Page 14

He blinked. The loser once again. Same story, different day.

Well, he didn’t feel like he’d completely lost. Remi licked her lips every time she won, and that small movement was enough to boost his mood for the entire day.

Remi was the equivalent of thallium poisoning. Killing him slowly.

Colt slid the sling around his neck, and Remi fixed the straps. Then she turned toward the door, dragging him by the collar of his shirt behind her. “Let’s go. You can eat in the car.”

“What am I going to be able to do today with a useless arm?” It was the question that had been burning in his mind all morning. The ranch foreman, Jameson, had set the dislocated shoulder last night and gave Colt the day off today. But the thought of not being able to work and make a living was one of those fears he kept buried deep in the “Do not enter” section of his mind. He had to find some way to make himself useful.

“You can help Ava in the office. She hasn’t been feeling good lately.” Remi stopped at the bottom of the stairs and turned on Colt. “Have you heard anything about what’s wrong with her?”

Colt shrugged one shoulder. “Jameson just said she’s sick. That’s all I know. I can help her out today.”

Great. Crisis averted. He could be useful, even if it meant checking in guests.

Remi grabbed the brown bag off the counter and headed for the door. “Meet you in the car.”

“Do you have a coat? It’ll be cold this evening.”

Remi looked around the room. “No. I left it at home.”

Remi never remembered her coat. It was one of the little things about her that drove him crazy, mostly because he couldn’t stand to watch her shiver. She was also the reason he always kept multiple flannel shirts in his truck.

“There’s one on the dresser in my room. You can’thaveit, but you canborrowit.” Colt made sure to emphasize that part, since Remi was a serial clothing stealer. Every once in a while, he stopped by her place to load up all of his stolen clothes. “Run up and grab it while I make coffee.”

“No time for coffee!” Remi shouted over her shoulder as she took the stairs two at a time.

Colt huffed. He was getting coffee. And if Remi was driving, they were guaranteed to get to the ranch early anyway. The woman drove like the law was chasing her twenty-four seven.

Remi rushed down the stairs and straight out the door. Colt took his time pouring coffee into two disposable cups and making sure the lids were on tight. With Remi behind the wheel, a coffee spill was inevitable without precautions.

On the way to the ranch, Colt alternated taking bites of his breakfast sandwich with feeding Remi bacon and sausage.

They drove up to the main house with three minutes to spare, but Remi still screeched across the gravel like she needed to come in on two wheels.

“Told you we’d make it on time,” Colt said.

“Youmade it on time. I still have to get to the kids’ activities center. Get out.”

Colt opened the creaky door of the Bronco. “Sheesh. You just lost your tip, princess.”

“Out!”

Colt closed the door and turned to wave with a big smile on his face. “Bye. See you at lunch.”

Remi rolled down the window. “Will you save me some cobbler?”

“What will you do for me?” Colt asked.

Remi gasped, and the familiar wrinkle between her brows let him know he’d gotten under her skin. “I brought you breakfast!”

“Okay, okay. Cobbler. Got it.”

Grinning, Remi shifted into reverse. “I knew there was a reason I kept you around.”

“Cobbler and my good looks,” Colt said.

She backed out and slung gravel as she headed toward the north path.