Page 53 of At the Rancher's Pleasure

Well, huh.

Let me think about that, he replied to Jules.

Personally, he thought that the girth breaking was an unfortunate accident; it was known to happen. But, because he wasn’t a complete fool, he’d be a little more vigilant, more aware. But he wouldn’t spend his time worrying. That was counterproductive.

Besides, he had bigger things to worry about, namely Sarabeth and getting her to stay in his life.

Talking of the love of his life, where was she? Judging by the light behind the drapes, it was early and dawn was breaking. Throwing back the bedcovers, Brett headed to the bathroom, used the facilities and brushed his teeth. He had to get back to work; the ranch wouldn’t run itself. But before he did, he and Sarabeth needed to talk.

They were way overdue.

Brett pulled on a pair of jeans and a Henley and walked downstairs in his bare feet. At the bottom of the stairs, he looked right across his living room toward the deck and saw Sarabeth sitting on the top step of the stairs leading to the garden, a cup of coffee on the cold tile floor next to her. Her exercise mat and roller, and her workout gear, told him that she’d finished her routine yoga, Pilates and meditation session...

It was a new day, and the perfect time for a conversation.

Brett fixed himself a cup of coffee and padded over, leaning his shoulder into the frame of the open French doors. “Morning.”

Sarabeth turned and smiled, and Brett’s stomach rolled over. Yeah, he needed that smile in his life. “Hi. You’re looking better.”

Brett nodded. “I’m a little sore, but I need to get back to work.”

She nodded and glanced toward the cottage she’d been renting. He saw her swallow, and then she pushed her shoulders back and straightened her spine. “And I need to pack up my stuff.”

He sipped, his eyes not moving from her face. “And where do you intend to take your stuff?”

Brett held his breath, knowing that her answer would either be the start of a long, smooth glide or an uphill battle. He hoped for easy but was prepared for hard. Because no matter what, he wanted her in his life and would fight for her.

Sarabeth met his eyes and lifted one slim shoulder. “Actually, I’d just like to move it in here, but I don’t know how you feel about that.”

Every ache disappeared, mostly because joy infused his body and threatened to dissolve his knees. So, maybe he’d get the long, smooth glide. Just in case he’d misheard her—he had suffered a TBI not two days ago—he threw out another question. “You want to move in with me? Permanently?”

Her smile was gentle and a little naughty. “Unless there’s another sexy, eligible bachelor living here that I haven’t met yet?”

He couldn’t joke around, not yet. This was too important.

“Why do you want to stay?” Brett demanded, walking over to her and dropping to his haunches. “Why do you want to stay here? With me?”

“Because while I don’t know if we’ll last forever, we’re good together and I’d like to give it a try.”

Sarabeth placed her hand on his knee, pushing her fingers into the rip of his jeans, skimming over his knee. Brett shivered. With lust. And with so much love.

“I need more, Sarabeth.”

“I love you. I’m crazy, madly, stupidly in love with you,” she admitted, her eyes full of emotion.

“Good to know,” Brett murmured, lifting his hands to hold her face. And wasn’t that the understatement of the year. “I’m in love with you, too.”

Sarabeth stared at him, hope flaring in her eyes. He flinched when it faded as quickly as it appeared. “Don’t say that if you don’t mean it, Brett. I’d rather be hurt by the truth than comforted by a lie.”

Brett hit the floor, sitting cross-legged in front of her. He looked down at her bowed head, watched her fingers playing with the torn threads coming off the rips in his jeans. “Honey, I would never say that if I didn’t mean it. You and I...”

“You and I?” Sarabeth prompted him when he hesitated.

“This was never meant to be anything more than a fling, a couple of weeks of fun,” Brett said, taking his time to find the words, therightwords. “There was no way I was going to start a new relationship after what I did to Lexi, and you were only going to be in Royal for three months. It was just sex, I told myself. Attraction. It wouldn’t go anywhere, it couldn’t.”

He placed his elbows on the inside of his thighs and stared at her. “We shouldn’t work but we do. You read historical biographies and I read scientific journals on new farming techniques and horse breeding. You do yoga and I couldn’t touch my toes if I tried. You like classical music and I like gangsta rap...”

“I binge true crime documentaries and you bingeDeadliest Catch,” Sarabeth added.

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