Sun Mote Copse Whiskey river

Colt honestly didn't know if he expected Niamh to come or not.  He didn't know if he wanted her to, either.  He knew it was terrible, but if she stayed there, everything would be a damn measure easier wouldn't it?

He stood with his back to a tree, staring at the forest that was his new home, at least for a time. Good place for thinking, this patch of ground.

Chances were good that Towhee would make her stay, and Colt had given the ultimatum more as a way to force a clean break or a solid decision than an actual true dealbreaker.  True, he wouldn't have gone back.  But he could have tried to work things out without forcing her to leave.

Her own ultimatum had been what made up his mind, and he'd wondered if it would be her breaking point too.  Apparently not.

Then there was the other terrible old-Colt thought... he'd never really had a hard time chasing women off before, and if he needed to make her hate him, well.  He knew how.

Fuckin flighty, old man, he thought to himself with a touch of mocking self-deprecation.  But the memory, that in the end he could choose where his life led, soothed him some.  He'd made it clear his chance was a step, and if she didn't take it, he wouldn't need to figure out the next one.