Cherish Collection January 2014 (Books 1-12). Rebecca Winters

binky, and I had to try to find one like it. Jude asked me to pick up a burger for him. He’s pacing with Piper, so it’s the least I can do, even though he’s already had dinner.”

      “You want to come in here while you wait?”

      She shook her head. “No, thanks.” She glanced at the checkout, but there was no sign of her take-out order. “Listen, I just want you to know the rumors aren’t true.”

      He frowned at her. “What rumors?” he asked.

      “About me.” She swallowed over the sudden lump that formed in her throat. She thought she’d gotten control of herself during the past few days. Why had that control evaporated so quickly? “There was a rumor that the only reason I got involved with you was to get back at Joe. I just need you to know that isn’t true.”

      He stared at her in disbelief. “Who said that?”

      “Well, I heard from someone who heard from someone from someone, so I don’t know. It’s just important to me that you know it’s not—”

      She broke off as an attractive brunette approached Colton from behind and looped her arms around him. “Hey, baby, where’d you go?”

      Colton glanced at the woman in surprise. “I thought you were busy with someone else.”

      She shook her head and nuzzled him seductively. “I was just trying to get your attention.”

      Colton cleared his throat and looked at Stacey. “Uh, this is Mary,” he said.

      “Malia,” the woman corrected with an indulgent grin. “He’s so cute, isn’t he?”

      “Uh-huh,” Stacey said.

      “Maria is new in town,” he said, still messing up the woman’s name. “I just met her tonight.”

      Stacey couldn’t believe her eyes. “Nice to meet you, Malia. How did you end up in Horseback Hollow?”

      “I needed to get off the grid. Violent ex,” she said. “This seemed like a good choice.”

      “I hope it will work out for you,” Stacey said, and finally Jude’s order was delivered to the register. She was so relieved she nearly shouted. “Oh, there’s my takeout. Have a nice evening. I need to get back home.” She paid her bill and ran out the door to her car.

      Just as she slid onto her seat, Colton caught the door before she could close it. “Hey, that wasn’t what you think it was,” he said, rain pouring down over his head and jacket.

      “It’s okay,” she forced herself to say. “There are no strings between us. You can do what you want. Malia probably doesn’t have any little kids.”

      “That’s not what’s important,” he said.

      “I’m not so sure about that, and I can’t say I blame you. If I were a man, I might not want to take on the baggage of a baby that wasn’t mine. I understand, Colton. I really do,” she said, although she wished things could be different.

      Colton shook his head, but she couldn’t handle this discussion any longer. Her sadness overwhelmed her. “I need to go,” she said, and pulled her car door shut.

      * * *

      Colton called himself ten times a fool during the next twelve hours. He could barely sleep when he thought of the injured expression on Stacey’s face. He should have stopped her. He shouldn’t have let her go. He should have told her how much he’d missed her and that he wanted to work things out with her. Instead, he’d stood in the rain trying to come to grips with the ridiculous rumor she’d relayed to him.

      Colton spent the day working in the barn. The sound of silence, however, echoed inside his mind. Unable to bear the scrutiny of his family, he decided to go into town again and get a burger from The Grill. He didn’t know where else to go. This was yet another time when he needed his own place.

      After placing his order, Colton carried his burger and fries from the grill to the bar and ordered a beer, hoping he didn’t run into Mary or whatever her name was. He stared up at the basketball game playing on the television while he ate his meal.

      “Long time, Colton,” a voice from his past said.

      Colton glanced over his shoulder to see Joe Hitchens. He blinked. “Hey, Joe, what you doing here?”

      “I decided to pay a visit from Dallas,” Joe said. Colton noticed Joe was a little chubbier than when he’d left Horseback Hollow all those months ago.

      “You left town kinda fast,” Colton said.

      Joe shrugged. “It was a rough time for me.”

      “For you,” Colton said, beginning to seethe. “What about Stacey?”

      “She was early enough along that she could have taken care of the pregnancy,” Joe said.

      “Taken care of the pregnancy?” Colton echoed. “That’s what she did. She delivered that baby and has taken care of her with no help from you.”

      “I meant,” Joe said, lowering his voice, “she could have gotten rid of the pregnancy.”

      Colton gaped at the man in disbelief. “You mean get rid of Piper?”

      “Is that what she named the baby? I heard it was a girl,” Joe said.

      “But you never bothered to call her or offer any kind of support,” Colton said. He pushed aside his food. He had lost his appetite.

      “She knew I didn’t want a kid. She shouldn’t have gotten pregnant,” Joe said.

      “As if you had nothing to do with it,” Colton said, growing angrier with each passing second. “You bastard,” he said, standing and punching Joe in the face.

      Colton’s knuckles throbbed, and Joe covered his face.

      “What the—” Joe said. “You know what kind of father I had. I didn’t ever want to be a father after the kind of example my dad set. He was gone more than he was with my mom and me.”

      “That’s no excuse. You’re the lowest of the low,” Colton said in disgust. “I don’t know how you can call yourself a man. We’ve been friends since high school, but I don’t recognize you anymore. When did you turn yourself into the kind of person you’ve become?”

      “You must have gotten pretty close to Stacey to be so defensive,” Joe said. “Did you go to bed with her?”

      It was all Colton could do to keep from hitting Joe again. “Go back to Dallas,” he said. “You don’t belong here.”

      “Who do you think you are? Dating my ex? Bros don’t cheat on bros. You know the guy code,” Joe said.

      “What guy code? You haven’t been here for over a year. What rights do you have?” Colton asked.

      “That baby is mine. That woman was mine,” Joe said.

      “Was is the operative term. What do you know about Piper?” Colton demanded.

      Joe narrowed his eyes, then shifted from one foot to the other. “Not much.”

      “Why are you even here now?” Colton asked. “You haven’t been here for months, not even when your baby was born.”

      Silence stretched between them. “Someone told me you and Stacey had gotten involved,” Joe confessed.

      “You would come back into town for that, to stake your claim on a woman you ran out on, but not when the baby was born?” Colton asked, shaking his head. “Are you crazy?”

      “I should have known you wouldn’t understand.” Joe rubbed at his cheek where Colton had punched him. “So, is the baby okay?” Joe asked reluctantly.

      “She’s as close to perfect as a baby can get. She’s gorgeous. Big green eyes and blond hair just like