Read Under the Midnight Stars for Free Online Page B

she was by Colt, and even more so that she had no control over it. For some reason his touch had sparked an inner desire she’d never felt before. And seeing nearly every contour of his bulging muscles through his shirt heightened those desires. To make matters worse, he’d caught her ogling his chest.
    Way to make a fool of yourself. She hurried down the porch steps. She came to an abrupt stop when she focused in on the tall field of green. Moving only her eyes, she followed the narrow break in the grass and weeds that marked the path to the main road. But her trek wouldn’t end there. It’d continue about a mile down the road through the insect-filled mugginess of the hot Texas summer.
    “Need a ride?”
    Brielle jumped, not expecting Colt to be standing behind her. Pushing her humiliation aside, she turned to face him.
    “I could use a ride.” She smiled lightly.
    Colt grinned and headed down the steps. “I didn’t expect you to walk home in this heat. Follow me,” he said as he passed her and entered the trail.
    She tromped closely behind him through the thick weeds, wondering what she could say to redeem herself. Nothing came to mind that would ease the embarrassment. She decided to swallow her pride and accept the fact that her nerves had gotten the best of her again, and made her look like a dimwit … again. The only thing she could do now was change the subject.
    “So, are you planning on trying to buy this place back from Zeke?” she asked casually.
    “Not trying — I am buying it back from him.”
    Brielle stopped dead in her tracks, hands on hips.
    Colt spun around with a curious expression. “What’s wrong?”
    “Zeke’s gonna just sell you the farm?” She was irritated.
    “Yeah, that’s the plan.” He shrugged and shook his head lightly with his brows creased.
    “My dad’s been trying to buy the farm back for years, but he wouldn’t sell.”
    Colt sighed. “Brielle, it’s not exactly like that. After my dad died and the bank foreclosed on the farm, Zeke bought it hoping my mom would stay. But she was too proud for handouts, and she moved us to where she could find work. He held onto it after all these years, hoping she’d change her mind and come back. I guess he got tired of waiting and married, but he just couldn’t sell the farm.”
    Brielle felt awful for challenging Zeke’s reasons. She had no right to assume anything, and she certainly didn’t have the right to force Colt to defend himself, or Zeke for that matter. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business. I shouldn’t have pushed the issue. I had no right to assume—”
    He shook his head and put his hands up. “No, it’s all right. You were just defending your dad. I understand. Just know that Zeke’s decision wasn’t anything personal — when it comes to your dad anyway. But it was very personal when it came to me.”
    “I’m sorry,” she said softly. “I’m glad you’re getting your home back, Colt. I’ll bet your mom’s happy too.”
    Colt’s expression turned dismal. He cut his gaze across the field of green. “She died of breast cancer about a month ago.”
    Brielle’s heart dropped. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Colt. I had no idea.” It seemed like everything she said had a negative backlash. She felt terrible for her insensitive mistake, especially since she had experienced firsthand the grief of losing a mother. Seeing the look of anguish in his averted gaze, she instinctively hugged him, expressing her condolences, attempting to heal just a tiny piece of his broken heart.
    Slowly, Colt wrapped his arms around her waist and softly caressed her back.
    Brielle tensed when she realized that he wasn’t hugging her back — he was holding her. As she lifted her head to face him, a strand of hair caught on her cheek.
    Illuminated by the bright sun, Colt was gazing at her with the most mesmerizing golden eyes that she had ever seen. Her heart beat faster. She loosened her grip, letting her hands slide from