Page 93 of Daring the Defender

“I love you, Ax.”

“Ditto, sis.”

He squeezes me once more and sets me on the ground and without another look back, I head up the curving staircase to the second floor. Downstairs, Axel handles the parents and I open the door to my bedroom.

Sure enough, he’s here. Reid is standing in my room, among the pile of clothes and boxes. He’s studying the books and trinkets on my bookshelf. He turns when I open the door, apprehension written on his face.

“What are you doing here?” I ask first, rushing in and closing the door behind me. I turn the lock.

“Well,” he says, setting a figurine of a pig back on the shelf, “IthoughtI was coming here to make a grand gesture by swooping in and stopping your engagement party.

“Oh yeah?”

“Mmhmm. I was going to sweep you off your feet–not literally, because this bruise from the game the other day is about to kill me–but if it wasn’t we’d ride away into the sunset on your horse.”

“I don’t have a horse?”

His forehead furrows. “Really? Isn’t this Texas?”

“Yes.” I bite back a laugh.

“Doesn’t everyone in Texas have a horse.”

“No.”

“Shit,” he rubs the back of his neck anxiously. “I did all of this wrong.”

“No. Not all of it.” I cross the room, desperate to get close to him. “The good news for you, is that it was already called off, so no need for a horse.”

A smile hooks the right side of his mouth. “Thatisgood news.”

“And this seems like a pretty grand gesture to me. Flying out to Texas, sneaking into the preacher’s daughter’s room.” We close the gap. “We may not have a horse but Daddy definitely has a gun safe.”

“Good to know.” He reaches for me, but I catch him wince and mutter a curse under his breath.

Bending over, I push up his shirt. The bruise is awful. “Oh my god. Are you okay?”

“Nothing that won’t heal.” His arm wraps around me. “And it sure as hell isn’t something that can keep me away from you.” I look up at him and see his Adam’s apple shift. “If that’s what you want.”

“I’m sorry I ran out like that.” This is a man I’m willing to apologize to. “You and Axel were both right. I had stuff to deal with here, and avoiding it any longer wasn’t right. It was time to face it head on.”

“I assume that since the engagement is over you did that?”

“I did, although no one is happy about it.” I take his hand, threading my fingers with him. “And I don’t give a shit, which is something I never would have done before.” His eyebrow lifts and he’s so freaking handsome. “Meeting you opened up something inside of me that I didn’t know existed. You showed me parts of a life that had always been either out of my reach, or I was taught to feel ashamed of. You helped me trust in myself, and know what it was like to truly be wanted.”

He brushes the hair off my cheek. “I did all of that?”

“You did.”

He dips his head down, grazing his nose on mine. “I never wanted you to leave.”

“I know.”

“And I meant it, I love you.” The weight that Reid carries seems heavy on his shoulders. “I’ve spent my lifetime not being good enough for people and searching for my place. I found that with my adoptive family, and the team. I thought I had it with Darla and I was wrong. I couldn’t handle being wrong about you too.”

“You’re not wrong,” I tell him. “You’re the best man I know, Reid Wilder. The kind of man I want to build a future with.”

“Yeah?”

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