Keep It Together - By Lissa Matthews Page 0,13

he really wanted was to crawl inside her and stay there. Forever.

He heard the pride in her voice, the conviction to be her own person. He was proud for her and proud of her. Russ hadn’t shared much about Chrissie as a person outside his plans for them once they were married, but now Colt was getting a chance to see her for the woman she was inside.

“But?” He had a feeling he knew what she’d say next, and part of him hated that he’d asked her to continue. However, he wanted to hear her say it. He wanted to know for certain that she was over his brother. She’d said earlier that she was, but Colt knew that around him she would be reminded of Russ and that she’d have to see him, interact with him.

He just had to be sure.

“I can’t tell if you’re into humiliating me or if you’re just dense.”

“Actually, I’m neither. I just wanted you to finish your thought.”

“Uh-huh.” She unscrewed the lid to the sun tea jar and fished out the tea bags. Then she poured a clear liquid into it and stirred everything together with a long-handled wooden spoon.

“What was that? In the measuring cup?”

“Simple syrup. It’s got a little lemon in it too. You didn’t think I was going to serve you unsweet tea, did you?”

“I, ah—”

“’Cause we don’t do that down here. I know you’re from Texas, and Russ, well, he never drank tea, so I don’t know what y’all do with your tea, but in my South, it’s so sweet it’ll make you pucker.”

Colt chuckled low and shook his head. She was a pistol. There would likely never be a dull moment around her. “I have always taken mine sweet. I’d just never seen it made.”

“Never? Were you kept out of the kitchen?”

“We were. There was always something more interesting going on.” Chrissie shook her head, and he knew it was at him, even though she wasn’t looking at him when she did it. It was an admonishment, and he was well and truly contrite. He didn’t know why he was because he’d never had any control in his house when they were growing up, but he didn’t want her disappointed with any part of him, including his upbringing.

“And now?”

Now she was teasing him. The minx. “Now, I’m quite fascinated and very curious about the tea. After all this, it should be the best I’ve ever had. I’m anxious to see if it is.”

She stuck her tongue out at him. “You’re gonna be difficult to handle.”

“The point of that being that you want to handle me?” And just like that the laugh was gone and pink once again colored her cheeks. She busied herself with the tea and made to speak several times, but words never passed her lips. “Chrissie?”

“Um… Right. What I was saying earlier, when we were talking about money and Russ and all? I didn’t want to count on the family money or his money always being there and someone being around to take care of me. I wanted to be able to survive and support myself. It’s what my grandmother taught me. She could have had servants like my mother has, but she didn’t want them. She wanted to keep her own house, cook for her own family. The only way we differ is that I want a job that I love too. She didn’t work outside the home, and neither did my mom. If either of them ever had a dream outside the lives they led, I never knew about it.”

He would follow her back to the safe part of the conversation for now, but he’d find out about the handling later. “Times change.”

“Yes, they do.”

“And Russ?” he asked.

“He didn’t understand why I’d want to work if I didn’t have to. He said he’d work hard enough for the both of us, put in all the hours necessary to keep me living in the style to which I was accustomed. That didn’t really work out well as you can see. I’d have been bored silly in a rambling townhouse with nothing but shopping or party planning to do all day. That’s my mother. Not me. Sounds like it’s Russ’s mother too, so… Speaking of… Is he still married?”

“Ah, no. That lasted all of a week. He said he wrote to you, tried to call you, even went to see your parents, but never was able to get in touch with you.”

She nodded. “I burned the