Page 97

Remi

Remi twirled into Colt’s arms, landing securely against his chest as the song ended. Tilting her chin up, she halted as Colt’s dark eyes raked over her face. The deep swells of his chest moved against her, and she fought to take in one decent breath.

She’d missed him, but absence wasn’t enough to bring on the storm building inside her.

Colt slowly brushed a hand up her neck, trailing the pad of his thumb over her jaw. He held her gaze, and she forced a shallow breath. A staring contest. Now? She couldn’t take it.

His fingers slid into her hair, and the intensity of his stare burned hotter.

The truth sucked out the last bit of air in her lungs. He was going to kiss her, and she’d never wanted anything like she wanted his lips on hers. Not a drink, not a drug. Colt. She wanted Colt. She wanted him heart, body, and mind.

A choice stared her in the face: win the contest or take that first step toward a life with Colt.

She broke the stare and looked at his lips. She’d made her decision, and there were no regrets. She chose Colt and waited for him to make the next move.

Instead of kissing her, he tipped her chin up, bringing her gaze back up to his.

He brushed his thumb over her cheek, adoring her like they were the only people in the room. “I love you.”

Remi’s gasp could be heard over the shuffle of people as the dancers waited for the next song. Love. He loved her. She’d known it, but something inside her clicked into place.

He took a deep breath. “I love you, and I’m saying it in public because I’m hoping you won’t make a scene.”

She laughed. Laughed!

The color in Colt’s face drained.

She grabbed his arm, pulling his hand from her hair. “Can we go home?”

Colt nodded and led the way back to the table where she gulped half the glass of water before grabbing Colt’s flannel shirt. He held it while she slid her arms in.

When he waved at Ridge and Cheyenne on the dance floor, Remi grabbed his other hand, squeezing it in hers.

Wait. Please wait for me.Could he feel her plea?

The ride home was quiet, but she kept her hand in his. Her firm grip begged him to hang on.

They quietly slipped into the cabin where Stella raised up from the couch where she’d been dozing.

She stretched and stood. “You’re home early.”

Remi shrugged. “It was fun, but I got homesick.”

Stella patted Remi’s shoulder as she headed toward the door to slip on her shoes. “Call me any time you want to go out. The kids are no problem at all.”

“Thanks for coming over.”

“It was my pleasure.” Stella winked at Colt over her shoulder as she reached for the door.

“See you tomorrow,” Colt said as he opened the door for Stella.

When the silence settled in the cabin, neither of them moved until the rumble of Stella’s engine faded.

Colt kept his hand on the doorknob when he looked up at Remi. She’d taken a small step at Barn Sour, but he’d gone all in with a moon landing sized jump.

He loved her, and she could finally see the impact of that love. It had prompted her to announce their engagement, pushed her to marry him, and forced her to realize that he’d been silently showing her that love for years.

She pulled his flannel shirt tighter around her as she took one step toward him. “About what you said–”