“Oh,” I say, dejected. I mean, of course it makes sense, but I love what we have here.
“Callie, I work on the ranch, I’ll never be more than a ten-minute ride away. And we already talked about it. Duke will be here during the day while I’m out there. I’ll be back here before he leaves for the bar. You’ll never truly be alone and nothing else is changing.”
I raise my head, hopeful.
“Did you think I was leaving?” Duke asks me.
“Yes. You don’t live here. Eventually, you’ll have to go. And I’ll have to find a place to live. This feels like a temporary bubble, and I don’t want it to pop.”
They both reach out, simultaneously, each of them grabbing a hand. Cash’s hand is warm, and he rubs gentle circles on my knuckles. Duke’s hand is large and swallows mine. “Let us worry about that. For now, I’m on day duty and Cash will be here at night. As much as the idea pains me.” His joke lightens the mood. I squeeze both of their hands.
Chapter 37
I Know She Ain’t Ready
Duke
The first morning Cash heads out on horseback at six am, I walk by Caroline’s room to find her sitting and watching him trot away on Daisy.
“You okay?” I sit beside her.
“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s so beautiful out there, it’s painful. I can’t wait until I can go for a ride. Oh Duke, Lola is stunning. I forgot to tell you. I don’t think she liked me, but she is stunning.”
“She’s just shy. Once you’re up for the walk, I’ll take you out there; she will warm up. Want some breakfast?” I pull her to her feet, and she trails me, a little slower, down the stairs. Tank and Snapper are out with Cash so it’s just us and my dogs. It feels so right, just being with her.
Cash expressed a little concern over the new arrangement, but I think it’s going to be important we each spend a little time alone with her and she gets to spend some time without us both hovering.
She sucks in a breath, like she’s preparing for something. I flinch a little. She seems happy but I’m always going to be a little on edge, I think, not sure what’s in her head as far as we are concerned.
“Duke, can we talk?”
“Of course.” Dread fills me but I try not to let it show on my face.
“I just, well I want to say I’m sorry. The way things went down? It wasn’t right.”
I hold up a hand to stop her. “Sweetheart, it’s okay. Cash and I already talked through it. We know what happened and we already forgave you.”
“That’s great that y’all worked it out, but I didn’t. I don’t deserve forgiveness until I say what I need to say. I didn’t know what I was getting into when I met you. You’re hard to read, even harder to get close to. It was confusing but the more time I spent with you, the more I craved our fire. Our passion.” Her eyes are alight with feeling as she speaks. “You fed a part of my soul I didn’t know was starving. Our desire for each other made me feel like I was wanted in a way I never have been. I needed you so much. And I regret it every day that I betrayed that.”
Kneeling in front of her, I place one of her hands over my heart. “Caroline, from the moment I laid eyes on you, you were in my dreams—behind my eyelids every time I closed my eyes. When I couldn’t control myself anymore, I took you in my storeroom and gave you everything I could, not knowing you were going to become the sun around which my world revolved. You deserved better than a quick romp in the dark and I intend to make it up to you. But more than that, you deserved to be given everything.” Kissing her fingertips, I lay my head against her stomach.
Looking up at her, I continue, “When I saw you in that closet, my broken heart healed instantly. There isn’t a singleday, for as long as you’ll have me, that I won’t strive to proveyou are mine.”
I pull the little box from my pocket, and she inhales sharply. Handing her the little blue box, tied with its white ribbon, I sit back on my heels.
“Open it,” I order her.
Pulling gently on the ribbon and letting it fall away, she cracks open the box and a giddy smile tugs her mouth up.
“Oh Duke, it’s perfect!” She pulls the delicate silver bracelet from the box, its tiny charms jingling. “Oh, a little fish for our date! And a storm cloud.” Her cheeks pink at the memory. “This one is just a little cup?”
“They didn’t have one of a beautiful girl perched on a table, panting for me, so that one will have to be the bar.” I wink, and her laughter fills the room. “Put it on.”
She holds out her arm and I loop it around and clip the little closure.
Tugging gently on the gold chain hanging from her neck, I say, “I couldn’t let Cash be the only one you wear.”
“Silly boys.”
