Chapter Five
Cherry
I wake up in a strange bed for the second time in a row with the morning light spilling into the room and warming my face. I burrow deeper into the covers and nuzzle the pillow, making a disappointed noise when I realize that it doesn’t smell like him.
Dane .
But of course, it doesn’t. I spent the night in the guest room this time, and although the bed and sheets are just as soft, it doesn’t feel the same.
“Finally. It’s about time you woke up.”
The voice comes out of nowhere and jolts me fully awake. I blink my eyes open and find a pair of green ones staring down at me, bright and curious. They are the same shade as Dane’s, but I recognize right away that they aren’t his.
Grogginess clings to me like a heavy fog, and for a moment, I question if I’m hallucinating. I squint at the girl standing next to the bed; her features are delicate and so unlike the man I met yesterday. She smiles at my confusion before plopping down on the bed beside me.
“C’mon, sleepy head. Get it together,” she teases.
“Paula!” I shout, jolting to an upright position. She’s here! Relief rushes through me, followed swiftly by anger. “Dammit, Paula. What the heck? You invited me here and you weren’t even in town!”
She has the decency to look sheepish, and her gaze darts to her hands, her shoulders slumping as she answers. “I’m so sorry. I really thought we’d be back before you arrived. But our flight was canceled, and we couldn’t get a new one until early this morning.”
“Yeah, and what about your dad? He’s not here either,” I accuse, crossing my arms over my chest.
Paula’s eyes go wide with shock and innocence. “I didn’t know he would be gone too! I swear, I’d just talked to him, and he said he’d be in Valor Springs this week. His trip was last minute. I called him, and he said he’ll be home in a few days. I wasn’t sure how much of your situation you wanted me to share with him, but he knows I want him to talk to you the moment he gets back.”
Now it’s my turn to drop my gaze. “It might be too late by then,” I say miserably.
“I’m so sorry, Cherry. I really thought having you come here was the best thing. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about staying at the ranch. We thought our loft renovations would be done by now, but with the work they’re doing on the hotel right now, the reno guys have been super busy and fell behind.”
“Why would they be working on the hotel now with everything so busy because of the fair?” I ask, recalling Dane’s reason for not taking me to the hotel when I arrived.
“The fair? That ended last week. The hotel is practically empty right now, it’s their slowest time of the year, perfect timing for reno work.”
I don’t know what to make of this. Dane told me the hotel would certainly be full and made it sound like his home was the only option. If that wasn’t true, why did he bring me here? For sex? We didn’t even get that far.
“…Anyway, I’m glad he agreed to let you stay. He may seem like a grump, but he’s a great guy. He works hard, but he never takes a break. At least not long enough to find love. I want that for him; he’s so lonely in this big house all by himself.”
I turn to my friend, incredulous. “Paula,” I croak before clearing my throat. “Was this some kind of matchmaking attempt, getting me here to Valor Springs and introducing me to Dane? Please tell me you didn’t plan this. I'm leaving today,” I say, reading the surprise on her face. “I appreciate you trying to help, but I don’t have time to wait for your dad to get back. I need to figure out a solution now. This is my life, Paula, not a game.” My eyes fill with tears as I finish speaking, and I swipe at them angrily. I’m so tired of crying.
“No! Please don’t think that, Cherry. I know your life isn’t a game. I promise, I really think my dad can help.” She blushes as she continues, “But I can’t lie. I also hoped that you’d meet Uncle Dane and the two of you would fall for each other. You’re both so lonely, and you’d make a perfect match.”
I agree , I think, but I don’t dare say that out loud to my incorrigible friend. I know she means well, but I’m still frustrated by her deception.
“It’s not going to happen, Paula, so drop it. Your uncle isn’t interested in a relationship, and I’m about to be deported. Not to mention there’s a sizable age gap between us.”
Paula waves her hand dismissively. “You’re fourteen years apart; it’s not that big of a deal. Darrell is older than me too, but we’re perfect for each other.” Paula’s eyes take on a far away, lovesick look that makes my heart squeeze with the desire to someday feel what she’s feeling now.
I hate that I am not that girl for Dane. I’ve known the man for less than a day, but the thought of being parted from him causes me physical pain. While I can sympathize with Paula’s desire to find love for her uncle, she ultimately wasted precious time I don’t have, and now I have no clue what I’ll do…or how I’ll stand another man’s touch.
All this could have been avoided if I’d never set foot in Valor Springs.
“Cherry?” Paula says, recalling my attention. “Are you okay? Did my uncle do something?”
Oh, he did something alright. He imprinted on my skin and heart. Now the thought of another man touching me or another woman getting close to him makes me want to throw up.
“He didn’t do anything wrong,” I say, pushing off the covers and getting out of bed. “But he just doesn’t want me, not to keep anyway.”
“What?”
“It’s okay. Don’t worry about it, Paula.”
“B-but…” Her face falls with a mix of disappointment, remorse, and guilt.
I read the worry in her face and understand. Truly, I do. Still, it’s hard to look past my own situation and sympathize with her guilt. All I can do is assure her that there’s no harm done even when I don’t mean the words.
“It’s fine, really,” I say with a smile I hope she thinks is genuine. “Dane and I had a discussion, and I think it is best if I leave. Go ahead and talk to him, I’ll clean up and come down in a few. I can already smell the bacon from up here, and it’s making me hungry.”
She frowns but gets up from the bed, dragging her feet to the door where she pauses for a second. “I…I can talk to him. He’s lonely. He doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s lonely and—”
“And I don't want to be with someone who's not ready for commitment. Your uncle has told me he doesn't want a relationship. Not that it matters, anyway. I’m going to be deported.”
“But…he…” She runs a hand through her hair before letting out a sigh and crossing the room to wrap me in a hug that I return. “You’re not going to be deported. I won’t allow it. I’ll handcuff myself to you if necessary. We’ll figure this out, Cherry. I know we will.” With a final squeeze, she pulls away. “Okay, I’ll meet you downstairs when you’re ready.”
“Okay,” I respond. She nods, opening the door and slipping out before closing it behind her. The smile drops from my lips the second she leaves, and I drop my back down onto the bed.
It’s no one’s fault, yet again. Well, maybe it’s my parents’ fault. But they’re nowhere to be found.
Mistakes shrouded with good intentions seem to be my entire life at this point. First with my parents for illegally bringing me into a country and raising me as their own, and now with my best friend bringing me all the way here because she doesn't want her uncle to be lonely or see me deported.
None of them had ill intentions, I don’t think. Even my parents. But why am I the one who keeps getting hurt?
I comb my fingers through my hair, and for the first time consider letting things play out however they may. I'll let ICE deport me to my birth country, and maybe life won't be so bad there. In a country where I know no one, with no savings to get through life and no idea how to communicate.
I’m sure it will be fine.
I firm up my expression, refusing to cry one more tear over something I can’t control before grabbing my toothbrush and heading to the bathroom.
I attempt to switch off my brain as I clean up, and momentarily succeed when I step under the shower and the hot water rains down on me. I moan as I lather my hair with shampoo that smells like the man I spent the night dreaming about.
The memory of his hands on my body filters in, caressing intimate parts of me I’ve never allowed another to see, let alone touch. And that kiss—my first kiss—was the hottest thing ever. I loved the taste of the beer on his tongue and his soft hair between my fingers as he devoured my mouth.
“No, don't think about it!” I scold myself, washing the shampoo out of my hair and ignoring the tingling feeling between my legs. I slide my hands down my body, gasping when I graze my nipples, and I am quickly reminded of his hands fondling my tits as he…
Stop thinking about it, Cherry!
A tortured sob climbs up my throat when I bring my hand between my legs, touching the same spot Dane touched last night, teasing it the same way, but my hands are smaller and softer…nothing like his massive, calloused palms. It offers little satisfaction.
I want his hands. I need to feel his lips pressed against mine as he teases my sensitive bud over and over with his talented fingers, his breath heavy on the side of my thigh before he dips his head and…
“Cherry!”
I jump at the knock on the door, quickly pulling my hand from between my legs. My heart is hammering in my chest as I shut off the water. “Yes?”
“I can’t find Uncle Dane. Do you know where he went?” she calls out. “He’s not on the ranch. Did he say something to you last night?”
I drop my forehead against the shower wall, forcing my breath back to normal before responding. “He didn’t say anything to me last night. Only that he would drive me to the bus station later today.”
“Oh,” she says before I hear her footsteps retreat from the door. The moment is shattered, and now thinking about Dane won’t bring me the same pleasant feeling as before. I’ve been reminded yet again that the man has no interest in keeping me. Maybe he left the ranch early to buy me a bus ticket or something.
I reach for my towel and wrap it around my waist before heading back to my room. I make sure to lock it this time before walking to my suitcase to find something to wear. It's a good thing I didn't bring too much of my stuff with me and only packed one bag. I assume by now that ICE has cleared out my parents’ house and the rest of my things with it. But all of my favorite things are here. It would have been a headache traveling with all my stuff anyway.
With another sigh, I dig around in my suitcase, looking through my clothes for what I want to wear when I see it.
It’s lace.
A ruffle-tiered, lemon yellow floral lace dress with a long cut at the back. The first time I saw it, I knew at the moment that I had to have it, but would save it for a special occasion. For a special man.
It’s foolish to choose to wear this today and waste it on a man that doesn’t want me, but a part of me wants him to see me in it and always remember what he could have had. It’s petty, but knowing he’s thinking of me in this light will help me sleep better when the days are difficult.
My heart is racing when I finally start making my way downstairs. I manage to get to the foot of the stairs when I begin to second-guess myself. Maybe I should have worn something a little more casual, perhaps jeans and a sweater. I am going to be stuck on a bus for hours. Is any of this really worth it?
I start to head back up to change when the front door suddenly opens behind me, and I immediately sense him. A strong gust sweeps into the room and caresses my exposed back, making me shiver, but I can’t entirely blame the goosebumps on the wind. I can’t blame it for making my nipples pebble behind my dress.
“Cherry—”
I slowly turn around, my breath catching in my throat when my eyes connect with moss green ones, but it's the fire burning in them that sets my body ablaze. Damn him for looking so hot in those dark jeans and that brown leather jacket. His beard is clipped short and… “Did you get a haircut?” I ask, my eyes widening in surprise.
How much crueler can this man get? His hair is a little short on the sides, framing his face in a way that accentuates his strong jawline. The top remains longer, still loosely tied in a manbun. He still has the rugged charm I fell for when I saw him, and if I thought he was handsome before, he was clearly aiming for the moon with this transformation.
Now how in the hell am I supposed to find someone to top this man? Isn't he being a little unfair?
“Was that my uncle I heard?” Paula calls out from the kitchen, and I hear her rushing out to find us. “Uncle Dane, you…”
She can see it too, right? The handsome devil standing by the door. For a moment there, I thought I’d lost it. “What?” Dane asks defensively. “It’s just a haircut.”
There is nothing ‘just’ about the changes he’s made. Couldn’t he have waited until I was on the bus at least?
“Riiight,” Paula drawls, and I notice a smirk dance on her lips. “Anyway, I wanted to talk to you about something.”
“We’ll talk in the car,” he says, nodding at his niece. “C’mon.”
“What’s the rush? We haven’t even had breakfast,” Paula argues. “Besides, I need to talk to you before you drive Cherry to the bus stop.”
“There is nothing left to discuss, Paula. I have already made up my mind.”
Paula goes to argue with her uncle once more, but I place a hand on her shoulder. “It’s fine.”
“But…”
“I’ll go get my bag,” I tell her. “I’m already packed, so I’ll be down in a minute.”
I don’t wait for either of them to respond. Tears prick my eyes, and I move fast so they don’t see them. It’s foolish to cry over a man I’ve known for such a short time, but I can’t help it. Damn him for being handsome and making me fall in love with him in such a short period of time.
He should’ve been an asshole to me. Maybe then I wouldn’t have fallen as hard for him.
I push open the door to my room and walk straight to my suitcase. I kick it and watch it topple to the ground, but it does little to make me feel better. With a sigh, I lean down to place it upright when a noise catches my attention. I turn around to find Dane standing by the door, watching me. I make no effort to hide my tears. I won’t see this man after today, so what’s the point?
“You won’t need that,” he says evenly, which only enrages me for some reason. Is he really that unaffected by my departure? Well, clearly, or he wouldn’t look as calm as he does.
“Can I have a moment of privacy? I’ll be down in a second.”
“You are angry.”
I glare at him. “What gave you that idea?”
“You look pretty even when you’re angry, Cherry,” he says, stepping into the room. “You are stunning.”
I climb to my feet when he makes his way to me, and even in my heels, he still has many inches over me. I equally hate and love how I have to tip my head back so I can meet his eyes. “What do you want, Dane?”
“You.”
“Let’s not play games—”
“I’m not,” he rasps, closing the short distance between us. “I want you, Cherry Dunbar.”
“Dane—”
You are the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I don’t know how, but you’ve wormed your way into my heart, and the thought of letting you go, of you being deported and all alone… I can’t stand it.”
He’s kidding, right?
“I know I have no right to feel this way, but I do. But you’re under the gun. If I don’t do something drastic, I’ll lose any chance I might have had with you forever. So…” To my shock, he drops to one knee and pulls out a small velvet box, opening to display two simple gold bands, one thicker and larger than the other. “…will you marry me, sweetheart?” he finishes.