Chapter Thirty-One
Bear felt a strange pressure building in his chest. It didn’t hurt, but it was strong like the waves of an ocean at night. Crashing against his ribcage and making it hard to breathe.
“There’s something I need to confess,” he said, a bit breathless.
She turned up her gaze, curiosity written on her flawless complexion.
The way the dim light of the lamp on the table caught the glint in her eyes made his heart kick up in speed.
He realized, with overwhelming certainty, that somewhere along the way he knew he wanted his future to be with her.
He didn’t care what anyone thought, or if his team thought he was mixing business with pleasure.
“I know I’m a hard man sometimes,” his voice quivered. “I guess I’m trying to figure out the best way to say this…”
“How about just saying it?” she encouraged.
“Well, I’ve never been the best with talking about my emotions. It seems I’m pretty good at fucking it up.”
“You’re wrong. You’re amazing.” She shifted and propped herself up on her elbows.
“I think you’re just saying that.”
She laughed softly. “You’re making this weird. So maybe you’re right,” she teased.
He looked down at their connected hands and wondered how it was possible they fit so perfectly.
He didn’t want to pretend to be a cool cowboy when it came to her.
“When I see you smile my heart just about pops out of my chest. I feel like all the mistakes I’ve made in my life I’ve finally found something worth changing for.
Like I’m suddenly relevant. I don’t want you as a friend. I want us.”
For a moment she simply stared at him, her eyes wide, capturing all the light in the room. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I love you. Hell, I’ve been in love with you. Even when Fletcher was in the picture.”
His confession brought happiness over her. “I’ve known that.”
He chuckled. “You what?”
“Although you think you have a poker face, I can see right through it. I was just wondering why it was taking so long.” She snuggled back against him. He relished how good she felt in his arms.
In that space of time, everything felt perfect.
“Damn. I need to work on that.”
“No, never. At least not with me. However, I’m curious when you’re going to tell me what you and all those cowboys are hiding over at the ranch.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m not dumb. You all think it’s normal for you handsome cocky cowboys to show up all at once, each of you are about as mysterious as the Bermuda Triangle on steroids, and each of you are equally resistant to reveal your true names. Yeah, like I said, I’m not dumb.”
He kissed the top of her head. He didn’t have the desire to lie to her but telling her everything could put her in danger. So, he skirted the truth with a promise. “In time I’ll tell you everything.”
“I can accept that.”
“Good. I don’t want you to hate me.”
She stiffened. “Why do I keep hearing that from the people I love? Am I some kind of a monster?”
“Fuck no you’re not”— And then he realized what she’d said. “You love me?”
She propped herself back onto elbow. She met his gaze. There was a new rawness in her. “I think we fell in love pretty much the same time. I guess Bentley was noise and I needed to turn off the volume.”
“That’s better than how I would have explained it.
” He wanted to tell her everything about Fletcher, but Bear couldn’t.
Not now. His hands were tied. Especially when he’d done some digging and found out Fletcher had a secret life that he wanted no one to know about.
It involved the accountant, Clark, and a lot of secret nights at a motel in Rockford, two towns over.
Bear believed Fletcher was involved with Clark’s death.
Instead, for now, he kissed her forehead.
“Fletcher is in the past. You’re my future.”
“That’s good because I could never go back to being just friends,” Bear said. “There is something I need to tell you.”
She met his gaze. “Like?”
“Deacon Clark is dead. I heard it yesterday. I wanted to wait until after your party to tell you.”
“He’s dead?” She looked confused as she lifted onto her knees. “Bear, this can’t be a coincidence.”
“What can’t be a coincidence?” He sat up, watching her stretch to take something out of the top drawer of her nightstand. She dropped an envelope into his lap. He opened it and took out the flash drive. “What’s this?”
“I believe Deacon sent this to me before…before he must have been killed. I want to tell you everything. I need to tell you everything.”