Page 44 of A Miracle for the Confident Cowboy

A fresh wave of people wandered into view, turning a corner after having disembarked. His eyes searched the crowds, looking for her familiar form. Every nerve, every muscle in his body ached with the need to see her, to hold her again. It was as if no time at all had passed and yet at the same time there was a mountain of space between them.

His breath caught when she came into view. She was staring at her phone, pulling her suitcase at her side as she moved toward the exit. His speech. He had to remember his speech.

Time slowed. Even the melodious notes of the music playing over the speakers of the airport couldn’t penetrate the sound of his roaring heartbeat. There she was, just as beautiful as he’d remembered. And she was coming right to him.

Her head lifted and her eyes locked with his. She slowed just before crossing the threshold where other people waited for their family and friends. Her face was a mask of absolute unreadability. Her lips parted and her cheeks flushed rosy.

For a brief moment, alarm rocketed through him. She could stay on that side of the glass. She could refuse to come near him, preventing him from being able to tell her how he felt. The ring in his pocket weighed so heavy, he thought it might tug him right through the floor and into whatever basement the building might have. Or perhaps he’d be stuck, encased in cement.

Duke took a step toward her and it seemed to be enough to get her moving once more. Her eyes brightened and that smile he adored crossed her face. Relief crashed into him, nearlyknocking him to his knees. Sophie slipped through the doorway and headed right for him. Without hesitation, she draped an arm around his neck and gave him a quick—too quick—hug.

Sophie pulled back, her eyes sweeping to the area around them. “Where’s Pippa? She was going to bring Daisy!”

“She said I could pick you up. She’s been taking good care of the little one. I helped a little bit, too.” He was babbling like a fool. His brain felt like he was in a fog. It refused to help him get out the words he’d so carefully crafted in his mind—words to win her back, to beg for another chance. He needed to tell her he fell in love with her the moment she stepped foot into the animal shelter.

“Charles!”

His head snapped up and he stared wide-eyed at his mother and sister emerging from the other side of the barrier. “Freya? Mom? What are you doing here?” His family pulled him into a tight hug, pulling him away from the woman who had been close enough to scoop into his arms if he hadn’t been torn away.

Sophie’s eyes sparkled when he met them. She didn’t move away, run, or dismiss him. That was a good sign.

His mother placed both hands on his cheeks and looked him over before pulling him in for another hug. When she stepped back, she motioned to Sophie. “Your friend invited us along for the trip.”

Friend. She hadn’t told them they were closer than that. His determination faltered but only just. There was something in Sophie’s gaze that gave him pause. There were words left unsaid—words he wanted to hear more than anything.

Duke turned his focus back to his mother. “You didn’t tell me you were coming! This is such a surprise.”

Another tearful hug, from his mother. “We’ve missed you so much, sweetheart. When you couldn’t come home, we knew we had to see you. We made it work.” Something in her voice hit him square in the chest. So much emotion. So much joy. He could almost forget the guilt and the belief that he wasn’t good enough.

Almost.

His mother gave a side-eye in the direction of the woman who had brought them here. A smile curled her lips and she lowered her voice. “She’s not just your friend, is she?”

Duke stiffened, alert and worried Sophie might have heard what she’d said.

Amelia patted his cheek. “I approve.” She turned toward Freya. “Come dear. Let’s wait for our luggage.” She winked at Duke before ushering his younger sister toward several luggage carrousels, leaving him alone with Sophie.

It was painful to force himself to face her—deliciously so. She’d returned. It had been a year and she was back. All of their conversations over the phone and through messages came to the forefront of his memory. A chagrined smile touched his lips. “Hey,” he murmured.

“Hey,” she whispered.

They each took steps toward one another until she was within reach. Her soft laugh was only emphasized further when she glanced away and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

“You met my family.”

Her gaze shot back to meet his. “Yeah, well, I figured we could skip over the awkwardness of accepting we might have been wrong and just move on to the next step.”

He cocked his head, studying her, watching her, not daring to believe they’d unwittingly been on the same page about this whole thing. Was it possible she wanted him back as much as he did her?

Sophie dropped her gaze and snickered. “I half expected Pippa to pop out and tell us ‘I told you so’. When she lifted her eyes once more, her cheeks were flushed. “Do you ever get the feeling we… it would have been easier if we…”

Duke grasped her chin between his finger and thumb. “I’ve made a lot of mistakes in my life but letting you go the way I did—I’ll never regret anything more.”

She released a soft breath.

“Why didn’t you ask me to pick you up?”

“I didn’t think…” her voice faded and the color in her cheeks intensified. “I didn’t want to put you out.”

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