Page 88 of The Guy Who Stole My Ranch

My emotions balanced on a fence. On one side lay the path my family had laid out for me. On the other I pictured the life Brooke and I could build together.

I’d never allowed myself to dream of anything like this before, and I found it easier than I’d anticipated to unfurl the vision.

We could stay on the ranch raising horses and keeping the retired animals comfortable and happy. We’d hire people to do a lot of the work, but there would always be things we would do together. A couple of kids appeared, laughing as they ran from Frank because they had a ball he wanted. I sat with Brooke on a porch swing, watching the sun go down on yet another wonderful day of our life together. We held hands. Then she grabbed my collar and tugged me into a kiss, one that left me dizzy.

I blinked and shook my head.

What was I thinking? I had responsibilities. I had a billion-dollar company to keep on the right track. My family was depending on me.

Who could Brooke depend on?

I wanted it to be me, but I wasn’t sure how that would work.

A sigh escaped, and I squeezed her shoulder. “Who could we be together, Brooke Shaw?”

Chapter 23

-Brooke-

I suddenly felt like I was falling and jerked awake.

Nothing was as it should be. This wasn’t my room. I wasn’t on my bed. The television had turned to a blue screen asking if I wanted to continue watching.

A soft rumble filled the air, and fingers tightened around my shoulder.

Wait. Fingers?

I slowly turned my head and found William above me. I lay on a pillow on his lap. He had his temple leaning on his fist which was braced on the arm of the couch. His glasses were nowhere in sight, and he was either lightly snoring or breathing heavily.

That explained the soft rumble.

How long had I been asleep?

Long enough for the streaming service to require input, which meant at least a couple of hours.

William had stayed like this for that long? He’d stayed withmefor that long? My stomach filled with a fluttering that rippled through my whole body. I suddenly noticed that my shoulder was pressed against his leg, and warmth ran from that spot back to my stomach.

Since he’d gotten here, I’d never seen him sit still for more than a few minutes. He was either working, learning, processing, or researching the next thing.

Why had he sacrificed his precious time for me? He could have left earlier.

Only he hadn’t.

He’d actually said that he wanted to help me, and I’d let him.

The fluttering in my stomach turned to a heavy weight, and I swallowed hard.

I’d let William in. I’d let him assist me. I’d asked him to stay. I’d told him that I never wanted him to do me any favors.

Why had I done that? It was only going to end in even more loneliness in my life when he went back to New York, and I remained here.

You could go visit Jessica.

Her offer blazed brightly in my mind. I could go to New York. Just for a few days. I could hang out with Jessica, finally see this grumpy boss of hers, and we could—as she’d suggested—stalk William.

No. I wouldn’t insert myself into William’s life. He hadn’t asked me to, and if he did, I would likely still wonder if he was sincere.

A flash of light came through the window, and only then did I notice that it was darker than it should have been. Unless I’d slept for more than ten hours, which my bladder indicated couldn’t be the case, the storm clouds I’d noticed on the horizon earlier had arrived.

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