Page 80 of Ride Me Reckless

Colt didn’t speak right away.

And somehow, that silence told me more than any yes or no ever could.

I didn’t ask him to stay.

I just sat there, hoping he’d say it on his own.

Chapter Twenty-Two

What Matters Most

Colt

The road home rolled out before us, familiar and sun-warmed, but I barely noticed the hills or the way the afternoon light filtered through the pines. My thoughts were still back in that grocery store parking lot, where Art’s voice came crackling over the speakerphone with that damn tempting offer.

Jet to Dallas. Full expenses covered. Quick turnaround.

It should’ve been easy to say yes.

“I could tell you were tempted,” she said, voice gentle, cutting through my thoughts. “Back there with Art.”

I kept my eyes on the road. “It wasn’t just the offer. It was the trust behind it. Guy, green as spring grass, buys a ranch and he comes to me for help. That means something.”

“I know,” she said, not judging—just… understanding.

I glanced at her, then back at the winding road ahead. “My daddy would’ve told me to get my butt on that jet. You commit,you show up. Don’t matter if it’s a branding, a handshake, or a million-dollar bull.”

“But your daddy didn’t have a pregnant girlfriend with a heartbeat check on the calendar,” she said, her lips twitching into a small smile.

I huffed a dry laugh. “No. No, he didn’t.”

She shifted slightly in her seat, angling toward me. “Colt, I heard the whole call. I know you didn’t commit yet. So, let’s figure it out together.”

I glanced over, surprised by her calm. “You’re not mad?”

“I’m practical,” she said. “Besides, you’re not just some ranch hand anymore. You’ve got options. And Art seems like the kind of guy who’d understand if you’re honest.”

“I was thinking,” I said slowly, “if he sends photos and videos of the bulls ahead of time—before the sale—I can give him a read. Build, movement, how they handle in the pen. Might even spot a bad attitude or a limp from here.”

She smiled. “That’s exactly what I was hoping you’d say.”

I exhaled slowly. “I want to help him. I do. But I’m not missing that ultrasound of our child.”

Her hand found mine on the console between us, warm and steady. “Good. Because I need you there, but more than that, I want you there.”

I gave her fingers a gentle squeeze. “You sure about this? I mean, he offered good money.”

She snorted. “Colt, you’re already a millionaire. It’s not like it used to be for us, scraping for every dollar. You really gonna miss our baby’s first close-up for a few thousand bucks and a hotel bar in Dallas?”

That pulled a laugh from deep in my chest. “You make a strong case, darlin’.”

“Damn right I do.”

We fell quiet again. The turn signal clicked as we turned into the driveway.

“I’ll call Art back after we unload the truck.”

I cut the engine, but neither of us moved right away. We just sat there, the kind of quiet that didn’t ask for filling.