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She ran her hand up his chest again. “What do you see?”

“That he leaves you alone far too much.”

His words planted a hard lump in her throat, too big to swallow around. She struggled for a moment before she was able to speak. “I’m fine.”

“No. You’re not.” He threaded his fingers in her hair. When he twisted the strands and raised her head, forcing her to meet his gaze, she gulped back more emotion.

“Don’t look at me that way. Don’t you dare.” She tried to shake him off.

“Like what, Meadow?” His tone was a warm whip across her senses.

“Like you feel sorry for me. Dead mom, dead brother, no father. Sister off in God knows what city.”

His nod only made her choke up again. “You shouldn’t be left alone here.”

“I can make decisions about the ranch. But it sort of runs itself.”

His chest heaved in a sigh.

She cocked a brow. “Does that not-so-small sigh mean that you think otherwise?”

“I think Webb believes he’s got a handle on everything.” He ended on a growl.

She studied him. “You gave Zach that black eye.”

He bristled.

“Why?” she pushed.

The determined way he firmed his jaw told her that he wasn’t willing to share with her.

“Colton, tell me why you punched Zach.”

He grunted. “He runs his goddamn mouth too much.”

A trickle of apprehension lifted the hair on the back of her neck. “Was it about Forest?”

He blinked at her. “Forest? Why would he talk about your brother?”

Realizing he’d loosened his hold on her hair, she ducked her head to avoid his stare. “He and Forest butted heads.”

For long moments, he was silent, as if wrestling with his feelings about Forest.

“Forest felt like Zach had a little too much control. Whenever Forest would try to override his decision, he’d get pissed off. One night, Forest stormed into the house and slammed the door so hard that it cracked. The split is still in the wood.” On the door to her brother’s room. A room that nobody ever entered now.

She continued, needing to get the story out suddenly. “When I asked him what happened, he told me that he and Zach argued. He refused to tell me why…but later, one of the other hands told me that my name was mentioned.”

Colton hooked his finger beneath her chin, drawing her gaze back to his. “And do you know why that was?”

She shook her head. “Do you?”

He swallowed hard. “I can guess.”

When she waited for more, his words came forth in a low rumble. “I think he’s in love with you.”

She jerked into a sitting position. Her hair tumbled over her shoulders to cover her bare breasts, and Colton raked his gaze over her.

“You’re crazy! Zach isn’t in…love with me! He’s my friend.”