Page 45 of Wildflowers & Whiskey

She doesn't stop. “Colt is one of the kindest people I've ever met. He would forgive you for whatever—”

“I said fucking leave it.”

It comes out like something that's been under pressure for a long time. I turn toward her and catch the moment she takes a step back, enough that the sight of it stops me cold.

I've built the wall around me so high that, at some point, I forgot there are people on the other side of it. People who try to climb it, chip away at it, without knowing what they’ll find on the other side. So what do I do? Reinforce it. Same as we've been doing with these fences all morning.

It can’t come down, because if it does, I fear I will break with it.

Maeve’s eyes hold mine, steady and careful, watery but not spilling. Her voice comes out even and measured. More composed than what I could even muster right now.

“Mr. Carter. I'd like to go back to the ranch, please.”

Chapter Sixteen

Colt

Spoon to mouth, I hear the door of the main house slam, loud, forceful thuds echoing through to the kitchen, followed by the slam of a door upstairs. Couldn’t be anyone else but her. She wasn’t expected back until supper at least.

I check the old gold watch, a hand-me-down from my gramps, it’s only early afternoon. Far too early for them to have fixed the rear ranch fences.

The twist in my stomach tells me something went wrong. And that something is likely Wade.

Do I leave Maeve be, or do I check on her? Will she think I am overbearing? I need to stop getting in my head about her; she likes me. She said as much. A friend would check on another friend. And that’s what we are… friends.

As I make my way up the steps, I can hear her mumble to herself in her room, a steady rhythm of steps indicating she is pacing the room. Something definitely is wrong.

I knock. “Maeve, it’s me. Can I come in?”

The pacing stops. A beat of silence, then the door opens.

“You good?” I stare down at her, taken aback by how beautifully blue her watery eyes are. A sight that makes my heart skip a beat but also break.

Maeve drags the back of her hand across her cheek, wiping away the signs of her upset.

“Just having a moment, that’s all.” She forces a smile that doesn't quite reach the blue of her eyes. “I’ll be fine.”

“Well, how about we do something to get you out of that moment? Anything you want, we will do it.”

My therapist would say this is one of those behaviours that I need to keep an eye on. A chronic need to fix other people's pain at my expense. And she’d be right; I’ve got work backed up that desperately needs doing. But standing here, looking at Maeve, I genuinely couldn't care less.

“Let’s go out! Like out-out!” She exclaims, still sniffly.

“Out-out? It’s two in the afternoon?”

She lets out a loud laugh, almost forced. “Not now, you eejit. Later! That Lone Coyote bar in town. I want to go.” She clasps her hands together and bats her eyelashes with absolutely zero subtlety. “Pleeeease.”

“Puppy-dog eyes. Really?” I lean against the doorframe, fighting my own smile. “Fine. After supper, let’s go out-out.” My hands do the air quotations when saying out-out—must be a British thing. “Better put your dancing boots on because it’s Wild & Western Wednesday.”

“Surely it can't be that wild on a Wednesday?”

I think of the last Wild & Western Wednesday I witnessed. “You have absolutely no idea.”

I haven't been out in months. Not since Jae left town, so I am just as excited as the cute girl jumping next to me, placing her hands on my arms.

“I am so ready for tonight! I want a margs, country style, pronto. See what all the hype is about in the songs.”

My lord, she is definitely not from here, but the joy on her face prevents me from telling her that they are likely just gonna be as good as she would be back in London. I scruff her hair slightly, she swats me immediately, and we head for the door, nearly running into Bryan and Wade coming the other way.