Page 12 of Rugged Courage

“This woman,” Waylon says.

“Cece. Cece Charles,” I finish.

“Right. What’s your honest opinion of Cece?”

“Cece has more integrity in her little finger than most people have in their whole body. She’s passionate, driven, and she knows her mind.”

Waylon’s eyebrows rise at the fervor in my voice. “You seem pretty sure about that.”

I take a deep breath, knowing I’m about to lay all my cards on the table. “I am sure. Waylon, I... I’ve fallen in love with her.”

The words hang in the air between us. Waylon’s eyes widen, and for a moment, I’m not sure how he’ll react.

“Love?” he repeats as if he thinks he misheard me. “Dane, are you sure about this?”

I nod, my heart pounding. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I’m going to ask her to stay, Waylon. Maybe she could help with Creek Ravine.”

Waylon studies me for a long moment, his expression unreadable, though it’s obvious he’s still upset. Then, without a word, he turns and walks away, heading back into the bar.

By the time I follow Waylon back into the bar, he’s deep in conversation with Cece, their heads bent close together.

I go up to the bar, and Marian glances at me, popping the cap off a beer bottle and handing it to me.

“Looks like you need this. Everything okay with Waylon?”

I take a long pull of the beer. “I think so. I took Cece to Creek Ravine.”

Marian’s eyes widen, and she crosses her arms over her chest. I explain the situation, and her glare softens.

“You should’ve gotten permission first,” she finally says.

I shrug. “There wasn’t a lot of time. I had to make a decision, and that was the best for our safety.”

“Waylon must have been furious,” Marian says, shaking her head.

“Boss was mad about what?” Daryl’s voice comes from behind me. He slaps me on the shoulder and takes the bar stool on my left.

“This jackass took a woman to Creek Ravine,” Reggie says, leaning over the bar to kiss Marian. “A stranger.”

Daryl frowns. “The fuck? You crazy?”

I sigh, repeating the story for Daryl and Reggie while Marian clears plates from the tables.

“That’s fucked up,” Daryl says. “I understand, but…it’s still fucked up.”

“I get it. I get it.”

I look over to see Waylon and Cece still talking. Waylon is leaning back in his chair and looks more relaxed. All I can hope is he sees a glimmer of what attracts me to Cece. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she’s a good woman. She’s courageous and trustworthy.

“So, what is it with this woman?” Daryl asks.

I take a long moment to choose my words. “I’m going to ask her to stay.”

Reggie laughs.

Daryl nearly chokes on his beer. “You’re what?” he demands, turning to take a long look at Cece.

“I know it’s crazy, but I’ve fallen for this woman. Hard. The idea of never seeing her again is…” I struggle to find any word that matches the depth of emotion I feel for Cece. “I can’t imagine life without her.”

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