28. Colton
Chapter 28
Colton
“N ow that your body is sufficiently tired, I hope your mind is as clear as a bell?” Wyatt flashed a knowing smile my way as we made our way back towards the barn. We’d spent most of the morning fixing up the last of the destroyed fencing at the edge of the property and the rest prepping the bison headed to auction.
I planned to check out the surveillance footage before heading to the main house for dinner and a long-awaited talk with Molly. “I know what I have to do,” I admitted reluctantly. “It is her choice to make, no matter my fear.”
“Exactly. Trust me when I tell you that mindset will get you far with a woman.” Wyatt smiled again and shook his head. “It’ll be nice to have a woman around again, especially one who brings the sunshine like Molly.”
“Agreed.” How in the hell I got so lucky that she was the one who landed on my doorstep, I’ll never know, but I’ll thank the gods, the heavens, and the stars above for all of my days that it was her. “If it’s not too late.” That was my biggest fear: that maybe I’d left it too late, that I waited too long to tell her how I really and truly felt about her.
“It’s never too late,” Wyatt assured me.
I laughed. “You’re just looking forward to more big family breakfasts.”
He barked out a laugh. “Well, I’d be a liar if I said I wasn’t hoping for more breakfasts like that, but it’s also nice to see you happy again. Maybe you’ll stop scaring all the ranch hands.”
My lips curled into a reluctant grin. “Gotta make sure they’re tough enough to handle ranch life.” It wasn’t for the weak of heart, that much was for sure.
“Whoa, look.” Wyatt squinted into the distance where Billy approached on his horse.
Hunter sat in front of him, his small hands gripping the horn, and when they were close enough that the lights lit up their faces, I could see that my son’s was tear-streaked. “Stop the truck!” I jumped out and rushed to the horse. “What’s wrong? What happened?”
Billy sighed and ruffled Hunter’s hair. “I was in the barn when this little guy came in with quite a story. Hunter, tell your daddy what you told me.”
Hunter nodded and wiped his tears, determined to be strong for whatever he had to say. “Daddy,” he whimpered.
I picked him from the saddle and held him close, kissing the top of his head. “It’s okay, son. You can tell me anything.” Had Molly decided she hated me and ranch life? That she no longer wanted to be part of our family? My heart clutched at the thought.
“A man came up to us and said he was here for Molly, but she didn’t like that.”
My mind reeled at my son’s words. Without asking, I knew that her ex had tracked her down. “And then what happened?”
“He picked me up real quick, and Molly was mad about it, but he threatened to cut me if she didn’t go with him. I didn’t want her to, Daddy, but she told me to run.” Tears returned to Hunter’s eyes, and I knew that if given the chance, I would rip that asshole’s head clean off.
“Anything else?”
He nodded. “She told me to tell Peanut Butter she loved him too, so I ran straight to the barn and told Billy everything.”
“He was very brave,” Billy said with a sad smile.
Hunter nodded. “Daddy, Molly looked real scared. We gotta find her.”
“He’s right,” Wyatt agreed. “We need to find them. Quickly.”
“Daddy?” Hunter’s voice sounded so small that my heart ached.
“What is it, buddy?”
“I didn’t go straight to the barn,” he admitted. “I peeked out the window and saw a green truck, and then I went to tell Peanut Butter that Molly loved him too.”
My gaze collided with Wyatt’s, a smile spreading slowly on his face. I hugged Hunter tight and kissed his head again. “You did good, buddy. Really good. Go with Billy; Uncle Wyatt and I are going to find Molly.” I hoped we would find her. If not, well, I wasn’t ready to even think about that right now.
As soon as Hunter was settled back on the saddle with Billy, I turned to Wyatt, who wore a worried expression. “We should go over near the pond. He probably took the old service road to make his escape.”
I nodded, and we both jumped back in the truck. “The question is where in the hell would he take her? Back to Houston or someplace closer?”
“Molly is strong,” Wyatt said as he stomped on the gas and we flew across the property.
“I know,” I bit back.
“What I mean,” Wyatt began in a slower, more comforting tone, “is that she’s a fighter. Just look at the way she gave you shit when you stepped out of line. There’s no way in hell she’s gonna sit back and just let him drive her away without a fight.”
He was right, of course. “Thanks.”
“Hey, what are best friends for if not making you keep your head on straight when someone kidnaps your girlfriend?”
I laughed. “Yeah, I guess that is what best friends are for. Still, thank you.”
“Anytime. Now, let’s go get your woman.”
I nodded and stared out ahead, hoping Molly would forgive me for leaving her unprotected. It was my job to protect her, to keep her safe, and I failed.
“We don’t have time for you to blame yourself, Colt. We need to be focused on finding Molly.”
“I should have protected her.”
Wyatt sighed. “She was on ranch property. If she can’t be safe here, then nowhere is safe.”
That was a terrifying thought, but I understood Wyatt’s point. “We have to find her.”
“We will,” he insisted and slammed on the brakes.
“Wyatt, we don’t have time for a pep talk.”
“Shut up and look,” he pointed out just ahead of the windshield.
I followed the path of his finger and gasped at the sight of the green pickup truck smashed into a tree. “She could be hurt.”
“But they’re on foot,” he reminded me. “Can’t have gone too far in the time it took Hunter to go to Billy and then to us. Right?”
“Exactly,” he said around a smile. “There are a few vacant outbuildings around here. We should start there.”
I jumped out of the car before I could agree with Wyatt. “We should go on foot. He’ll hear the car coming from a mile away.” And though I didn’t voice my worries out loud, Wyatt understood.
“Let’s go, then.”
Hang on, Molly. I’m comin’ for ya.