The confusion and pain in his eyes stopped me in my tracks. “It’s not what it looked like or what you think. She needs help.”
I rolled my tear-swollen eyes heavenward. “Oh, please. It was exactly what it looked like and from what I could see, it looked like you were helping her a whole bunch. I never want to see you again.”
Part of me ached to fall into his arms, to have him stroke my hair and kiss the pain away.
“Listen to me before you do or say something you regret,” he implored.
“Walking into this place was the first biggest mistake of my life,” I screamed, half-crazed, my eyes stinging, my nose running. “Trusting you was the second.” Sobs wracked my body, leaving me a gasping mass of emotion and splintering pain.
“I can explain,” he said, sounding desperate.
My sobs receded, and I caught my breath. “You have exactly one minute before I walk away.”
“She doesn’t want me. She only thinks she does.”
“Do you want her?” I asked, tears clogging my throat, making my voice sound syrupy.
He shook his head. “I want you. Only you. From the second you came into my bar, there’s been no one but you.” He brushed his thumbs over my cheeks, wiping away some of my still falling tears. “I—”
Before he could continue, Montana strolled into the apartment with her bodyguards in tow.
“What about her?” White-hot anger flared in my stomach, and nothing would give me more satisfaction than backhanding her face, but she wasn’t worth me getting arrested for assault.
“You don’t have to worry about me, sugar,” she drawled, crossing her arms. “He’s all yours. Thought I still loved him. Turns out I was wrong.”
More tears threatened to fall, but I blinked them back. I wouldn’t cry in front of her. “Why’d you come here?”
“Like I’d tell you,” she snapped.
“Don’t talk to me like that,” I said, gritting my teeth. “You might be some big, rich country star, but you have no right to speak to me like I’m not worth your time.”
“Girls like you aren’t even worth a second of my time.” She turned up her nose as if she smelled something rancid. Finished with me, she turned her attention to Colt. “As soon as everything’s organized, give me a call. I’ve left my number on your desk.”
“Not so fast.” Colt shook his head. “Nattie’s right, you can’t talk to her like that. If you want my help, apologize.”
The sour expression on Montana’s face showed she’d rather lick a wasp’s nest than apologize to me, but with a sickly-sweet smile, she said, “Sorry, sugar. I didn’t mean to be so rude or hurt your feelings.”
“And to think I used to worship you.”
“How’s the saying go? Never meet your heroes, because they’re sure to disappoint.”
“You broke a good man’s heart, and I hope you live in regret knowing what you did and what you gave up.”
“Well, aren’t you precious?” She sauntered out of the apartment, followed by her glowering bodyguards.
“Are you helping her with something?” I demanded.
He looked apologetic. “She needs a place to lay low after this tour. Somewhere she can go to get her head straight. I said she could stay at the ranch.”
Anger bubbled inside me, ready to boil over. “Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
“I’m not the kind of man to kick someone when they’re down. She has issues and needs help. She can hide out at the ranch until she decides her next steps. Grudges tend to eat away at people, and I’m not going to spend my life hating her. It’s time to move on.”
“Some people clearly deserve to have grudges held against them.” If I sounded callous and bitter, I didn’t care. “Why’d you keep your relationship with her a secret?”
“You idolized her. Thought she was some kind of goddess.”
The anger I felt wasn’t entirely directed at Colt, but I wasn’t buying his bullshit. As pissed off as I was, I loved him and wanted to spend the rest of my life with him, but if he couldn’t be truthful with me, what was the point?
“Try again and this time tell me the truth.”
The look in his eyes was hard, closed off. “You read her autobiography. Three years boiled down to one sentence. I wasn’t even worth a paragraph. She erased me from her past,” he said coldly. “I tried to do the same with her. I wanted to forget she was ever part of my life. When she left me, the pain was crippling. I drank too much. Slept around.” He tunneled his fingers through his hair, looking like a man who’d lost everything.
I stared at him for a minute, gathering my thoughts. “Why’d she come back?”
“Said she saw the video of you singing and thought she wanted the life she used to have with me.” He shook his head. “That’s not what it was about. Her coming here was a cry for help. I’m kinda thankful she showed up out of the blue like that.”
“I’m sure as hell not,” I huffed.
“Seeing her today made me realize something.”
“Yeah? What’s that? Let me guess, she made you realize women aren’t worth the hassle.”
“I love you. More than I ever thought possible.”
“W—what?” Disbelief washed over me, and to steady my jellied legs, I reached out and held on to the nearest wall. “You love me? Are you sure?”
“For Pete’s sake, Nattie. Can’t a man declare his love without being asked if he’s sure? I’ve never been surer in my life. I. Love. You.” He got down on one knee and took my hand in his. “I don’t want to spend a day without you by my side. Marry me. You’re everything in the world to me.
