Piper, but it was Sierra—and maybe a bit of Montana thrown in for good measure.
His nights were spent in a much more leisurely fashion, either at his place or Sierra’s. It wasn’t all sex, though that was pretty damn awesome. They’d sit on the porch and he’d play whatever he was working on and she’d give her thoughts. Sometimes Piper and Ty would come over and they’d also join in, singing or playing and making adjustments to the song as they went. He wasn’t just getting to know Sierra, but rebuilding the connection to his sister that had been fractured through their careers and life. And he was courting Sierra, hoping to show her that he wanted more from her than a few nights of passion. It had happened fast. He wanted everything with her.
Sitting outside his cabin waiting for Sierra, he realized that he was content, maybe even happier than he’d ever been. The thought of returning to Nashville was not as appealing as it once was, but the calendar and the email from his manager reminded him that he had to return for his recording dates. His time in Montana was drawing to a swift end, which meant his time with Sierra was also about to end. He wasn’t ready for that. But she’d been adamant that they only had this time together, and when he left, it was over.
Only, he had a plan, a way to try to convince her to give them a chance. A Hail Mary play.
He would start with dinner. Not that he would cook. God, no. Giving her food poisoning was not the message he wanted to send. Which was why he begged a wonderful meal off of Tara and West’s housekeeper and had it all set up inside. The rest was up to him.
Sierra drove down the winding path to Colt’s cabin, a familiar route she’d taken far too many times over the past couple of weeks. Every time she drove it, she told herself it was the last time, that she was getting in too deep. But she kept coming back, kept staying the night, kept playing with fire and wondering if this was the night she’d get burned. What had started as a purely physical fling had turned into so much more. She loved Colt’s laughter, his company. Hell, who was she kidding. It had never really been about the physical, though he was damn fine in bed…or against the wall…or in the shower. No, she’d been flirting with getting her heart broken since the day she accepted the first date. She’d fallen for his charm, for his caring, for his single-minded attention.
That would end the minute he left Montana and got back to his real life. And there was no way she’d be following him to Nashville. She had a growing business and a life here in Granite Junction. She wasn’t putting her life, her dreams on hold for any man. She saw what that had done to her mom, how it corrupted her until she became a user, a taker, destroying her mom’s life. Sierra couldn’t allow that. Yet every night she drove out to Redemption Ranch or he came to her, drawn to him like a moth to a flame. She needed to be strong. But she wasn’t succeeding. Soon, she’d be left behind.
Would it be tonight?
Colt stood as she pulled up next to his truck at the cabin. He set his guitar aside on a chair and came down the steps, sweeping her into a big hug and a breath-stealing kiss as soon as she got out of her SUV. He set her down, keeping hold of her hand as if he couldn’t go one more minute without touching her.
“I hope you’re hungry. Marie made dinner. I hear she’s famous for her pot roast.”
Sierra’s eyes widened. “She is. Tara has bragged about that for ages. Lead me to it.”
He opened the cabin door and she gasped. The small kitchen table had a red tablecloth and candles on it. A vase of wildflowers sat between the two candles, and soft music played in the background. The smell of roast and vegetables filled the air and her stomach rumbled. She turned, tears prickling her eyes.
“Did you do this for me?”
“For us. I hope you like it. The flowers were a last-minute thought, so I went out and picked them. Sorry they’re not fancier.”
She blinked rapidly, loving the simplicity of them over anything he could have gotten at the