Page 33 of A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy

“I just wanted this Christmas to be fun. I wanted to spend it here with you and Rob with no complications.”

Pippa chuckled. “What fun would that have been?”

Sophie gave her a wan smile. “I guess you have a point. I wouldn’t trade what we have for anything. I don’t want to lose it, either.”

“Maybe you won’t.”

“Maybe.”

They chatted about other topics for another hour or so before Pippa had to get to the restaurant for work. By the end of herfriend’s visit, Sophie had made her plan. She’d resolved herself to paying Duke a visit, to tell him what was going on and how she felt. Pippa had been right. Duke deserved to know what was going on no matter how new their relationship was.

She gathered up her jacket and keys, then she turned out the lights and headed for the door. When she pulled it open, she stifled a yelp when she came face to face with Duke.

His forearm was rested above his lowered head as he stood outside her apartment. There was no telling how long he’d been there. The agony she read in his body language was just as deep as it had been during their last interaction. When he lifted his eyes to her, Sophie’s breath hitched. “I’m so…sorry.”

Sophie didn’t know what to say. A myriad of questions flittered through her head as she waited for him to continue. What was he apologizing for? Was he here to break things off before she could ask him to give them a chance? Her heart hammered with anticipation.

“Can I come in?”

She nodded, gesturing into her apartment. “Sure.”

He moved past her and took a seat on her couch. Sophie moved through the apartment, turning the lights on again before she settled beside him on the couch and took his hand in hers.

“What’s going on?” she whispered. The weight on her chest was almost unbearable. Between her concerns about their relationship and the opportunity out of the country, her head already swam. Now there was something else to add to it.

Duke peered at her, guilt written in every line on his face. “I’ve been a jerk.”

“Duke—” Understanding washed over her, lessening her concerns slightly.

“I’m dealing with a lot of issues—they come to the surface every December, but that’s not an excuse. I should have never…” his voice trailed off.

“It’s okay?—”

“No, it’s not. I need you to know how much I appreciate you. You’re the one thing I could count on while I was dealing with my guilt over my family. You were there for me when Gus went missing. You’ve always been… so good to me, and I don’t want to risk losing you.”

His words echoed in her quiet apartment. Everything he said tugged at her in a heart. She wasn’t asgoodas he thought she was. Sophie had even winced at the implication he’d made that she was someone he could count on. That wasn’t how she’d felt even moments ago.

Sophie squeezed his hands as she let him talk, getting his frustrations off his chest. If this was how he felt, maybe they had a chance for something long term. Hope flared to life within her as that thought crossed her mind. But suddenly she realized he’d stopped talking and she shifted her focus to what he was looking at.

On her coffee table were several printed pages of restaurants she had confirmed for her tour in Europe. Beside them was the schedule—one she’d added hand-written notes to. He leaned forward and picked it up. His eyes flicked to meet hers, question and accusation easy to read in their depths. “What’s this?”

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Duke couldn’t breathe.It felt like he might as well have been rammed in the chest by a train. He knew exactly what the document in his hand meant. Little by little he’d come to realize what it was that Sophie did for her job.

And she was darn good at it.

He didn’t want to admit it, but he’d read through a few of her blog posts after that night at the festival. While it wasn’t his preference, he could still appreciate it for what it was. His eyes lifted to Sophie’s. She still hadn’t responded. She looked white as a sheet as her eyes flicked between the document and his face.

His stomach dropped.

She’d been hiding this from him on purpose. It wasn’t something that had just come up and she hadn’t gotten around to telling him. She knew what she’d been doing.

His fury and frustration battled it out with his disappointment and heartache. But what was more noticeable than all of those emotions was how much he wanted this for her—how excited he was for her that she’d gotten this opportunity.

“It’s only a little tour for my blog,” she whispered.

Duke lowered the document to the table. “It looks like the opportunity of a lifetime,” he murmured. With each passing second, the anger faded. How could he be mad? This sort of thing was what she dreamed of doing. It was her passion.

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