Chapter 11
Maybe Bo was missing a massive opportunity by not taking her when he had a prime chance, but he wanted more. More for her. More from her. He didn’t want a rushed and frantic encounter to set the tone for what was between them.
He’d meant what he said. She deserved to be savored. She deserved his full attention and as much as he could give her.
He knew, if he’d been willing to settle for less, he probably could’ve had her one night, long ago, at a wild party at her house.
But something told him that it wasn’t the right time yet for everything he wanted.
She was brittle and jaded with an undercurrent of anger, as she’d just come out of a messy divorce.
He knew there was so much more to Windsor Reed, and he’d been willing to wait.
He hadn’t expected to wait this long, but now that he had, what was a few more hours?
“You’re going to crush this role,” she finally said. “Lovestruck rancher, wooing his mail-order bride … it’s going to be good. I can feel it.”
Bo was more interested in wooing Windsor Reed in real life, but the film was a perfect opportunity, and he was grateful for it. “Of course, it’s going to be good. It’s got you in it.”
“And you. Don’t sell yourself short either. I’ve seen your work. You’re talented. A natural. And I’ve been in this business a long time.”
“I appreciate that. What’s it been like? A whole lifetime of playing make-believe?”
“You want the truth?”
“Always.”
“It kinda fucks you up. You know everything you make is fake, but you do such a good job that the people watching it think it’s real. You start to wonder if playing their emotions like a violin is even right. But they love it, and it pays, so you don’t honestly know if you could ever walk away.”
Bo knew she’d never been more honest with him. “Thank you.”
She lifted those trademark blue eyes to his. “For what?”
“Being real.”
She hauled in a breath and let it out in a rush. “That’s what you said you wanted.”
“And you’re good at it. Even though you thought you wouldn’t be.”
He threaded his fingers through hers. “Let me show you the barn.”
“I thought we were in the barn.”
“The horse barn.”
“I love horses. Always have. I grew up riding in Santa Barbara.”
“Perfect. You’ll be better at it than me. I didn’t learn until I moved here. Come on. There are some pretty fillies you’re gonna love.”
Once again, Windsor wanted to pack up everything she owned, move here, and never leave. He had stall after stall of beauties.
“We saw some of them earlier as we came in. Out in the pasture?”
He nodded. “Most are still out. These ladies came in for special treatment. The vet is coming to check them. They’re pregnant.”
“You’re breeding horses?”
“Well, not personally, but Ephraim is one of the best horse guys in Montana. He asked if he could start a breeding program at Granite Point, and I thought it sounded pretty cool. These will be our second round of foals.”
“Wow. That’s amazing. Why would you ever leave?”
She felt like she’d said it over and over again, but she meant it. This place he had was unbelievable.
“I try not to. I love it here. I love working with my hands, being outside, playing poker in the bunkhouse with the guys.”
“You’ve got everything.”
He met her gaze with naked honesty. “Almost. That empty bed’s gotta go.”
She was surprised he hadn’t filled it long before now. Any woman would be lucky to have him … and by extension, all of this.
She couldn’t help but ask, “Why me?”
“Why not?”
“That’s not an answer.”
“Because you need a man like me. I get you and your life. I understand your career, its demands, some of what you’ve been through.
I understand fame, the fans, the money, and what it can do to you if you’re not careful.
And you understand all that better than anyone.
I can’t be with someone who doesn’t get it. ”
When he put it like that, it made total sense. But then … anyone in the business would do.
But he kept going.
“And then there’s you. Sweet, brilliant, like a queen among mortals. The most gorgeous woman I’ve ever seen in my life. And when you laugh—really let go and laugh—something in my soul lights up, and the world turns brighter than I ever knew it could be.”
“Whoa.”
“Yeah, that’s how it feels. Like whoa.”
Beside them, a mare nickered and nudged his arm with her nose.
Bo leaned toward the mare and let her nuzzle him.
And Windsor wanted to do the same. Her attention cut to the clock on the wall. Four.
How many more hours will I have to wait?