Page 67 of The Bachelor

“Of course.” He’d do damn near anything she asked. “You want some coffee?”

She nodded. “Yes, thanks.”

He raised his hand to get the attention of their server and shook his head. “So ‘ole Buck is your father? I didn’t see that one coming, I have to say.”

“I wanted to tell you. But the few people my mother told back home thought she was lying and it became a town joke. I don’t know. I was just worried you’d think I was a liar, a user, just another songwriter trying to catch a break. But that was my shit, not yours, and I’m sorry. I do trust you.”

Shane poured out his sugar packet onto his napkin, licked his finger, and dipped it in the sugar. “I get it. I’ve spent my whole life keeping secrets. But if we’re going to do this, we both have to be honest with each other.”

“Are we going to do this?” she whispered.

He locked eyes with her. “I certainly want to. I promise to listen harder to what you need. I should have got you when Ben showed up today.”

She nodded. “I have to learn to handle my own mistakes.”

“He just pissed me off. I don’t like when people treat you poorly. People being rude to you makes me upset. But you’re a grown woman. You can handle it, you’re right.”

This was him, meeting her where she needed him to meet her.

The server came over. “What can I get ya, hon?”

“I’ll have coffee, thanks.”

Shane pushed the creamer over to her. He sucked the sugar off of his finger. Avery’s eyes went dark with desire as she watched him.

This was all looking promising.

Then she said, “I got fired from Rusted Truck.”

“What? That’s bullshit. Why?” He hadn’t expected that.

Avery just shrugged. “Pat thinks I’m causing tension with the other writers.”

“Well, Pat’s wrong. They’re letting go of their best talent.”

“Is she wrong? I don’t know. I was causing tension. Not on purpose, but it was happening.” She tucked her hair behind her ear. “But I’m going to be fine. I’ll find another job somewhere else. We’re recording the song with Jolene and Chance. Everything will work out. Or hell, maybe it’s not my time yet. I haven’t paid my dues.”

It seemed like she was trying to convince herself. But he knew the last thing she needed right now was an offer for him to intervene. She wanted, hell, needed, to do this on her own and he respected that.

They understood her better now. Hell, he understood himself better. They had been taking one step forward, two steps back, both falling in love, both trying to protect their hearts from hurt.

She turned away from him and pressed her fingers to her eyes, as if she didn’t want to cry.

“Look at me, please.”

She obeyed immediately.

He touched her chin with his thumb and forefinger. “God, Avery, I hope you understand I want everyone to know that I’m with you, the most amazing woman I’ve ever met. I don’t want to just take it day by day and play it by ear and not put labels on it and do it halfway. I want to stamp a giant-ass ‘WE’RE TOGETHER’ on us and strut around town proud as hell that you’re mine. I want to commit to you, and to us, and to a future figuring out every little thing about you because I’ve been falling in love with you since the minute you turned up on the street and pierced me with those eyes. But, I’ll meet you wherever you need me to meet you. I’ll do whatever you want me to do.”

She didn’t hesitate. “I want to be with you. Not casually. Not in secret. I’m done with secrets. I love you, Shane.”

He let go of the breath he’d been holding.

“And every day it gets bigger and deeper and I just want to you to hold me and never let go and…fuck casual. Because casual doesn’t work when you feel something like this.”

His eyes widened. Avery didn’t swear very often. He gave her a grin. “Damn, Red. I completely agree.”

“It’s love,” Avery said as she sat across from Shane, knowing the truth of that deep into her core. It was the longing she felt for him, the happiness that seemed to live and breathe when they were together. It was the intimacy of their worshipful touches, the way they focused wholly on each other. It was the most intense thing she’d ever felt, and she had spent the majority of the time she’d known him reminding herself she couldn’t have that, couldn’t believe in it, couldn’t feel it. But it had been unrelenting.

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