Page 44 of In Bed with the Rancher

“Sorry to take you home so abruptly. My dad is doing okay so far and it wasn’t as bad as the family thought at first. They’ve installed a pacemaker and said he will be here tomorrow for certain and then they’ll see how he is. He’s done well, thank heavens.” Judging by how quickly the words tumbled from his lips, she knew he was stressed. And rightly so. She knew how much he loved his father. Before she had a chance to say anything, he asked her, “Will you go to dinner with me tonight? Nothing fancy, just go eat and be together. I don’t want to be alone and I need to see you.”

Her heart beat faster. She was hoping she didn’t have to do this tonight, when he was so anxious about his father, but it couldn’t go on. She had to say goodbye. “Yes, I will,” she said, hurting for him, and for herself, knowing what was ahead.

“Good. How’s seven?”

“Seven is fine. Want me to meet you so you’re free to go if you need to get back to the hospital?”

“No, he’s doing well. I feel much better about him. I’ll pick you up at seven and I can’t wait.”

“I can’t, either,” she said, though she could barely get her breath, her throat had tightened with so much emotion. If she was like this now, how would she get through tonight when she was with Wade?

“I’ll see you then,” he said. “Make it six thirty. That way we’ll be through dinner sooner and we can go back to my condo if Dad is doing okay.”

“That’s fine,” she said, hurting and wanting to be with him and have his strong arms around her.

“See you then,” he said, adding a goodbye and he was gone.

After tonight he would be out of her life. She put her head in her hands and cried because that thought hurt so much. And that’s when she realized that her biggest fear had come true. She had fallen in love with Wade, sooner than she had thought she would, more deeply than she had dreamed possible.

And tonight she had to say goodbye.

* * *

At six thirty that night, after she’d dressed for dinner in a red sweater and brown skirt, she wished she hadn’t pulled her long, blond hair off her face in a low clip. Her heart hurt and knew the pain would just worsen when she saw Wade. How could she be this deeply in love with him in such a short time? She knew the answer to her own question. He was wonderful in so many ways. When his car came up the drive, she went to open the door.

He came up the porch steps two at a time and crossed the porch in long strides.

He wore jeans, another blue denim shirt and his boots. She opened the door and his gaze drifted slowly over her. “Whoa, look at you. You look better than any dinner possibly could,” he said, stepping in and closing her door behind him. “It’s been a hell of a day, but it’s better now,” he said, slipping his arms around her waist and leaning down to kiss her as he drew her into his embrace.

Her heart thudded and she forgot dinner and her resolution to tell him goodbye. She forgot everything except his mouth on hers and his arms around her and his hard, muscled body pressed against her.

She didn’t know how long they kissed, but he picked her up and asked where the bedroom was and she pointed as she pulled his head down to kiss him.

He carried her to her bedroom and for the next hour he made love to her. Afterward, they lay in each other’s arms as he lightly ran his hand through her hair, letting the locks slip and fall.

“You’re so beautiful, Ava. I couldn’t wait to be with you again, and dinner seemed insignificant, but if you’ll throw on the same sexy outfit, I’ll take you out to feed you.”

“If you want something simple, I have burgers in the freezer. I can put them on the grill and we can eat here.”

“Fine with me,” he said as his arm tightened around her and he kissed her.

Soon they showered and dressed again.

“I’ll get the grill and cook the patties if you want to do the other stuff,” he offered.

“Sure,” she said, taking him to her kitchen.

“Your house is nice,” he said, glancing around a roomy kitchen with large windows that in the daytime would allow a lot of light on the yellow-and-white decor.

She showed him the grill on the patio that was under the limbs of big oaks. Through dinner she had no appetite for, they talked about his dad and the new rodeo arena being built.

“They’ll have a big celebration when they have the grand opening next year. I’d like you to go with me.”

She smiled at him, though his invitation brought her nothing but pain. “That’s way too far in the future.”

“So that’s a no.” It wasn’t a question.

“It’s a ‘that’s too far in the future,’” she said. Trying to defer further questions, she diverted his attention from the invitation. “Will you perform in the rodeo?”

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