Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

COLT

Maybe it was a dick move to say I didn’t want her to write the story right off the bat, but I had my reasons.

And they were legitimately good ones, to boot.

I knew I recognized her. Hayden Johnson.

My childhood best friend, former almost high school sweetheart, and who I thought was the love of my life. How fucking wrong I had been on all accounts.

As I stared at her, her pale skin, heart-shaped face, and bright blue eyes that I would have spent hours upon hours a day staring into, pissed me off. Not to mention curves that would make any red-blooded man salivate to get his hands on.

The attraction I immediately felt upon seeing her again was washed away when Marsha said she would be following me around for a solid week. Hell, who was I kidding? I was still attracted to her. And I hated myself for it. Maybe if Marsha knew the backstory, she would see how wrong this was for both of us.

“What do you mean you don’t want me to write the story? You heard Marsha. She wants me to do it, and I’m supposed to interview you.”

I scoffed. “Is that really what you want to do?”

Hayden had the audacity to look confused. “What?”

Rolling my eyes, I crossed my arms across my chest. “I’m not in the mood for stupid games, Hayden. I’ll request someone else to write the story because I simply don’t trust you.”

I knew I was being an asshole to her. What happened was a long time ago and I know I shouldn’t dwell on the past, but my heart was broken by this girl. I wasn’t about to fall back into the same patterns as before. And instinct told me that spending a whole week with her would do just that.

“Wow,” was all she said, taking a step back and shaking her head. “You know something, Colt? The whole community paints you out to be a huge hero who has a heart of gold and doesn’t do a single thing wrong. But standing here in front of you, and knowing what I already know, I see the truth. And that is, you’re an asshole. You’ve always been an asshole, and you’ll always be an asshole. And knowing as such, I wouldn’t write the story if you paid me a million dollars. Have a nice rest of your life, dickhead.”

Turning, she walked away and as her ass swayed back and forth, I felt my eyes drawn there. Nope, don’t go down that road again. Keep your eyes up, asshat.

Sighing, I wanted to march back to Marsha’s office and tell her to find another writer, but held back. I didn’t want Hayden to write it, but Marsha specifically asked her to do so. I might not be able to get out of this one. Based on the stories I heard about Marsha, she was a woman who always got what she wanted and bore zero arguments.

She was a top-notch journalist and never let anything stand in her way when it came to getting the story she wanted. Marsha was a Pitbull in the journalistic world. Once she locked her jaws into something, that was it. Nothing was going to get in her way.

It appeared that Hayden was the same way with that strong, journalistic ethic. Not surprising, considering she ran circles around everyone at the school newspaper. She was used to getting her story, whichever way she could. Determined, and stubborn as hell. It shouldn’t turn me on and cause my cock to twitch behind the zipper of my jeans, but it did. Seemed like no matter what history was between us, the attraction I felt for her back then was still very strong now.

I left the newspaper, hopped up into my truck, and turned it over. This old, busted-up truck had seen better days, but I loved her. She had gotten me through college, and had been helping me out on the farm for years. The day when she finally died, I’d be very sad.

Getting back to the farm, my nerves started to relax. As soon as my foot hit the ground from stepping out of my truck, a large black mass came barreling toward me and jumped up, nearly knocking me to the ground.

“Hey, Moe.” His deep woof was the only response to that. Moe was my German Shepherd who thought he was a lot smaller than he actually was, and therefore thought he could hop up anywhere and not worry about a damn thing. I smiled and petted him behind the ears before he got down. My brother, Theo, came running out of the house with his daughter, Shelby, hot on his heels.

“Moe! We were trying to give you a bath!” Shelby cried in her little ten-year-old voice.

“And that’s why he ran,” Theo said, chuckling at the faux anger coming out of my niece.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Yeah, sorry, sweetie, but I should have warned you he’s not a fan of baths.”

Shelby placed both hands on her hips and stared me down, a tiny little pout on her adorable face. Even at ten years old, she had perfected that stance of a pissed-off woman. I feared for any man who dared to try and date her.

“Uncle Colt! That was not nice. You should have told me.”

Theo chuckled from beside her and she turned her glare onto him. “Daddy, it’s not funny.” With that glare, she reminded me so much of her mother, Sally-Mae.

He shook his head with a bemused expression. “No, it’s not, pumpkin.”

“Shelby, why don’t you take Moe into the backyard and see if you can persuade him into that bath while I talk to your dad, okay?”

She nodded then patted her knees, calling to the giant beast who seemed to always turn into a giant puppy around Shelby. “Come on, Moe!”

He bounded after her and they ran back into the house. When we were sure she was out of earshot, Theo walked down the few steps until he met me at the bottom. “So, what’s up?”

“I went by the newspaper today because they have been clamoring for a story about me for months now. Well, Marsha finally snagged me, I guess you could say.”

Theo laughed out loud. “You mean to tell me after all this time, a woman was able to snatch you up and it had to be a fifty-something-year-old journalist? Who never takes no as an answer? Come on, bro, I thought you could do better than that.”

I reached out and punched him in the arm. “Shut the fuck up and listen. She’s not writing the story. She wanted another journalist to write it for the paper. And you’ll never guess who it is.”

“Who?” he asked.

I sighed. “Hayden Johnson.”

Theo’s eyes bugged out of his head. “You’re kidding.”

“Nope. I don’t know why she was still sticking around here. I thought for sure she would have moved to New York to pursue her journalism dream, but there she was, working at a newspaper in our small town. Despite how much she wanted to leave it.”

Theo rubbed his hand down his bearded face and sighed heavily. Even he could feel the tension in the situation. “What are you going to do?”

“I said I didn’t want her to write the story because I didn’t trust her to do so. She thought she’d play stupid and get the story, regardless of our history.”

Theo shook his head and sighed heavily. “You’re my brother, and I love you, but you were head-over-heels for that girl back in the day.”

Crossing my arms across my chest, I narrowed my eyes at him. “And she shattered my heart into a million pieces. What’s your point?”

Theo shrugged then started back up the steps toward the house. “I don’t know, maybe try talking to her before brushing her off completely again? I remember Daryl and how much of a lying prick he was back in the day. I know because his brother was the same way. And if Hayden is supposed to write this story, then you better learn to play nice with her, regardless of y’all’s history. You, the town’s ‘Golden Boy’. Just don’t get swept up into the vortex of a beautiful woman.”

“You’re one to talk.”

Smirking, he shrugged his shoulders. He couldn’t argue with that. He had the same feelings about his wife, Sally-Mae. Followed her around for years until she finally gave him a chance. Now they have Shelby, her little brother Theo Jr., and another baby on the way.

“At least think about it. If my opinion means anything, I think she was innocent and that lying sack of shit couldn’t attract the attention of a beautiful woman like Hayden. So, something was definitely suspicious about that there. Besides, anyone with eyes could see how much she wanted you. Like I said, think about it and make your next move count because this next chance might be your last one.” With those parting words, Theo turned and walked back into the house, leaving me standing there to contemplate his words.

My head fell back as I stared up at the sky. Fuck .

Was he right? Did I make a huge mistake by throwing us away? Before there was even an us to consider? I was so heartbroken back then. I had started falling for Hayden hard. Who was I kidding? I had already fallen. She was it for me. And my stupid, na?ve, dickish self didn’t stop to listen to her to get the whole story. If what Theo said was true, then I made a total fool out of myself not once, but twice.