Page 56 of Reckless Single Daddy

I should be happy about that. The stalker dilemma finally has come to an end, and Sloane can finally be at peace. But that peace is anything but, as the weight of her leaving Rose Valley again presses upon me.

Liam stands beside me, as sad as I’ve ever seen him. Sloane has become a fixture in our lives the past few weeks, so I’m sure this is just as painful for him. This was part of the reason why I never wanted to introduce a woman to him. I worried he’d get too attached, and she’d leave one day.

I guess I couldn’t protect either of us from this heartache.

The worst part about all of this is that Sloane and I never got a chance to properly talk about this thing between us. I told her I was falling in love with her. That has to mean something, right? She has to know that I’m taking what we’re doing seriously. Does she just not feel the same?

I hold Sloane’s hand, squeezing it tightly, not wanting to let her go, but I know I have no choice. “This sucks,” she whispers beside me as she turns to look at me. Her eyes are glossed over with tears. “I didn’t think coming here would be so…”

“Eventful?” I suggest.

She laughs, shaking her head. “That. But special, too,” she says, looking down at Liam, smiling warmly at him. She meets my eyes again, and I feel my heart shatter.

The bus pulls up to the stop, and I feel a pain in my lower abdomen. I shudder, refraining from showing my own emotions, especially in front of Liam. It isn’t that I don’t think a man can’tshow his emotions, but I want to be strong for him despite how much this is killing me.

Sloane stares at the bus that will take her back to the city, and I have no choice but to let her go. I release her hand, but she doesn’t move. She continues to stare at it before finally looking to me.

“Tell me not to go,” she whispers as if begging me to keep her here with me. With Liam. With the rest of her family.

I want to tell her. I want to tell her how badly I want her to stay with me, be with me, love me. But is it that easy by telling her not to leave?

I look down at my feet, and she stands back, nodding distantly. She bends down and hugs Liam tightly.

“Don’t go,” Liam says, and Sloane gives him a tearful smile.

“At least one of you said it,” she says softly, pressing a kiss to the top of his head. “Whenever you miss me, just look at Rex, okay?” she says, referring to the picture she painted him.

He nods, wiping his tears away aggressively, trying to be brave.

She stands up straighter and then meets my eyes. She hugs me close, wrapping her arms around my neck. I bury my face into her shoulder, my arms engulfing her waist. I sigh comfortably into her embrace, memorizing how she feels and smells.

We pull away and she presses a kiss to my cheek, taking my hand and squeezing it tightly before picking up her bag. She hands it to the bus driver and walks inside the bus, which looks completely empty.

I suddenly feel the crinkle of a letter inside my hand. Surprised, I look down and open it.

Cade,

I hope by the time you read this, it isn’t too late. You told me you were falling in love with me, and I didn’t say it back. The truth is, I’ve loved you long before this. I’ve loved you before I even knew what love was. I didn’t say it back because I was scared. I was scared we were fooling ourselves into believing this was real or worth fighting for.

But I was wrong.

There is a future here, if you want there to be. I want you to believe there is one, too, but it requires you to fight for me. It requires you to be open and willing to let go of the past. It requires you to allow yourself grace. You’re Cade Hart. You save Rose Valley, but you aren’t superhuman.

So, if you love me and you want a future with me, fight for me.

Love Always,

Sloane

The bus door suddenly closes, and the engine starts up. I look up and see Sloane looking away from the window. She didn’t watch me read the letter, but she loves me? She’s loved me this whole time?

The bus begins to pull away, but I rush forward before it can really go anywhere. I hit the door gently, causing the bus driver to stop and open the door. “I just need a moment,” I say breathlessly as I climb up the bus steps.

I walk down the aisle and stop at Sloane, who is looking up at me. “What are you doing?” she asks, eyes wide.

I sigh breathlessly. “Fighting for you,” I whisper to her. I blink back the tears I’ve kept in this whole time, finally feeling the dam break. “Asking you to not go.”

She stands, shaking her head at me in disbelief. “I need to get my collection completed,” she says.

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