His cousin chuckled. “You gave her plenty of space. You don’t have to wait for her to come to you. I mean, don’t go charging into her office or to her apartment like you want to start a war…” He shook his head with another chuckle. “But you can set out your feelers. She’s still friends with Mack, and I’d guess she’s gotten close to others who work for us.”
Noah couldn’t bring himself to admit that he was terrified of even making the attempt to see her. What if she chose to push him away officially? They weren’t broken up yet. He still had a chance right now. “I don’t know. What if she’s decided she doesn’t want me?” he murmured.
Bo offered him an empathetic smile. “Then she’s already made her decision, and speaking to her isn’t going to change that.”
Dang it all, he was right again.
“You can’t just let the world spin around you. Sometimes you have to take charge. Don’t be overbearing, but show her that you still want what you two have.”
Noah nodded, his thoughts immediately shifting to the beginning of their relationship. He’d taken charge then. He’d flirted with her and did whatever it took to be her friend if that was all he was going to be allowed. And that friendship had blossomed into more. He didn’t want to live a life without Jane by his side. He just hoped that she felt the same way about him.
“Okay,” he hedged. “What would you suggest?”
This time, his cousin barked a laugh that was so loud, both of their horses shifted beneath them. Bo shot an amused look in Noah’s direction. “I have no idea. Like I said before, I don’t know Jane all that well besides the fact that she’s a darn good worker, and she’s a fast learner. Oh, and she doesn’t mind rolling up her sleeves and getting her hands dirty.”
“Yeah, she’s one of the most independent people I know.”
They sat in silence for several minutes. Noah didn’t know the first place to start. Okay, maybe that wasn’t completely accurate. He needed to apologize, but he’d already done that, and it hadn’t been enough.
He probably could have explained himself better, too. But based on how angry she’d been, he wasn’t sure that she would take kindly to excuses. Taking responsibility was definitely on the table. He could fall at her feet and beg her to take him back because he loved her so much that he would do anything to make this right. Then he’d tell her she was right about everything.
Noah shook his head.
None of that sounded quite right.
“You need to make some sort of grand gesture,” Bo mused.
“Yeah, but what?” Noah stared at his cousin, hanging on his every word. If Bo had any ideas about how to fix this, then he would do it without question.
Bo blew out a heavy breath. “Sorry, dude. I can’t think of anything.” He tossed Noah a side-eyed stare. “Do you have any inside jokes?”
There was one, but Noah got the distinct feeling that it wouldn’t be received very well. He couldn’t help the embarrassed grin that flooded his features. “I don’t think it would go over very well. Not right now, anyway.”
The look of curiosity on Bo’s face was enough to make Noah blush. Just because his brothers knew about the pact he’d made with Jane didn’t mean that he wanted everyone in his family to know.
“Well?” Bo asked. “Don’t leave me hanging. With that look alone, I can only let my imagination take off.”
Noah groaned. “It’s really not that big of a deal.”
“Then you shouldn’t have any issue telling me about it,” Bo insisted.
“I asked her to marry me.”
Bo’s brows lifted.
“When I was thirteen.”
The shock that was on Bo’s face shifted into humor, and he let out a long, low whistle. “That’s impressive. You had guts when you were a kid.”
“Yeah, I guess I did,” Noah chuckled.
“Well, what happened?”
This time, Noah’s head reared back. “What?”
“What happened to those guts? You knew you wanted her to be yours when you were a kid. Anything change?”
“No, of course not,” Noah insisted.
