Chapter 19 Indie rolled from her back to her side, immediately reaching to the other side of the bed for Colt so she could feel his warmth and run her fingers over the hard ridges of his chest. Her fingers touched cold sheets. Her eyes flew open. The room was too light for it to be night, but not light enough for it to be late morning. It had to be early. Quickly, she turned on the bedside lamp. Sure enough, the room was empty. "Colt?" Silence. There wasn't even the sound of movement from elsewhere in the house. Had he gone somewhere? When had he left? She tapped the screen of her phone. Seven. Quickly, she shoved off the sheets and climbed out of bed. After pulling on Colt's sweatshirt that was flung over a chair, she searched the house...every inch of it. The hall bathroom, the living room, the spare bedrooms. It was when she reached the kitchen that she saw the note. Hey, Cricket, just ran out. Won't be long. House is locked. Please don't go out without me. C. Out? Out where? But she already knew the answer to that. He wouldn't have left her to work at the park this early, especially after what had happened last night. He would go to find his father. Had he figured out where Gordon was staying? Dammit. This was bad. Really bad. On a normal day, she trusted Colt to do the right thing. But after last night, she wasn't sure what he was capable of. She rushed back to the bedroom and lifted her phone. Her finger hovered over Colt's number, but she hesitated-he might already be with his father. And even if he wasn't, would he listen to her? She hit a different name. Her brother answered on the second ring. "Indie, is everything okay?" "I need you to find Colt." "What do you mean, find him? Is he missing?" The rustle of movement sounded over the line. "Last night, Colt's father made my car break down so he could talk to me." "What the fuck? Are you okay?" "I'm fine. But he told me that if Colt doesn't talk to him, he'll be back. He basically threatened me." Noah cursed again. "And now Colt's gone to find him. Do you know where he is?" "No." "Did Gordon tell you where he was staying last night? Or did he give you any clues as to where he might be?" "He didn't say anything about where he's been." She paused, frowning. "But Colt found a jerky wrapper, which we think fell out of his dad's car, and he went really quiet when he saw it." "A jerky wrapper?" "Yeah. One of those Big Sky ones." "Shit. I know where he is. I'm going now." "Noah..." There was a beat of silence. "Please make sure he doesn't do anything stupid." "You can trust me to look after him, Indie." "I know I can." She hung up, but that pit in her belly didn't go away. It sat there, wide and hollow, making her want to do something. To go out there and help Noah find Colt. But that would be the opposite of help; she'd just be putting herself in danger. And she did trust her brother to look after him...if he got there in time. A distraction. That's what she needed. She'd shower, then continue the search for her wedding ring. She'd already gone through every storage tote she owned, but it had to be there because that's where she'd put it. She just must've missed it. In the bathroom, she stripped off her clothes and climbed into the shower. It took her less than thirty seconds to realize this was the worst idea. A shower was exactly where her mind took on a life of its own and a million worst-case scenarios ran through her head. Of what Colt might do to his father. Of the lengths he'd go to, just to make sure his father didn't hurt anyone he loved. His dad clearly didn't shy away from a fight, and Colt wasn't a kid anymore. He was a former special operator. He was deadly. And he was also angry. There was also the possibility that Gordon might be armed and hurt Colt. Her heart rattled against her ribs. No. He wouldn't do that. He wanted something from him. And he couldn't get it if Colt was hurt or dead. Five minutes. That was all she lasted under the stream of water before she got out and grabbed a towel. Once she'd pulled on some yoga pants and a long-sleeved oat-colored top, she headed into the kitchen. Coffee next. A strong coffee. God, what she wouldn't do for one of Mrs. Gerald's chai spiced lattes, but that wasn't an option right now. She couldn't go out by herself, and it wasn't like the small town of Amber Ridge had DoorDash or Uber Eats. Maybe when Colt got home, she could convince him to take her. And a piece of pie. Yeah, she definitely needed pie. She'd just finished making coffee when she heard a knock on her door. She frowned. It was still early and she wasn't expecting anyone. Slowly, she crossed to the front door and looked through the peephole. The pit that formed in her stomach when she woke to find Colt gone widened. Sylvia. The older woman held a tray with three coffees and a paper bag. Ben stood by the Mercedes that was parked on the street. Oh, Jesus. This was not what she needed before coffee. She didn't feel emotionally equipped to deal with the woman's backhanded abuse. Or more recently, direct abuse. But what was she supposed to do? Not answer? With a deep breath, she pulled the door open. Sylvia's brows lifted. "Indie. I thought Colt was staying here." "He is. He's out right now." "Out where?" "That's a question you can ask him." Annoyance pinched her brow. "I would, but he's refusing to take my calls. It's why I came over with coffee and breakfast." "Well, I'm sorry he isn't home. He'll probably be home later. If you'll excuse me." She started to close the door. "Wait! It's clearly important to my son that you and I get along." Sylvia swallowed, like the words left a sour taste in her mouth. "So, I think this is something we should work on." Indie could have laughed. "Getting along isn't something you work on, Sylvia. You either do or you don't. And with the way you feel about me, and the things you've said about me, I don't see us ever getting along." "So what? I'm just supposed to let my son cut me out of his life?" "Again, that's between you and him-" "Will you stop saying that!" Sylvia cut in. "I know you don't understand the bond between a mother and her child-" "See, that-that right there is why you and I will never get along. Because you say these things aimed to hurt me without even trying to understand the pain that infertility has brought to my life." She stepped forward. "I grieve the child I've never held. I see them in my mind. Their little fingers wrapped around my thumb. Their chubby cheeks. Yet I've never held them, and I don't know if I ever will. It's a sense of loss and pain that you couldn't even begin to comprehend." Tears stung her eyes, but she forced the words out because she needed Sylvia to hear this. "And there's a sense of inadequacy that comes with infertility. Like my body is broken, and I don't know how to fix it. And every time you take a jab at me about how I'm not supposed to be a mother, or how I don't understand what it's like to be a mom, you push me deeper into the darkness that swallowed me a year ago-and you make every fear and inadequacy come alive again." Sylvia's face paled. "I was hurting," Indie said quietly. "I'm still hurting, but a year ago, I thought that pain would cut me in two. It's a kind of sadness that made me feel empty. I did everything I could to survive, including ending things with Colt so he was no longer forced to choose between us. And instead of checking in on me, your daughter-in-law, instead of asking if I was okay or what you could do to help while my world was crashing down around me, you demeaned me. Every time you saw me, you went out of your way to make me feel every bit as broken as I thought I was." Sylvia didn't say anything, but the look on her face was one Indie had never seen. Something between shock and understanding...and perhaps a bit of shame. But maybe Indie was just seeing what she wanted to see. She blinked away the tears. "So no, I won't be trying to get along with you. I will be working on my relationship with Colt and continuing to protect my mental health. Now, I need to go." Once the door was closed, she leaned her forehead on the wood. She wasn't sure if she was expecting to feel relief after finally telling Sylvia how she felt. She didn't. She just felt kind of hollow. Like she'd lost something she'd never even had-the mother-in-law she'd always wished for. Colt climbed out of his Audi, the cool morning air skimming across his skin. He barely felt it, the need to find his father consuming him. Soon, Randy's crew would be here, this forest would be crawling with people, and Gordon would be gone. So, he had a time limit. He moved down the newly updated trails, his footsteps quick, fueled by adrenaline. When the cabins came into view, a small light came from one of the windows. Good. He was here. The door to the cabin opened and Gordon stepped out, a backpack slung over his shoulder. He didn't look up as he turned back toward the cabin and pulled the door closed. Colt took the steps up to the deck two at a time, and the second Gordon turned, he swung, nailing his father in the face. Gordon grunted and dropped before rolling to his side and grabbing his face. "What the fuck?" Colt didn't pause. He grabbed his dad and pulled him to his feet. Then he shoved him hard against the cabin, the wood groaning under the impact. "I told you to leave her alone." Blood dripped from a cut on his father's cheek. "Jesus Christ, you got a good hit. I taught you well." "You didn't teach me shit. You tried to teach me how to be weak. You showed me you're a fucking coward. But you didn't teach me anything." Amusement flitted across his father's face. "I taught you how to be angry...and I can see that anger in your eyes right now. You wanna kill me. But the little Boy Scout inside you is fighting it." "You're right. I am fighting the urge to kill you. And I'll win, because unlike you, I have some damn self-control. Now tell me what you want so you can get the fuck out of town." "You know what I want-the money I'm owed." "What the fuck are you talking about? You're not owed a damn thing." "Your mother hired Ben, and he forced me to sign divorce papers. I gave up everything-money, the house, all of it. I got scraps compared to what I should have walked away with." Colt lowered his head. "You don't deserve shit, and my mother isn't giving you another cent of her money. There's nothing here for you-leave." His father scoffed. "You think I'm scared of you? I'm not. I'm staying, and I'll make your life hell-your mother's life hell, and that pretty piece of ass's life hell-until I get what I'm owed." Colt didn't think. He swung a second time, nailing his father in the face and once again sending him to the planks. As he lunged toward him for more, strong arms pulled him back. "Colt, no." He shoved at Noah. "Get the hell off me! I'm going to kill the bastard." "No, you're not." "He threatened Indie and my mother." His father laughed. He wouldn't be laughing in a second when Colt tore his fucking head off. Noah pulled him back and moved in front of him before pressing his hands to Colt's chest. "You kill him and you go to jail. That won't help Indie. She needs you here. You'd also become just as bad as him." Colt's chest heaved, the anger tightening his fists. "Colt, you're better than him," Noah pushed. "So be better." He was better. "Fine." Noah stepped to the side, but Colt knew his friend was ready to grab him again if needed. Colt looked at his father on the porch. Gordon was back to grabbing his cheek and looked as pathetic as he was. "You go near my wife or mother again, and I will kill you and hide the evidence. Do you understand?" His father spat blood out of his mouth. "Get ready to murder me then, because I'm not going anywhere until I get my money." Noah grabbed Colt's arm before he could step forward. "We're going." But before they did, Noah turned back to Gordon. "You need to leave, now. You step foot on this property again, you'll be arrested for trespassing. You understand me?" Gordon just raised a brow, almost in challenge. Colt could barely breathe through the tightness in his chest, the fucking fury, as Noah pushed him away. They got all the way to the parking lot before Noah finally stopped and broke the silence. "Are you okay?" "No. He got Indie alone last night." "I know." "He could have done anything to her." "He didn't." "What about next time? What about when he figures out he's not getting shit from my mother?" "There won't be a next time." "There might be." Noah stepped closer, eliminating that small space between them. "Indie has you. She has me. She has Jesse and Becket. We all have her back. And your mom has Ben, who's shadowing her. No one is getting hurt. Do you understand?" Colt scrubbed a hand over his face. "I hate this. I hate him." "I know." "I want to kill him. I could have killed him." "But you won't." "How do you know?" "Because I know you. And you're a better man than he is." Noah gripped his shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you home. Indie's worried." Colt nodded but spared one last glance at the mountains before he left. Gordon better leave Amber Ridge, and soon, or Colt was fully prepared to follow through on his threat.