strong it was. Could feel delicate fingertips wrapping around him. It hit him hard, left him breathless.
âNot never,â he said, his voice sounding rough to his own ears.
âAre you going to be a lecherous tool bag when we have lunch with your mother?â
âIf she takes enough pills before we order she wonât notice if I am.â He nearly winced at his own words. He was just being an ass now.
Lydia frowned. âIâve met your mother at different fund-raising luncheons. She seems...nice.â
âIâm not sure thatâs the word I would use. But I love my mother. Sheâs been through enough. And yeah, itâs easy for me to make dry comments about how she does and doesnât cope, but the truth is it worries me.â
âIâm sure finding out that your father had an illegitimate child with someone was hard on her.â
He leaned back, closing his eyes and resting his head on the back of the couch. âThat was just the latest hard thing.â
âOh.â
âI have a brother.â He opened his eyes again, just so he could get a look at her expression.
âOh,â she said, her hands clasped in front of her, twitching nervously. âI didnât know that.â
âI figured you didnât. Most people do, since theyâve lived here their whole lives. Youâre that rare outsider.â
That made her frown. âIâm not an outsider.â
Yet again, heâd managed to divert her right when heâd cut open a vein of ancient West history. And again, he was going to go with it rather than continuing to talk about family stuff. âYou arenât really a local.â
Color flooded her cheeks, except this time, it was angry. âThis is my home. I have lived here for the past eight years. And I damn sure am a local, Colton West. Iâm running for mayor. I donât think you can be more...Copper Ridgian than that.â
âThat doesnât make you a local. Being a local makes you a local.â
âWhy are you so invested in this?â
âWhy are you ?â
She frowned. âThat isnât your business. We might be sharing space, but we donât have to share secrets and braid each otherâs hair.â
âThe only kind of slumber party weâre going to have is a repeat performance of our wedding night, Lydia, so I would be careful what you suggest.â
The moment the words left his lips, he regretted them. He had no intention of ever touching her again. He just wanted to get a rise out of her.
âI would be careful what you said, Colton,â she returned, her words clipped. âUnless of course you want to get punched in the face.â
âAre you resorting to playground tactics? Are you going to steal my jacket and make me chase you to get it back next?â He pushed up from the couch, taking a step toward her. âAll to get me to pay attention to you?â
âPlease,â she said, the word coming out a disbelieving laugh. âI do not want you to chase me.â
âFine. Lunch. Tomorrow. Donât make me chase you.â
Those eyes, brown, shot through with gold, glistening like whiskey in a shot glass, gazed straight into him as though they were wishing him a swift and painful death. âFine,â she parroted him, her tone so crystal he thought it might cut him. âIâll see you then. Beaches. Noon.â
âYouâll probably see me before then.â
âIâm tired. Iâm probably going to go to bed.â
âItâs eight oâclock.â
She crossed her arms, straightening her posture. âSo I may not have demonstrated this over the course of the past few days, but I am actually a very responsible person. Early to bed. Early to rise.â
âI think I might have heard my grandmother say that once.â
âShe was a wise woman. Good night.â
And Lydia turned on her heel and walked out of the
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