Page 73 of The Cowboy's Surprise Return

Jackie had pushed back her chair as well, and now she stood.

“Jackie, don’t.” He felt desperate to stretch out every moment he had with her from now until she left.

She looked conflicted, and he realized he didn’t know if he was asking her to not leave the saloon or the town. But mostly it was him. He didn’t want her to leave him.

This was a breakup, and he’d never felt like this before when a relationship ended. Never. Not once. Not even an inkling of this.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t do the long-term thing for you. I’m sure everything will work out fine for you from here on out.”

Except he’d be doing it all without her at his side.

He stood, unsure what else to do. She rested a hand gently against his chest and leaned in to kiss him. The contact was brief, warm, and a goodbye.

Her lips quivered as though holding in a flood of emotion. “Me leaving is probably for the best.” She gestured futilely. “There will be no gossip, no big ending and no…”

No being a wonderful boyfriend and doing what felt right. Following her. Staying with her.

But he wasn’t cut out for the city. He’d tried that. He’d try again for Jackie, but she hadn’t asked. Although, even if she had, he was fairly certain putting two miserable-to-be-there country folks in a city apartment would be a surefire way to end things, like someone throwing gasoline on a bonfire.

But Jackie? She’d make the best of it, bring a ray of sunshine everywhere she went and make San Antonio better for having her in it.

“We could do long-distance,” she suggested lightly, such sadness etching her face that her laugh lines looked like ones of sorrow. Her eyes kept cutting to Laura and Levi, who were locked together in a slow dance, arms tight around each other like they were afraid to let go. They made it work because the two of them could flex their schedules and follow each other wherever the other needed to be. If Levi was needed on the ranch, Laura changed her New York meetings to ones online, keeping the internet humming with the quick exchange of contracts and other documents. If Laura was needed for an in-person meeting in New York or across the globe, Levi handed the reins to Myles and off he went.

Cole and Jackie couldn’t do that.

But most of all, she meant too much to him to run her through the wringer.

“I told you in the beginning I’m not made for commitments,” he joked, his light tone causing a sharp ache in his chest. He waited for her to look back at him, watching her from under the brim of his hat. “Let’s not hurt each other by trying to make this work.” She opened her mouth to argue, a flash in her eyes. “It’s time for us to move on.”

Patches of red appeared on her cheeks.

“Jackie, I’m trying not to hurt you.” He felt desperate, like he was making the wrong choice, saying the wrong things. He was trying so hard to be a good man, to not let his old self rear up and fight.

And why did this hurt so much? They’d known this moment was coming.

“And this…” She gestured to him and the surrounding saloon, which was filled with friends and neighbors. Quite a few who were acting as though they weren’t eavesdropping. “This doesn’t hurt?”

This was where he had to be strong. This was where he had to put her needs before his.

She was waiting for him to speak, to find a way to make this work. He couldn’t think of a darn thing. It was like standing at the edge of the flooding creek watching Ryan vanish under the muddy waters. Watching the horror unfold, unable to stop it.

“You don’t follow someone to the city after dating for two and a half months,” he said gently. “And long distance won’t work. Not for us.” Especially judging from how they’d started shutting down their hearts over the past month instead of growing closer, clinging to what they had. There wasn’t anything for either of them to fight for, and they both knew it.

“The fantasy is over, Jackie.” He swallowed hard, reached down and took a gulp of his whiskey, hoping the burn of it would become more prominent than the persistent ache in his chest. “It’s been fun, but it’s time.”

Jackie’s chin went up in defiance, as though she was impenetrable, as though he couldn’t hurt her. But he knew better. It was an act.

He had hurt her. He’d hurt her by trying to protect her.

* * *

Jackie couldn’t believe Cole had given up on them so easily. She knew he felt the same way she did, and yet he was being so stubborn about not even trying to find a solution, a way to make things work.

She leaned against the outer wall of the saloon, swiping at the tears running down her face. Rusty sat at her feet with a whine. She ignored him, heading home. In her apartment she began heaving clothing into boxes. She still had almost two weeks before she moved, but she needed to stay busy, to distract herself from the ease of Cole’s rejection.

She’d wanted him to say he wasn’t ever going to leave her corner, that he’d always be there, ready to fight, ready to protect, ready to solve.

She tried to cajole herself into believing a smooth breakup now was for the best, but couldn’t help but wonder what might’ve happened if she’d found a way to stay in Sweetheart Creek.

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