Chapter 24

Chloe staggered into the kitchen the next morning, drawn by the scent of bacon and in dire need of coffee. What she found gave her more energy than any shot of caffeine. A hot cowboy was standing at the stove dishing her up a plate of scrambled eggs.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Colt said, leaning down to give her a kiss before handing her the plate.

She grinned. “Yes, it is. Especially since the district gave us a rare snow day. So, it’s a good morning and was an excellent night.” She scooped a bite into her mouth and groaned at the delicious flavor of eggs, bacon, and cheese.

He passed her a cup of coffee. “Just the way you like it, two exact teaspoons of sugar and a full tablespoon of cream.”

She put her plate on the table and took a sip. “Perfect. Just like you.” Setting the cup on the kitchen counter, she reached up and pulled his face down to press a kiss to his lips.

As he deepened the kiss, he bent his knees and slid his arms down her back, over the rounded curve of her rear, then lifted her up and set her on the counter next to her cup. Heat bloomed along her spine as she wrapped her legs around his waist, pulling him to her as she ran her fingers through his thick hair.

A low growl sounded in the back of his throat as he slid his hand under the hem of her jersey and up her thigh.

Oh boy. This was shaping up to be a really good morning. She arched into him, anticipating his touch, but was interrupted as his phone buzzed on the counter. She swallowed, her mouth dry as he pulled his hand free of her jersey and reached for the phone.

He peered at the screen, and narrowed his eyes as he held it up for her to see. The display read “Joe Forsberg.” He answered and put the phone to his ear. “Hello, this is Colt.”

Her head was still so close to his, she could hear the booming voice of the coach.

“Hey, Colt, this is Coach Forsberg. Sorry to call so early, but I wanted to talk to you about last night.”

“Yes, sir. I’m sure you do. I’d like to apologize again for not showing up. I really appreciated the offer, but I couldn’t let my team down.”

“That’s what I’m calling about. It takes a lot of guts to turn down an opportunity like this one for a bunch of kids.”

“Beggin’ your pardon, sir, but they’re not just a bunch of kids to me. They’re my team.”

“I understand. And that’s why I wanted to call you. To tell you the job is yours, if you still want it.”

“But, I don’t understand. I bailed on the interview.”

“That’s right. And you bailing on the interview to take care of your team tells me you’re just the kind of man we need for this job. I’m looking for someone who will make a difference, who cares enough about the team to inspire that kind of loyalty and dedication. I’d still like you to come down and meet the team, and we’ll need to talk about salary and benefits, but the job is yours if you want it.”

Colt looked up at her, a question in his eyes, and if she’d had any doubt about his feelings, that slight hesitation, that moment where she knew he was putting her above everything else, even his dream job, told her everything she could ever wish to know.

“Say yes,” she mouthed, nodding to the phone. “Take the job.”

A grin spread across his face. “Thank you, sir. I’d like that.”

“Great. Why don’t you check your schedule, and I’ll call you later to set up some times to come down to Denver.”

“Yes, sounds good. I’ll do that, and I look forward to hearing from you.” He hung up the phone, and his face lit with happiness. “I guess I got the job anyway.”

“Yes! Congratulations.” Chloe threw her arms around his neck and pressed a kiss to his mouth. “Screw the forking curse. That thing is dead and gone.”

He laughed, a low rumble she felt against her chest. “You know, I think you’re right. Screw the forking curse.” He chuckled again and leaned in to pull her to him, but her hip hit the handle of her cup and coffee swirled over the sides and splattered around the counter.

“Shit, sorry,” he said, pulling back to grab a towel.

She grabbed the towel from his hand and tossed it back toward the sink. “Leave it. It’s just a little mess.” Picking up his hand, she put it back on her waist. “We’ve got more important things to worry about than spilled coffee. We’ve got celebrating to do.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Why, Miss Bishop, I do believe you’re flirting with me.”

She batted her eyes and let out a tinkling laugh. “I do believe I am.”

His eyes darkened with a hunger she recognized, and her breasts tightened in anticipation. He dropped his voice to a low, slow drawl. “Suddenly, I’m getting real hungry for dessert.”

“Dessert? We haven’t even finished breakfast.”

“I don’t care about breakfast.” He winked, and a devilish grin curved his lips. “I’m craving a cupcake.”

She grinned, looking at her future standing in front of her. A future that was messy and unpredictable—that she couldn’t control, that would hold chaos and disarray, but would also be filled with laughter, and delirious joy, and love. And suddenly, the messiness didn’t matter. In fact, she couldn’t wait to get messy, as long as it was in the arms of this man.

She leaned close to his ear, a laugh on her lips and her heart full to bursting as she whispered, “I’ll get the frosting.”