“I know. I just...” I held up the box. “I brought you something.”
Curiosity flickered across her face despite her obvious attempt to remain detached. “You brought me a gift?”
“Not exactly a gift.” I moved closer, setting the box on her desk. “More like a peace offering. Or maybe a promise.”
She eyed the box suspiciously. “A promise of what?” Her fingertips whispered over the top of it as his gaze slowly lifted to mine.
“That I’m listening. That I hear you.” I pushed it closer toward her. “Open it.” I swallowed. “Please.”
Her fingers hesitated over the lid before she finally lifted it. Inside was a small silver pin in the shape of a horseshoe with tiny emeralds set in it.
“It was my mom’s,” I explained. “She gave it to me when I first started riding. Said it was my good luck charm to make sure I never fell off.”
Cassidy’s eyes widened. “Gunner, I can’t take this?—”
“Oh, I’m not giving it to you.” I smirked. “And that’s a bit forward of you thinking that Miss. Turner.”
Cassidy’s lips twitched with a hint of a smile, and I felt my chest release, like the strap binding my heart had been loosened.
“Can I explain?” When she nodded, I crouched down in front of her. “The camp was your idea, Cassidy. And somehow I turned it into this test of your commitment to me, which was unfair and stupid.” I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated with myself. “I’ve been thinking about what you said, about the camp not working and us not working...”
She flinched slightly, and my own heart stalled for a beat.
“The thing is,” I continued, “the camp might not work. Hell,wemight not work. But I want to try both things. And if only one works out, we’ll deal with that then. And if neither works...” I swallowed hard, hating the idea. “Well, then at least we gave it our best shot.”
Cassidy looked down at the pin, her fingers tracing its outline. “I never meant that I didn’t believe in us. I just...I’ve lost a lot of people I cared about, Gunner. Not just my parents but the foster kids, too. I knew it was temporary, yet it still hurt like hell when they had to go. It felt like I wasn’t seen to be good enough to see them through the next stage of their life.”
She’d seemed at peace with what had happened with the foster kids. I hadn’t even considered that she might feel like that. I had a lot to learn about being in a relationship, maybe we both did.
“I know.” I reached out, not quite touching her but letting my hand rest near hers. “I’ve been there too. I know how damn hard it is even though I tried to be the positive one.” I thought about my conversation with Wilder about our father. “God, Cassidy, me and my brothers have all probably had thoughts about Dad being a different parent if maybe we’d been different kids, but it’s not on us and those kids being found homes isn’t because you weren’t good enough, it’s because you were eighteen.”
“I know that deep down.” She blinked rapidly, voice fraying at the edges. “But when everyone leaves eventually...maybe the common denominator is me.”
Something fierce and protective surged through my chest. “No.” I cupped her face, thumbs brushing the soft skin beneath her eyes. “Listen to me. You’re not someone people leave, Cassidy. You’re someone people come home to.”
“So where does that leave us?” she asked, finally meeting my eyes.
“That depends on whether you’re willing to forgive a stubborn, shoot-his-mouth off-think later cowboy who’s falling in love with his teacher girlfriend.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. But seeing the surprise bloom across her face, I didn’t regret them.
“You’re falling in love with me?” she whispered.
I nodded and blew out a slow breath. “Yeah, sweetheart I am. I hope that’s enough for you and if all else fails we’ve got the lucky horseshoe.”
Chapter 39
Falling – Harry Styles
Cassidy
He was falling in love with me.
Gunner Miller was falling in love with me.
“Are you okay?” he asked, his hand cupping the back of his neck. “Shit. Do you want me to go? Give you some time to think? Have I said too much?”
I shook my head and looked back down at the horseshoe pin. It was so pretty, silver with tiny emeralds embedded in it.
