Page 37 of The Rancher's Secret Relationship

He waited for the questions to come, but they never did. He only felt Kady wrapping her arms more tightly around his waist, and God help him, he found himself wanting and needing her more because of it. Pulling away, he said gruffly, "We should go." Before he made an ass of himself.

"Okay."

No questions at all, and that should have been enough, but instead it made him fucking talk like a canary. The moment they were inside his truck and on their way back to Hartland, the words just wouldn't stop falling off his fucking lips.

"I wasniceto her. That was all. But she instantly thought it meant I loved herback.Just because I was fucking nice, she fooled herself into thinking I loved her, and that she loved me. But she didn't—-" He saw the silent question in Kady's eyes, and his lip curled. "I know what I'm talking about, Kady. And I'm telling you, she didn't love me. How could she fucking love me when she was just one fucking step above a stranger in my life? She worked for me for a month. A month. She didn't fucking know anything - didn't know my middle name, didn't know where I grew up - she fucking knew nothing more than any otherstranger would know about me. And with all that, she really wanted me to drink the same Kool-Aid and believe she loved me?"

Don't you dare make it seem like you know my feelings. Because you don't. You don't!

The memory made the billionaire tighten his hold on the steering wheel.Damn her.Penny was young and beautiful. A nice girl. A good girl. Why the fuck did she have to go and convince herself that—-

And that was when he heard it.

Despite the taut silence that thrummed under Alison Krauss'Baby Now That I Found You,he heard it like he had the sixth fucking sense where it came to her pain, and he didn't even think. He pulled to the side without a word, and the moment he killed the engine, he didn't even have to turn—-

She had already thrown herself at him, crawling into his lap, her face against his chest.

And she was crying.

"What's wrong, baby?"

But the concern in his voice only made Kady cry harder.

She couldn't get Slade's hardened expression out of her mind.

Couldn't stop remembering the look on his face as he told her that it was impossible for Penny to be in love with him—-

Another sob wracked her frame, her endless damn of tears soaking his shirt.

Oh God.

She couldn't forget that look on his face. Would never be able to forget it.Never.Because it was that moment she realized she had done the very same thing Penny done...the very same thing that Slade thought was a lie.

She was in love with him.

Even if she was just one stop above a stranger. Even if she also didn't know his middle name. His hometown. Even if she knew no more than what a stranger would know about him.

She was in love with him,Kady thought hysterically, and the worst thing about it was that she hadn't been with him for as long as Penny had.

Penny had an entire month, and she hadweeks.

"Kady, dammit. Say something."

She could only shake her head. There wasnothingto say.Nothing.She had to say nothing and would always say nothing. Because that was the only way she could stay a little longer in his life.

Lovefool

"Tomorrow hopes we have learned something of yesterday." ~ John Wayne

THE CARDIGANS HAD JUSTstarted singing the first lines ofLovefoolin the background when Farica heard the door swing open, and she quickly pulled her pen down and looked up. She was hoping for any kind of distraction that could give her an excuse to take a break from bookkeeping, but a moment later, she realized that she had once again fallen victim to the world's most sadistic proverb.

Be careful what you wish for...or you might just get it.

She watched in stunned dismay as Kady rushed up the stairs, and the girl wascrying.

Slade saw the accusation in his friend's eyes the moment he entered the cafe and he glared right back. "Thanks for the vote of confidence," he said sarcastically, "but I'm not the one who made her cry."

Farica wasn't so easily convinced. "And you're absolutely sure of that?" This was Slade, after all, and he could be pretty heartless if he wanted to.

---