Page 95 of Love Me Fearless

“Because I take care of myself. I always have, and I always will.”

I turn into the cemetery. “Maybe it’s time to let someone else share the load.”

Ava closes her eyes, her face tense with grief. “Hutch.”

When I park the truck, she jumps down before I can get to her side. As she slips past me, I grab her hand, jerking her to a stop. “Talk to me.”

She inhales a shaky breath, keeping her back to me. “This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.”

Gently, I pull her to me. “You like a plan, I get it.”

“I won’t let anyone control my life.”

I kiss the top of her head. She’s such a fighter. So strong and courageous and determined. “Did sharing what happened with me today feel like losing that control?”

With a giant sigh, she rests her cheek against my shoulder. “No.”

“You’re in charge, Greely, okay? I’ll take whatever you want me to carry.”

“I don’t mean to be snappy. I’m just…frustrated.”

I grin. “Give me your snappy any day.”

To my relief, she gives a soft sigh.

I caress down her back, savoring the way she’s trusting me, maybe more than she wants to. It’s a gift I won’t take for granted. “I’ll follow you home.”

She steps back and gives me a fleeting smile. “Okay.”

At the farm, Dylan’s SUV and Beth’s little Honda are parked in the driveway. The fields I abandoned this afternoon are bathed in the final glow from the sunset. It reminds me of Kirilee’s visit and her words.

What if you replaced the word “trouble” with “love”?

I park the truck and turn off the engine, a heavy weight sinking through me.

Can both be true?

Because loving Ava doesn’t give me any answers.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Hutch slipshis hand into mine as we climb the porch steps. From inside the house, chatter and laughter and water running and the whir of a blender fill the quiet night.

I tell myself to forget about the events of the afternoon and focus on enjoying what’s sure to be a rowdy evening with Hutch’s family.

Hutch opens the door for me, and we slip into the entryway. Heavy scents of garlic and lemons bathe my senses, and I take a slow, grounding inhale. Toby comes loping from the living room, tail wagging so hard he could helicopter right off the ground. He darts between me and Hutch while we slip off our shoes, barely standing still long enough for me to pet him, his tail thwapping my thigh.

“Rye’s home!” Thea calls from the kitchen. Beth peeks around the corner, her bright expression turning apprehensive when she sees me.

“Ava’s here too!” she calls out while ducking back into the kitchen.

Hutch pulls me to him for a quick hug. “I’m glad you’re here.”

I sigh into his chest, then slip away for the living room.

“Ava!” Louisa screams. “I finished ‘Second Chance Cowboy’ thismorning! Why didn’t you tell me about that little surprise at the end?”

“That’s called a spoiler and you know me better than that,” I scold, stopping at the sink to wash my hands. Though I changed clothes and washed my face when we stopped at my house, I still feel dirty. Tainted. Even though nobody’s touched me but Hutch.

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