Page 60 of The Little Things

“What—what did she do?”

“She got her lawyers to draw up a contract that she’d pay them fifty K if they agreed to move out of Virginia and never come back. I stood there and watched as she ripped that fucker Caswell a new asshole so beautifully I wanted to applaud her. She might have walked away fifty grand poorer, but she got him to sign, and I hung around long enough to watch them throw all their possessions in the back of a rundown station wagon and take off.”

I had to have heard him wrong. I blamed the blood that was rushing in my ears. He couldn’t have said what I thought he said.

“She—she really did that?”

He nodded solemnly. “You hurt her when you ran away. There’s no doubt about that. She had every right to be mad. Hell, she had the right to be done with you completely, but she did that. Because she couldn’t stand to see you in pain and she wanted to make sure it could never touch you again. A man is lucky if a woman like that comes around once in his lifetime, Zach. Some men never get that. You lucked out.” He let go of my shoulders and took a step back. “Now get your ass out of this miserable room and go make things right, yeah?”

“Okay, Dad. And... I know I don’t say it all the time, but I know how lucky I am that you and Mom found me.”

“We found each other, Zach. Because we were meant to be a family. Now get out of here.”

I made it back to the ranch in record time, thanks to breaking almost every law of the road, but I would have gladly paid the cost of any ticket if it meant getting back to her. My truck skidded to a stop outside the barn, spitting up gravel and dust. I barely got the gear shift into park before I launched myself out of the cab and started toward the open doors.

“You’re back,” Connor said as I blew past him on the way to Rae’s office. I wasn’t even sure if she’d be in there, but I wouldn’t stop until I found her.

“I’m back,” I replied, turning to walk backward as I addressed him without breaking stride.

He grinned like he knew exactly who I was on the hunt for. “You get your shit sorted?”

I jerked my chin up in the affirmative. “It’s all taken care of.”

“Good. Then go get your girl. Last I heard, she was rippin’ someone a new asshole over the phone. Think it was a feed supplier. I’ll catch up with you later.” He turned and disappeared out of the barn, and I whipped back around, jogging the rest of the way to my girl. Sure enough, she was sitting behind her desk, her elbows braced on the top and her head cradled in her hands. Her fingers slowly massaged circles over her temples like she was trying to relieve a headache, and I had no doubt I was the cause of it.

“I’ve been in love with you from the moment I saw you blow out of that cabin with a frying pan held over your head as a weapon.” The words poured out of their own accord. I hadn’t planned what I was going to say other than begging for forgiveness, but the moment I saw her, I knew she needed to know the truth.

Her head shot up, her eyes going wide. “You’re back,” she whispered in shock.

“I’m back.” I moved deeper into the office, needing to be closer to her. “And I swear to Christ, I’ll never leave you again.”

Her eyes welled up, the shimmer of tears ripping into my gut like a rusty hunting knife. “Oh, baby. Don’t cry. Please. It’ll kill me.” I pulled her up from the chair and into me, wrapping my arms around her and holding her close to my heart, right where she was meant to be. I’m so sorry. I fucked up. I should have come in like you asked. I should have talked to you, but you have my word, I’ll never make that mistake again.”

She sniffled, and I felt her lift her hands and brush the tears from her face. She wriggled out of my hold and took a step back, her back rigid and her shoulders square. That fierceness was in her eyes, that fire I loved so goddamn much, and seeing it filled every single empty space in my heart that had been left after Rory, Cord, Len, and my grandparents filled the spaces meant for them. Thanks to her, I was finally whole.

“I’m mad at you,” she said. “You shouldn’t have taken off like that. And you shouldn’t have gone radio silent. You pissed me off. But... lucky for you, I love you, so I’m willing to forgive you this time.” Her finger came up and jabbed at my face. “But so help me, if you do it again?—”

I grabbed her wrist and jerked her forward so she’d crash into me and took her mouth in a hungry kiss. “I won’t.” It was a vow. One of many I planned to make to this woman over the course of the rest of our lives. “I know what you did.”

She lifted her chin haughtily. “I won’t apologize. It was just money, and I have plenty of it. I’d do it again if it meant they’d go away. I would give them every single dime I have, and there is nothing you can say to change my mind,” she issued with a sniff. “You helped me find myself, helped me discover what I’m capable of, so when I saw a chance to return the favor, I took it, and I don’t feel even a little bad about it.”

I smiled, reaching up to brush her hair back from her cheek and take her chin in my fingers. “I’d never expect you to apologize for doing what you did. When you love someone, you protect them. Thank you for protecting me, for loving me. But so you know, I plan to spend the rest of my life protecting you right back, because you’re it for me, Rae. I want to build a life with you, right here. On our ranch.”

She pulled in a shaky breath. “I’d love that,” she whispered. “Zach, nowhere ever felt like home to me until I came here. Until I met you. You’re all I want, and I want you forever.”

“Good, baby.” I leaned in, my lips brushing against hers as I said, “Because forever starts right now.”

Epilogue

Zach

Six months later

I stood at the edge of the river, watching the water rush by as nerves twisted my gut into sailors’ knots. I’d been preparing for this moment for months; everything was in place. I’d double and triple checked every little detail. Nothing was going to go wrong, but I was still freaking out.

I rested my hand against the front of my pocket, feeling for the ring inside to make sure it was still there. Roam chittered from where I had his reins tied to a branch, alerting me that someone else was approaching.

She was right on time.

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