Chapter 13

CHAPTER 13

C ady crawled from the bed. Colton was gone. Princess was gone. And there was someone knocking on her door. Colton sounded as if everything was okay, but she was definitely confused. She'd been sound asleep after a very active night in bed when Colton had woken her up and she'd seen the outline of a man outside. She went from happy dreams to fear and then suddenly being told everything was good and someone was at the door.

Her heart hadn't recovered from the shock as she called out for whoever was there to hang on a minute. It was probably Harlan or Joey. She hoped something else hadn't gone wrong.

Cady pulled on a pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt so she didn't have to bother with a bra and headed to the door. "Who is it?" Cady called out. There was no way she was opening the door to Jordan.

"Hey, honey. It's Katelyn and Annie," Cady heard Katelyn call from outside.

Cady frowned. Was that why Colton snuck out? Did he know they were coming and was ashamed to be with her? Cady opened the door and the two women smiled at her. Katelyn was married to Marshall Davies and had two children, Sydney and Wyatt, who both had children of their own now. Annie was Colton's mother and full of energy. She always had a hint of mischievousness to her. She reminded Cady of her son. Colton had that same little smirk. Colton's older sister, Sophie, pulled in behind her mother's car.

"Hey! I'm glad I caught you," Sophie called out. "Hey, Mom, Aunt K. What are you two doing here?" Sophie asked as she joined them on the front stoop.

Her mother's eyes narrowed, but then she kissed her daughter's cheek. "What are you doing here?" her mother asked sweetly, a little too sweetly.

"Nash told me Cady was having trouble with an ex-boyfriend, so I thought I'd bring her some things to protect herself with. What are you doing here?" Sophie asked again.

"Cady adopted Kandi's rescue cats, so I'm coming to see how they're settling in and also brought some vaccines for them since they'll be indoor/outdoor kitties now. I brought your mother with me since we're going to have breakfast together this morning. But, what's this about an ex-boyfriend?" Katelyn asked, turning back to Cady.

Well, it looked like she was hosting morning coffee. Cady opened the door and all the women came inside. Katelyn immediately dropped to her knees as George and Ginny recognized her. "Is it okay to give them these last two vaccines?"

"Of course, thanks."

"Kandi had worked on training them with a harness. If you're making them indoor/outdoor cats, I have some recommendations to protect them if you don't mind me lecturing for a minute," Katelyn told her as she deftly vaccinated both cats as they rubbed against her.

"I'd really like that. I've only had full-time outdoor cats, but George and Ginny are so sweet that I want them as protected as possible," Cady told Katelyn before turning on the coffee pot.

"A kitty door is essential."

"Got it. It's in the mudroom."

"Great. Introduce them to the door. Feed them only in the mudroom. I'd get an automated feeder so they know they'll get food at the same time each day. You'll find they will be back each night waiting for their food. Put their favorite toys in there and nice beds and perches too. Make it their safe space they can't wait to come back to. Feel free to walk them around with their harness so they know where everything is. Use positive reinforcement to teach them their names and to come. Right now, if you need them in a warehouse, I'd lock them in there and then come get them with treats and walk them back home. Also, I would get a quick release GPS collar. That way, if they run off you can find them."

"Wow, thank you," Cady said, making notes on her phone.

A text popped up as she was typing the notes.

Miss you already .

"Well, that smile isn't caused by an ex-boyfriend. Did I get the gossip wrong?" Sophie asked.

Cady blushed and all three women paid very close attention. "No, you're not wrong about my ex. This was just a text from a... friend."

"So, tell us about this ex," Annie said, sounding rather like an overprotective mother. It filled Cady with warmth but also sadness. Her parents would never know Colton. Would they have liked him? "I can see this upsets you. I'm sorry, Cady. I can take care of him if you'd like."

"Take care of him?" Cady asked with a nervous laugh. "Like, kill him?"

Annie laughed. "No, but I can inflict enormous pain without leaving a mark. Or, I can call my friends in the government and turn his life upside down. I doubt the distillery would be happy if one of their federal compliances needed to be investigated because this ex didn't file the right paperwork."

"And in the meantime, I have this little guy for you." Sophie reached into her purse and pulled out what looked like a tube of fresh breath spray. "I've been working with Piper..."

"Uh-oh. Weapons and nanotech?" Katelyn asked with a cringe. "What kind of trouble did you get into?"

"The best kind. Weapons and nanotech? So, freaking cool," Annie said, rubbing her hands together. "Do I have a new weapon for my weapons room?"

Sophie smiled at her mom. "This little guy is formulated to only work on men. It's non-lethal, but the toxin it sprays will cause men incredible pain, thus disarming them and allowing women to run away."

"Or giving them time to deliver a kick to the balls," Annie suggested.

Sophie rolled her eyes at her mother. "Fine, kick them in the balls and then run to safety. It's good for only a minute or so. As soon as they get some good deep breaths it'll begin to clear from their system and they'll be up again. As I said, it's non-lethal and designed to help women escape a bad situation. I thought you might want that. With the taser I gave you, you actually have to press it to the skin. Men can duck it and fight. However, this spray? Just get within a couple of feet, spray it, and you're good to go."

Sophie handed her the small tube. "Thanks so much, Sophie. And you too, Annie. Why would you help me with Jordan? He's just an annoying ex," Cady asked.

"You're like a daughter to me," Annie said at the same time Sophie said, "You're like a sister to me."

They both laughed along with Katelyn. "Too bad she's not dating Colton or you could have her as a daughter and a sister," Katelyn said with a chuckle.

It didn't take a genius to spot the trap. Sure, she and Colton were dating. And yes, they were sleeping together. But they hadn't discussed going public. Why wouldn't they though? He did slip out of bed and ran out the backdoor when his mother arrived. Wait. Cady glanced out the window. His SUV was gone. When did that happen? How did it happen?

Cady frowned. He must be ashamed of her. That was the only answer.

"Don't worry, honey, we'll love you no matter what my son does or doesn't do," Annie said, patting her hand. "What would you like is the question."

"I'm sure you have some time now that things are in full swing here to date. What kind of guy do you like? Maybe Nash or I know of someone who fits the bill," Sophie asked, trying to innocently make her coffee.

"That Adam is such a sweetie. I know he lives in Maine, but I bet he'd move to Keeneston in a heartbeat for love," Katelyn said.

Annie's face crinkled. "Not Adam. You're right. He's super sweet. But Cady needs a strong man who isn't always so eager to please."

"What's wrong with being eager to please?" Katelyn asked, crossing her arms.

"Do you think he'd pick her up and have his way with her against a wall or on a counter?" Annie asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "Or strut around the house naked, not caring who caught them?"

Cady and Sophie shared a looked as if they both knew there were stories there and they couldn't decide if they wanted to know them or not. Hopefully the blush Cady had could be passed off as embarrassment and not the fact she was remembering last night when Colton had, in fact, picked her up, set her on the counter and had sex with her in the kitchen.

Katelyn nodded. "I concede your point. Cady, does anyone fit the bill for you? Maybe someone at the conference or in town?"

Sophie snapped her fingers. "I know the perfect person. He's Nash's second. His name is Korian, goes by Kori. He's twenty-seven. Very nice, but also the strong silent kind of man. He could do the wall move."

Cady didn't know what to say. She was trapped. She needed to talk to Colton. But at the same time, shouldn't he be shouting it to the sky that they were more than friends?

"I'll text him. You two can meet at the café tonight. You know, accidentally." Sophie was already sending a text.

"Sorry, I have plans tonight." Thank goodness for the girls' night with Willa and Tilly.

"No pressure. He'll be there tonight or you'll catch him this weekend." Sophie set down her phone and sipped her coffee. "What do you like in a guy?"

Cady thought she'd bypass this topic, but it looked as if the women weren't going to let her. For six years, they hadn't pushed. Guess her time was up. "Someone who supports me. Someone who has a sense of humor. Someone I have a good friendship with too. I want a best friend and a partner. Must like animals," Cady said with a laugh as George and Ginny demanded pets from their guests. "But what I really want to know is who did that pregnancy test belong to that Aniyah found?"

"Well, I can rule out Wyatt and Camila," Katelyn told them. "I don't think it's Sydney and Deacon. They have two young ones right now. Maybe in a year."

Then all eyes turned to Sophie.

"Not me!" Sophie said quickly. Cady smiled as she successfully moved the attention from her and over to who was pregnant.

"Unfortunately, I don't think it's Kate and Landon either, so no more grandbabies for me yet. Unless it's Colton," Annie said with a shrug.

It better not be Colton. The possessiveness Cady felt hit hard and fast. They'd been dating all of a minute, but there was no question she was head over heels in love with Colton.

"Cady, are you okay?" Katelyn asked. "It's not you, is it?"

"That's pregnant?" Cady gasped. "No, it's not me. I just, um, realized how much I have to do this morning before the conference starts."

"Oh gosh, we better let you go," Katelyn said, standing up.

"How much do I owe you for the vaccines and the house call?" Cady asked.

"How about a trade? I'm dying for a bottle of your newest release."

Cady reached into her cabinet and pulled out a bottle from last week. "Deal. Thanks for coming. I'm sure I'll be seeing you all around soon."

Annie paused at the door as if she was struck by an idea. "You know, if Kori doesn't work out, Colton actually fits all the boxes that you're looking for."

Katelyn looked happily surprised. "You know, you're right. He does. Wouldn't they be so cute together?"

"Well, thanks for coming! Gotta hop in the shower!" Cady shut the door faster and harder than she meant to. She needed to talk to Colton. Soon.