Fallin' For You

Chapter Four

Dana threw herself back on the bed. Now, she was even more irritated at him. Where did he get off apologizing? And for everything?

For almost twenty years worth of fighting and bickering and dirty looks? And now, he was going to let her stew in his apology?

Colt even refused to tell her why he was apologizing. That was even worse than treating her the way he always did.

That had always made sense. He had hated her. But now, now Colt tells her no, he doesn't hate her. Never did. She just irritates him. What the hell was that all about?

And where did he get off looking so damned sexy?

And Dana didn't know he had a dog! And he brought the dog to her place. Maybe, to soften her up?

And God, didn't he fill out a pair of shorts?! She pulled a pillow over her face. Why oh why, oh why, was she thinking of Colt that way?

Because he had a fantastic body. Dana sighed. He didn't used to. Colt used to be a bit scrawny, actually, as a teenager. But he had been working out over the years.

Plus, he had been helping out at James Construction since he was a teen. All that hard labor had done the body good.

Colt had a really nice chest. Dana wanted to run her hands across it. She wanted to trace her fingers over his scars and ask him the story behind them. She never knew.

Jesse's parents and grandparents always told them never to ask Colt about his scars. It wouldn't be polite, they said. Since when was she polite with Colt?

But no, she never asked him. She always assumed he was in a car accident with his parents since they were dead. Colt never said how they died, and no one ever talked about it, but she thought that was the best conclusion of what had happened.

Dana knew Colt's father had physically abused him. She didn't find that out until she was a teenager. But that was all she had gotten out of anyone. No one had told her what happened to Colt.

Had the scars been part of the abuse? Dana shivered to think so. They were jagged and looked violent in areas. For a child to have taken that? It wasn't right. Tears slid down her face as she thought of his childhood, what it must have been like for him.

She, she knew, was neglected by her parents. Not in the physical sense but in the emotional sense. But she didn't care. Jesse's parents had taken her in and had treated her like their own child.

Her parents were there to throw presents and money at her whenever they were in town. She had gotten love from the James family. That was good enough for her.

Had Colt felt the same way? Grammy and Grandpa James had taken him in. He was a distant relative, but one that needed love.

Colt had always been so cold. The James family tried to show they loved him, but he seemed to not want it. Did he feel their love for him or did he cast it away? She could never tell.

He seemed to get along with the James family. She knew Jesse and him went out to dinner with each other from time to time. Dana had always refused to go.

She had seen Colt at family barbeques and birthday parties. She had seen him smile with the James family and even laugh. A wondrous boisterous laugh she never got out of him.

Dana got mischievous, amused smiles, sarcastic laughs. But never the real deal. Who was the real Colt anyway? The guy that fought with her? Or the one that had just apologized to her?

The rest of the week was uneventful. She helped Jesse pack up a bunch more of his things after work to take back to the house.

He and Summer were pretty much all moved in. Furniture was scarce, but they were making do.

Dana had refused their offer to let her move in with them until the garage apartment was ready. She wanted to give the newlyweds their space.

She had, at first, even refused their offer of the garage apartment. Of course, that had always been the plan between her and Jesse. But it had been just talk. Just childhood fantasies of always being together no matter what.

Dana could have accepted living in the condo by herself. Maybe, getting another roommate. She could afford to live on her own, but she did like the company. But Summer and Jesse had talked her into the garage apartment.

Dana made them promise to let her pay for half of the construction and acceptance of her free babysitting services once the baby arrived.