36. Chapter 36
Chapter 36
Colt
B rynn is going to leave soon, there is absolutely no reason for her to stay in Cedar Creek. I stand and put my plate in the dishwasher, needing to move around. "It has been a long day, I know everyone could use some extra sleep. I'm going to call it a night."
A chorus of thanks and goodnights come from the table, but Brynn is silent, staring off into space like she is contemplating something.
"Brynn?" Whitney says her name, trying to get her attention. "Are you going to the cottage or staying here tonight?"
Brynn comes back to reality and looks at me. I give her a small nod agreeing that she is welcome at the cottage again. I really want to talk to her about where she sees this thing between us going, but I don't know if tonight is the best night to do that.
"Uh, yeah. If that's okay. I am exhausted." Brynn stands from the table, and I take her plate to the kitchen .
"Sure thing. Go get what you need, and I'll meet you in the truck." I make my way to the front door and Blake follows.
"I know it's been a hard day on her, just make sure she is okay. She seems to open up to you more than she ever has with us." He clears his throat; "Thank you. I don't know what we would have done if you hadn't been here."
"It's my job."
"No. What you have been doing for us, all of us, goes above and beyond. So, thank you Colt." He reaches out to shake my hand and I oblige.
I nod as Brynn comes down the stairs carrying more clothes. "I really have to do some laundry. This is all I have left."
When we arrive at the cottage, Brynn lets me open her truck door and help her out. "Thank you," she whispers right before I close the truck door and lock it. "I can't believe I have only been here a few days. It feels like forever."
"Is that a good thing, or a bad thing?" I ask, scared to find out the true answer.
"Both, I guess. I don't know. I stayed away for so long, now I am back and so much has happened." She is interrupted by the ringing of her cell phone. She pulls it from her pocket and sees that it is her assistant. "Hey, Gwen. Everything okay?"
I go to the refrigerator and open a bottle of beer, not wanting to eavesdrop on her conversation.
"Fuck. Okay. I don't know, maybe in a few days. How long ago?" Gwen must be speaking, because Brynn is nodding her head as she paces in my small living room. "Okay. Yeah, book the flight." Brynn stops talking, and she looks devastated. Her shoulders are slumped, her head is looking down and she is still listening to whatever Gwen is saying. "Okay, yeah. See ya then."
Brynn ends the call and lets out a long huff of air. "Welp. Guess my decision on when I am going back was made for me. There was a fire at my apartment building and apparently there is a lot of water damage. The building management office has been trying to get ahold of me all day, but my phone has been off. By the time they found my work number, Gwen had turned the messaging system on for the night. My life is one big shit show right now."
Brynn plops down on the couch and puts her head in her hands. "What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Gwen got the impression that I may not have anything that is salvageable and definitely going to take a lot of time to get the mess cleaned up."
I go over to the couch and sit down beside her, pulling her into my side. "Do you have insurance?"
"Yes. I have all the necessary coverage to file a claim if it is a complete loss. Gwen is booking me the next flight out, I will leave tomorrow afternoon."
Fuck .
"Okay, let's go get some sleep. We can figure out what to do in the morning," I say as I stand and pull Brynn up with me. I place my hand on her low back and guide her toward the bedroom. "Do you want to shower before you lay down?"
"No, I will in the morning. I just need to go lay down and sleep. I am so tired, and now I have to deal with this…" Her voice trails off as she unzips her dress and takes off her heels.
I have wanted to lift that dress up over her hips all day and take her from behind. I can't help it. I am fucked in the head, apparently. The woman was laying her dad to rest today, and all I wanted to do was fuck her. I pull my slacks and dress shirt off. My tie and jacket are long gone. I crawl into bed in just my briefs, and Brynn instantly snuggles against me. Her curves fitting right up against my body like they were made to.
"Goodnight, Firecracker." I place a kiss on her forehead.
"Goodnight, Colt." Brynn's eyes close and her breathing becomes even. I, on the other hand, have a million scenarios running through my head.
What if I can just convince her to stay? What if she doesn't even come back? What if she is the only person to ever make me feel this way? What can I do to get her to change her mind about Cedar Creek?
I look at my bedside clock and see that it is almost two o'clock in the morning. I haven't gotten any sleep, so I carefully scoot out of the bed and go into the living room. Maybe I can read a little while to turn my mind off and maybe that will help me fall asleep.