Page 75 of The Rancher's Wedding

Michael looked towards Estelle, but didn’t say anything for several counts of “Mississippi” in his head.

“I can’t hold him back, can I?” Michael asked.

Estelle shook her head, on the verge of tears. “I don’t know. I don’t think so.”

“I’m disappointed,” he said. “You kept this a secret from me. If I had known about it, we could do something about it, maybe. I don’t know what, but we would have had months to figure it out.

“I thought we had a life together, Estelle. And now you’re telling me that you could be swept away by someone else at any moment. How can you do that to someone? How can you do that to me?”

She didn’t say anything. A tear fell from her eye as her lips pursed together and shook. He wanted to hug her and tell her everything would be okay, but his heart was struggling, feeling betrayed by hearing Ethan say, “She’s my wife.”

At the same time, he was furious at her. How could he be so angry with somebody and love them so much at the same time?

“What I need,” Michael said, “is time to think and figure things out. I refuse to lose you and if there’s any way I can keep that from happening, I’m going to do it.”

Her face brightened a bit and the slightest hint of a smile started to form.

“But I’m still mad at you.”

The smile returned to a pout. Michael was sending her on ups and downs and the more he spoke with her, the more he was going to do it. The kindest thing to do for her was to get away from her while he figured things out.

“I think it’s best if you go back to the house,” Michael said. “I’ll come get you when I need you.”

“What if we only have a little bit of time left together?” Estelle asked. “Do you really want to spend our last day or so away from each other?”

“No, I don’t. But I don’t have a choice. The first thing I need to do is to not be angry with you. And I’m not going to be able to do that while you’re around.” He looked at her with sincerity, holding his ire inside even as it threatened to break out in a scream. The last thing Michael wanted to do was scream at Estelle when she already felt guilty. It took all of his love to hold it inside. “Please, Estelle. Go to the house.”

“Okay,” she said, then started to walk away, watching him the whole time.

He hated seeing that look on her face, so he just looked down to his boots, clenching his fists in an effort to keep his anger inside for just a few more seconds while she left.

Chapter Thirty-One

Michael couldn’t help but wonder whose fault it was. Was it her fault for not telling him or his for not letting her? He knew there were several times she tried telling him and he just told her to wait. Looking back, he should have just let her tell him, but she always seemed so upset about her secrets and he didn’t think it mattered. Her past was over and done and she’d started a new life with him.

He didn’t realize that her past wasn’t entirely past.

Michael left the stables and walked around the perimeter of the ranch. It was everything that he’d worked so hard to create over the past couple of years. Looking at it gave him a sense of pride and, yet, he would trade it all if it meant he could be with Estelle.

The marriage was supposed to be a sham. That was the first mistake. He shouldn’t have let himself develop feelings for Estelle, but he just couldn’t help himself. Every time he looked at her, he felt like a more complete person. The world was brighter with her in it and the days had purpose.

This wasn’t right. This wasn’t what was supposed to happen. He was a praying man, who believed in the Lord and didn’t dare question His divine plan, but what could he possibly be doing by giving him Estelle only to take her away? Was it all a test, like with Job? Wasn’t everything a test?

If it was a test, then Michael had to prove that he wanted Estelle bad enough to keep her from being taken back. No doubt Ethan would return, and, when he did, he would take Estelle away. And no matter how much Michael wanted Estelle to stay, Ethan would be able to take her back. Because he had the law on his side.

It made Michael feel like such a fool, pouring so much emotion into this woman and doing everything he could to treat her right, buying her jewelry and taking her on those horse rides. He let her look into his soul when he took her to the old ranch. That’s not something he would have done if he knew she was leaving soon.

Maybe those rides were the answer. Perhaps that’s how he’d be able to keep Estelle: by giving everything else up.

Michael, Estelle, and Jacob could run away, leaving everything behind.No, Michael thought,somebody would need to stay and care for all the animals...

That meant that Jacob had to stay behind and watch the ranch while Michael and Estelle took the horses and rode further west. Would he be able to, after all these years? He’d have to. There wasn’t another choice.

Michael and Estelle would find a small town and set up a new ranch from some of the money that Michael had saved. The two of them could stay quiet so nobody would find them, maybe even use different names.

They couldn’t let Jacob know where they were going. If Jacob knew, he’d be able to tell others where Michael and Estelle left to and possibly lead Ethan to finding them.

That meant Michael would be saying goodbye to everything: his ranch, his animals, and the only family he had left.

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