Faith bit her lip. “I can’t imagine. I can’t imagine what you went through.”
“It was awful. And then they came and arrested me. Said they had reason to believe I’d done something to her. And later...that there was evidence I’d killed her and made sure the body wouldn’t be found. The body. My wife was a body at that point. And they were accusing me of being responsible for that.” He shook his head. “And what an ass I was. I grieved for her.”
“Do you—do you think she ever loved you?” Faith asked. “I can’t imagine doing that to someone I hated, much less—”
“I think she did in the beginning. But everything got twisted. She thought wealth and success meant something to me that it didn’t. I wanted a ranch, and I wanted to go to fewer parties. I was fine with her going by herself. She didn’t like that. She wanted me to be on her arm. She wanted a very specific life, and it was one she didn’t inform me she wanted until it was too late. And I—”
“You weren’t willing to give it.”
He felt like he’d been punched in the chest.
Faith shrugged. “It’s still no excuse to go framing you for murder,” she said. “Or, whatever she intended to frame you for. But I just mean... There were maybe one or two things you could have given her to make her happier. If she wasn’t a psycho.”
He chuckled hollowly. “I expect you’re right. If she weren’t a psycho. But that’s why I don’t ever intend to get married again.”
“Honestly, I can’t blame you.” Faith looked down, a dark curl falling into her face.
“Do you want to go for a ride later today?”
She looked at him, her whole face bright, her expression totally different from the way it had been a moment before. “Yes.”
“Well, cowgirl, I hope you brought your jeans.”
Eleven
Faith sat on the top of the fence while she watched the horses circle the paddock. They seemed content in their new surroundings. Or maybe, it was the presence of Levi. Watching as he had greeted the horses, pressing his hand to their velvet soft noses, letting them take in his scent had been...
Her chest felt so full she thought it might burst.
He was such a hard man. And yet... It was that hardness that made the soft moments so very special. She didn’t know why she was thinking about him in those terms. Why she wanted special moments. Why she cared.
But seeing him like that, even now, out in the paddock, as the horses moved around him, and he stood in that black Stetson, black T-shirt and tight jeans...
She ached.
She had been outside of so many things. There, but not quite a part of them.
The only single person at dinner last night. A prodigy in architecture, but so much younger than everyone else, seemingly someone people couldn’t relate to. The poor girl at boarding school, there on a scholarship. The smart kid who would rather escape into books and her imagination than go to a party.
That had been fine. It had been fine for a long time.
But it wasn’t fine now.
She wanted to meld herself with him. Mold herself into his life. Melt against him completely. She didn’t know what that meant. But the urge tugged at her, strongly. Made it so she could hardly breathe.
She hopped down off the fence, her boots kicking up dust as she made her way across the arena and toward him.
“What are you doing?” he asked.
“I just... They’re beautiful horses.” And he was beautiful. With them, he was stunning. It was like watching him be right where he belonged. At ease for the first time since she’d met him.
Like a bird spreading its wings.
A smile tipped up the corners of his lips. “I’m glad to have them back.”
“The others?”
“It’s not possible to track all of them down. It’s okay. For now, this is enough.”
