Delivery to the Farmhouse (Havenwood Cowboys Romance #4)

Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven

T hat was all I needed—to burn down the townhouses when they were so close to being done. Because fire in something like this would catch like tipping bookcases during that one scene in The Mummy. The female main character was a librarian and had a mishap while climbing a ladder to place a book on the shelf behind her. She lost her balance, and in tipping one bookshelf over, it was a cause and effect that ended in every single shelf being knocked down.

In the case of these townhouses, all it would take was one unit singeing before another caught?—

And another.

And another.

I’d destroy their whole project!

The smell of burning plastic struck my nose. A small flame flickered to life among the tangled wires.

Not good. So not good.

If those wires melted? If the flames spread and caught on the exposed boards? All the work we’d been doing here would literally go up in flames .

Panic surged through me. Peering around, I reached for the fire extinguisher on the wall, but my fingers fumbled.

The extinguisher wasn’t as attached as it had looked—and in my haste, I knocked it over.

The red canister rolled out of my reach. The flames grew. The scent of burning plastic worsened.

“Stop!” I shouted to the thing once more with an ounce of desperation in my voice.

Flames growled in response, climbing up the two-by-fours, taking to the wood like a kid to a new lollipop and adding more heat to the already awful situation.

“Natalie, get back!” Colton’s voice cut through the noise and hints of smoke. I hadn’t heard him arrive, but he swept up behind me out of nowhere, his boots pounding against the wooden floor behind me.

In one swift motion, he grabbed the extinguisher from the floor, yanked the safety pin out with his teeth, and aimed the nozzle at the fire. A cloud of white foam burst out, smothering the flames with a hiss.

I stumbled back, coughing as the smoke and extinguisher fumes mingled in the air. Colton stepped in front of me and pushed me back until I was pinched between him and the wall.

His body was hotter than the flames. He stretched his arms out, shielding me as he ensured the fire was completely out.

Dumbstruck, I was too taken aback to move away. I placed my hands on his shoulders, needing something to ground myself.

His breaths came hard and fast, his chest swelling from the adrenaline of the moment. Soon enough, the flames died, leaving a mess of white spray, blackened wood, and the stiff scent of ammonia behind. It was so strong, the impact made me cough.

The air was too rife to breathe easily. The smell of ammonia was overwhelming, irritating my lungs. I coughed several more times, struggling to draw in a full breath .

Colton coughed as well. He waved the air a few times, and then he took my hand, tugging me out into the fresh air.

I drew in a long gasp, coughing several more times until the scent of ammonia cleared.

“Are you okay?” he asked, coughing a few more times and taking my face in his hands. His fingers were cool and gentle. Concern etched into his features.

My hands trembled as I rested them on his wrists. “I’m—oh, my gosh. That was so close.”

Colton’s lips were thin. He eyed me a few moments longer, nodded, and then looked at the townhouse we just vacated.

His absence left me feeling adrift, and I wandered nearer to him like he was the center of gravity.

“No real harm was done, thank goodness,” he said. “What happened?”

In my mind’s eye, I saw the scorched black marks on the wood and the lump of melted wires dripping with foam. So much for cleaning up after the guys.

“I was just standing there, sweeping. Some wires hung down. I brushed them aside with my broom, and that made them spark.”

“I’m glad it wasn’t worse,” he said.

The intensity in his eyes told me he meant it, and that tripped my heart, making it lose a few beats.

“Thank you,” I said. “You—you acted so quickly. You were right there. If you hadn’t helped…”

Colton backed away. “It was purely instinctive.”

“You mean you’ve had to use a fire extinguisher before?”

“In the shop. I was fixing some equipment and something similar happened. Sparks flew, and it took me a while to figure out how to trigger the thing.”

“You seemed pretty sure of yourself this time,” I said, remembering the quick way he dove in and extinguished the flames before they could cause any real damage.

He’d been self-assured, confident, and swift—with tousled hair to boot.

I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen anything more attractive.

He gave a little shrug. “I’m glad you’re okay.”

“Me, too.”

“Except that doesn’t look too good.”

I was so wrapped up in staring at him that it took me a few moments to look in the direction he was pointing. Colton indicated my hand.

“Hm?”

“Looks like you got hurt after all.”

I lifted my hand. Sure enough, a small burn welted on the back of my hand. When did that happen?

“I didn’t even feel anything,” I said in a daze, replaying what I could remember of the incident.

The sweeping. The wires. The sparks. Had something flown out and bitten me with fiery teeth?

“Sometimes you don’t when you’re in a traumatic situation like this. Come here. Let’s get some ice on that.”

That was how minutes later, I was sitting on the tail of Colton’s truck, and he was digging through a cooler. The sounds of melted ice sloshed together and then stopped as he pulled something out and slammed the lid down.

“This should do it,” he said. “May I?”

I was all nerves, but I nodded. Sweat beaded down my back, and I noticed it gather along his temples and hairline, too. My heart caught as Colton’s long fingers slipped beneath mine.

His hand was warm and made a mess of my ability to do much else besides breathe. When had such a simple touch had so much effect on me before?

Holding my hand carefully in his, Colton placed the ice pack against the back with his other. He stood near me, staring at our hands while beads of condensation dripped from the ice pack onto the open truck bed beside me .

Silence followed, and I was engrossed by the lines of his features—the enticing shape of his lips and this outrageous urge to pull him to me.

We remained together as he held an ice pack on my hand—me sitting on the open hatch on his truck bed and him standing next to me. I stared at his large hands, at his long fingers, and that stirred heat into my stomach all over again, too.

What was it about a man’s hands that was so appealing? Especially when he was as good with them as Colton was?

This pull—these thoughts—wouldn’t leave me alone.

He was good-looking—that had never been a secret. I’d always felt drawn to him, but he’d never called to me like he did now. Moments passed, and I made mountains out of every single molehill they presented:

Colton was kind.

Thoughtful.

A great dancer.

And he’d just acted fast to save not only his project, but me.

And…I liked him.

Admitting as much now didn’t scare up the usual defenses it had all the other times that thought had surfaced. There was no demon snarling and ready to put up whatever bricks had fallen back around my heart.

Would trying with Colton really be so bad? He wasn’t a bear.

This man was definitely better than a bear.

What if I gave him a chance?

“Ask me again,” I said, the words coming out breathlessly as I clasped his hand.

He stilled and lifted his gaze to mine.

“Ask you what?”

Anticipation rumbled like thunder in my chest. I was willing to risk the lightning of his rejection that might follow.

Please don’t make me get specific. He knew what I was talking about, didn’t he ?

Don’t say no. Don’t say no.

Even though I deserve it, don’t say no.

Seconds passed as recognition dawned in his eyes. That same trace of hurt that’d been there after I’d turned him down on the dance floor also returned, and he shook his head.

“I know when to admit defeat.”

He had a point. I hadn’t exactly been my best self around him.

I hadn’t been as kind to him as he’d been to me. Like when he’d helped me up after I slipped and fell after Belle’s wedding. Like when he’d asked me to dance, and when he’d towed my car out of the mud.

Even when he’d tried helping me at C-A-L Ranch, I’d pushed him away every time.

I had to remedy that.

“What if I didn’t say no this time?” I said.

Might as well give the man an insurance policy.

Colton’s eyebrow twitched. “You won’t say no?”

“Try me.”

I sat close enough to him to see the sides of his throat work through a swallow.

“All right, then. At the risk of wounding my pride for the second time, would you like to go out with me tonight, Miss Natalie?”

“Yes,” I said without breaking a beat. And I had no regrets with that answer. No second guesses. No uncertainty.

I was absolutely solid in my decision.

His eyes lit up. The most adorable quirk lifted the corner of his mouth, and I could have sworn he straightened his shoulders.

“All right, then.”

Not just one or two, but we’re talking SWARMS of butterflies let loose in my stomach. To make matters worse, he lifted himself to sit on the open truck bed beside me. Once he was done icing my hand, he tossed the ice into his cooler and closed its lid, and we sat there .

Was he really as comfortable next to me as he looked? Because I was anything but.

Now that I’d accepted the fact that I liked this man and had acknowledged the attraction between us, I had the urge to crawl onto his lap.

But I pulled on the reins, rearing this horse of thought from a gallop to a canter.

“What did you have in mind?” I asked, needing details about this date.

“You see that house up there?” Colton pointed up the road.

I’d noticed it before, but I hadn’t thought much of it since I rarely saw anyone go up there. The house was a large and beautiful red brick, with a dark roof, an impressive garage, and a welcome porch.

Since I’d started working on site, Bryce and Colton occasionally went up to the house, but I never knew why. I assumed it was Colton’s.

“Today is my mom’s birthday, and I’d like you to come with me to her party.”

Whoa. Hold up. “You asked me on a date to go with your family?”

“I do everything with my family,” he said, like this was no big deal.

“Don’t you think that might be…I don’t know, awkward?”

“Would it?” he asked. “They all know you. You stayed to help clean up after Belle’s and Luke’s wedding. I don’t think it would be a problem.”

I squirmed inside.

“It might feel a little awkward,” I said. “Won’t they all be watching us?”

“They might make a comment or two,” he said. His shoulder lifted, and he tilted his head toward it. “If you’re not ready for that yet, we can go somewhere else. Somewhere we can just talk. ”

“I’d like that,” I said. “But what’s the deal with the house?” Why had they built it so close to this site?

“It’s my mom’s birthday present,” he said.

I gaped at him. “You—you guys built a house for her birthday?”

“Yeah.” He grinned, making my heart swan-dive to my stomach. “Bryce already owned the land, and there was plenty of space for the townhouses and a house for her, too. He wanted to keep it under wraps since Luke was still so mad at him after what happened between you guys.”

“You know about that, too,” I said, already knowing he did. He’d mentioned it after we danced.

Bryce kissed my sister while I’d been on a date with him. Luke had been that angry about it? Bryce had apologized.

Then again, I supposed I could understand. That night had affected me for a long time.

He scraped a hand behind his neck. “Yeah. Sorry.”

What was he apologizing for?

It occurred to me that Colton might know more about me than I realized. Especially considering his comment about not breaking hearts.

“It’s done,” I said, wanting to put him at ease. “It hurt a lot, but I need to let it go.”

“Is that why you don’t want to hang out with me?” he asked.

I didn’t know what to say. How could I explain how damaged I felt inside where men were concerned?

Apparently, I was too quiet for too long. Colton kicked his legs a few times and then spoke.

“I’m not like Bryce,” he said, resting his hand on the tailgate beside me. “He’s always been larger than life. He’s always taken on the world and then some. I like my own quiet corner. My fields, my farm. I don’t like to take more than my share, if you get my drift.”

He turned his face toward me, and the call of his glance was too strong to ignore. I turned my face, too, looking right into the depth of his blue eyes. They resonated with openness. With truth.

“I would never use you like that, Natalie. I want to prove to you that you can trust me.”

The edges of my body buzzed. I folded my fingers around the end of his truck bed’s hatch, gripping hard.

“Can you give me the chance to do that?” he asked.

“It’s not just Bryce,” I told him—and even the mention of Jensen’s wussy breakup sent my blood pressure into lightspeed. “I dated someone last year, someone who broke my heart, too. I just…I didn’t want to take the risk.”

“I get that,” Colton said. “How about we just be friends for now, then?”

“Friends?” That wasn’t the kind of thing a girl usually hears when being asked out.

And it was definitely not along the lines my thoughts had crossed several times before now. I’d never imagined kissing any of my other friends before.

“I won’t push you past what you’re comfortable with.”

“That’s not fair to you,” I said.

He probably wanted the relationship, the progression, the commitment. Colton seemed like a family kind of man, someone who wanted the big house and the kids. That was what I thought the house was. His.

The problem was, I wanted that, too. Family, kids, and a husband who I adored and who adored me back. But I’d barricaded my heart up against any possibilities. And I wasn’t convinced I could lower those defenses ever again.

Not completely.

“If it means I get to spend time with you,” he said, “that’s fair enough. Although, for the sake of fairness, can I admit something?”

His hand found mine. He lifted my wrist, turning it, positioning my palm to face the sky. And he began tracing over the lines on my skin like a palm reader might.

My brain couldn’t juggle the feel of his finger and the sounds of words striking his teeth and tongue.

“I’m not sure,” I said quietly.

He opened his palm against mine as though comparing the lengths of our fingers. His steepled over mine, for the record. I was transfixed.

Who knew this touch could cause such a cacophony in my ability to do normal things like sit still or that it would affect the involuntary draw of air into my lungs? Both operating systems were down.

I needed backup. Reinforcements.

“You know the risk thing?” he said. “The starting out as friends? The not-wanting-to-date?”

No air. Oxygen was a foreign concept. A lie. A myth.

“I’m going to try and change your mind.”

“I’m not sure that’s possible,” I said too breathlessly.

Regardless, I tilted toward him. My eyes traipsed across his handsome features—the prick of stubble along his jawline, the shape of his nose, and the temptation of his mouth.

Just when I wanted him to pull me closer, he opened his hand, letting me go. And the rascal smirked like he had a secret.

“We’ll see, won’t we?” he said.

Sliding off of the tailgate, Colton turned his attention back to the cooler. Meanwhile, I sat in a whirlwind of my own creation—mostly brought to you by the sponsors of Overthinking R Us and Did He Just Say What I Think He Did Mart.

He was going to try and change my mind. I very much looked forward to finding out how he planned to do that.