Chapter 41
Leah
I’d just finished bringing Princess out to one of the pastures when Kade walked out of the ranch office, scanning the horizon. It was the first time we’d seen each other today. Our eyes locked.
He took a determined step toward me, and I was a big, mixed-up bag of emotions. I didn’t know if I wanted to growl or purr, cozy up to him or scratch his eyes out. Probably both.
He stopped in front of me, but not as close as he would’ve yesterday. We were back to acquaintance spacing, and it felt chilly, like the sun had ducked behind a bunch of gray clouds. I shouldn’t want the warmth he gave, but I did anyway. Logic wasn’t that comforting on a frigid day. Sometimes even when you knew it was wrong, you wanted to settle into the cozy heat of delusion and what could’ve been.
I swallowed, waiting to hear what he’d say. Was he going to beg forgiveness? Make a string of promises? Would I cave? Everything in me wanted to. I could already hear the excuses piling up in my head, prewritten for him. And maybe if he just put up enough of a fight, I could believe there was a chance for us.
“You had a call from your lawyer. You need to go call him back.” He tilted his head toward the ranch.
My anxiety quickly found a new source. Had someone at the wedding seen Kade and me? Did they know I’d slept with him? Were they pulling me out of here? Sending me to prison? Why else would he be calling me?
I dropped my gaze to the ground, trying to puzzle through what was coming at me before I dealt with the crash. I might’ve said I preferred prison last night, but now common sense had fully returned. I took a few deep breaths of cool air, enough to stop me from vomiting.
“It’ll be fine.” Kade lifted his hand toward me but dropped it back to his side, and then crossed his arms in front of his chest, as if he needed to remind himself not to touch me.
“You know what he wants?” I asked, ignoring our feud for the moment, my anxiety overruling my current anger at Kade.
“He didn’t sound as if it were bad.”
“You don’t know him. He might be happy if I go to prison.” My lawyer would probably bust out a bottle of bubbly.
“You’re not going to prison. I’d move you to some remote island before I’d ever let that happen.” There was steel in his voice, as if he had control of everything and anything he wanted via sheer determination.
It was one of the things I usually loved about him and yet found infuriating right now.
“You can’t fix everything,” I said.
“No. Not everything .” As he stared at me, it was clear he was talking about us.
For someone who’d fought so hard for his ranch, he was giving up awfully easy on us.
There was no point in standing there and waiting for something that wasn’t coming. I nodded and then walked to the office, dialing my lawyer.
“Leah, I’ve got some good news for you,” he said, definitely in a cheery mood. “Your name has been cleared.”
“Cleared?” I repeated.
“Yes. Police happened upon an informant. He gave them all sorts of documents and evidence that clears you of the crime. Apparently that painting wasn’t supposed to go to you at all, but someone else. Your entire story was corroborated. We already filed the paperwork with the court and we’re just waiting on the judge to sign off. I expect you to be a free woman by the end of the day.”
“I’m free?” I asked again. After the hell of the last few months, it was just over? Done? One call and I was a free woman again?
“Yes. Go enjoy your day.”
I hung up the phone but didn’t trust myself to stand for another ten minutes.
I was free. Just like that, I was free.
And I could leave here. I’d be expected to, even. Suddenly my legs felt weak for an altogether different reason.
* * *
Kade
Leah walked out of the office, finding me on the porch where I’d been waiting for her. She wasn’t smiling. She looked more stunned than anything else.
She turned to me. “Did you know?”
“Your brother just sent me a text.” I held up my phone, as if I needed proof that I’d just found out.
She didn’t come over to the swing, but leaned a shoulder on the post. “They said there was an informant. They cleared my name completely.”
“I’m happy for you.”
She nodded, still not looking as happy as I’d expected. Was there still a chance? Could this relationship be repaired?
“I don’t know what your plans are, but don’t feel like you have to leave right away. In spite of what I said, all the things that happened, everyone here loves you.”
I loved her, and if she stayed for a little while longer, maybe I could fix this. Find some way to repair the damage I’d done.
I could barely force myself to breathe as I waited for her to answer.
“I already called Monroe. He’s setting up a flight for me for me tonight. Thanks, though. If I ever find myself in need of another work parole situation, I’ll give you a ring.”
She hadn’t even hesitated. She couldn’t wait to leave. She’d pack her bags and never look back, and did I blame her? No.
Just like that, it was truly over. I wasn’t sure how I was going to keep going on if she was walking out of my life.
“I’ll be here.” I feared I’d be here until the day I died, hoping one day she’d want to come back.
* * *
Leah
I walked into Missy’s cabin, shut the door, and dropped onto the bed. I was free. I could get into a car and drive off this ranch and no one could stop me. I could go wherever I wanted. Not only that, my name was cleared. I had a chance of rebuilding my career.
So why did I need to sink onto the bed, my legs feeling weak and my heart aching like I was dying?
Kade had said there was no rush to leave. He hadn’t gotten down on one knee, told me he loved me, and then begged me to stay. He hadn’t fought for me last night. He’d stepped away as if it would be too much to bother with. Didn’t that say it all?
The door to the cabin swung open.
“I just heard! You’re leaving? You’re cleared?” Missy said, breathless.
“Yeah,” I said, nodding, trying to mirror her happiness. “It’s crazy. I don’t even understand all the details, but it’s over.” I filled her in on the details from the lawyer, or what I could remember of them. I’d been so stunned that nothing beyond “your name is cleared” stuck very well.
“So you’re leaving tonight?” she said, her smile slipping a little.
“Yeah. I have to go try to build my life back.” It was the only thing left to do. I couldn’t stay here, not with him . I was beginning to worry that I might never stop loving him if I did. And there was no denying the ache happening now. This was utter heartbreak. “You know you can come see me? You’re my friend, and a good one, a better one than most. You’re not getting rid of me that easily.”
She nodded. “I get it. I really do. I just like having you around. I kind of think other people do as well.” She gave me a knowing look.
“That’s never been anything real.” Or not on Kade’s part, anyway.
“You sure? I’ve seen how Kade looks at you. I saw how he stared at you on that dance floor during the wedding. You’re telling me that was casual? Because I’m not buying it. That kind of look is what I’ve been dreaming of my whole adult life.”
I knew all about dreaming. I barely wanted to admit to myself that I’d daydreamt about how things might’ve been if I’d never moved away. Maybe we would’ve ended up married with kids? Then this morning, while I was still reeling, he said “no need to rush.”
I wasn’t letting any delusions take hold this time. I knew what we were. He’d had his fun and now he’d move on, and I wouldn’t stick around to watch him.
There was a knock at the door and then Elijah was there, congratulating me, followed by Chuck and every other hand on the ranch, until we were overflowing out of the small cabin.
I forced a smile, tried to laugh and look happy even as my heart was dying. I was about to leave the man I loved. It didn’t matter if it seemed like the right thing, or if he deserved my love. I’d given him a part of me, and I wasn’t sure there were any take-backs where the heart was concerned.
* * *
Kade
I was on the top ridge at the edge of my property, watching the sun sink. Leah would be driving away any second, and I couldn’t bear to watch her.
“What the hell you doing all the way out here?” Alec asked.
“What the hell you doing in Montana?” I loved my brother but I didn’t want to see anyone right now, hence coming here instead of sitting on my comfortable porch seats.
“I didn’t leave after the wedding. Got holed up with a little chickee the last few days and then stumbled onto a business opportunity.” He took a seat on a nearby boulder, making it obvious he wasn’t leaving too soon. “Now why are you all the way out here?”
“Because I wanted some fresh air and everyone was getting on my nerves.”
“Because they’re all saying goodbye to Leah.”
“They’re all looking at me like I’ve been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and I’m not in the mood.” I wasn’t sure I blamed them, because I did feel a little like I was dying. Had since I’d gotten the diagnosis from Leah this morning.
“You do seem a bit morose.”
“I’m fine. Nothing is different. I’m as good as I was before.” I’d have to be, because what else was there to do? She wanted to leave and I had a ranch to run.
“You’re really just letting her go like this? Are you even going to put up a fight? You fight like hell when it comes to the ranch, to business. But when it comes to love, man, you run faster than anyone I’ve ever seen.”
“This isn’t running. It’s knowing she deserves better.”
“She might deserve better, but what if she wants you?” He laughed.
“You’re a dick.”
“Well, we are brothers. Hard to completely escape that gene pool. But seriously, don’t let her go.”
I turned to him and said, “I’ve done the wrong thing with her for months, years if you think on it. I’m trying to do the right thing for once.”
Alec nodded and then handed me a flask, which I took.
I wasn’t sure what had hit him so hard, but for one of the first times in my life, I’d managed to shut him up without punching him.