Chapter Thirty Seven
The bus rolled to a stop, and passengers stepped off and waited for their luggage. Riley hugged Tara while they waited.
“Do you think they’ll miss us?” Tara asked.
“I know I already miss them,” she replied, pulling out the tickets.
They waited for their turn to board. Riley let Tara have the window seat and sat down, dreading the long ride on the uncomfortable seats.
They watched as other passengers entered and took their seats. The driver closed the door, and the bus pulled out onto the main road. Riley pulled out a book she found in the bus station’s little library and attempted to read.
“Riley,” Tara exclaimed. “Look,” she said, pointing outside their window.
Riley leaned over, and she blinked twice as Garrett galloped beside the bus.
“Pull over,” he ordered.
“What in the heck does he think he’s doing?” she exclaimed, noticing he rode Storm.
“Pull over,” he yelled again.
“He’s gonna run a good horse into the ground,” she exclaimed, getting angrier by the minute as she pressed her face against the window. “Has he gone mad?”
“Damn it, Riley. Tell the driver to stop this bus, or I’ll follow you all the way to Corpus Christi,” he demanded.
Fury filled her as he attempted to keep up with the bus. She rose from her seat and called to the driver, “Please stop.”
She stomped to the door as the bus driver opened it, and Jameson pulled alongside them. He took Storm while Garrett plucked her off the stairs and placed her in the middle of the intersection.
“Where are you going, Riley?” he demanded with his hands on his hips.
“You obviously know since you screamed it to the entire town,” she shouted. “Have you gone mad? You’re riding Storm into the ground. She’s…”
Garrett cradled her head and kissed her. Their tongues tangled together, and they became oblivious to the passengers gawking from their front row seats.
Garrett pulled back. “Stop running, Riley.”
“I’m not…” she couldn’t form the words.
Garrett turned to the bus and climbed the stairs. “Tara, do you want to go to Corpus Christi or do you wanna come home with your sister and me?”
Tara grabbed their backpacks as the passengers began clapping. Jameson took them as Tara hit the bottom step and leaped into Garrett’s arms. “I knew you’d come,” she said, hugging him.
“Go home with Jameson, and we’ll pick you up later,” he said, turning around to Riley. A few minutes later, Matthew pulled up with a trailer. He hopped inside the truck with Jameson and Tara, leaving Garrett to load the horse and give her water.
“Let’s go home and work this out,” he said gently, helping her inside the truck.
When they arrived at the barn, Riley fussed over Storm, checking her out after Garrett’s wild ride.
“I can’t believe you rode her into town,” Riley said, running her hands down the horse’s legs.
Garrett left the stall and pulled Riley into his arms. “I’ve done a lot of riding with Storm and Brutus, she’s fine. We need to talk, Riley. We keep going in circles.”
Riley backed up, biting her lip. “You kidnapped me from a bus in the middle of an intersection. I planned to call you when I arrived in Corpus Christi.”
He slowly stalked toward her. “We’re at a crossroads, Riley. I can’t change my past, but I can be better for you. You have to stop running and learn to communicate how you feel. I hurt you. I acknowledge my mistake. I’m taking actions to keep it from happening again.”
“Why did you accuse me of sleeping with you for money?” she whispered. “I didn’t know you or Kenny, and I got thrown into this. My sister is all I have, and you punished me for it. I don’t understand why he seemed fascinated with you or your money. Does he know anything about ranching?”
Garrett sighed. “It’s time we clear the air. Kenny wanted my money because I’m worth five million dollars. I don’t need to work. I choose to. I love ranching. It’s in my blood.”
“What?” Riley said, shocked. “Five. Million. Dollars,” she repeated, sitting on a bale of straw. “What the hell, Garrett?”
“I thought you knew,” Garrett admitted.
“That’s why you got angry. People used you for money,” she said as all the dots clicked together.
“Yes. I have a hard time trusting women. I fell in love with you and wanted to give you the world. Then, I bumped into Kenny. He messed with my head. I came to you and said horrible things I didn’t mean.
I wasn’t gone from the cabin for more than fifteen minutes, and you were already gone.
I knew I fucked up,” he explained. “I love you, and I want to work this out.”
“You looked like my dad,” she whispered. “I know you’re not. But in that moment, I thought you were as bad as him.”
“Oh, Riley,” Garrett jerked as it hit him. “I am so sorry. I probably did resemble him. I was not in control.”
“I cannot live as we have,” Riley said. “I love you, but I won’t be with someone like my dad.”
“I’m already seeing a therapist,” Garrett said. “I’ll go a step further. We might consider couple’s therapy. It’ll help strengthen our relationship. You and Tara might benefit from doing individual therapy to erase the harm your dad caused.”
“You’re right,” Riley said. “You’d really do couples therapy? What about the guys?”
“I love you. I don’t give a fuck what they say. If doing couples therapy helps us be better together, I’m all in,” Garrett assured her.
“You probably think I’m stubborn, but I don’t want your money,” Riley said, rising slowly. “I only wanted you.”
Garrett leaned down, grabbing his rope. He looped it around her and stepped inside the circle.
“What are you doing?” she said, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“I’m wrangling you to me,” he admitted. “Neither one of us can leave this circle of trust. It’s you and me, Riley.”
“No anger, only truth, patience, and love,” Riley whispered.
“Yes. I love you. You and Tara make my life,” he said, holding her hands in his and staring deeply into her blue eyes. “If you truly want to go to Corpus Christi, I’ll quit this place and follow you.”
“But it’s not what you want, is it?” Riley asked. “Here’s my first truth… I love you. Not being with you broke me. Tara will always be part of my life so I’m glad you love her too. I don’t want you to give up what you want. I want us to build a life together.”
“I have a proposal,” Garrett pulled her up on her tiptoes.
“I’m all ears.” She smiled.
“What do you think if we bought a piece of land close to here? You can have a barn full of goats. Tara can go to public school. We keep our jobs here at Haven Ranch because we both love them. If we have a problem, we step inside this circle and trust we’ll work it out.”
Riley’s eyes filled with tears. “Can we take Storm and Brutus with us?”
“Since I bought her for you, we can do whatever we want,” he said, chuckling.
Riley rolled her eyes and unbuttoned his shirt, tracing letters on the left side of his chest.
“What are you doing?” he said, glancing down at her invisible writing.
“I’m writing an IOU on your heart. It might take me a lifetime to pay you back. Do you mind if I stay and work it off?”
Garrett kissed her. “I’m counting on it.”