36
T he shrill screech of tires cut the evening air and my head jerks up from the trunk.
Shit. Oh shit.
A furious cowboy stomps his way toward me. I’ve never seen a man move so fast in my entire life; sparks could shoot out of his boots. I slam my suitcase into the trunk and back away, eyes wide.
This isn’t what I wanted. I wanted to get out clean. No cuts.
On the cabin porch, Wyatt watches with arms crossed. “If you’re trying to get away, Fairy Tale, you gotta be faster than that,” he calls out.
I shoot him a glare.
Because he’s right. I should have moved faster, but I spent the day packing, saying goodbye to the horses, crying in Arrow’s velvet coat and telling him how much I loved him and Charlie.
“Get outta here,” Charlie shouts at his brothers.
Wyatt promptly heads to the pasture, and Ford gives me a long look of concern before heading down to the lodge.
And then Charlie’s in front of me, legs braced apart like he’s ready to go into combat.
“You’re leaving,” Charlie grits out.
I stare up at his stiff posture, his jaw set in a tight line, and I’ve never seen a cowboy look so damn sexy. So pissed off.
My chin comes up in defiance. “Summer’s almost over.”
“Still got four weeks,” he says in a low voice.
“It’s close enough.” I move for the trunk.
He mutters a few curses before he catches me by the arm, drawing me forward. “Not close enough, Ruby.” His gaze searches my face. Heated. Angry. “You were gonna leave without saying goodbye.”
The accusation stings.
“It’s too hard to say goodbye.” I drop my gaze to the ground. “Besides ...I did what I came to do.” I swallow hard. “The ranch is safe. It’ll be fine. You won’t even miss me.”
Some sort of miserable noise shakes out of him.
“Won’t miss you? How can you think I wouldn’t miss you?
I miss you now .” He runs a hand down my bare arm, fists the material of my dress.
I can feel my traitorous body, my heart, aching to arc into his.
“Every day I’m not by your side, I miss you.
Every day you’re not in my bed, every day I’m not kissing you, I fucking miss you, Ruby. ”
Each word is like a stake in the heart. Beautiful. Devastating.
“Charlie, don’t do this.”
Wrenching away from him, I try to close the trunk, but his massive hand catches the lip before I can slam it shut. Reaching inside, he takes the bag and sets it on the ground.
I glare at him, then I swear, because I left my laptop in the cabin.
I punch a finger in his iron chest. “I’m leaving, Cowboy, and you can’t stop me.”
His eyes flash. “The hell I can’t.”
Ignoring him, I spin on my heel and stalk toward the cabin.
“Runaway Ranch.”
The deep, rumbling voice behind me causes me to freeze in my tracks.
“Don’t.” I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to ward off his words. If he goes any further, I’ll launch myself into his arms and never let go.
I hear the crunch of gravel before Charlie’s broad-shouldered form stands in front of me. “You wanted to know.” There’s desperation in his tone, an urgency I’ve never heard before.
“Not anymore. It’s too late.”
He flinches like I’ve twisted a knife in his chest.
Heart racing, I rush up the front steps and into the cabin. I can’t let him do this, especially now that I know about Maggie.
Too deep.
We are both in too deep.
Floorboards rattle as Charlie storms after me.
Inside, the air is thick with sunlight and mountain air. I grab my laptop off the kitchen table and hold it to my chest like a shield. “I don’t want to know, Charlie.”
He stands in the doorway, his hands fisting at his hips. There’s a war playing out on his face, emotions attacking like a battle. “Fuck, but I’m tellin’ you anyway.” A steeling breath catches in his lungs, then he says, “It’s called Runaway Ranch because I loved someone and she died.”
“No. No.” I shake my head, backing away from him. From his confession, from the awful look on his face, and especially from the frenzied beat of my heart. “Charlie, don’t do th—”
“I loved her and she died and I lost my mind. I came here. I wanted to forget, so I ran away from everything and everyone.” His throat works. “And you’re the first thing in ten years I’ve wanted to run toward.”
Oh god.
I’m shaking. I set my laptop back on the counter so I don’t drop it.
Expression thunderous, Charlie stomps his way to me. Rough hands shoot out to grab my arms. “I asked you what you wanted after our first night together. And you said the summer.”
“That’s right. And we’ve done that.” My eyes water, the back of my throat closing up. All this man has done for me—I’ll never be able to repay him. “You gave me a beautiful summer, Charlie, and I’ll take that memory with me forever.”
His eyes don’t— won’t —leave my face. “Now it’s my turn to tell you what I want.”
“I don’t care what you want.”
Hurt scars his handsome face. “You’re a liar.”
I wiggle in his tight grip. “Let me go.” My body buzzes, every breath in my lungs gone.
His eyes close briefly, his chest heaving. “I want you , Ruby.”
“You don’t want me,” I whisper, bursting into tears. Desperate, dizzy with disbelief. “Charlie, I’m bad news, okay? I’m temporary. We were supposed to be temporary.”
“It’s not temporary.” He takes a shaky breath, his big chest heaving. “Not anymore. Not for me.”
“Charlie ...”
“I’m not the smartest man, darlin’,” he says gruffly, curling his warm hands around my shoulders. “I’m a cowboy. But I know what I want. I know how to hold on to things. And I know a good thing when I see it. Like this ranch. Like you, Ruby. And I’d be a damn fool to let you go.”
Lips trembling, I tilt my face up to meet his gaze. “And what am I if I stay?”
He meets my gaze. Steely, unflinching.
Certain.
“You’re mine.”
Mine.
The words make me wilt.
He’s claimed me.
I let out a sob and would crumple to the ground if Charlie weren’t here to catch me. He sweeps me into his strong arms, pulling me up to face him. Heat rolls off his body, curls through my core.
“I want you here, Ruby,” he husks. “On the ranch with me. In my arms. In my bed and no one else’s.”
My body bends to him, as if it knows how badly it needs him. “You can’t,” I sob. “You can’t fall in love with me.”
He freezes, a strange look on his face.
Then he smiles, a beautiful smile that has my heart fluttering, and says, “Ruby, baby, I already am.”
I gasp, sagging into his chest. “No. You don’t love me.”
He chuckles. “If you think I don’t love you, then you need to get those beautiful eyes checked. Because you’re all I see. You’re all I’ve seen since you walked into Nowhere and into my heart.” He sweeps his hand under my chin. “I fucking love you, Sunflower, so deal with it.”
Love , my heart whispers. I want it. I need it.
Even if it can’t last.
Because I won’t last.
Because I don’t deserve him.
His grin fades into a serious expression.
“I know it’s fast. Tell me I’m outta my mind.
Tell me you love me a year from now. But stay.
I want you here. I need you here. I’m not letting you go.
I’ve waited ten years for you and I’m not losing you now.
”His hand frames my face as he kisses me hard and desperately. “Let me love you, Ruby. Because I do.”
At the injustice of it all, more tears fill my eyes and my heart pounds. How can he think I don’t love him?
“You stupid cowboy!” I cry out. Charlie freezes and with trembling hands, I palm his stunned face. The dark beard I love scrapes over my fingertips. “You’re so stupid. Of course, I love you.I love you with my entire heart, Charlie.”
“Say it again.” Voice breaking, his forehead drops to mine.
“I love you,” I say on a sob. A hot tear slides down the side of my cheek. I feel like I’m dreaming, stuck on a cloud nine high I never want to come down from.
Relief blazes its way across Charlie’s face. Joy too. His breath shakes out of him like he’s been holding it in his entire life.
And then he laughs. The beautiful burst of sound has me finally giving in and launching myself into his arms. He catches me like I knew he would, lifting me up his body and crushing me to him. I loop my legs around his waist, and then his mouth is on mine.
Heated, frantic, consuming.
“Stay,” he growls against my lips. “Stay and I’ll give you everything.” Those calloused hands cup my cheek and our gazes lock. Hold. Burn. “The ranch. Every sunrise. My heart. But that’s a lie because you already have it. You own me, Sunflower.”
Tears stream down my face. “You’re gonna break my heart, Cowboy,” I whisper, winding my arms around his neck. I hold on to him like the world is ending.
He grins. Handsome. Shattering. “Never, darlin’. You just worry about letting me love it.”
A fresh wave of warmth crashes over me.
Love.
“Stay,” he says, his lips skimming my throat.
“Yes,” I whisper, overcome by how much I love this man. By how vulnerable he’s made himself. He put all his cards on the table to make me believe. “I’ll stay.”
If something’s going to break this wild, reckless heart of mine, it may as well be a cowboy.
My cowboy.
And then he’s capturing my mouth again, holding me tight against his hard chest. Charlie’s hands are in my hair, my heart is between his teeth, and he’s walking us down the hall and up the stairs to the bedroom. Our racing heartbeats match beat for beat.
I’ve never been so happy.
I’ve never been so afraid.