“But you didn’t.” He finally met my eyes again, and I saw something there that made my heart pound despite the medication dulling my system. “You threw yourself in front of danger without even thinking about it. And I realized something while I was sitting in that ambulance watching them work on you.”
I waited, barely breathing, ignoring the pain radiating through my chest.
“I realized that maybe you’re not the monster I wanted you to be.” His voice dropped lower. “Maybe you’re like me, a man trying to do right by his family. And maybe I’ve been so focused on hating you that I didn’t see it before.”
The words settled over me like a blanket, warm and heavy and completely unexpected. I’d been prepared for a lot of things when I came to Montana—resistance, anger, maybe eventual resignation. But this? This tentative understanding in Nick’s eyes? I hadn’t been prepared for that at all.
“Nick, I—” I started, but a sharp pain lanced through my ribs, making me gasp.
He was on his feet immediately, his hand on my shoulder. “Don’t talk. Just breathe. Slow and easy.”
I did as he said, focusing on the steady pressure of his hand, the concern in his voice. When the pain finally subsided to a manageable throb, I found him still standing there, close enough that I could see the flecks of gold in his green eyes.
“Thank you,” I managed.
“For what?”
“For staying. For giving a shit.” I paused, weighing my next words carefully. “For not hating me.”
Something shifted in his expression, softening around the edges. “Oh, I still hate you.” But he was grinning. “You’re an overconfident stubborn asshole.”
I couldn’t help but smile at that. “So are you.”
“Yeah well,” Nick grumbled, sitting back in his chair. “We were bound to have at least one thing in common.”
I watched him settle back into that uncomfortable hospital chair, his body language still tense despite the exhaustion written all over his face. The silence between us felt different now. It was less hostile, but not exactly comfortable either. More like we were both trying to figure out what the hell had just happened.
My ribs throbbed with each breath, a steady reminder of my stupidity. Or bravery. I wasn’t sure which one I would settle on by the end of all of this.
“You should at least go grab some food,” I said, shifting carefully against the pillows. “The cafeteria’s probably still open.”
“I’m fine.”
“Nick, when’s the last time you ate?”
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, his brow furrowing like he was actually trying to remember. That told me everything I needed to know.
“There’s cash in my wallet,” I said, gesturing toward the small table where they’d put my belongings. “Go get something. Bring me back whatever looks least likely to kill me. Hospital food’s got to be better than nothing.”
“I don’t need your money.”
“Jesus Christ, you’re stubborn.” I tried to laugh, but it came out as more of a wheeze that sent another spike of pain through my chest. “Just... please. Go eat something. I’ll still be here when you get back, I promise.”
He studied me for a long moment, and I could see the internal debate playing out behind those green eyes. Finally, he stood up, his joints popping after sitting in that chair for too long.
“Fine. But if you die while I’m gone, I’m going to be pissed.”
“Noted.”
I watched him leave, the door clicking shut behind him. The room felt immediately emptier without his presence, which was a strange realization. When we first met, I figured he’d hate me forever while I toyed with him. Now I was already counting the minutes until he came back. The tables had definitely begun to turn.
I pulled out my phone, staring at the dark screen. My father’s words kept replaying in my head.You’re letting your dick do the thinking instead of your brain.Maybe he was right. Maybe I was getting too attached, too invested in making this work beyond the business arrangement it was supposed to be.
But when I closed my eyes, all I could see was Nick’s face in the ambulance. The way he’d held my hand like it was the only thing keeping me tethered to earth. The fear in his eyes that he’d tried so hard to hide.
That wasn’t nothing. That couldn’t be nothing. And I’d chosen Nick for a reason. Not just because he knew the ranching business, but because he was beautiful and strong. And now that choice was beginning to work against me.
My phone buzzed and I picked it up, a text popping up on the screen.
