Lonetree Ranchers: Colt

His own irritation won over his vow to remain coolheaded. “How the hell do you figure that?”

“The morning after Mitch’s funeral I got the message loud and clear.” She met his gaze head-on and the mixture of hurt and resentment sparkling in her eyes stopped him cold. “You wanted nothing more to do with me. When I discovered I was pregnant, I assumed those feelings would encompass my baby, as well.”

The guilt that had plagued him for the past three years increased tenfold. He’d not only slept with his best friend’s sister the night after they’d laid the man to rest, he’d taken her virginity. Colt knew that he’d handled things badly the morning after he’d made love to her, but he’d been so ashamed of his actions, he hadn’t been able to face himself let alone her.

“Kaylee, that’s not the way it was. I—”

“Oh, really?” she interrupted hotly. “Just how many times in the past three years have you tried to get in touch with me, Colt?”

He didn’t think it was possible to feel lower than he already did, but Kaylee had just proven him wrong. “I know that if they handed out prizes for tactless jackasses, I’d win hands down. But there’s a reason—”

“Too little, too late,” she said, rising to her feet. “I’m really not interested in hearing why you left that morning without waking me or even leaving a note.” She picked up his untouched coffee and poured it down the sink.

“Hey, I’m not finished with—”

“Yes, you are.” She walked to the door. “I’d appreciate it if you’d go now. All I’m interested in is you leaving Amber…and me alone. We’ve done just fine…without you.”

He detected the hitch in Kaylee’s voice and knew she was fighting tears. The thought that he’d caused her such emotional pain made him feel physically ill.

Taking a deep breath, he rose and followed her. He needed time to come to grips with everything that he’d learned in the past hour, as well as to figure out how to make Kaylee listen to him. “I think it would be best if we continue this conversation after we’ve both had a chance—”

“No, Colt,” she said, shaking her head. “You gave up that chance three years ago when you left me behind without a backward glance. You got what you wanted, now let me have…what I want.”

The single tear sliding down her pale cheek just about tore him apart. “What do you want, Kaylee?”

She took a deep breath and impatiently wiped the droplet away with a trembling hand, then pointed toward the door. “I want you to walk out…the way you did that morning three years ago and…never look back.”

“I can’t do that, honey,” he said, reaching out to wipe another tear from her satiny skin with the pad of his thumb. “I’ll be back tomorrow after we’ve both calmed down.”

“Please…don’t.” Tears coursed down her cheeks unchecked as she stepped away from his touch. “It would be best…if you went back…to the Lonetree Ranch in Wyoming and forgot…we exist.”

“That’s not going to happen,” Colt said gently.

He picked up his Resistol and placed it on his head, then looked over at Amber playing quietly with her toys. She was curiously watching him. But the moment she realized he was looking back at her, she smiled shyly and hid her face behind the teddy bear in her tiny hands.

He fell in love with his daughter right then and there.

“I’ll see you tomorrow.” Turning to open the door, he didn’t think twice about leaning down to place a kiss on Kaylee’s tear-stained cheek. “We’ll get all of this worked out, honey. I promise.”

The next day Kaylee nervously sat at the kitchen table awaiting Colt’s return. She dreaded the upcoming confrontation, but at the same time, a small part of her looked forward to seeing him again. And that was a huge problem.

She’d fallen in love with Colt Wakefield almost the moment she’d met him. Her mother had called it a schoolgirl crush and told her that she’d grow out of it in time. But Kaylee had always known better. Over the years her feelings for him hadn’t diminished, they’d only grown stronger.

But after that fateful morning when she’d awakened to find him gone, she’d forced herself to forget about him and to move on. She’d had to. She wouldn’t have survived the past few years if she hadn’t.

Unfortunately she’d discovered yesterday afternoon that he still affected her in ways she thought she’d put behind her. When Colt touched her, she’d felt the familiar racing of her heart, the jolt of excitement that being near him had always caused. But the most disturbing discovery of all had been the fact that he still had the power to cause her emotional pain.

“Mommy, see!”

Kaylee looked up to watch Amber laugh and point to the animated vegetables dancing and singing their way across the television screen.

Smiling, she walked into the living room to join her daughter. “You like that don’t you, sweetie?”

“No,” Amber said, her soft shoulder-length curls bouncing as she nodded her little head affirmatively.

Kaylee grinned. One of these days Amber would get the words and the body language synchronized. As she gazed at her daughter, Kaylee was once again struck by how much Amber looked like Colt. The resemblance was amazing, and she had known the minute he saw Amber that he’d realize she was his child. She had the same dark hair and vivid blue eyes that all the Wakefields shared.

Lost in thought, the ringing doorbell caused her to jump and sent Amber scurrying to wrap her arms around Kaylee’s legs. Amber wasn’t used to strangers and tended to be extremely shy.

Picking her daughter up, Kaylee didn’t bother turning on the snarling dog tape as she moved to answer the door. There was no need. She knew who would be waiting on the other side.

“Hi,” Colt said when she opened the door. He picked up a shopping bag sitting at his booted feet. “Sorry I’m a little late, but I stopped by a toy store to get something for Amber.”

Amber’s face was already buried in Kaylee’s neck and the sound of Colt’s deep baritone saying her name caused her to tighten her little arms around Kaylee’s neck.

Stepping away for him to enter, Kaylee patted Amber’s back in an effort to soothe her. “I see you didn’t bother listening to me yesterday when I asked you to leave us alone.”

His smile sent a shiver up her spine. “Did you really expect me to?”

“No.” She sighed heavily. Why did he have to be so darned good-looking? So charming?

“Amber, I brought you something,” he said softly.

“She’s not used to strangers,” Kaylee said when Amber continued to keep her face hidden. “And especially men.”

Colt’s piercing blue eyes met hers and she could tell that he was speculating about her social life— specifically her social life with men. “She hasn’t been around a lot of men?” he finally asked.

“Not really,” Kaylee answered evasively.

If circumstances had been different, she might have laughed out loud. She hadn’t been out on a date in the past three years. But Colt didn’t need to know that.

The cad had the audacity to look relieved. “That’s going to change,” he said, sounding quite confident. “She’ll get used to me being around all the time.”

All the time?

Kaylee’s heart skipped a beat. She definitely didn’t like the sound of that. She’d done a lot of thinking since yesterday afternoon and she’d conceded that she couldn’t deny Amber the chance to get to know the man who was responsible for her existence. But there were going to be limits set.

“Colt, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

“Why not?” he asked, wincing as he adjusted the sling holding his left arm immobile.

“Do you still have a lot of pain from the broken collarbone?” She hoped to divert the conversation into safer territory.

“Not really.” He removed his Resistol and placed it on the shelf with her tape player. “But I anticipate that will change when I start physical therapy.”

“If the therapy is done right, and you don’t overwork your shoulder too soon, you shouldn’t have anything more than a little minor soreness.” When she felt Amber begin to loosen her hold, signaling that she was becoming accustomed to Colt’s presence, Kaylee walked over to sit her daughter down in front of the television. “When do you start therapy?”

“In another week or two,” he answered. “I’ve been doing some simple range-of-motion stuff, but that’s about it.”