Page 23 of Stranded with a Bossy Rancher

Make her mine.

Show her how good we can be together

Love her and her baby. Forever.

She blinks up at me, and a sole tear rolls down my cheek. “You can’t love me.”

I blurt it out without hesitating. “I already do.”

“But how? Why?”

I stand up and walk over to the bed. “How do I love you?”

She’s biting her lip, nodding her head.

I take my thumb and smooth it across her lip, hating the thought that she’s hurting herself. “Because you’re easy to love. The way you smile, the way you talk to me and treat me, the way you treat others, everything about you is easy to love, Cammy baby.”

“But…”

“There’s no but. I’m telling you the truth.”

She sits up a little straighter. “You should know something, Elliott.”

I tense but try not to. “What?”

She looks so sad. “Someone called before I left. From some newspaper, and they were asking all kinds of questions about us. There’s a picture of us from last night at the restaurant and how you’re not an eligible bachelor anymore.”

I shake my head. “I’m not.”

She continues on worriedly. “They know I’m pregnant, and it won’t take long for everyone to know that I’m pregnant by a married man.”

It all comes together then. “Is that why you left? Is that why you ran away from me?”

She whispers her answer. “Yes.”

“You left because you thought you were protecting me… not because you wanted to be away from me.”

Instead of answering me, she starts to ramble. “If people find out, it’s going to ruin your reputation. Everyone knows I’m pregnant without being married, but when they find out I’m pregnant and the dad is a married man, it will destroy—”

I cut her off. “No one is going to know. Do you trust me?”

“But—” she starts, and I cut her off. “Do you trust me?”

She nods. “Yes, I trust you.”

“Okay, then I’ll take care of it.”

“But—” she starts, and I stop her again.

“Cammy, I’m going to take care of everything. Don’t you worry, okay?”

She sighs, and as we stare at each other, I gesture to the empty side of the bed next to her. “Can I lie down with you?”

She practically pulls me toward her. “I hope you do.”

I climb into the bed next to her and pull her flush against my body. I want to have her again, but it’s obvious she’s emotionally exhausted.

I wrap my body around hers, threading our legs together, and we lie here for a few seconds with her head on my chest. I’m caressing her hair and down her back when she lifts her head, resting her chin on my chest. “I need you to know something.”

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