In the Dust Read online

  He dips his chin down, resting it on the top of my head. “You smell like strawberries.”

  With us so close together, and out of eyesight for a moment, I look up at him. We’re close, too close. “How’d you end up with her?” My voice is small, my speech slurred. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be wrapped in everything he is.

  “We’re not dating,” he offers.

  An anxious laugh escapes me. “Could have fooled me. You know how mean she was to me. You remember that, right?”

  He shrugs. “People change.”

  “Not her,” I sneer.

  “What about him? You really like that guy?” he wonders.

  “Yeah.” There’s no conviction in my tone, and I don’t know why.

  He takes one hand off me to gesture to the bar. “There’s no fire in him. I could tell when he barely reacted to me being so close to you.” We both want to pull away from each other, we both need to, but we don’t. “You're supposed to be mine, Dixie.”

  “Why her?” I ask, leaning into him.

  “Why him?” he counters.

  7

  The smell of his tobacco filled breath swirls in my nostrils. Our lips are painfully close, and I catch myself staring at how perfectly plump his are, longing to feel them against my own. I just want to give in and completely let go. The feel of his embrace is like going home after a long day; it’s all consuming.

  Maybe one taste won’t hurt.

  I flick my eyes up to Colton’s, finding the want is clear in his gaze too. I cast my glance back down to his lips and slowly close my eyes.

  But a loud crashing sound interrupts my drunken stupor. I lean back, swallowing the lump in my throat. Colton doesn’t move away, so I remove his hand from my waist for him. I push away, stepping towards Harper.

  What. The. Hell.

  I shake my head; I’m being ridiculous. What am I doing? I’m supposed to hate him.

  “Dixie! Brad looks like he’s about to puke. I think it’s time to go,” Harper croaks as she stumbles out of the door. I hold her steady as she throws her arms around my neck. “I’m so happy you’re home, Dix,” she slurs.

  I laugh. “Me too, Harps. Let’s get you home.”

  “Actually …” She pauses. “Jackson called a cab. I’ll just ride with him.”

  I give her a knowing look. “Okay, text me when you make it home.”

  “Yes, ma’am.” She giggles, saluting me drunkenly.

  I call Dad, knowing damn well I’m unable to drive home. Ten minutes later, he pulls up in his black truck. I open the back door when I see Jackson striding out of the bar with a toasted Brad in hand. “Just put him back here,” I huff.

  Stepping out of his way, I open the passenger side and step up into the cab.

  Colton walks to my open window when I close the door. I raise a brow at him. “Aren’t you getting in?”

  “Nah, I only had two beers the whole time. I’m good. I’ll be right behind y’all.”

  I give him a small smile and lock eyes with him. “Be careful.”

  “Always am.” He winks while turning to walk towards his Bronco.

  I let out a sigh and turn my head back to Dad. “Thanks for picking us up.”

  “You know I’d rather you call me than something happen to you,” he explains while reaching for my hand, squeezing it lightly. “Now, who’s this in my backseat?”

  “Oh, right. This is Brad.” I look back at the intoxicated man sitting behind me hunched over.

  Brad sits up. “Hi, Mr. Norwood. Nice to meet—” Before Brad can finish his sentence, he plasters his cobb salad all over the floorboards of my dad's pristine truck.

  I cover my face in embarrassment.

  This must be my karma.

  Bright eyed and bushy tailed is the complete opposite of what I’m feeling this morning. I have absolutely no idea how I managed to wake up on time. As I roll over, I notice a tall glass of water with two Aspirin sitting on a small piece of paper next to it.

  Drink the whole glass and take these. You’ll need it.

  -Colty

  I smirk at his use of the stupid nickname Miss Priss gave him.

  I slowly get out of bed, willing the pounding in my head to stop, but it’s unrelenting. I shuffle to the bathroom, stopping at the sink so I can brush my teeth and wash my face.

  It would be nice to look cute today, but it’s pointless when you’re working on a farm. So, I opt for a pair of light washed jeans and a soft t-shirt.

  The scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the air, and I take that as my cue to head downstairs. When I reach the kitchen, I find a freshly showered Colton leaning against the counter holding out a mug for me.

  We’ve got to stop meeting like this. “Who showers before working on the farm?” I tease.

  At least he’s wearing a shirt this time, I lie to myself.

  He responds with a shake of his head.

  “I got your note.” I smirk as I grab the warm coffee cup from his extended hand.

  “Had to carry you upstairs while your dad carried Pretty Boy to the couch. Guess y’all couldn't make the drive home.”

  Wait, Brad slept here?

  “Good morning,” Brad mumbles as he walks into the kitchen.

  I look to Brad and study his face. He is undeniably handsome, but doesn’t hold a match to Colton’s sculpted, masculine features. It’s like he was handcrafted from marble by God himself.

  “You should probably head to your rental, get some rest. I’ll stop by after dinner,” I offer.

  Brad walks to me, pressing a chaste kiss to my cheek. “Not necessary. I’m working the farm with you today, remember?” He looks at me sideways.

  Nope, not at all. “Uh, yeah, that’s right.” I take a sip of my coffee, noting the perfect amount of honey. “But you don’t have any clothes. Or boots, for that matter.”

  “Your grandpa is letting him borrow an old pair of boots and clothes,” Colton chimes in, not bothering to hide his grin.

  “Yes, Burl said he would help me out.” He rubs his face. “I guess I’ll go get changed. Where’s the bathroom?”

  I decide against letting him use mine; I’ll show him my room later. “Down the hall, to the left.”

  As Brad leaves the kitchen, I turn my head slowly towards the man that’s bound to cause trouble. Colton lets out a deep laugh he’s been holding in. I smack his arm as I let out my own giggle. “You better be nice to him.”

  Colton feigns shock. “Now, Dixie May, why would you ever think I would be anything less than a true southern gentleman?”

  “Put your back into it, Brad!” Colton shouts as they shovel out the dirty bedding from neighboring stalls.

  I swiftly turn my body away so neither of them can catch me laughing. Brad is visibly struggling with the whole manual labor thing. Not that he’s out of shape; he works out three times a week. He’s just used to sitting in an air-conditioned office all day. Plus, farm fit is a different kind of strength.

  “Water,” Brad pants, out of breath. “I need water.”

  I motion behind me. “There’s a hose over by the door.”

  He pauses for a moment, thinking I’m joking. “No thanks. I’ll take bottled.”

  “Hose or nothing, City Boy,” Colton butts in. “While you’re at it, grab that orange bucket from the first stall on the right and go feed the chickens. Seems more your pace.”

  Brad shoots him a wicked look. Storming off, he mumbles something under his breath that I can’t quite make out, except for the word ‘asshole’.

  “Cut him some slack, Colton,” I plead.

  “Not today, Dixie. He said he could do it, so let him prove it,” he declares while placing his shovel against the wall, removing his gloves and then his sweat filled t-shirt.

  Lord, give me strength.

  I take our moment alone to quickly bring up a burning question from last night. “So … you never answered my question.”

  “And what question is that, Dix?” He looks at me, shifting his weight to his other leg.

  “Why her?”

  He runs his hand across his chin, scratching his beard. “She keeps me occupied.”

  I scoff, “I bet she does.”

  “Why him?” He chucks his chin in Brad’s direction.

  “He’s safe.” It’s not a good answer, but it’s the truth. “He won't hurt me.” I turn to watch Brad as he wipes his face, flicking his hand to remove the excess water.

  “Safe?” He laughs. “That’s one way to describe him.”

  I roll my eyes, which seems to be a common response to most things that come from his mouth. “Knock it off, hotshot.”

  He turns to me grinning. “Now, we both know your dad’s the only hotshot around here.”

  He’s not wrong; my Dad’s a hotshot firefighter. He’s a part of the wildland crew here in the south, which is why he couldn't help as much on the farm and why I’m here now …

  Whenever I catch a glimpse of Brad, it reminds me of the city. I wish I could say I was mad about being home, but I’m not, especially now that I’m here. Of course, there are things I miss about New York, but there’s nothing like being home.

  Plus, it’s just for the summer.

  Brad walks up and slaps my ass as he slides past me to enter the stall. My cheeks flush from his flirtation and when he starts shoveling the manure into the wheelbarrow, I discreetly look in Colton’s direction. He turns away before I can see the jealousy swirling around him.

  I let out a sigh and walk over to Pixie. I secured her in the aisle-way so I could brush her before saddling her. I’ll need to give her a bath tomorrow.

  “Done!” Brad exclaims as he finishes replacing the bedding in the stall.

  “Didn’t know it was a competition.” I set the brush down
and walk over to his stall. I notice a minute amount of shavings on the ground. “You need at least double the shavings you have in here. The water and feed buckets need to be filled, and you need to sweep this section clear so we can lay down some hay.”

  He gives me a determined look. We exit the stall and I show him where we keep the feed. I go and grab the hose to fill the water buckets for him. By the time I get back, Brad has the grain bucket full and a decent pile of hay in the corner. Of course, Colton finished a few minutes before him.

  Afterwards, I go to grab my dad’s horse at the back of the stables. I haven’t been back here since I’ve been home. As I walk up to Texas’s stall, Colton walks out of the neighboring one with a beautiful midnight black stallion. “Whose horse is that?” I gasp.

  Colton peaks around the black beauty and smirks. “Mine.”

  You have got to be kidding me.

  “If your horse was here this whole time, why didn’t you just ride him the other day? And why would you steal my horse and rename her?” I can’t believe him.

  “Must’ve slipped my mind.” He winks. “You were gone anyways, and I didn’t know you were coming back. Someone needed to care for her, so I took over.”

  I scoff, “Whatever.”

  I grab Texas and lead him to where Pixie is so I can walk Brad through saddling a horse. “I’ve already brushed Pixie, so you can go ahead and put a pad on her.”

  I swiftly run a brush over Tex before slapping his padding over him.

  “Now, flip the right stirrup and girth strap over the saddle.” I show him with Texas’s saddle. “Pick her up and swing her over your horse from this side.”

  Once Brad gets the saddle onto Pixie, he watches me situate the one on Texas. I show him how to tighten the straps and secure them before I go and grab the bridles.

  “That wasn’t so bad,” he announces matter-of-factly.

  “And you actually beat Colton,” I reveal as Brad peaks over at him while I double check his straps.

  Before heading out to check the fences for any open areas or broken sections, we feed the chickens and gather eggs. Of course, Brad and Colton were trying to see who could gather up the most eggs. Not that we have enough hens for a great competition.

  “I’ve got six,” Brad says excitedly.

  Colton lets out a laugh. “I knew you’d be great with the chickens.”

  “Is this gonna be an all-day thing?” I inquire.

  “You bet,” Colton replies as he leaves the coop, giving me a mischievous smile.

  Why am I not surprised?

  As we ride around the border of the new pasture the cattle are in, the guys start bickering … again. Arguing over who could chop more wood. Let’s be honest, I know Colton would win that.

  “Prove it,” Colton proposes to Brad. “After we put the horses to pasture, chop with me. We’ll see who lasts longer and cuts more.”

  “Fine.” Brad thinks for a moment. “Loser has to stack the cut wood by himself.”

  “Deal.” He smirks.

  I let out an annoyed sigh, “If y’all would stop bickering, you’d see that the fence needs mending off to the left there.”

  They give each other a weird look and start trotting over to the broken fence. It doesn’t take long since it’s a simple fix. Brad does pretty well with this task. Probably helps that he was a boy scout when he was younger. I just hope he doesn’t reveal that to Colton; it’ll just give him more of a reason to talk shit.

  Just as they’re finishing up, Colton’s phone starts ringing. He takes a step back from the fence and reaches into his back pocket. “Whatcha need, boss?” he answers.

  Must be Grandpa.

  “Yes, sir, we’re just finishing up the fence. We’ll head that way now.” He ends the call.

  “Everything okay?” I start to worry.

  “Yup, just need to move some equipment.” He slaps Brad’s shoulder, squeezing it firmly. “City Boy here can help me. As long as he knows how to drive a manual.”

  “Of course I do. My family owns a few exotic cars.” His tone is unbothered, relaxed.

  “Atta boy,” Colton remarks as he mounts his horse. “Let’s go.”

  Once we reach the tractors that need to be relocated, Colton and Brad dismount their horses and quicken their pace as they walk towards the equipment. Before I can say anything, they both burst into a full-on sprint. “Seriously?!” I yell after them. I guess I’ll lead the horses back myself.

  The men start their respective tractors, and Colton pulls out first. Brad is close behind him but can’t seem to move past him. All I can do is shake my head at them. Why are they being so weird today? Although, I will admit it is extremely weird having both my ex and current boyfriend working alongside each other.

  I take the horses back to the barn and remove their saddles. After putting everything away, I lead them to the pasture next to the barn and set them free as a warm breeze glides across my face and through my hair.

  I settle on gathering a few things from the garden for dinner. Harvesting the garden by myself is so relaxing and tranquil. I can finally breathe and focus.

  I don’t dare look at the small building across from it …

  The aroma of wet earth fills the air while I pick enough green beans for everyone. As I stand up to walk over to the radishes, I can hear the tractors pulling up. Brad managed to catch up to Colton, causing them to reach the pole barn at the same time.

  I finish gathering the vegetables and walk over to them.

  Brad saunters out of the barn with a pleased look on his face. “At least he didn’t win.”

  “What is your deal?” I question as I purse my lips.

  “Nothing, just a little friendly competition.”

  “Mhm,” I murmur as he places his hand on the small of my back.

  Colton steps into sight. I can tell he’s biting the inside of his cheek while he walks past me, avoiding eye contact.

  “I need to rinse these beans off real quick. I’ll meet you out back.” I plant a kiss on Brad’s cheek before strolling towards the house.

  I head out onto the back porch and sit down on the swing to snip off the ends of the beans. I slowly rock myself back and forth as the men continue with their rivalry.

  Brad is swinging fast and hard, which makes him lose his energy quickly. Colton hits each log hard and steady, so he’s able to maintain his stamina. Exactly what I knew would happen.

  I watch Brad as he props his axe up against the other logs. Colton steps up to Brad’s log and pulls back his own axe.

  It happens so fast as Brad moves his arm toward the swinging axe.

  He lets out a guttural scream and I instantly drop the beans from my lap, jumping up from the porch swing and running straight to him.

  “What the hell did you do, Colt?”

  8

  I examine Brad’s arm, noting only a small scratch from the axe blade, and I breathe a hefty sigh of relief. “Okay, enough rivalry for today, boys,” I nearly sneer. It’s hard enough going from New York back to Georgia. I don’t need the men from both states making it worse.

  I hold Brad’s hand and walk him towards the house, leaving Colton behind.

  “Let’s go back to my rental for the night,” he suggests with a flirty smirk. Maybe that’s not such a bad idea. A little alone time could be good for us.

  Even though he only rented a lake house for two weeks, I need to be at the farm. My family needs me.

  But a weekend away from Colton wouldn't hurt.

  A smile grazes my face. “We’re having a bonfire tonight. I can’t bail, but …” I plant a soft kiss on his cheek. “This weekend?”

  He holds up his hand. “I’m injured.” He pouts, holding up his arm that’s sporting a regular sized bandage.

  “I think you’ll live.” I giggle.

  His smirk grows wide. “You’ve only been here a few days and your accent’s already getting heavier.”

  “Don’t you start with me,” I tease. It’s nice, this banter. We barely get to see each other at home; he’s always tucked away on his laptop or spending a long night in his office at work. He got promoted to partner recently, so he has a little less free time.

  Seeing him like this brings me clarity. When Colton’s near, I’m like a horse with blinders; I can’t concentrate on anything else.