“What’s wrong, Sierra?”
To my absolute horror, her bottom lip begins to tremble, and tears spill down her beautiful face. Swiping away at the tears, she takes an uneven breath and pins her brown eyes to mine. “You can’t leave. Being around you and your mom and working with you at Boulder Ranch—it’s all I have. I’m not trying to replace my mom or anything, but…”
She trails off as a sob escapes. I sit quietly, covering her hand with mine as I wait for her to compose herself. My heart feels like it’s breaking in half, leaving a painful ache in my chest as I watch Sierra break down. She moved here right after her momdied, but this is the first time I’m seeing her cry. So, I let her. I let her take all the time she needs to get it out.
“I know you aren’t moving far…and I shouldn’t ask you to stay just because of me, but…”
“Hayden doesn’t know where you are?” I ask, wanting to make sure he isn’t somewhere in a panic, trying to find her.
She sniffles and nods her head. “Sort of. He thinks I’m with your mom.”
“And does she know you’re here?”
Flashing me a secretive smile, she nods again. “I asked her to pick me up so I could come talk to you. But you can’t tell Hayden. He specifically told me not to try and talk you into staying.”
Once again, I narrow my eyes and study her. “Now, why would he do that?”
A flicker of guilt flashes across her expression, and she fidgets with a loose string in the rip of her jeans. “Well, I begged him to make you stay. He said he couldn’t do that. That your decision is your decision. Then he told me not to either. But I just couldn’t sit around and let you leave. I just—I don’t want to lose you, too.”
The painful ache in my chest gives way to warmth, but that doesn’t stop my tears from spilling. I never gave a lot of thought to having children, but I know this feeling of love must be close to what parents must feel. I reach for a tissuefrom the side table and dab at her wet cheeks, a warm smile spreading across my own face when she relaxes into my touch.
“I don’t want to lose you, either. I was actually heading out to talk to Hayden.” It’s my turn to take in a ragged sigh. “I was packing, and it just didn’t feel right. I belong here, not in the city. Not nearly an hour away from the people I care most about.”
Sierra’s face brightens, and I’m thrown off balance when she throws her arms around me. I can’t tell how long we hug, but when we pull apart, I already feel lighter. Like I made the right decision, and not just the easy one. I’m not leaving. I can’t leave. Leaving Hayden would break my heart, but leaving Sierra just might kill me. It’s ridiculous, because she isn’t even my kid, but I just can’t picture leaving her behind when she needs as many people surrounding her as she can get.
“Well…” I say awkwardly. “You can come with me, since I’m headed that way anyway.”
She’s shaking her head before I even finish my offer. “No, I was never here, remember? I’m going to go back and hang out with your mom. She told me I could once I was finished over here. You kids have fun.”
I watch in surprise as she gets up and walks out my front door. Now there’s only one thing left to do. Talk to Hayden and hope I’m not too late. Even if I’ve ruined things between him and me, I will be there for Sierra in every way possible.
Chapter 43
Hayden
Stepping out of the shower, I wrap a towel around my waist and make my way over to the vanity. Evening chores are finished, and I’m going to do my best to enjoy a rare night alone. I don’t think I’ve had a night alone since Sierra showed up on my doorstep a couple of months ago. She’s with Melanie and Roger and has asked to stay the night. Knowing they’ve pretty much become her adoptive grandparents, I couldn’t say no.
I appraise myself in the mirror as I apply some beard oil to my short stubble and run some product through my hair. Not too bad for having slept like shit ever since I poured my heart out to Miranda. I’ve been doing my best to give her space, but my heart was silently breaking when Sierra asked me to make her stay. I told Miranda that I wouldn’t pressure her to change her mind, but I also told her the only way this thing would be over between us, either way, is if she ended it. And she hasn’t.
Loud banging on my door pulls my attention away, and I’m instantly reminded of the day Sierra arrived at my house. Never in a million years would I have expected to have a teenager show up and find out I’m responsible for her. Assuming there isn’t much chance of it being another child showing up, I rush to the door and pull it open without looking to see who it is.
I’m pretty sure my heart stops beating when I find Miranda standing on my porch with red eyes and makeup smudged beneath them. She gives me a brittle smile, and I step back so she can enter my house.
Even though it’s obvious she’s been crying, she still takes my breath away. “Sweetheart, are you okay? Did something happen?”
Shaking her head, she attempts to give me another smile. “No, I just—”
When she trails off, I take her by the hand and lead her into the kitchen. It isn’t until her eyes trail down my body and back up that I remember I’m only wearing a towel. “Help yourself to a drink. I’m going to throw something on. I wasn’t expecting you, sorry.”
I disappear into my bedroom and throw on the first T-shirt and pair of jeans I can find before rejoining her in the kitchen. As I suggested, she’s seated at the island with a glass of amber liquid and the bottle of whiskey along with an extra glass beside it.
“Damn. The hard stuff, huh? Talk to me.”
“I’m so sorry,” she says through a heavy sigh. “I was stupid. I had it in my head that I needed to do something new. That I needed to move out and start over. But everything I want is right here.”
She blinks rapidly, but it doesn’t stop new tears from streaming down her face. I can’t stand to see her cry. Not for me. Not for any reason. Instead of taking the seat beside her, I stand behind her chair and spin her to face me. Her hair is silky and soft under my fingers when I brush it back, and I can’t resist kissing her cheeks to erase her tears.
“You are not stupid. And there’s no wrong decision. Whatever you feel is the best for you is the right decision. I love you. And I’ll be here no matter what.”
