She stepped up to me, holding my shoulders in a grip that was sure to leave bruises as she looked me over from top to bottom.
“I’m sorry, you had sex with Colton Crawford and you’re just now telling me?”
Shrugging off her hands, I made my way back over to the desk in the corner near the kitchen’s entrance.
“Who said it was with Colton?” I responded casually.
“Well, if it had been anyone else, the news would have spread like wildfire. You were always the girl the guys in school had bets on banging. Was it good? I bet he’s amazing in bed.”
Turning to face her with my lukewarm tea in hand, I replied, “Wait, let’s back up a sec. There were bets on taking my virginity?”
“I don’t know if that was the full extent of it, but yeah. The guys in school were determined to land you.”
“And everyone wonders why I never wanted to move back.”
“Hey, no one succeeded because you’re tough as nails. I’m assuming douchebag in New York had the pleasure of popping your cherry. Probably a good thing too, because Colton looks like he knows exactly what he’s doing between the sheets.”
“He really does,” I murmured and then smacked a hand over my mouth. “Shit.”
“Oh, man. I knew it. That man has had eyes for you since the moment he stepped onto the farm.”
“It’s just sex, Alex. He’s still a huge sports star and probably has jobs lined up back in New York or Los Angeles. This is probably a temporary stay for him.” I remembered him mentioning the possibility of a sister and that made it even more clear he was probably not staying in Ashfield. Colton seemed like the kind of guy to move close to his family.
“Plus, I haven’t made any decisions about what I’m doing yet.”
Alex grunted at the last comment, as I knew she would. I didn’t want to tell her that a little part of me wanted to stay so I could get as much time with Colton as I could. I knew it was irrational that my chest tightened when I thought about him leaving, but it was a fact nonetheless.
Walking over to my sister, I wrapped my arms around her waist and rested my head between her shoulder blades. “Would it make you feel better if I told you that Colton is taking me out tonight?”
“Mildly.”
“Knoxville isn’t that far away, Alex. Even if I don’t stay in Ashfield, I won’t be any farther away than Andrew is now.”
“Yeah, but it’s not the same. I’ve missed you these last few years. And you’re my sister.”
“I know,” I said, releasing my hold of her.
“Plus, I can’t talk to Andrew about the guy that stopped in last night and stayed in my apartment.”
“Oh! Is he new to town?”
“No. He said he was just passing through. You know I don’t do commitment anyway.”
Alex had a tough exterior, but the biggest heart of anyone I knew. But she was terrified of relationships and ducked out before she could ever get hurt.
“Any idea what he was here for? Aspen said some developers were sniffing around the property again.”
“Fucking leeches,” she mumbled to herself. “The topic of his occupation didn’t come up while his face was buried between my legs.”
“Alex!”
“What? That man had a hell of a tongue. He does have twin girls, though.”
“Oh, my God. He’s married?” I shouted as I felt my eyebrows shoot up on my forehead in surprise. Alex had always been extremely cautious when it came to the men she took home from the bar, especially since she lived above it. Don’t sleep where you work was her motto.
“He’s not. He’s newly divorced and his kids are little.”
“Thought you said you two didn’t spend a lot of time talking?”
“We didn’t. I overheard him telling the guy seated beside him at the bar.”
“Could he be lying?”
“Nope. And it’s fine, Autumn. You don’t have to worry about me.”
“I’ve spent my entire life worrying about you all.”
“We know,” she said as she turned to reach for the notebook on the floor. “Maybe it’s time you let someone worry about you for a change.”
Thinking of the way Colton took care of me the other night, I couldn’t fight off the idea that maybe I should.
The rest of the morning passed quickly as I helped Alex at the bar and then we went to my favorite Indian restaurant for lunch. They had a killer buffet that I absolutely overindulged in. I opted not to tell her that Max had continued to message me non-stop. I never read the texts, but it was becoming a nuisance.
Back at the ranch, I stood in my childhood room sifting through the closet trying to find something to wear. Colton hadn’t said what time he was picking me up, so I started getting ready around four. I didn’t even have the man’s number to call and ask if he could give me an idea of a more specific time.
The clock was inching toward six and there was still no sign of Colton, which worked in my favor because I had no idea what I was going to wear. Mainly because I had no clue what he had planned for the night.
“Autumn!” my mother’s voice rang clearly through the house. It was clear she was calling from the front door at the bottom of the stairs solely by the way her voice carried. “You have a guest.”
