Page 71 of Some Cowboys Fight for Love

She was completely and one hundred percent free.

A happy sob escaped her lips and she threw her hand over her mouth to quell it. Cayden was leaving on his own accord. He wasn’t going to bother her anymore.

Daniel!

She gasped, flinging the comforter off herself as she scrambled from the bed. She had to tell him. Maybe not everything—but she had to tell him that everything had changed. He needed to know that she loved him.

Chills swept through her body at her thoughts.

Shelovedhim.

Aria yanked the ring from her finger and tossed it onto the bathroom counter before she looked at herself in the mirror. She grimaced at the sight of her blotchy skin and swollen eyes. No amount of makeup or cool water would solve this before she went over to see him. And this wasn’t a conversation she was going to have on the phone.

She needed to see him now.

Giving herself enough time to brush her teeth and pull on some warm clothes, Aria went over what she could say to him that might soften the blow of how she’d been treating him. If she gave him everything, there was no denying that he’d take out his anger on Cayden. And that would be really bad.

This was going to be difficult—more than difficult, it was going to hurt them both. She could only pray that Daniel would be patient enough with her to give her another chance.

Aria grabbed her coat from the hook. She’d need to borrow Sophia’s car. And maybe it was time to finally get one of her own. With the door locked securely, she started her trek toward the main house.

It looked to be about lunchtime. Maybe she could convince Daniel to meet her somewhere to get a bite to eat. A smile tugged at her lips. She couldn’t wait to see him. It was amazing how easy it was to feel joy again now that she wasn’t being suffocated by Cayden’s presence.

She skidded to a stop when she noticed the extra vehicle in front of the house. Aria would have recognized that truck anywhere. Her eyes darted around the immediate area, half-expecting Daniel to be with the horses like he used to be when Mateo wasn’t home. But she didn’t see him.

Her focus shifted to the house. He wasn’t inside, was he? Sophia would have messaged her, right?

Slowly, she made her way toward the building, her feet feeling heavier with every step. Then she stopped altogether when the door opened, revealing Daniel and Mateo. Sophia materialized behind them. Each and every one of them were looking right at her.

Daniel looked ready to murder someone. Mateo didn’t look much better. But Sophia was smiling. She grabbed at Mateo’s arm and tugged him back inside before shutting the door with a firm push.

Aria couldn’t move. She’d lost the will to breathe. Maybe she was going to pass out. It wouldn’t be a surprise with the sudden wave of dizziness that washed over her.

Maybe this was a bad idea. She should have thought her plan through a little more.

Unfortunately, she didn’t have much of a chance to regroup because Daniel rushed for her.

“Daniel, I?—”

He swept her into a great big hug, pressing her body into his like she was life itself. She wanted to laugh, cry, and melt into him all at once. Hesitantly, she brought her arms around him, clinging to him, wishing this moment would never end. They stood like that for ages. It could have been minutes or hours, and she wouldn’t have noticed a difference.

When he pulled back, she noticed damp spots on his shirt where her face had been.

Daniel shook his head, a softness returning to those eyes she adored so much. “Shh, don’t cry. Your tears are killing me.”

A watery laugh erupted from her throat. “I don’t think anything could kill you.”

His expression turned serious and he brushed her cheek with the pad of his thumb. “Losing you could.”

Just like that, the tears started up again.

Daniel groaned and pulled her against his body. “I can’t take it when you’re hurting, Aria.”

“I’m not—not anymore,” she mumbled into his chest.

He pulled back “What?”

“I’m not hurting anymore.” Her smile was small, but it was there, and it was real. “I?—”

---