I stepped away. “I think we could have something really special here, and I know you feel it too. When you’re ready, I’ll behere. I don’t care how long it takes. I’m not going anywhere. Not without you.”
I went over to the door. “I’m still going home this weekend, and I’d really like you with me, but whether you come with or not doesn’t change how I feel. Nothing can do that. I knew I’d be yours from the moment I saw you, and that feeling has only grown stronger. Now it’s up to you to decide if you want to be mine, cause I can’t think of anything I’ve ever wanted more.”
It was on the tip of my tongue to say those three life changing words, but I couldn’t do it. Not until I knew she was in this with me. So I left before I said the one thing I didn’t want to regret.
Chapter 8
Bria
I gave up trying to work. I had been sitting here staring at my computer ever since Junior left, and that was at least an hour and a half ago. All I could think about was him saying he was falling for me, and the confusion I couldn’t help feeling.
I knew there was no way that he could be serious. People didn’t fall in love this quickly. I wasn’t even sure I believed people fell in love at all. Not like Carl and Lucinda. Not these days, and even if they did, they didn’t fall in love with me.
Frustrated, I turned off my computer and locked the office. I needed to clear my mind, or I was going to throw off my whole routine. I walked over to Lucinda’s, being sure to give the stables a wide berth. The last thing I needed right now was to run into Junior or his family. I was positive I’d made an awful first impression, and I didn’t need to follow it up with an even worse second. When I reached the back door, I didn’t bother knocking. I knew neither Carl nor Lucinda would mind my walking right in.
“Lucinda?” I called out, heading for the kitchen.
“Back here.” She surprised me by being in the small office they kept in the house instead.
I switched directions and found her sitting behind the desk, looking over some papers.
“I swear, we get more junk mail than bills, and that is saying something.” She held up an envelope. “Now why would they send up something for redoing our pavement? It’s a ranch. We don’t do pavement.”
“Maybe they figured you might have a driveway that needs to be redone.” I suggested.
She let out a loud snort. “That will be the day.” She shook her head. “I asked Carl about adding a driveway years ago, and the man told me nature already gave us all the driveway we needed.” I smiled, thinking that was just like Carl.
“What are you doing here in the middle of the day?” She stopped sorting the letters in front of her and looked up. “Did we have a meeting?”
“No, I just needed to talk to someone.”
“Oh, of course.” She put the mail aside. “Is everything alright?”
“Not really.” I sat down in the only other chair in the room. “I’m feel out of sorts and I’m not sure what to do.”
A soft smile touched her lips. “Is this about Junior?”
“How did you know?” I hadn’t said anything, and I thought we’d done a good job keeping our rides private.
“Honey, I knew there was something between you two the first time I saw you together.” She answered. “There was clearly chemistry between you. When he asked me to make dinner for you guys to take on your ride, I figured it was only a matter of time.”
“Why didn’t you say something?”
She shrugged. “I know how private you are. I wanted to give you space, and I knew if you needed to talk, then you would come to me.”
I appreciated this woman so much. “Thank you.”
“Sure.” She waited for a moment. “I assume you need to talk.”
I nodded and told her all about Junior showing up with his family in tow and the fight we got into.
“Why did meeting his family make you mad?” she asked when I was done.
“It didn’t.” I told her.
“It sounds like it did.”
“It wasn’t that it made me angry.” I took a second to think. “It’s more that it made me nervous. He’s going to fast and I can’t help thinking what’s the point? He’ll be gone in a week. There’s no way that he’ll come back just for me.”
