31. 31
31
Honey
W ith the events of the rodeo over, everyone had migrated to the bar and dancefloor to end the night with some fun. Kimberley had returned to the B the first song Colton and I would dance to as husband and wife. We hadn’t organised much, but the song we would dance to had been a guarantee.
An upturned calloused hand appeared in front of me. My eyes snapped to Colton, who smiled at me softly. ‘It might not be our first dance, but maybe it can be an apology dance? You know, for scaring the shit out of you so many times?
I eyed his hand then the crowds around us. Some were already watching. ‘People will talk.’
‘Honey, I don’t give a fuck what those people think.’
I smiled mistily, placing my hand in his, electricity zapping all over me as he led us to the dancefloor. Riley and Ellie-May were rocking together gently amongst other couples, their eyes widening when Colton and I began moving in easy circles next to them.
We’d always fit together, Colton and I, physically and emotionally. When I got worked up and lost in my own thoughts too often, he was the one to bring me back down to earth. And his body, although it had matured and filled out in all the right ways, still slotted against mine perfectly. I exhaled a deep breath into his chest, closing my eyes, content when our bodies swayed gently. I knew people would be watching, pointing, whispering. Wondering how I could move on from Beau so easily, how I could jump straight into his brother’s bed. But in this moment, with Colton’s strong arm around my back and his rough cheek resting against the top of my head, I didn’t care.
I was in the bubble of security and happiness Colton had always provided.
I imagined what our wedding day would’ve looked like. How the train of my dress would’ve felt moving behind me as we danced to this very song surrounded by loving family and friends. Proving to kids who’d grown up on the wrong side of the tracks that happy endings were possible. That someone could love the broken pieces of you, no matter how unlovable you deemed yourself to be.
‘Colton …’ I moved my cheek from his chest to look up at him.
Flames. Burning so high, so bright. So wildly and blissfully out of control.
His hands slid lower. My nails dug into his shoulders. Our hot breaths mingled. I thought of us in the paddock, our lips so close to touching after I told him of our loss. I couldn’t hold in my gasp when his lips ever so gently brushed against mine, and I knew the people around us would be watching on with swinging jaws. I moved onto my tiptoes, feeling like a cloud had swept under my feet and lifted me higher. I whimpered . Whimpered. My heart had never felt so full. Not in … seven years .
I knew it was risky to put my heart on the line again when I knew he would be returning to the life he’d left me for. The resolve I’d built during the past weeks of resisting him, of agonising through days trying to ignore the connection that still flared bright between us, convincing myself that Beau was the one I was meant to be with when all along my heart never stopped wanting Colton, was beginning to crumble. I was always the sensible girl, fighting to stay out of the shadows of my past. But just this once, I wanted to throw caution to the wind. For once, I wanted to follow my heart blindly and not the carefully thought out map my brain had created.
I wanted Colton. I’d never stopped.
I went to deepen the kiss, only to stagger into thin air.
There was a collection of surprised shouts over the music, now changed to a fast-paced tune. I snapped my eyes open, my blood running cold to watch Beau and Colton shoving through the crowd, their fingers gripped tightly around each other’s collars. The two brothers seemed to have forgotten about the people around them. Fury ignited their blue eyes—deep and dark versus bright and light. Their jaws, clenched together with gnashing teeth, looked to be holding back strings of hurtful words.
‘You just couldn’t wait to get your hands on her, could you?’ Beau’s voice was nothing like I’d heard before. Thick with emotion, gravelly with hurt.
‘I’m sorry, but we both know—’
The crowd gave a collective gasp when Beau gave Colton a jarring shove. My eyes ping-ponged between them, my heartbeat tracking nervously between my throat and stomach. In my peripheral I saw Ellie-May and Riley sidle up to me, her small hand gripping my limp arm tightly.
‘You’re my brother.’ Beau’s words had lost their venom. His jaw was now quivering and I felt my heart tear into two.
This is all my fault. You stupid girl!
‘I know.’ Colton’s voice was insanely calm. It seemed those nerves of steel to tame bucking bulls did come in handy out of the arena. ‘But she …’ His eyes peered past Beau’s clenched fists by his throat, locking onto my tear-stained face in the stunned crowd. ‘She’s the love of my life, Beau.’
I staggered slightly, my head becoming incredibly light, and I was glad to have Ellie-May grip me upright. My eyes moved from Colton, as did the rest of the crowd’s, to stare at Beau with bated breath. His broad shoulders were heaving, those strong hands still gripping his brother’s shirt tightly. Everyone seemed to let out one huge breath of relief when his arms fell to his sides, leaving Colton’s shirt a rumpled mess. My eyes followed Beau as he took one step, two steps away.
‘Beau …’
I moved to join his side, only to be yanked back by Ellie-May when he suddenly whirled around. But his closed fist wasn’t targeted at me and my scream joined the crowd’s when it was quickly pummelling into Colton’s jaw. Colton, although stunned for a short second, didn’t hesitate in reciprocating the move. Soon enough, the two brothers were in an all-out brawl. My stomach twisted with each punch thrown, every grip of shirt, every curse and shove. I was rooted to the spot, tears quick to stream down my face with the realisation of what I’d started.
‘Stop it!’ I willed my voice to carry over to them but all that came out was the whimper of a scared little girl. I felt like I was in a nightmare, willing my voice to scream when only a hoarse whisper would come out. ‘Stop hurting him!’
Beau was now on top, his strong thighs straddling Colton underneath as they wrestled on the ground. A few men in the crowd, including Riley, were trying to heave him off. But Beau’s fists were blind with rage, throwing themselves at the head of his younger brother. Some of them hit the dirt around his head, small bits of rock breaking open the skin, but Beau didn’t seem to notice. Or care.
Colton, who’d been managing to dodge most of Beau’s clumsy punches, was able to grab a handful of his older brother’s shirt. Beau was thrown over Colton’s head like he was a child rather than a well-built cowboy. I went to make a move, willing to risk having a punch thrown at myself in the hope of breaking up the fight, only for Ellie-May to hold me tight when Colton jumped onto Beau. A huge crowd, practically the entire rodeo, had formed like a sea around the dance tent. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a large figure parting them, heading in a beeline towards the feuding brothers.
Sarge burst through the edges of the crowd, red-faced and taser gripped in one hand.
‘Beau and Colton Hayes!’ His booming, authoritative voice alone was enough to have the brothers still. ‘You either break this up yourselves or I shoot this taser into those pissy ball sacks!’
‘Come on, Honey. You don’t need to see this.’ Ellie-May might as well have been on the other side of the crowd with how distant her voice was. Riley soon joined us, like our personal bodyguard as he helped her move me away. ‘Come on. Let’s get you home.’
Ellie-May’s hand was tight around my wrist as she navigated the crowd. I glanced over my shoulder, peeking through shoulders to see Colton and Beau rise to their feet. They were both covered in blood, wounds decorating their faces with ripped and crumpled shirts.
‘This is all my fault.’
That was all I could chant to myself as Ellie-May and Riley got me into her car, when we tore away from the rodeo grounds and to Appleyard Farm. It didn’t stop until my best friend and Granny had changed me into my favourite pyjamas and tucked me into bed like it could cocoon me from the drama of the night. Duke, who was an outside dog, even came and curled himself against me. I cuddled into him in the dark room, the warm night air swirling over us.
‘It’s all my fault.’