Chapter Eight

Days after Gus had kissed him, Colton still couldn’t get it out of his mind. It was making his nights restless. Long, hot, sensual dreams where Gus would come to him in the middle of the night, soft, fiery, and ready for him were causing him to wake up too hot and too bothered.

That didn’t stop him from helping Gus out whenever he could. After a morning of phone calls and chores, he was working in an upstairs room with her, reinstalling the ceiling.

It was a little strange at first, especially after their argument. They hadn’t spoken much after she helped fix their fence and went home to work on the park project she was trying to land, but he was determined to play it as normal as possible.

“Colton, nails,” Gus said from below. She stepped up onto the bottom rung of the ladder and shook the nails in his direction. “You seem out of it. Are you getting enough sleep?”

“I have some things on my mind with Farm to You,” he said. It was an easy explanation, though not entirely true. Sure, he had had spent the weekend catching up with his business in San Francisco. Slowly, but surely he was getting into the swing of working remotely. They hadn’t taken on any new contracts this month, but their existing clients were happy that he was still available and for the most part pretty understanding.

Truth be told, it wasn’t the company he was currently losing sleep over. It was Gus. Because every time he closed his eyes at night, that kiss would replay in his mind.

But, Gus had set a boundary, and he was determined to respect it, even if all he wanted to do was press her against a wall, bury his hands in that lush wavy hair of hers, and kiss her senseless—kiss her until they both forgot about the past and could only think of the here and now.

He grabbed the box of nails and passed them up. Her fingers brushed against his as she took the box.

Gus busied herself installing gypsum board on the ceiling as he held it in place, her movements smooth and efficient. She didn’t even look at him as she focused on the task at hand. For the last two hours she had been here, she’d been sweet, kind, but a little bit distant. Of course she didn’t mention the kiss, but what surprised him was that she also didn’t ask about Steph’s party.

He was still debating on whether or not to go. It was one thing to stay on the ranch for a year, repair the buildings, and try to help out Ty. It was another to actually reintegrate into Garnet Valley when he had every intention of returning to San Francisco, and his life and business there. The thought of breaking all those ties when he went back just didn’t appeal to him.

“I think I hear your phone ringing.” Gus jerked her chin to where his phone sat on the window ledge.

He waited until she climbed down the ladder to grab his phone. Jordan.

“It’s my business partner. I need to take this.” He hadn’t heard from Jordan in days. After letting his partner know that he would be working in Montana for the majority of the year, the communication between them had lapsed from daily to every three or four days. On one hand, it was starting to concern him. On the other hand, Jordan was brought into the fold to help the company expand; there was no reason not to trust him.

“Colton J. Hartman,” Jordan sang into the phone. “Have I got news for you.”

He pressed the phone to his ear and held up a finger to Gus as he headed out into the hall. “What news? Good news?”

There was no way Jordan was singing about bad news.

“Not good news, great news. I have found another investor.”

Rather than feel elated, it felt like a rock had dropped into his stomach. An investor meant more money, but it also meant more promises, more demands, and another cut of their ownership. It could be good, or bad, depending on what those promises were. For some reason, while the additional money was great, it didn’t seem like it was going to solve the problem that they were hemorrhaging money right now. It felt more like a Band-Aid.

Jordan ran through what he had talked about to date, and everything seemed good. “They would like to set up a meeting next week to meet you and to start the conversation.”

He sucked in a sharp breath. It wasn’t that he couldn’t go to San Francisco. By all means, the lawyer had told them they could be gone for a month with no impact to the terms of the will. A quick trip for a couple of days would allow them to take the meeting and give him time to connect with a couple of restaurants that had expressed interest in contracting with them.

He glanced at Gus, who was still carefully installing the ceiling. Would him leaving impact whatever was going on between them? And his brothers. Would Ty and Jace be able to handle the ranch on their own while he was away?

Wait, what was he thinking? Of course Ty and Jace could handle it. The ranch wasn’t in full operation, and he wasn’t going to be on the ranch forever. And Gus would understand a trip to California and back. It was for his company. And they all understood that his company was his prime focus.

He lowered his voice. He wanted to tell Gus on his own terms if he was heading back to California.

“I’ll be there,” he said. “Do you have dates set?”

“Not yet. I wanted to see when you could get a flight back. Ideally the sooner, the better.”

“I’ll look into flights and get back to you.” Colton hesitated before adding, “I want to be cautious about this. This isn’t something I want to jump headfirst into. If we can somehow save the company on our own without adding more investors, I’d prefer that.”

Jordan’s typical jovialness faded into a stark silence. When he spoke again, his voice had lost its usual friendliness. “I don’t think we have much choice. The company needs the cash. We can’t wait for the sale of some old ranch. We need it now. Your condo, and people’s livelihoods, depends on it.”

Jordan’s last words were a dart between the ribs.

The last thing he wanted was for people to lose their jobs. Or for him to lose his home.

“I’ll see what I can do.” Colton ended the call and unclenched his fingers from the phone.

“News from San Francisco?” Gus asked as he walked back into the room. She was packing up the tools for the end of the day. He loved how she did it with such care, making sure to put each one away, nothing laying out before she left.

He hesitated. “Jordan—my business partner—thinks he may have found more funding.”

“That’s great news,” Gus said, though the tone in her voice didn’t seem to match her words. She seemed wary.

“Kind of.” He ran both hands through his hair, pulling at the ends. “We need the funding, but I’m not sure if bringing on an investor is the right solution. I’d like to figure out where exactly we are losing the money first.” He eyed Gus. “Do you run your books?”

“We have someone who does it for us. I hired her when my dad was…well, not feeling so well.”

“Jordan manages the financials. Numbers never were my thing.” He tapped his thumb against the doorframe.

“No,” she agreed with a soft smile on her face. “I remember math was not your favorite.”

Gus stepped closer and pressed her palm against his forearm. His body reacted instantly at the contact. “How well do you know Jordan?”

For a moment, he didn’t answer. He trapped her hand against his arm, twining his fingers with hers. He could hear the hitch in her breath, and he closed his eyes before releasing her fingers. Her palm pressed against his arm for a moment longer before she dropped her hand away.

“Jordan was the first person I met in San Francisco. We were waiting tables. He convinced his parents to let me stay in their in-law unit until I could get on my feet. They treated me like family.”

“I’m sure he’s doing what he thinks is best.” Gus’s face had turned a pretty pink color.

At that moment, he wanted to push Farm to You and the ranch, the two places that were pulling him in two directions, to the back of his mind, and just wrap his arms around her. Escape into a world of their own.

“I need to get going. I have a landscape architect I’m meeting. She’s new to the area, but she seems to have good ideas for this project we’re trying to win.”

“What happens if you win the project? I thought you guys were tight on people. Do you hire someone to work that project?” he asked.

“We’d need to figure out how to juggle both the Rocking H and the park renovation if we win the project.” Gus tucked her blond hair behind her ear and gave a soft laugh. “If we win the park project, we’ll likely hire people and juggle resources to replace me out here. Then you won’t have to see me every day.”

That burst his bubble. He could feel his jaw go slack, and he took a step back.

He didn’t want that. As much as he didn’t want to hurt her again, he liked having her in his life. He found himself looking forward to working on the renovations and getting time with her.

If she left to work on another project, the only way that he would see her is if he actually became more integrated in Garnet Valley.

And if he actually stayed in Montana after the year was over.

Gus ducked her head and started gathering scraps of wood and gyp board into a garbage bag.

If Ty ultimately was able to keep the ranch, maybe he would have a reason to return on occasion.

He looked at the top of Gus’s blond hair.

Maybe more than one reason.

Outside came the faint sound of a truck pulling up. That would be Ty and Jace back from Bozeman to pick up more fence posts.

“You should go help,” Gus said, stepping farther away from him. “I’ll clean up the rest before I head out.”

He looked at her for a long moment before acquiescing to her underlying request to give her space. He’d talk with her later, when she wasn’t pushing him away.

Colton headed out, running his hand down the line of halters that hung from hooks along the porch. It had been ten years since he last worked with a horse, but even touching the halters felt comforting.

Gus was right, Jordan was looking out for the company. He’d make the trip back to San Francisco for a few days, take the meeting, and go over the books with Jordan. Maybe this time it would finally make sense.

Jace and Ty were unloading the posts into the garage, both of their movements quick and precise. Colton joined them.

Jace gave him a quick nod as he continued to work.

It was weird to think that he had an older brother. Growing up, he was the oldest—the more responsible one, the one who did things first, the one who took the lead in situations. He rarely was the one asking for advice. He spent more time advising Ty with his two years of extra experience in life. He wasn’t used to being the one to ask for advice.

But maybe that could change.

“Can I bother you with a question?” Colton asked Jace as they each grabbed the last couple posts and added to the pile.

Jace nodded and grunted as he added the last post to the pile. Ty closed the tailgate, and they all leaned against the truck, taking a short break.

“In the first few years, did you find yourself blowing through the budget each month?” Colton continued.

Jace frowned. “No. It took a while to be profitable, but that’s normal. Why?”

“We’re losing money, and I’m concerned if something doesn’t change in a year, we’ll go under.” Normally, he wouldn’t have admitted this to anyone. But Jace wasn’t just anyone. He was his brother.

“I can look over your books if you want,” Jace offered. He pulled off his gloves and tucked them in his back pocket, just like Colton had taught him.

Colton crossed his arms over his chest and turned to gaze out over their property. His eyes instantly landed on the yearlings that needed to be halter broken and the horses that badly needed to be ridden.

“I’ll think about it,” he said. First things first, he’d fly back to San Francisco, hear the investors and their terms out. Then he’d sit down with Jordan to make sure there weren’t any other expenses they could cut.

If their budget still didn’t make sense, he’d take Jace up on his offer.

Steph’s plan for the party was drinks and dancing at one of the three bars in Garnet Valley. The Last Saloon was known for Saturday live music, a spacious dance floor at one end of the establishment, and a pool table at the other. The bar was only a few blocks away from Steph’s house, so it made it an ideal location.

“Damn, you look gorgeous.” A knowing smirk crossed Steph’s face followed by an exaggerated eye roll. “Dressing up for someone?”

Gus had carefully chosen her new favorite dark-washed boot-cut jeans and paired them with a fitted velvet tank. The outfit hugged her curves, the flare of the jeans making her look even curvier.

“I’m dressed for you. And I should say the same,” Gus said, gesturing to the revealing white dress that offset Steph’s glowing olive skin and dark hair.

“I’ve got a crush on the new bartender in town,” Steph confessed. She eyed the package in Gus’s hands. “Is this for me? You know I said no gifts.”

Like Gus wouldn’t give Stepha gift on her birthday. Steph loved presents. “Of course it’s for you, girl. Happy birthday!”

Gus handed over the wrapped package that contained a ceramic bread bowl she knew her friend had been eyeing for some time. Steph claimed she had too much baking equipment in her overstocked kitchen to justify the purchase, but Gus knew that Steph would find room.

After opening the gift, Steph swore she had just the place to keep it and set it ceremoniously in the middle of her kitchen table for now.

Grabbing their jackets, the two women headed over to the bar early with plans to snag a couple tables and order some pizzas ahead of time.

An hour later the tables were filled with a half-dozen friends, and the bar was filling up quickly. Steph’s bartender crush was easy to spot as he quickly showed up with a couple pitchers of beer, and a smile only for Steph, who blushed furiously.

The party picked up, and the band eventually showed.

But no Colton.

Gus bit her lip and tried to focus on the conversation with her friend Ella Sanders and her successful barrel run the past weekend.

However, her eyes kept sliding over to the bar entrance as if they had a mind of their own. The door opened, and her heart leapt to her chest.

Then a couple women, dressed to the nines, walked in, and her hope deflated.

Pushing her carefully curled hair over her shoulder, she angled her body to force herself to stop looking at the door.

The band started up, and she glanced around the bar to see if she could spot any guys she knew who could swing dance. Dancing would be a welcome distraction, and maybe there was someone here tonight that she could connect with.

That was when she spotted him.

For a moment, she had that feeling of free fall right after taking a running leap off a bridge into the cool water below on a hot summer day.

Colton stood in the open door, wearing a black tee stretched across his chest and faded Wranglers. He ducked his head and ran his hand over the top of his hair, as though suddenly bashful.

Steph spotted him the same time she did. “The man actually made it.” Even Steph sounded shocked to see him. “Damn, girl, he’s got it bad.”

Gus tried not to take that to heart as her friend waved Colton over. Because there could be a myriad of reasons why he showed up.

“Colton! I’m so glad you are here.” Steph leaned up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Everyone will be excited to see you.”

“I, uh, bought this for you.” He shoved a small gift at Steph so quickly that Steph almost fumbled it. Colton quickly recovered the package and dropped it delicately in her hands. “I hope you like it.”

“I’m sure I’ll love it. Thanks for coming.” Steph turned and looked pointedly at Gus before heading back to her seat.

Colton almost looked like he was hesitating. His shoulders were a little too squared, and his chin was tucked down toward his chest.

Everyone was shifting around the table, making space, and an empty chair was pulled from a neighboring table and set up right next to Gus’s.

She still couldn’t believe he was here. Colton was in this room, with seven other people he knew from their childhood, and he was here willingly.

She forced herself to look away, but it was like breaking a trance—next to impossible to stop staring.

“Colton, I heard you were back in town,” one of the guys said. “It’s good to see you, man.”

That was all it took to get everyone to warm up. Colton’s shoulders relaxed and next thing Gus knew, he was in the seat next to hers, answering questions and laughing.

“I thought you were swamped with work,” she said so only he could hear.

He shrugged. “You’re worth coming for.”

She tried to not read too deeply into that comment. But it was hard not to as his thigh bumped against hers and stayed. She shifted and tried to act normal. If it was possible to act normal with the man right next to her. The cramped space didn’t really allow her to pull away.

At least that’s what she kept telling herself as Colton’s shoulder pressed against hers as he took a sip of beer and then away as he leaned forward to speak. The touch and release that aligned with the ebbs and flow of the conversation was a slow torture that held her captive.

“Distracted, are we?” Colton muttered close to her ear.

She jumped at his words. “Excuse me?”

He jerked his chin in Steph’s direction. “Steph has been trying to catch your attention.”

Sure enough, Steph was leaning over the table, waving at her. “Can you help me grab a couple new pitchers?”

“Everything okay?” Colton asked. His thigh pressed against hers once again.

“I’m fine. I’m just—” She took a breath and let it out. “In my thoughts. I’m going to help Steph.”

“I just wanted to check on you,” Steph said as they walked to the bar. The bartender showed up less than a minute later, smiling like Steph was the sun on a cloudy day.

“Of course. I’m just surprised he’s here.”

“Really? With the way he keeps looking at you, I’m not.” Steph shrugged and placed their order. “You wanted him to prove that you’re not somebody he’s seeing at the ranch to keep himself entertained while he’s stuck here, and I think he’s doing just that.”

“I know. But what happens if I let him in and get attached again?”

Steph turned, and set one hand on her hip. She knew that look before her friend even opened her mouth. “Gus, either you move on and start dating again, or you have some fun with Colton and get it out of your system. Let me ask you this—if Colton started dating someone else while he was here, would you be fine with it?”

Gus felt the blood drain from her face.

Steph shook her head as though to say, “Lord help us.”

“Look, you don’t need my permission, but maybe just have some fun with that sexy cowboy.”

Gus turned to look at Colton, who waved at her from the table.

“You think I should go for it?”

“Either go for it or stop staring at him. But I would never say no to a little fun.” And, as if to prove her point, she winked at the bartender as she picked up the two pitchers and brought them back to the table.

The Last Saloon was surprisingly cool.

Colton looked around, taking in the old friends surrounding him. He felt like a completely different man since the last time he was in the bar, hiding away in the corner.

He was actually enjoying himself.

The dim lights made the huge space feel cozier, and as time passed, more and more people came in. A couple of guys were onstage playing live music, and the three bartenders in the back were working like mad.

Glancing over his shoulder, it was easy to spot Gus, with her golden hair piled onto her head. There was a shy smile on her face as she returned with a pitcher and sat down next to him.

“Where’d Steph go?” he asked. Not that he cared too much. Gus was back and squeezing into the seat next to him.

“Steph has a crush on the bartender,” Gus spoke low in his ear.

Sure enough, Steph was still at the bar, the second pitcher in her hands, and laughing at something the bartender had said. The guy barely seemed to even notice the other customers waiting down the bar.

“Colton Hartman.” Ella Sanders, a slender cowgirl with dark hair and green eyes, leaned over the table. “I hadn’t realized you were back in town.”

“I’m back for a bit,” he smiled as he spoke. “I have a company in San Francisco that I’ll eventually need to return to.”

“San Francisco? Really? I never imagined you as a city boy, but here you are.” She laughed. “We missed you in Garnet Valley.”

Unsure of what to say, he laughed. “Really?” he asked incredulously. “I thought no one would have noticed.” Or cared.

Gus leaned away from him, and his heart twisted.

She had noticed. And she had cared. In return, he had hurt her. His eighteen-year-old self had been so focused on his own hurt he hadn’t thought just how much he was going to hurt her when he left.

“We noticed,” Ella said.

Looking around the table, there were several people that were part of his friend group growing up. The one that used to go out at night, hang by the river during the summer, and camp on the weekends. In a way, it really was idyllic.

Until he went home. And his father cut down every little thing he said, making him feel worthless and useless.

“Sometimes, leaving is the only option. My dad was never an easy guy, as you all probably know. I had to get away.”

Beau used to hire Ella’s dad when they needed an extra hand. Though Ty had mentioned there was a falling out between the two men years ago during one of their rare phone calls.

An hour later, he found himself wondering why he never came back to Garnet Valley. When was the last time he laughed so much? Or got his butt handed to him so readily at the pool table?

He was still nursing the same beer so he could drive home, but Gus was a beer and a shot into the night. She was clearly loosening up as she and Steph teamed up at the pool table, out to destroy anyone that played against them, himself included. Gus lined up the shot for the eight ball, and he knew he was done for.

And he wasn’t talking about pool.

The live band was killing it tonight. People were out on the dance floor. Those who weren’t dancing sang and clapped along with their favorite songs, and even he found himself tapping his foot. The energy was warm and dynamic.

The band ended the song and started the chords to the next one. He recognized the tune instantly—an old country song he used to play back in high school.

“Game over,” Gus called as she landed the ball dead in the pocket. She and Steph high-fived. “I’m quitting while we are ahead.”

“I’m getting another round,” Steph said. She sauntered over to the bartender and appeared to be in no hurry to return any time soon.

“Dance with me,” he offered as Gus passed her stick off to a friend.

She hesitated, looked at him, looked at her friends.

Gus gave an almost imperceptible nod.

Out on the dance floor, he quietly held out his hand. Gus’s dark eyes were wary, but she fitted her palm against his, and stepped into his space.

Placing his hand on her ribs, he could feel her soft intake of breath as he pulled her close. Her vanilla shampoo surrounded him, and the velvet of her shirt was soft against his hands.

They began to move together, her hips swaying against his hand, smooth and sultry, reminding him how she felt pressed against him only days before.

Her eyes met his, and then, as if there was some instinctual understanding, her body melted into his, giving into the pull between them. His arm nestled into the curve of her back, and everyone in the bar seemed to fade away.

“I didn’t mean to leave you, all those years ago,” he found himself murmuring in her ear. “I thought I was doing the right thing. You had to take care of your dad. I had to escape mine.”

“I know.” Her breath was soft against his ear and his body hardened. “It was a crush that I got over.”

A crush where she admitted she loved him.

“But I never did.” The words were ripped from a deep, repressed part of him.

Gus pulled back and looked up at him. “Just promise me you’ll say goodbye next time you leave.” Two soft lines formed between her eyes.

“I promise.” Which meant that he needed to tell her about San Francisco. And he would—after this dance.

She relaxed, leaning her weight against him, resting her cheek against his shoulder. The song ended and changed, but Gus didn’t leave.

His body was beginning to harden as her soft curves moved with him, providing just enough friction that he couldn’t stop if he wanted to. He squeezed his arm tighter around her waist, his other hand brushing the top curve of her butt.

Her soft gasp was erotic in his ear and she pressed more firmly against him.

The dance floor was dark and crowded, filled with couples dancing around them. He slipped his hand under the edge of her shirt, granting him access to the soft silky skin of her low back.

“How much longer are you going to stick around?” she asked, her voice a husky purr.

“As long as you’re here.” He wanted to ask her to go home with him. He was too aware of her, wanted her too bad. There was no hiding it, and there was no way Steph and their friends were going to miss this.

Gus leaned back, her eyes heavy and hazy. “Want to go outside?”

He nodded, unable to get a word past the heart hammering in his throat.

“I’ll get my jacket.” She walked off the dance floor, a shy but sexy smile on her face.

Together, they wove through the people and headed out the front door. The cool evening air was a welcome relief after the crush of bodies in the bar. The stars were out in full force, proving a brilliant display of Big Sky Country. He filled his lungs with the fresh air as he followed Gus to the bench seat right outside the bar.

“I love these cool evenings,” she said as she sat on the bench and stared up at the stars. “Is it ever like this in California?”

“In San Francisco, there’s too much light pollution to actually see that many stars. But the cold, yes. San Francisco is only warm like one month in the year.”

“Don’t you miss this?” There was no masking the intensity in her voice. She was leaning into him, inviting him closer.

“I do. Now that I’m giving it a chance.”

“Are you happy you’re here?” she asked.

“I’m happy I’m here with you,” he said simply.

He needed to tell her he was leaving for a couple days. The trip was short, and he was clearly going to be coming back.

And if he didn’t want to damage whatever was growing between them, he needed to let her know.

“Gus? I’ve got something to you tell you.”

The moonlight washed over her hair, framing her face, as she swayed toward him and placed a hand on his chest. Her head tilted back, as though inviting him closer. “I’m still attracted to you.”

He wanted to taste her so bad. His dick hardened against his zipper, driving him to take anything she had to offer him. Even if it was only a touch, a kiss, a smile—he wanted it all from her.

Slowly, she tipped her head back, and his eyes zeroed in on her mouth. Gus had the most gorgeous mouth in the world. Her bottom lip full and soft. Her upper lip thin and shapely.

He dropped his head closer to hers. Just a mere fraction of a tiny inch and he could taste her again. The exact thing he’d been dreaming about for days, weeks. Hell, years, if he was being honest.

First, he had to tell her he was leaving.

“Gus,” Steph called from the door, “is that you?”

Gus sprang away from him like she had been electrocuted. Pulling out of his grasp, she turned away, and smoothed her hand over hair. “What’s up, Steph?”

“Last call for the night. I’m wiped and ready to go home. Want to head out soon?”

“I—uh—” She wasn’t quite making eye contact with him. “Sounds good. I’ll be right in.”

Steph headed back in. Gus reached over and touched his hand. “What were you going to say?”

It was now or never. “I’m heading back to San Francisco on Monday.”

It was like dumping ice water on the moment—a cold, harsh wake-up call.

The soft look on Gus’s face disappeared.

Wrapping her arms around her ribs tightly, she took a step back. Then another.

The distance between them was growing, and not just physically. He could see Gus’s mind already racing to conclusions.

“You’re going back? What about the ranch?”

“I’m coming back. It’s just a few days. To talk with the investors.” He reached over and grabbed her hand, prying it free from her grip on her arm.

Gus’s lips tightened, and her dark eyes wouldn’t quite meet his. “It’s probably for the best.”

And while logically he knew what she meant, for the first time, he wanted to argue it.

He wanted more. And he wanted more with her. Which didn’t make sense. He wasn’t going to stick around, and he knew he didn’t want any ties. But the logical part of his brain seemed to be taking a vacation.

“Do you need any help getting home?” He had only had a part of a beer during the whole of the night and was good to drive.

“Nah, I’ve got it,” Gus said brusquely. Her armor was out in full force as she edged closer to the bar. “Steph’s is a short walk away, and I’m just going to pass out in her guest bedroom.”

He didn’t want to leave it at that. He wanted to make sure that she knew he was coming back. This wasn’t the end; it was a short trip away. “See you when I get back?”

“I’m working on your ranch,” she pointed out logically. “Of course.”

But her answer didn’t feel like enough. How had they gone from a romantic night of dancing and almost kissing to feeling like there was yet another wall between them?

He reached out to her, silently asking her to give him a chance, but she turned away and headed inside.

“Night,” she called over her shoulder, her voice even.

She disappeared into the bar.

There had to be a way to make her believe him. He started toward the door, and then stopped.

More than anything, he wanted to follow her, to make her believe that he was being honest. But it was his own fault that she didn’t trust him.

He’d take the trip and then come back. He’d prove that he was trustworthy.

Then they would talk.

But for now, it was time to go home.