Page 83 of The Rancher’s One and Only

“You know what’s wrong with me. Everything is just… It’s bad. And thinking about having a house and a family…”

Except the picture was different now. He wasn’t just thinking of a random person; he was thinking of her. And when he tried to imagine a life with her, it didn’t feel anything like the stifling, vague image that he’d always gotten from the idea of getting married and having children when the face on the wife was blank. But her? He could imagine that. He could imagine being in awe of her, and everything she taught their children. And hell, he could easily take care of the kids with him on the ranch, could do a lot of it while she did her work. He could support her; he—he couldn’t move the museum here. He couldn’t ask her to sacrifice for him.

Especially not when he had so many fears surrounding all of it and even beginning to work it out was going to be a struggle. How could he ask her to put her life on hold for him?

He couldn’t.

“I can never ask her to sacrifice a single thing for me.”

“Don’t you know that you’re an amazing person?” Rowdy asked.

“I’m not. I’m literally just a guy.”

“Well, we all are. But she’s pretty into you. And since she’s maybe the smartest woman I’ve ever met, that says a lot.”

He didn’t think so. She would be better off if he left her alone. That was the truth.

As it grew closer to time for the resort to open, it also drew closer to when Ernestine would be back. He hated this suspended space, where nothing was happening. Not a single thing. They drove to Bend, and went on a buying spree for last-minute items, and they stopped in a gift shop where he saw something that made him laugh. And laugh and laugh.

“What are you laughing about?” Dakota asked.

“I just found the perfect thing for Ernestine’s new desk. For her brand-new office.”

“Something to remember you by,” he said, clapping him on the shoulder. “Since you insist on making yourself something in her past.”

He stared down at the object. “I’m just trying to do the best thing.”

Chapter Nineteen

Ernestine was nearly a week into working in her new position. It was weird, because her whole body hurt half the time. She didn’t know why. Maybe it had something to do with the pain in her chest. Her chest really did hurt. Everything hurt.

But she should be happy. She should be the happiest she’d ever been, because she had this great win, but…

She just missed him.

And that was when a package arrived for her at work. The return address was Three Brothers Ranch.

Her heart leaped as she opened it up, and then she laughed almost helplessly as she took the gift out of its box. It was a piece of amber with the mosquito trapped inside. Him and his Jurassic Park bullshit.

She set it on her desk, and looked at it, looked at the way the light shone through the material.

And then she burst into tears. This office didn’t feel like it was supposed to. Nothing felt like it was supposed to. She missed that man. She let out a long breath, and walked down the hall to Candy’s office. “I think I need to leave a few days early. The rest of the team can follow me. I’ll send my instructions over email.”

“Of course. Whatever you need, Ernestine.”

Well, they would definitely see about that, because what she needed was going to be pushing the boundaries of what was even remotely acceptable.

She decided not to wait. She decided to drive to Clear Lake at eleven. She drove straight through, and it was about the time she knew they would be headed to have their dinner and get washed up from the workday.

And as she drove onto the ranch property, and reached the junction where the road to the barn connected with the main drive, she converged with his truck. And she threw her car into Park and jumped out of it.

He picked his cowboy hat up from the seat and put the truck in Park, looking at her with wild, irritated eyes. “What the hell are you doing?”

“I came to see you,” she said. “I’m not here for fossils.”

“And?”

“I… Thank you. Thank you for the mosquito. That was the most ridiculous, disrespectful present I have ever received and I loved it with my whole heart.”