Page 84 of Colt

My voice is gruff when I reply, “At least three.”

“You really must not sleep.”

“Not much, no.”

Her eyes meet mine across the table. They’re alive with laughter, the unspoken joke about sex and sleep hanging in the air between us.

I gotta pump the brakes. It’s not normal to be able to communicate like this after interacting with someone less than a handful of times. I don’t wanna miss this woman when she’s gone. Because she is leaving.

I don’t want my son to miss her either. There’ve been enough painful exits in his life already.

But I can’t make myself get up from the table.

Instead, I sit and talk and eat. Dean wants to play thorns and roses again, so we do. Lainey asks what we love about living on a ranch and what the challenges are.

“I went to business school thinking I’d eventually land a marketing job in private equity or maybe just finance in general.”

I screw up my face. “Private equity?”

“You don’t approve, I take it.” Lainey grins.

“Just doesn’t feel like you.”

She looks up from her plate. “How so?”

“Weren’t you just howling at the ceiling? I mean moon? And you say you like drawing and stuff. Private equity…seems kinda dry for someone as creative as you are.”

Her eyelashes flutter. I expect a witty reply, but instead she reaches for her Shiner and takes one of those long, thirsty sips that has my dick perking up.

“I’ve been telling myself that I can be creative in any marketing position.” She speaks slowly, choosing her words with care. “There’s a lot of prestige that comes with working in a field like private equity. I want to build a nice life, you know? Make my own money. Make good money. Seeing what happened with my mom…”

Knew it.

“What happened?” I wipe my mouth on my napkin. “If you’re uncomfortable talking about it⁠—”

“No, no. It’s okay. Just, my mom stayed home to raise us, so she’s never really had a career. Now she’s completely dependent on my dad, and…yeah, I’m not sure how happy they are. We actually got into a fight right before you and I⁠—”

“Right.” I feel a hot flush working its way up my neck. “Sounds like we both were going through some stuff that day. What did y’all fight about?”

“She thinks I need to grow up and get a, quote unquote, real job. One where I go into a real office every day. It’s like she totally discounts all the work I put into this.” She motions to the room around us. “Not your house, obviously. But into the work I’m already doing. The time I spend researching, the hours on social media seeing what’s on-trend, all the classes I took on this stuff, the networking I’ve done… It’s like none of it matters.”

My heart twists. “She doesn’t understand it.”

“It’s like she doesn’t understand me, and that’s frustrating. I’m trying to find a big girl job⁠—”

“You know I’m only opposed to you doing your job here on my family’s property.”

She sighs. “Not helpful.”

“But I do see how hard you work, Lainey.” My heart throbs as the words leave my mouth. “Far as I’m concerned, you work just as hard as we do. You care, and that counts.”

She looks like she’s about to either laugh or burst into tears. “Awful rich, coming from the guy who wants me gone.”

“Both things can be true at once,” I say softly.

“Since when are you one to embrace subtlety?”

I grin. “Since I met you. So what’s your mom’s story?”