while he was drunk. Tomorrow, she would show her dad the check and get him to sign it for deposit only. Then she would make sure it got to the bank, hopefully without an all-out battle with Joe.

In the meantime, she was having a great evening being entertained by both charming brothers. After the interlude with Joe, both the Garretts seemed to step up to the task of taking her mind off her troubles.

When Colton led her to the dance floor, she was very aware of him, of his hands guiding her, of his very muscular arms surrounding her, of his granite-hard chest when he pulled her close for a slow dance.

Careful, girl. He’s just being nice. You can’t fall for him.

When she yawned, Colt pushed back from the table and stood up. He pulled her chair out. “Guess you’re turning into a pumpkin. Time to take you home.”

Reluctantly, she stood and smiled up at him. “Thanks to both of you for babysitting me tonight. I’m sure you had better things to do.”

Colt took her hand and pressed a kiss against her palm. “Not me. This was the most fun I’ve had in a long time.”

A shiver ran down her spine given the intensity of his gaze and the brush of his lips against her flesh. She swallowed hard. “Th—thanks. It was great fun for me.”

He pressed her palm against his chest, and she could feel the reverberation of his heartbeat. Somehow, this steady rhythm reached out to annex her as a part of him.

A shiver spiraled through her body as she stared into the bluest eyes on the planet. All of her senses were completely aware of this man, as though someone had flipped a switch and suddenly she was alive.

Colt ran his other hand up and down her bare arm. “Cold?”

Misty shook her head, unwilling to search for the words to explain how she was feeling.

“I had a good time too, and now I’m out of here,” Beau added. He scraped his chair back and rose to his feet. “But I think Colt got the best end of the deal. Goodnight. I’m going home.” He winked at her and headed for the door.

Although the hall was full of people, Misty felt as though she was suddenly alone with Colton. He gazed down at her, holding her close but not close enough. A sudden ache washed through her. She wasn’t sure what more she wanted from him, but she wanted more.

Rising on her tiptoes, she raised her chin, and a smile flickered on Colt’s lips.

He wrapped both arms around her and lifted her against him. A brief glance before his lips met hers.

Misty circled his neck with her arms and enjoyed the best kiss she had ever received. Pressed so tightly against him, she could feel her heartbeat pulsing her body.

Colt’s mouth was all she could think about as the kiss continued, his tongue caressing hers, inciting her entire body into a state of arousal she had never experienced before.

When at last he drew back, he held her for a moment, still gazing into her eyes as though asking a question before setting her back on her feet.

Silently, he took her hand, leading the way out of the Eagles Hall and into the cool night. They walked down the stairs together and stepped onto the pea gravel of the parking area, their boots making a crunching sound with each step.

Misty glanced up at the moon, sharply defined in the clear night sky. A million stars shone brightly to accompany it, but the moon took center stage, almost half full.

She looked at Colt, his handsome face bathed in moonlight.

“I hope you’ll be able to have dinner with me tomorrow night.” He arranged his Stetson on his head, throwing his expressive face into shadow. “We still need to celebrate your birthday in style.”

“I hope so too,” she said. “There was no other celebration. I didn’t even tell Dad it was my birthday. I didn’t want him to feel bad about forgetting it.”

Colt huffed out a breath. “Too bad. I’m pretty certain we can do better.” He lifted her hand to kiss the back of her fingers.

When they reached his truck, Colton held the passenger door open for her. He gave her a hand up into the cab, and when she was settled, slammed the door with a solid thunk.

Colt climbed in on the driver’s side and reached behind him. He pulled a jacket from the back seat and wrapped it around Misty’s shoulders.

She gave him a smile of acknowledgment as he started the big diesel motor. The truck roared to life as he revved the engine a couple of times, then put it in gear and drove out of the Eagles parking lot.

Once on the highway, it was as though theirs was the only vehicle on the road that night. It was a long, straight highway, bathed in moonlight, the darkness falling off on either side as they sped along.

A country station was playing softly on the radio, the only sound other than the diesel engine’s soft whine.

Misty lolled her head back, and Colt reached for her hand. It felt nice. It felt as though someone cared, which hadn’t happened for a long time.

When Colton turned onto the farm-to-market road leading to the Dalton ranch, Misty sat up, alert to see what was going on at the house.

The family truck was parked close to the house, so obviously Joe had made it home safely. All the lights were off, which gave her hope that he was sound asleep and wouldn’t confront her about the check when she went inside. She heaved a sigh of relief.

Colton drew to a stop and put the truck in gear. He opened the door and reached out a hand to help her down.

Walking to the front door, her hand tucked in the crook of Colt’s arm, she reflected that this had been a great day for the most part. Sad that they had to sell the horses, but great that they had received a significant amount of money from the sale. And best of all was the time she had spent with Colton. She had no idea what their relationship was, or if they had one, but for this moment in time, her insides were buoyant.

Colt’s arm felt like steel with a warm layer of flesh over it. She couldn’t imagine what he did to develop muscles like that, but whatever it was, she found the result thrilling.

At the front door, he gazed down at her tenderly before cupping her face in his big hands. He leaned down to kiss her and then wrapped her in his arms for a hug.

“Go on inside, Misty. I hope to see you tomorrow.”

She expelled a sigh. “I’m not going in the house.” At his puzzled expression, she went on. “In case Joe gets ugly, I’m just going to sleep in the little house out back.”

“Then I’ll see you to that door,” he said.

She nodded, leading the way behind the main house, past the barn to the little cottage tucked away by itself, out of sight.

“What is this place?” Colton asked.

“My dad built it for the couple who live with us, Paco and Rosa Hernandez. They’ve been with my family since before I was born.”

“And you’re going to stay with them tonight?”

Smiling, she shook her head. “Just me. The Hernandezes moved into the big house when my dad became ill. Rosa is a great help, and Paco has completely taken over tending the livestock.”

“And you’re going to be okay out here all by yourself?” Colton’s expression touched her deeply.

“Sure. Want to see inside? It’s adorable. I’ve fixed it up some since it’s been vacant.” She opened the door and flicked on a small lamp. A soft glow spread around the room.

Colton looked oversized in the small space. “This is real nice, Misty. It looks homey.”

She let out a giggle. “It looks girly. I’ve treated it like my own dollhouse. Being the only female, I guess I needed a place to be a girl.”

He grinned at that, grabbing her and lifting her as he spun around in a circle. “You go ahead and be a girl all you want. I love your girly stuff.” He stopped, gazing up at her. “In fact, I love everything about you.” His voice had become husky on the last part.

The intensity in his eyes caused a warm flush to spread through her insides. Slowly, he lowered her until they were at eye level.

Without thinking, she wrapped her arms and legs around him, clinging to him and feeling the heat coil through her.

He held her tight against him, cupping her butt with one hand and her head with the other. The first kiss felt as though a lit match had landed on dry tinder. The next felt like a full-fledged forest fire.

She tugged at his shirt, and then clothing started falling to the floor, first his shirt and then hers. He tentatively stroked her shoulder, his fingers caressing her bra strap, as though asking permission to go on. Misty released the breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding then met his gaze. The intensity scorched her.

He glanced around and headed through the door to the small bedroom. Once again, he hesitated. “Are you sure you want this?”

She nodded. “I need you.” Her voice came out low and raspy, like the growl of a feral animal.

He set her on her feet and slid the bra strap from her shoulder, tracing the line first with his finger and then with his lips. His touch sent swirls of passion spiraling low in her belly.

Grinning, he unbuckled her belt, stripped it from its loops, and then dropped it beside the bed. “You can do me,” he offered, spreading his arms.

Misty fumbled with the Western buckle, but suddenly it was open, and she pulled on it, as Colton had done, and then slid the belt from around his waist. Nerves got the best of her, and she giggled.

Colton gathered her in his arms and kissed her. He eased her back onto the bed then stood back gazing down at her. “I swear, Misty. You’re so beautiful I just can’t stop looking at you.”

She felt a rush of heat, and a deep blush crept up from her neck. “I’m not beautiful,” she denied. “I’m just…me.”

“That’s plenty good enough for me.” Colton grabbed one of her boots and wrested it off before going after the other one. “I think you’re beautiful, and nothing you say will change my mind.” He pulled off her socks and held both of her bare feet in his hands. “Your feet are cold. Let me warm them up for you.” He rested them against his rock-hard abs and rubbed them with both hands.

He couldn’t possibly know how vulnerable she was or how starved for affection. Everything he did overwhelmed her, both physically and emotionally.

She sucked in a breath and reached to unfasten the waistband of her denims, but Colt was watching her intently. When she fumbled with the zipper, he kissed the sole of her foot and placed them both on the bed before leaning over her with an expression of such tenderness she almost cried out.

Colt finished opening the zipper and gently slipped the jeans off, devouring her with his gaze. “So beautiful,” he whispered. He deftly removed his own boots and Wranglers before divesting himself of his underwear.

Misty tried not to stare, but she couldn’t help herself. Her heartbeat pulsed in her ears, almost frightening in its strength.

Colton picked up his Wranglers and removed something from his wallet before stepping closer. When he climbed onto the bed beside her, every fiber of her being was on fire with anticipation. She didn’t want to show him how inexperienced she was, but she yearned to be loved by this man, and she wasn’t sure how to let him know.

All at once he was kissing her…touching her…setting her on fire. She arched against him, grazing her nipples against the dark hair swirling across his chest. A sound escaped her throat, and that was all it took to push Colton into overdrive. He touched her and kissed her, heightening her frenzy. He took a moment to don a condom before entering her.

Colton had teased and pleased her. Now he set about to bring all her hungry desires to a head. Rhythmic stroking hit all her nerve endings until she reached the pinnacle of desire and everything shifted into slow motion. She couldn’t think. Couldn’t breathe…could only feel the building of sensation that finally, deliciously, culminated in a detonation of passion.

She lay in his arms, exhausted and exhilarated at the same time. Never in her limited experience had she ever felt as though she were part of an explosion.

“Misty,” he whispered, his lips against her temple. “That was amazing.”

She nodded, not sure what to say. Her heart was still pounding in her ears, and she couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

He held her for some time, gently stroking her hair and kissing her. “Misty, I didn’t know we would be together like this, but this whole evening has been important to me. I feel that we have something special between us. I hope you feel the same.”

She nodded, unable to form coherent speech.

He kissed her forehead. “I guess I better go. I don’t think your father or brothers would like to find me here.”

Misty felt a sudden sense of loss. She didn’t want to even think of how bad it would be to have her brothers find her naked in Colton Garrett’s arms…but she didn’t want to let him go, either. “You’re right.” She tore herself out of his embrace. “I guess you had better leave.”

“I’m hoping you’ll be able to give me some good news tomorrow.”

“Good news?” she asked.

“Dinner. If I’m lucky, your father will feel well enough for me to take you to dinner tomorrow.”

She smiled, warming at the thought that she might be with him again. “Me too.”

He climbed out of bed, retrieved his clothes, and pulled them back on. Leaning onto the bed, he gathered the comforter around her and kissed her. “Give me a call later. Let me know when we can get together.” He handed her a card with his number on it, and she clasped it to her bosom. “You already have my cell number in your phone. This has the ranch number on it as well. Good night, Misty, and thanks for spending your evening with me.” He gave her another quick kiss on the cheek and straightened.

She followed him to the door, dragging the comforter behind her. From the window, she watched him return to the truck and drive away. She also hoped her dad would have a good day tomorrow.

Returning to the bedroom, she gathered her clothing and picked up the check that had fallen from her bra. Her priorities reached out and gave her a mental smack on the head. “Yeah, I know what I have to do.”

* * *

Colton climbed in his truck and rolled as quietly as possible away from the Dalton homestead. He hated leaving Misty alone. All he had wanted was to stay with her, but he didn’t want to cause any trouble with her family. Leaving her caused an ache in his chest.

He only knew one thing about the delicious Misty Dalton. He had to have more. No matter the consequences, he wasn’t about to let her get away from him.

Turning onto the main highway, he heaved a sigh. This one’s a keeper.

He didn’t encounter any other vehicles on the stretch of highway between the Dalton and the Garrett ranches. His headlights cut a path through the darkness, making him feel like the only human left on the planet.

When he turned in at the big horseshoe-shaped gate marking the entrance to the private drive leading to the Garrett ranch house, he was thinking about the possibility of taking Misty to dinner and ways he could make it a special evening for her.

The big, rambling Spanish-style ranch house was quiet. Big Jim had apparently retired.

The lights were out in the wing that Leah, Gracie, and Fern Davis—Leah’s grandmother—were currently occupying while waiting for Ty to return from his tour and for their new house to be built.

Colton parked and got out of his truck as quietly as possible, but when he went into the house, he was surprised to find Beau watching a rerun of The Walking Dead in the front room.

“Hey, Bubba,” he said in a soft voice.

“Don’t call me that,” Colton snapped. “It’s after three in the morning. Isn’t it past your bedtime, Little Brother?”

Beau chuckled. “But not yours. You must have gotten a little action from the lovely Misty Dalton.”

“Shut up!” Colt huffed out a sigh. “I really like her, so just back off.”

Beau continued to give Colton a hard time about being so obviously smitten with Misty. “I mean, Bro, you’re supposed to be cool. Play hard to get.”

“I don’t want to play hard to get. I want her to know I’ll be easy to get…for her.” He opened the buttons on his shirt, intending to head for his bedroom.

“But you just met this girl,” Beau protested.

Colton ignored his brother and made his way down the hall to his room as quietly as possible, hoping not to awaken anyone. He managed to strip out of his clothes and take a quick shower but decided to raid the refrigerator before climbing into bed. He pulled on his denims again and walked barefoot down the hall.

He turned on the light in the kitchen and was surprised when his dad joined him.

“Late night for you,” Big Jim commented.

Colt shook his head, grinning. “Dancing at the Eagles Hall.”

Big Jim slouched in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “Anyone special catch your eye?”

Colt narrowed his gaze. “And Little Brother has been shooting off his mouth, hasn’t he?”

Big Jim snorted. “A little bird did happen to mention that you were dancing with one particular young lady.”

“Guilty. A very pretty one at that.” Colt reached in the refrigerator for a package of sliced turkey and the jar of mayonnaise. He opened the bread and took out four slices, laying them out on a plate.

“The Dalton girl?” Big Jim’s forehead furrowed as he arched a brow. “She’s a little young, don’t you think?”

“I’m a few years older, but I don’t think that’s much of a difference.”

Big Jim pushed away from the doorframe, standing with his feet as wide apart as his wide shoulders. He shoved his hands in the pockets of his Wranglers. His mouth was set firmly as though he was holding back on something.

Colton regarded his father, steeling himself for resistance. “Actually, I’m thinking she’s just right for me. At least, everything about her seems that way to me.” He recalled how perfectly their bodies had fit together and how sweet her lips had tasted. Swallowing hard, he slathered mayonnaise on all the bread and began dealing out slices of smoked turkey. “Do you have a problem with the Daltons, Dad?”

“Just be careful. I heard they were having some trouble financially. That girl might be looking at you to bail them out…you know, baiting the hook.”

Colton felt his jaw tighten but tried to maintain an easy inflection to his voice. “She said they were having trouble. Her dad is sick…dying, in fact.” He glanced at Big Jim and saw him flinch.

“I didn’t know that. Sorry. What’s going to happen to the kids when he passes?”

“Don’t know. We didn’t discuss it, but Misty is taking care of her father, and she seems to be taking care of her brothers as well.”

Big Jim frowned. “That’s a big load for someone so young.”

Colton filled a tall glass with cold milk and returned the jug to the refrigerator. “You’re right. She turned twenty-two this past week and didn’t even tell her dad it was her birthday because she didn’t want to upset him. I think she’s a pretty special person.”

Big Jim stood in the doorway, his face grim. “Sad.”

Colton took his plate and glass to the table and seated himself. “Take a seat, Dad. If you have a lecture for me, we might as well be comfortable.”

Big Jim stepped away from the doorway. “I didn’t say I was going to lecture you.” He pulled out a chair and settled his big frame in it, resting his forearms on the table. “I’m just concerned, that’s all. I don’t want you to get involved with the wrong kind of girl, Son.”

“You haven’t even met her.” Colt leveled a questioning gaze at his father. “I think even you would be impressed.”

Big Jim scowled. “I take it you intend to see this young lady again.”

Colton nodded, stuffing a bite of sandwich in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed, eyeing his father. “If Mr. Dalton is doing well tomorrow, I’m going to take her to dinner. If not…” He shrugged. “There will definitely be another time.”