Chapter Two
Colton
“C’mon, Remy. Back inside!” Sipping my coffee, I glance around for any movement to see where he is.
Although the sun is shining and the morning air is warm, the tall trees block most of it up the mountain where I live. It’s secluded enough that the guests from the resort don’t wander up here, but it’s only a ten-minute drive to my parents’ house on the ranch side of the property.
“Remy! Home!” I call out louder.
He loves to take his sweet time and wander through the woods, which I usually don’t mind, but Wilder called me bright and early, so now I need to get my house ready before he arrives with Amelia and her kids.
And my head to stop freaking out about seeing her again.
If he knew our history, there’s no way he would’ve asked for my help, and since he did, I’m assuming she didn’t tell him either.
The only person in my family who knows is Posey, and although Bellamy gave me shit at the wedding, I never told her what happened.
Posey’s the one who took her home the morning after, saying she had to get back to her kids and that it was only a one-time thing.
She purposely didn’t leave her number since nothing more could happen between us.
It was disappointing to hear from my sister a few days later, but it’s ultimately why I never asked Wilder for her number.
She could’ve easily gotten mine from him as well, so after months of radio silence, I realized that all I’d ever get with her is that one perfect night.
A night I haven’t stopped thinking about.
Now…not only are we going to come face-to-face over a year later, but she’s going to be in my home for an unknown length of time, so we’ll eventually have to talk about the elephant in the room.
Hopefully, we can become friends at the very least. This is the safest place for her, where she’ll get to relax and spend time with her kids, while she waits for this psycho stalker to get caught.
My German Shepherd is also a fantastic guard dog and very protective. As soon as he meets them, he won’t let them out of his sight.
Speaking of, Remy finally appears from the woods with a large stick in his mouth.
“You know you can’t bring that inside, buddy. Drop it.”
He holds my stare, refusing to comply. If I didn’t have to worry about wildlife, I’d leave him out here while I cleaned.
“Give it here.” I reach for it, and the little shit jerks back, running out of my reach.
“Fine, get eaten by a coyote.” I suck down the rest of my lukewarm coffee before opening the door.
Before I close it behind me, he races in, stickless.
“That’s what I thought,” I mutter.
Setting my mug in the sink, I make a mental to-do list with the short time I have to finish it.
My bedsheets need to be changed so they’re fresh for Amelia. The ones in the spare bedroom are good to go since no one sleeps in there, but I need to toddler-proof it. I have lots of decor and knick-knacks, so those need to get packed away.
Then, I need to load the dishwasher, vacuum, and remove any other sharp or smaller items that Lily could choke on.
The bathrooms shouldn’t be too bad since it’s just me here, but I’ll add them to my list. My office shouldn’t be an issue since I can lock the French doors, but I’ll worry about cleaning it later.
My priority is the main living areas and their temporary bedrooms.
Wilder
We’re about twenty minutes away.
I read his text the moment after stepping out of the shower, but then realize he sent it twenty-two minutes ago. Shit.
A knock at the door makes Remy lose his mind. He’s not used to many visitors, but he’ll calm down once he greets them.
Wrapping a towel around my waist, I scrub a palm through my wet hair and walk toward the front door.
As soon as I open it, Wilder raises his brows, and Delilah whistles.
“We come at a bad time, Colt?” Wilder smirks. “Or are you just happy to see me?”
“Sorry, I got busy and lost track of time.” I tighten my towel, nervously flicking my tongue piercing. “C’mon in.”
Stepping back, I let the five of them inside, then lead them to the kitchen. Remy moves his snoot from person to person like he’s sniffing out drugs.
“A doggy!” Sam squeals, petting Remy’s head.
Remy responds by licking Sam’s face.
“Sweetheart, be careful,” Amelia warns.
“He’s a good protector when he needs to be,” I say, reassuring that he won’t bite or hurt the kids. “But otherwise he’s harmless.”
“I wish we had a dog.” Sam frowns but then beams when Remy kisses him again.
“Remy, go to place,” I demand when he gets too excited. He takes off and goes to his bed in the living room.
My eyes lock on Amelia, whose gaze trails down my bare chest and abs. She swallows hard and looks away when she catches me watching her.
“So, you remember Amelia from our wedding?” Delilah asks, drawing her attention back to me. “And her kids.”
“Of course. You grew since I saw you last, Sam.” I wink at him.
“Mom says I had a growth spurt last year and now I’m taller than my friend Logan.” He straightens his spine and puffs out his chest.
“Better slow down or you’ll tower over me in no time.”
“How tall are you?”
“Six-foot-three.”
His eyes bug out. “Whoa…you’re a giant.”
“My brother Bodie is an inch taller than me,” I tell him. “Can you believe that?”
“I wanna be that tall!” Sam squeals, standing on his tiptoes. “I hate being small.”
“Hey, he’s only an inch taller than me,” Wilder teases, also standing on his tiptoes.
Delilah pats his arm. “Size ain’t everythin’, baby.”
Wilder glares in return, and I just know he has a comeback he can’t say in front of the kids.
“And this must be Lily.” I step toward Delilah, who’s holding her since Amelia’s carrying their luggage. “You got bigger too,” I add, and she buries her face in Delilah’s neck.
“She’s shy, but she’ll come ’round,” Amelia says, setting one of the bags down and holding out her hand toward me. “I know we met once, but I saw a lot of new faces at the weddin’ and don’t have the best facial memory. It’s nice to meet you again.”
Narrowing my eyes, I take it in mine, but when she tries pulling back, I give it a hard squeeze before releasing her.
“Thank you for lettin’ us stay here…um—”
“Colton,” I mutter when she pauses.
She smiles weakly. “Yes, right.”
Is she serious right now?
Either she’s acting like she has no clue who I am to avoid any awkwardness between us or she’s being careful around Wilder and Delilah so they don’t get suspicious. Either way, I refuse to believe she doesn’t remember our night together. We’d been drinking, but we weren’t that drunk.
“Well, anyway…” I run my tongue along my bottom lip to see if her gaze tracks the movement and hold back a knowing grin when she notices the barbell.
“I got most of the place cleaned up for y’all.
Fresh sheets on the beds and removed all sharp objects I could find.
Fridge is pretty stocked, but I’d be happy to get anythin’ y’all need. Just make me a list.”
“I’m sure whatever you stocked will be fine,” Amelia says in a phony customer service voice.
“Alright, well… gimme a few to get dressed, then I’ll give you the tour.”
Sam walks with me until I show him where to find Remy, then head to my room to put on jeans and a T-shirt. My head spirals with confusion and dozens of questions, but they’ll have to wait until after Wilder and Delilah leave.
“Okay, so I’ll show you where the kids will sleep,” I tell Amelia once I return fully clothed.
Wilder and Delilah stay with Lily in the kitchen, which gives me a few minutes alone with her.
“There’s only one queen-sized bed, but I figure they could share it or I can get—”
“I’m sure it’ll be fine. They’re used to sharin’ a room anyway,” Amelia says, brushing against my arm as we stand in the doorway. “Sam ends up in mine half the time anyway.”
I nod, then direct her down the hall. “The main bedroom has an en-suite with a tub and shower. There’s plenty of space if you wanna unpack your things.”
When we enter, her face lights up.
“Oh wow.” She glances up at all the windows. “It’s so bright and airy.”
“There’s a balcony behind that door—” I point toward the opposite side of the bathroom. “But it’s locked for safety reasons. I’ll show you where the key is in case you wanna sit out there.”
“I bet the view’s beautiful in the mornings.”
“It is, but it’s mostly trees. Still nice, though.”
She sets her bags on the bed and looks around the open space.
“I made some room in the closet if you need to hang up anythin’.”
She furrows her brows, then nods once. “Okay, thanks.”
“There’s a sunroom-esque space on the other side that I use as an office. So I’ll sleep in there since the futon is pretty comfy, and that way, y’all can utilize the rest of the house when I’m workin’.”
“Whaddya mean?” she asks, catching up to me as I walk toward the white French doors. “You have an office here? Why would you sleep in it?”
I face her, even more confused than before. “’Cause I’m givin’ you my bed and the kids’ my spare room. I promise not to invade y’all’s privacy or anythin’.”
“We don’t need a full-time bodyguard. You can work and sleep at your own house.”
I cross my arms and tilt my head. “This is my house.”
Her face contorts, one eyebrow higher than the other. “No, this is one of the resort’s leisure treehouses. That’s what Wilder told me.”
“It was before I bought and renovated it a few years ago.”
“You live here?”
“Yes.”
“In a treehouse?” she asks skeptically.
I sigh. “Yes.”
It’s far from an actual treehouse that parents build for their kids in backyards. It’s cozy and modern, with lots of character, like a regular house or cabin. It just so happens to be lifted on a mountain surrounded by trees.
“Everythin’ goin’ okay?” Wilder and Delilah appear at the worst time. Or best, depending on how much they overheard.
“You didn’t tell me Colton lived here.”
Oh, how interesting that my name rolls off her tongue without any memory issues now.
Wilder shrugs. “I told you my cousin said he had room for three at the resort.”
“I thought you meant in our own cabin. But I guess it makes more sense since they’re probably booked out for months.”
Even if we weren’t, I’d want her in my house with me anyway.
“The whole point of bringin’ you here is to keep y’all safe, Amelia. Colt will make sure nothin’ happens to y’all, and Maddox and I will handle everythin’ back home,” he explains, glancing between us with curious eyes.
I smirk at the mention of our second cousin. I’m sure that was a fun conversation.
The Jamisons live smack dab between Sugarland Creek and Willow Branch Mountain, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen or talked to them. It’ll be nice to catch up once this is over.
“Is Colt being here with you gonna be a problem?” Delilah asks her.
“Um…” She licks her lips before shaking her head. “Of course not. I didn’t realize and now feel bad for invadin’ his personal space.”
“Won’t bother me,” I promise. “I do most of my admin work in the mornings at my desk, then usually spend the afternoon at the Branch Haven or driving ’round the resort. I’m back by dinnertime, so you’ll have a few hours to yourself unless it’s a shorter day.”
“This house is so cool!” Sam exclaims, rushing up to his mom. “You can see everythin’ from up here! The walls in my room look like tree branches!”
“I’m glad you like it.” Amelia grins, threading her fingers through his unruly brown hair.
“Just make sure you don’t leave without permission,” I remind him. “There’s a pretty deep slope below us, and you don’t wanna get hurt or lost. Always stay inside with your mama unless she says otherwise. We have some wildlife out here, too.”
“Like bears?” he gasps.
“Sometimes, but mostly deer, coyotes, bobcats, foxes.”
“Foxes?” Sam squeals. “I wanna see one!”
“No,” Amelia scolds. “Not happenin’.”
“My sister Posey has a couple rats you could play with, if we ask nicely.”
“Yes!” He pumps his fist in the air.
Amelia’s facial expression makes me chuckle. “They’re not diseased or anythin’. She treats ’em like her children, much to her husband’s dismay.”
“Interestin’ choice of pets,” Amelia says, and I laugh because that was Silas’s reaction, too.
“She also manages the goat farm, so if y’all ever wanna pet some baby goats, we can go visit.”
“Oh heck yes!” Sam squeals again, bouncing between his feet. “I wanna live here forever!”
At least I’m winning one of them over.
Delilah helps Amelia unpack the kids’ clothes and gets them settled into their room. I stay in the kitchen with Wilder to give them space and look through my fridge and pantry for meal ideas.
“Do they have any allergies?”
“Not that I know of,” he says. “Lily eats anythin’ you put in front of her. Sam’s a bit picky. He likes pasta, though.”
“Perfect, I can handle that.”
I dig around and find some options, then find the other ingredients I need to make dinner. It’s only lunchtime, but it’s one more thing I can take off her plate.
When they reappear in the kitchen, the girls are smiling, but Amelia’s gaze avoids mine.
“Do y’all like chicken fettuccine alfredo?”
Her eyes finally lift. “What?”
“For dinner. Would that be okay?”
“Yes, but you don’t gotta cook for us. I mean…I don’t expect you to.”
“It’s not a hardship. I was gonna make it anyway, and it’s not like I’m gonna eat in front of y’all like a jack—” I quickly remember there are children in the room and one who’s the swearing police. “—a jerk. So, I’d be happy to do it.”
Delilah clears her throat, grabbing my attention, then quickly smiles. “That’s very sweet of you, Colt. I have a feelin’ Amelia and the kids are gonna be in good hands.”
“I sure hope so,” Wilder says. “Amelia’s like a sister to me, so you better treat her like family.”
Well…I can’t promise I’ll treat her exactly like family.
“Of course.”