Page 50 of Braving the Storm

“Well, when I know how much you love it… can you blame me?”

“Sounds like you’ve got too much time on your hands these days if you’ve got the opportunity to call me up and chit chat. Wanna gossip on the phone all night with me, sunshine?”

“Christ.” I can hear the shudder in his voice, and can’t help smirking to myself.

“Well, then, spit it out, old fella.”

“We’re the same age.”

“Last I checked, you’ve got at least a year or two on me. So, I’ll take the win and the buckle, thank you.”

The line crackles for a moment, and I can picture him scrubbing his hand over his face.

“As much as I feel like I’m going to regret asking, can you bring your ugly ass up here tomorrow and saddle up with us?” After a pause, the radio clicks on again. “Snow forecast is all clear.”

Up on this mountain, we spend an awful lot of time planning around the weather, especially so when it’s this time of year and while Spring might be showing her pretty little face, conditions can still turn on a dime and get treacherous real fucking fast.

“The roads are looking good, shouldn’t be a problem.” Along with snow and ice and every other goddamn complication that tends to come with a last flurry of winter is the risk of rockfall. While the Sheriff runs a tight ship with his crew, who work their asses off to reopen the mountain as quickly as possible, there’s always something that invariably goes south real fast.

You can’t ever take it for granted out here. I suppose that’s partly why I enjoy this place. It’s a challenge living in the wilderness.

“That niece of yours coming along, too? Get Briar up on a horse and show her some real riding.”

My throat tightens. I damn well know that Colt is beyondobsessed with his girl. Yet, the mere mention of her name by another man?

Fuck, I’ve gotta get this shit together where she’s concerned.

Tightening my fist around the radio handset, I pinch my brow. “Yep. She’ll be there.”

I hate the idea of leaving her alone, more than the concept of her being around Kayce and his golden-boy charm all day. So, I guess seeing her on a horse and laughing at his dumb fucking jokes is just a reality I’m gonna have to endure.

“She’s not confident enough to be around cattle.” I tack on abruptly.

“Sure. Layla said she’s a fast learner, though.”

Jesus Christ, I’m instantly transported back to last night and all manner ofwrongthings occupying my mind on repeat where teaching my niece is concerned.

“You good?” Colt says. He must’ve said something, and I completely missed it because I swear to god I can detect the scent of her arousal again, and my dick fucking well leaps to attention.

I’m on the radio with Colton Wilder, and my cock is thickening inside my jeans, and fuck my life, I need to end this conversation.

“Yeah, I gotta run.” I bite out the words. “Be there in the morning.”

“Got it.”

I toss the handset back in its cradle so hard it nearly cracks.

Dropping my head back against the seat, I drag both hands through my hair.

Last night was a mistake. A really fucking good one at the time, but it was reckless of me, and I don’t know what I was thinking other than that I wasn’t thinking, and mostly that I hated the idea of her being out on a date today.

So yeah, I might have indulged in a fantasy that shouldn’t have happened between us because I was jealous of what a guy like Westin could openly have with Briar.

Maybe the sick part of me wanted to make sure she would bedistracted and thinking about what we did last night instead of listening to his charming goddamn ranch stories.

Maybe I’m just a miserable old bastard who deserves all the shit I’ve had in my life. Who deserves to be alone.

But fuck, I haven’t been able to scrub her from my mind all day, and I’m pissed off at myself for starting something that I can’t finish.