Page 58 of The Rancher's Second-Choice Wife

“I c-can say the same now,” she said jerkily.

“Say what?”

The curtness of his voice was intimidating. Please, God. She had come here with a plan, and not even Valerian himself would make her stray from it.

“That thing you told me before. I can also say the same.”

His lips tightened, but she told herself not to mind this.

“For the past few days...y-you were the f-first thing I thought about and the l-last thing, too.”

But the words caused Valerian’s handsome face to completely lose color.

“What the h—what are you doing here, Poppy?” Valerian asked rawly.

“You don’t sound happy to see me.”

Happy? Was she seriously asking him that? Happy was the lamest and most inadequate word to describe the way his chest felt like it was about to explode. And the part of him that he had done his best to ignore—

The part that had been convinced Poppy was gone from his life for good, and that it was only a matter of time before the buzzing in his head resumed—

That part of him was still reeling.

And unable to accept that Poppy was truly standing in front of him.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Valerian needed to try one more time to make Poppy see reason.

“I beg to differ. I think I’m exactly where I should be now.”

Why, God?

It didn’t feel right to hear Poppy saying the words he hadn’t even allowed himself to dream.

Why is she here, when I’ve hurt her so much?

Why am I being forgiven so damn easily?

“Um, Valerian? My knees are starting to hurt.”

His words snapped him back to his senses, and Valerian couldn’t remember feeling this big of an idiot.

Get yourself together!

“I’m sorry, Poppy.” His mind was a fucking mess. His heart was racing so damn fast it was as if he was a schoolboy about to ask a girl out for the first time. And his hands—he couldn’t stop them from shaking at the thought that after what seemed like an eternity, he was about to reach for her again. Touch her. Feel her.

But just as Valerian’s fingers had cupped her elbow, and he was about to help her up—

Poppy shook her head, and his stomach turned upside down.

What now?

Did she realize the truth, and that was that he didn’t deserve her at all?

Was she allowed to change her mind, God?

“Not yet,” Poppy said.

What the fuck did that even mean?

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