States of Love: Colorado Cowboy: A Steamy, Enemies-to-Lovers Romance Featuring a Cowboy Widower by Ann Omasta & Callie Love

Author:Ann Omasta & Callie Love [Omasta, Ann & Love, Callie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-06-09T18:30:00+00:00

9

SADIE

I’m packing when Colt knocks on my bedroom door. I indicate for him to come in, but don’t look in his direction, since I’m not sure I’ll have the strength to follow through on leaving if I gaze into his eyes.

“Why are you packing? Don’t leave,” Colt says, sounding completely sincere.

I’m surprised by the request, since I’ve felt like he wanted nothing more than for me to leave since I first arrived here.

I keep tossing items from the closet into one of my suitcases as I say, “I have to get away from here––from you.”

“I’ll keep my hands off you. I promise. Just please don’t go. I need you here.” He sounds distraught.

I plop down on the edge of the bed and stare up at the ceiling. Deciding to be completely honest and vulnerable, I say, “I’m not Maddie, and I can’t be her, Colt.”

“I know, and I don’t expect you to be,” he tells me quietly.

“But all of the things you like about me are what remind you of her. I can’t risk my heart any more than I already have when you only see me as a pale shadow of my sister.”

“That’s not true,” he says.

When I give him a side-eyed look that silently says, “Yeah, right,” he grows more vehement.

“Sure, there are a few things about you that vaguely remind me of your sister, but you also have plenty of wonderful traits that are pure Sadie––like your sassy attitude, your innate ability to make even the most mundane things seem funny, your ridiculous addiction to cherry popsicles, your strong connection with all animals––especially dogs and horses, your terrible singing voice, your knack for pulling cookies out of the oven when they are perfectly baked, your chaotic sense of fashion, and countless other unique, magnificent things that make you one-of-a-kind.”

I can’t believe he noticed all of those random quirks about me. Pulling out the most surprising ones, I say, “The grape and orange-flavored ones are gross, and I didn’t know you could hear me singing in the shower from outside the bathroom.”

“I’ll gladly eat only grape and orange popsicles and listen to your caterwauling, if you’ll just stay here with me,” he offers.

“You’re lonely. I get that. But it’s not me that you want. You just don’t want to be alone,” I say, staring down at the wooden floor planks.

“I could find company to keep my bed warm at night, if that’s all I wanted,” he informs me in a flat tone.

His emotionless statement makes me flinch. I know it’s true because I saw Lila practically throwing herself at him at the bar earlier tonight.

The mattress sinks when he sits down right beside me. Delectable heat emanates along my leg that is closest to him. I try to ignore it, but it sends a tingle racing along my spine.

In a quiet, somber tone, he says, “I felt so empty and alone before you got here, Sadie. I even considered committing suicide at my lowest point.”

This shocking revelation makes me turn to look at him.

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