Page 52 of Branded Betrayal

And then I force myself to walk away before I turn those words into reality.

Chapter Seventeen

Savannah

How could he say that to me and then walk away? Again?

“There’s nothing here for you. Except a man who’d burn this whole town down before he’d let anyone else have you.”

“What the fuck?” I kick a rock with such force that it nearly crashes into my windshield.

“Whoa,” Tyler says, walking down the back steps. “You okay there?”

I slowly turn, squaring my shoulders. “I would say that I am absolutely not okay right now. But I will be.”

Feels like I’ve said that plenty of times to myself in the past. Déjà fucking vu.

His eyebrows knit together. “Is there something going on between you guys or . . . ?”

“No, no,” I say quickly. “I was just surprised about the well-line repair. It turned out to be a lot more costly than I originally thought.” I shrug. “I guess I need to start thinking differently now that I’m a ranch owner.”

“You’re a smart woman, Savannah. And gritty as hell for taking the bull by the horns and rebuilding this place. You’re going to have surprises, sure, but just remember . . . the way you deal with them is what defines you as a kick-ass rancher. Problems will always come up. Not everyone will be able to handle them with the kind of care and attention that you do.”

I force a smile. “Thanks. I really needed to hear that.”

He walks toward me. “Don’t thank me. I’m just speaking the truth.”

“I really appreciate your encouragement. I just . . .” I pause and look around at the livestock surrounding the troughs. Troughs that are full now because of Blaze. Not because of me.

My heart clenches. “I figured it would be hard, but I didn’t anticipate this level of . . . the equipment problems, the bills, the repairs needed . . .” I press my fingertips to the sides of my temples. “It’s so much, and I feel like a fail—”

Tyler holds up a hand. “Nope. Don’t say it. Don’t even let yourself think it. All of this is in your mind, Savannah. If you believe in yourself the way I do, you’ll soar. Trust me. Mindset is so much of this.”

He places his hands on my shoulders and stares deep into my eyes.

I wait for my pulse to throttle, my skin to prickle, my belly to flip. Maybe I was just flustered last night, too focused on what I let happen with Blaze to really, fully embrace the moment with Tyler.

But none of that happens. It just feels . . . well, like a friend trying to talk me off a ledge. A smart, handsome, funny friend, but a friend all the same.

The safe choice. The one who will encourage me and empower me and tell me all of the things I’m doing right and well.

The one I should choose.

Unfortunately for me, I crave the darkness, danger, and utter chaos of the unhinged, brooding cowboy.

The one I never stopped wanting, as evidenced by that kiss last night.

Tyler laces his fingers with mine and walks me back into the kitchen. “Come on, let me make you some tea or something. You need to relax. What do you say?”

“I’d love to relax with you, but there are a few things I need to handle right now.” I give his arm a squeeze. “But I really appreciate your help and encouragement. It means so much to me.”

A grin stretches across his lips. “You’ve got this, Savannah. I know you’ll come up with a great plan for this place. I’m here if you ever need a sounding board.”

I smile. “Thank you.”

He winks at me. “I’ll talk to you soon.”

I walk him to the front door and wave, shutting the door once he gets into his truck. Covering my face with my hands, I lean back against the door.