Lonetree Ranchers: Colt. Kathie DeNosky

      She absently watched Colt as he talked to the desk clerk. He’d decided to stop in Hays, Kansas, for the night even though it was early and they could have driven for several more hours. His excuse had been that he didn’t want the trip to be too tiring for Amber. But Kaylee suspected his collarbone bothered him. She also knew that if that was the case, he’d never admit it. For Colt and most of the other cowboys on the PBR and professional rodeo circuits, admitting any kind of weakness was unheard of.

      “Did you get rooms on the ground floor or the second level?” Kaylee asked when he got back into the truck.

      “Ground floor.” He put the truck into gear. “I figured it would be easier.”

      She didn’t have to ask what he meant. She already knew. He intended to carry what few bags they took to their rooms himself, just as he’d insisted on carrying all of her luggage from the apartment to his truck this morning. Unable to use his left arm, it had taken him several trips to get everything downstairs, but he wouldn’t hear of her helping.

      “I’ll carry our bag to mine and Amber’s room,” she said firmly when he pulled into a parking space at the side of the stucco building.

      “Our room.”

      Kaylee stopped unbuckling Amber’s shoulder harness to stare at him. “You rented only one room?”

      “Yep.”

      Her heart hammered against her rib cage. “There weren’t any more available?”

      “I don’t know how many they had available,” he answered, sounding so darned unconcerned she wanted to throttle him. “I didn’t ask.”

      When he moved to get out of the truck, she took hold of his arm to stop him. “You want to give me a reason for not getting the second room?” she asked, doing her best to keep her voice level.

      The feel of Colt’s rock-hard muscles beneath his red shirt sent a tingle arrowing up her arm. She immediately let go of his bicep to rub her palm on her jeans-clad thigh.

      For the first time since getting back into the truck, Colt looked uncertain. “I don’t like having to admit this, but I’m probably going to need your help tonight and in the morning.”

      “With your sling?” Kaylee asked, surprised that he’d admit needing assistance with anything. Because of her training she knew he probably did have trouble trying to put the restraint on with one hand, but she could help him without them spending the night in the same room.

      He nodded. “I have a hard time getting it adjusted.” He looked thoroughly disgusted. “Trying to get it comfortable is a pain in the—”

      Kaylee loudly cleared her throat and nodded toward Amber. “She picks up certain words faster than others.”

      His charming grin sent a shiver straight up her spine. “I was going to say, it’s a pain in the butt.”

      “I just assumed—”

      “The worst,” he finished for her as he opened the truck door. When he walked around to open the passenger door, he smiled. “Since Morgan’s and Brant’s kids came along, we’ve all learned to watch what we say.”

      “How are your brothers?” she asked, turning to lift Amber from her car seat.

      Colt grinned. “Ornery as ever.”

      Kaylee smiled. She’d always liked Colt’s older brothers. “How many children do they have now?”

      “Morgan and his wife, Samantha, have two boys,” he said, placing his palm to her back to steer her toward their room. “Brant and Annie have one son and, if the sonogram is correct, another one on the way.”

      “H-heaven help us. Another generation of Wakefield boys,” Kaylee said, feeling as if she’d been branded by his warm touch. She quickly put distance between them.

      “Yes, but now there’s a Wakefield girl,” he said, gazing down at Amber as he fit the key card into the lock.

      Kaylee swallowed hard at the look of genuine affection on his handsome face. No matter what he felt for her, she knew for certain that he’d fallen head over heels in love with their daughter.

      Feeling guilty for keeping Amber from him, she quickly stepped into the motel room and looked around to distract herself. She was relieved to see there were two beds.

      “Which bag did you want me to bring in?” Colt asked from behind her.

      She set Amber down. “I’ll get it.”

      “No, you won’t.” He’d already turned to go back outside to the truck.

      “Don’t be ridiculous, Colt,” she said, following him. “With your arm in a sling you’ll have to make two trips. I’m perfectly capable of carrying one small overnight bag. It just makes more sense—”

      When he spun around to face her, her breath caught at his deep scowl. “I may need help getting this da—dumb sling adjusted, but I’m not helpless. I’ll carry the luggage. Now, which one do you want?”

      She blew out a frustrated breath. “The red one.”

      “Wed one,” Amber repeated from behind Kaylee’s leg.

      Colt’s expression softened instantly. “Was she actually talking to me?”

      “Maybe.” He looked so hopeful, Kaylee didn’t have the heart to tell him that, like most two-year-old children, Amber parroted a lot of what she heard.

      Bending, he asked, “Do you want Daddy to get the red one, Amber?”

      Amber smiled up at him a moment before she clutched Kaylee’s leg and hid her face.

      “Did you see that?” he asked incredulously. He straightened to his full six-foot height. “She actually looked at me for a second or two before she dived for cover.”

      Kaylee could tell from his expression that the small gesture meant the world to him. “I’d say you’re making progress.”

      “It’s a start,” he agreed, opening the door to go out to the truck for their overnight bags.