Page 37 of The Rancher's Unrequited Love

Ethan whitened.

"Please don't lie," Anah whispered tremulously. "I just need to know."

He heard her voice catch, and the sound nearly ripped him apart. If she had asked him'do you love me'...he might not have known the truth. If she had asked him'do you still love her'...he might even have said yes.

But instead...

"Are you happy?"

She asked the one thing that suddenly made everything goddamn clear.

The one thing that Guilia had never asked—-

The one fucking thing that Ethan himself had never thought to ask.

"Yes," Ethan said rawly.

Her hands fell away from his face, and Anah started sobbing uncontrollably.

"I'm happy," he heard himself say.

And it was true.

After a very long time, he was happy.

Because he was in love with Anah.

Had been in love with his Anah for a long time.

God. God. God.

And he had to realize this, only when it might be too late, and Ethan had already done something that might make him lose her for good.

Chapter Sixteen

HE WAS HAPPY,Anah sighed dreamily to herself as she changed into a nightshirt.Ethan was happy.It might not be a love declaration, but for Anah, those words were something better.

Ethan was happy.

It had been all she ever wanted for him. Every birthday she celebrated since knowing him, that had been her only wish. For him to be happy. With or without her, it didn't matter. She just wanted to be happy...

And now he was.

With her.

But instead of feeling deliriously joyful, a chill suddenly swept into the bedroom through the open window, and Anah released a nervous laugh. What was it with tonight and these stupid icy gusts of winds? It was almost as if she was suddenly living out one of her favorite Gothic romances, and the heavens were sending her a warning.

Anah couldn't help shaking her head at her own fancifulness. Wyoming might not suffer from hurricanes as a rule, but what itdidexperience, and on any given day at that, was hurricane-force winds, just like the ones that had been blowing into town throughout the night.

Ethan was happy,she reminded herself. It was all that mattered, and in any case, the heavens had no reason to be against this.Right?

Another wind blew into the room, icier than ever, and Anah shivered.

Ethan had just finished making coffee in the kitchen when Anah suddenly came bursting out of the bedroom and practically slammed into his back.

A surprised chuckle escaped him as her arms wrapped around him from behind, and he quickly placed the mugs back on the counter, not wanting to accidentally spill hot liquid on her skin.

"Anah?"

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