high.
They settled into chairs at an empty table, and
within minutes, the music resumed and the crowd forgot about them.
“You’ve looked better,” said Colton.
North smirked. “You should have seen the other guy.”
He ordered a coffee, not willing to head back to the
trailer in a drunken stupor. His lip was split and his ribs ached, but he
deserved it.
“How are we gonna tell Eva?” asked North.
“The hell if I know.” He sipped on his coffee,
noticing some girls at the bar checking out their table.
“I didn’t like seeing her with him.”
He shrugged. “It’ll happen one day, North. Maybe not
with Wade, but with another man.”
“Why not us?”
Colton tensed. “Don’t start. You know she deserves
better than us.”
“Like Wade? I’d never cheat on her, never do anything
to hurt her.”
“I ain’t having this conversation,” said Colton.
All he could envision was Eva popping pills like their
mother because he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. He wouldn’t
ruin her.
“So I have to pretend I feel nothing?”
A couple of women from the bar walked over. One handed
a beer to North. “Hey, big boy.”
“You just need to move on,” said Colton, patting his
lap. He’d just do what he did best—stifle the pain, put on a happy face, and
love Eva like he always had.
****
Eva was about to crawl into bed but knew she
wouldn’t be able to sleep. Where were Colton and North? It was way past dark,
so they could only be at one place. Neither of them had chased tail like she
expected since arriving, so she assumed they were at the local bar. She was
tempted to go look for them, but their social life was none of her business,
especially when she continually ranted for them to stay out of hers.
She tidied up the clothes left in the sleeping area
and cleaned the kitchen, but she couldn’t get the twins off her mind. What if
they’d gotten themselves into trouble? It wouldn’t be the first time. Eva
finally decided to take a walk around the camp grounds to see if she could spot
either of them. She pulled on a warm sweater and slipped on her boots.
Rain fell in a light mist, and the only light came
from the Chinese lanterns and bonfires. She hugged herself tighter as she
walked to the first trailer. A middle-aged woman was warming her hands by the
fire.
“Hi, have you seen the men I’m rooming with lately?
They still aren’t home, and I was getting a bit worried.”
“Haven’t seen either of your brothers, sugar. The
blond one was by earlier. He fixed my trailer hitch and carried my groceries
into the kitchen. Handsome as hell and sweet. If I was younger, I’d be chasing both of them.” She laughed out loud and
pulled out a beer bottle from the side of her chair. “Go check the pub. You’ll
probably find them there.”
Eva didn’t ‘want people mistaking the twins as her
brothers. It never bothered her before, but it rubbed her wrong now. She came
to the next campsite, stopping to speak to three cowgirls drinking and talking.
“Have any of you seen Colton or North? The men I’m
bunking with?”
One of them whispered into another’s ear. They
giggled. The third was bolder. “No, but if you find either of them cowboys,
send them to me.” She winked.
Eva never had a possessive bone in her body. She
loved the McReed twins as much as her own soul. They were a huge part of her
life. However, she also accepted they slept around and would eventually have
families of their own.
A new fear sparked inside her. What if they did move
on without her? Could she really stand to see them in love with another woman?
“Thanks. I’ll keep looking.”
Eva started to jog through the campsites, half in a
daze. She’d been blind her entire adult life. How could she not see what was
right in front of her?
She burst into the bar as soon as she reached it.
Eva wasn’t sure what she was going to do or say when she found Colton and
North, but she had to find them. She
They settled into chairs at an empty table, and
within minutes, the music resumed and the crowd forgot about them.
“You’ve looked better,” said Colton.
North smirked. “You should have seen the other guy.”
He ordered a coffee, not willing to head back to the
trailer in a drunken stupor. His lip was split and his ribs ached, but he
deserved it.
“How are we gonna tell Eva?” asked North.
“The hell if I know.” He sipped on his coffee,
noticing some girls at the bar checking out their table.
“I didn’t like seeing her with him.”
He shrugged. “It’ll happen one day, North. Maybe not
with Wade, but with another man.”
“Why not us?”
Colton tensed. “Don’t start. You know she deserves
better than us.”
“Like Wade? I’d never cheat on her, never do anything
to hurt her.”
“I ain’t having this conversation,” said Colton.
All he could envision was Eva popping pills like their
mother because he was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps. He wouldn’t
ruin her.
“So I have to pretend I feel nothing?”
A couple of women from the bar walked over. One handed
a beer to North. “Hey, big boy.”
“You just need to move on,” said Colton, patting his
lap. He’d just do what he did best—stifle the pain, put on a happy face, and
love Eva like he always had.
****
Eva was about to crawl into bed but knew she
wouldn’t be able to sleep. Where were Colton and North? It was way past dark,
so they could only be at one place. Neither of them had chased tail like she
expected since arriving, so she assumed they were at the local bar. She was
tempted to go look for them, but their social life was none of her business,
especially when she continually ranted for them to stay out of hers.
She tidied up the clothes left in the sleeping area
and cleaned the kitchen, but she couldn’t get the twins off her mind. What if
they’d gotten themselves into trouble? It wouldn’t be the first time. Eva
finally decided to take a walk around the camp grounds to see if she could spot
either of them. She pulled on a warm sweater and slipped on her boots.
Rain fell in a light mist, and the only light came
from the Chinese lanterns and bonfires. She hugged herself tighter as she
walked to the first trailer. A middle-aged woman was warming her hands by the
fire.
“Hi, have you seen the men I’m rooming with lately?
They still aren’t home, and I was getting a bit worried.”
“Haven’t seen either of your brothers, sugar. The
blond one was by earlier. He fixed my trailer hitch and carried my groceries
into the kitchen. Handsome as hell and sweet. If I was younger, I’d be chasing both of them.” She laughed out loud and
pulled out a beer bottle from the side of her chair. “Go check the pub. You’ll
probably find them there.”
Eva didn’t ‘want people mistaking the twins as her
brothers. It never bothered her before, but it rubbed her wrong now. She came
to the next campsite, stopping to speak to three cowgirls drinking and talking.
“Have any of you seen Colton or North? The men I’m
bunking with?”
One of them whispered into another’s ear. They
giggled. The third was bolder. “No, but if you find either of them cowboys,
send them to me.” She winked.
Eva never had a possessive bone in her body. She
loved the McReed twins as much as her own soul. They were a huge part of her
life. However, she also accepted they slept around and would eventually have
families of their own.
A new fear sparked inside her. What if they did move
on without her? Could she really stand to see them in love with another woman?
“Thanks. I’ll keep looking.”
Eva started to jog through the campsites, half in a
daze. She’d been blind her entire adult life. How could she not see what was
right in front of her?
She burst into the bar as soon as she reached it.
Eva wasn’t sure what she was going to do or say when she found Colton and
North, but she had to find them. She
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