“It’s a baby, Colt. It’s not a rough patch with no light at the end of the tunnel. I’m carrying a human being inside me. My whole life is ruined.”
“No. No it’s not. I love you, Lemon, and I’m here for whatever you want. Whatever decision you make. I ain’t ever leaving you. I ain’t ever gonna stop lovin’ you.”
“You don’t know that.”
He cups my cheeks. “It’s the only thing I know.”
“I’m scared, Colt.”
“I know, but whatever happens, you have me. You’ll always have me.”
When we pull up to the house, Daddy is waitin’ on the front porch. He’s always waitin’ up when Colt takes me on a date, but I know by the bottle of whiskey beside his rocking chair and the stoic look on his face that he knows.
“Oh, God,” I murmur. I’m gonna kill Wyatt.
Colt shuts off the engine and looks at me. “Lemon?”
“He knows, Colt.”
“What? How?”
“Why don’t you come on out here, son?” Daddy calls from the porch.
I glance at the lights on in every room in the second story of the house. Lights that should all be off, being a Friday night. My brothers are home, and I know they had plans to meet girls at the carnival. I grip Colt’s hand as he turns to open the door with his free one.
“Everyone knows.”
He swallows and gives my hand a squeeze, but I can feel how he’s shaking.
“Let’s just go,” I blurt. “Just you and me. We’ll take your truck and we’ll just leave, make a life somewhere new.”
He gives me a sad smile. “As much as I love that idea, we can’t. If I don’t look your daddy in the eye and promise to take care of you and our baby for the rest of our lives, then I don’t deserve you, Lemonade.”
“At least you’d be alive.”
“We’re not runnin’, Lemon. We made our bed, and now we gotta lie in it.” He releases my hand and opens his door before stepping out onto the lawn. Colt crosses in front of the truck, comes around to my side and opens my door. He takes my hand and helps me from the cab, and then we walk toward the front porch. I’m already crying just anticipating my daddy’s disappointment in us both.
We climb the stairs and then the screen door bangs back on its hinges and West comes flying out of the house. “You dirty fucking bastard.”
Colt backs us up a step and lets go of my hand as he shifts me out of the way, and not a second later, West slams into him, tackling him to the ground.
“West. No!” I shout, pummeling my brother’s back as his fist connects with Colt’s cheek over and over.
“You got my sister pregnant,” West roars. “What the fuck were you thinking?”
“West,” Daddy warns.
“Daddy, do somethin’,” I beg, staring at my father. He just glares right on back. Wade and Wyatt have joined him on the porch and all three of them just watch on as West beats the father of my child to within an inch of his life. Just like the time they found us by the red oak tree, Colt doesn’t fight back and I know he thinks he deserves this punishment. “Help him!”
“William Winchester,” Mama reprimands from the doorway. “What the devil is the matter with you?” Mama is down the steps and yanking West off Colt’s prone body by the ear.
I burst into tears and run to Colt’s side. Kneeling over him, I press my hand to his bloody cheek. His eyes meet mine. There is so much shame in that one look he gives me, that I crumble inside and lay my head on his chest. His arm comes around my body and he holds me tight as if I were the one who’d just been beaten.
“Shame on both of you,” Mama says, and for a moment I freeze, thinking she’s talking to me and Colt. But when I turn and glance at her, she’s addressing Daddy and West. “On all of you,” she continues, pointing her finger at Wade and Wyatt too. “Standing there while Colt is beaten bloody in front of her. Stress is not good for the baby.”
Daddy and the boys have the good sense to look chagrinned, but Daddy merely sits in his rocking chair and swigs his whiskey straight from the bottle. There are two things I know for certain about my daddy. One, it’s never good when he has nothing to say. And two, he’d do just about anything my mama asked of him, including forgiving his only daughter who got herself knocked up fresh out of high school.
“Come on inside now, you two. Let’s get you cleaned up,” Mama says holding out a hand to help me stand. “Then we’re all gonna talk this out. West, you help Colt to his feet.”
West shakes his head and he opens his mouth to protest, but Mama shuts down the remonstration before it can even begin. “Don’t make me tell you twice, boy.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Colt
Friday nights mean dinner and beers with the boys at Earl’s. It’s the one night Mama Winchester doesn’t bother cooking a big meal, and instead curls up with a good book, fully taking advantage of an empty house. So we all head out to the local bar to blow off some steam. The cheap meal and even cheaper drinks make up for the fact that it’s the shittiest run-down bar in all of the Lone Star State.
I’m already in town sorting out a new bit for my horse so I agree to meet West and Wade at seven. What I don’t expect to see as I slide into a booth is Wyatt, Cash, Lemon’s best friend from high school, Zadie, and Carla—the woman who’s been staying at the B and B—playing a round of doubles in snooker. I’m just about to get up and join them, when she walks over with a tray full of drinks. Short skirt showing off shapely legs, boots she’s been kicking around the ranch in all day, and a skimpy little top that has my teeth grinding with the way everyone else here is looking at her. Lemon Goddamn Winchester.
Everywhere I fucking turn, she’s there. Wyatt steps in front of her and leans in to whisper in her ear. When he moves, Lemon’s eyes lock onto mine. A smile tips up the corner of her mouth and she raises her shot glass to me in a toast. The amber liquid sloshes out the sides—whiskey.
Goddamn it, Lemon.
“Colt?”
I flick my gaze to Alexis. I wasn’t even aware she was waiting on me.
“Hi.” She gives me a flirty smile, but I can’t keep my eyes from Lemon for long. “Can I get you somethin’, hun?”
“Beer,” I bark.
“Any particular kind?”
“Nope,” I say, and then I feel bad because my folks raised me better than to speak to a woman in anger, especially one who’s done nothin’ wrong. “Just whatever you find first will be great, thanks.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.” She follows my gaze to the others. “Or, did you want me to take it to table seven?”
“Here’s fine. Thanks.”
“It’s pretty wild about Lemon Winchester coming home, huh? I mean, I know her daddy just died, but I honestly never expected to see her again. Especially after she ran out on yo—”
“I’ll take that beer now, Alexis. Thanks.”
“Oh, sure thing.” She blushes and struts away. I don’t watch her go because I got my eyes on one woman and one woman only.