Page 44 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

“I’m going to miss you.”

“No, you won’t. You’ll find a pretty lady who will be fun and you’ll forget all about me.”

She rolled over, wrapping the top sheet around her and stepping out of bed to go shower. “See you in a few minutes.” She left, letting out her breath. She wanted to say yes to every question he asked her. She wanted to stay the rest of the month. She wanted to stay tonight. But anything more she did with him would bind her to him just that much more. She was in love with him. In the past it had been friendship and that had been all, but this time together had been different from the moment they first kissed. She wondered if she’d fallen in love with him right then.

She dressed in jeans, a red knit shirt and boots. When she stepped into the hall he was waiting. He crossed the hall to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t want you to go. Meg, I want you to stay. At least stay tonight.”

A knot formed in her throat and she took a deep breath. A longing to say yes tore at her and she hurt. “I can’t stay with you. I’ll fall in love, and that would just mean heartbreak because you won’t want any kind of real commitment. Even if you did, I can’t live with your lifestyle.”

His jaw firmed and a cold look filled his eyes. “Dammit, Meg. I’m me. I love my life and doing the things I do. I make a lot of money raising and breeding and selling those rodeo bulls and my cattle. I fly often. I like fast cars. I live and enjoy life.”

“Oh, Gabe,” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and crying, sobbing in his arms as he embraced her and held her close. When she could, she stopped and raised her head, telling him the words she never thought she’d speak to him.

“I’m probably already in love with you. But I know I don’t love the way you live. I can’t deal with it. I don’t want to fall in love or be in love with someone who will be killed doing something wild and unnecessary like my brother was. It hurts too badly to lose someone you love, and you’ve been a part of my life since I was little. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. And I don’t want to be afraid every time you leave the house.”

No matter how much she hurt and couldn’t stop crying, she couldn’t move in with him. She had to walk away, for all those reasons.

Looking grim, he wrapped his arms around her and held her while she clung to him and cried. When she finally managed to get control, she wiped her eyes and looked up at him. “I guess there isn’t much else to say.”

“I can’t change completely, Meg. I’m me and I have to stay that way.”

“I can’t change either, Gabe.”

“Is this our first fight?” he asked. She guessed he was trying to lighten the moment, but a muscle worked in his jaw and his blue eyes had darkened. While she knew he was hurt and angry, she couldn’t move in with him. She hurt now, but it would be nothing compared to moving in with him and then having to say goodbye when she left—or when something terrible happened to him.

“It might be our first fight,” she replied, but she couldn’t smile because she hurt too badly. “We never fought as kids. You were always my best friend and I guess you still are.”

“Good luck, Meg. I’ll miss you more than you can possibly imagine.”

“I’ll have to get the rest of my things from your ranch. I’ll do that soon, or you bring them to Dallas and I’ll pick them up here.” She looked up at him. “Thank you, Gabe, for my beautiful necklace. Thank you for everything you did.”

“I told you, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. We’ve known each other forever, but in some ways, you’re new in my life.” He took her hand. “If you can change your mind, I’m here. Call me anytime, because you’ll always be welcome back.”

“Thank you, Gabe.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss him and he held her tightly, leaning over her and kissing her until she was ready to head back to the bedroom with him. But she knew she had to go.

She hurt all over and was icy cold, shivering, hating every step she took away from him, but she couldn’t change how she felt and neither could he.

He watched her drive away and with every bit of distance, she felt as if she was losing a chunk of her heart. She saw him in the rearview mirror as she went down his drive. He stood with his hands on his hips watching her go. She had fallen in love with him and she was leaving her heart behind. How long would it take to get over him? She wondered if she’d ever get over him because she felt as if he was the man she would love the rest of her life.

Tears filled her eyes and fell on her cheeks. She wanted to be in his arms, in his bed. She wanted his cheer and his laughter and his fun. She wanted his friendship that had always been so important to her.

It was over and she would just have to get over him someway. If she thought about all the wild things he did, maybe she wouldn’t miss him so much.

She drove home, called the office to tell them she wouldn’t be in and then threw herself on the bed, hugging both brown bears as she cried.

* * *

Gabe watched Meg drive away and he felt as if he was losing something important in his life. He liked women, had affairs, broke up, said goodbye, remained friends—all of that. But he hadn’t ever hurt when he had said goodbye. Not once in his life. And he’d definitely never hurt like he did now.

It was ridiculous. How could she mean that much to him and make him want to be with her? Sometimes she was pure trouble. She didn’t like his lifestyle. She was scared of his bulls, scared of his bull riding. She didn’t like his fast car and she couldn’t bear his motorcycle. Why in the world would he miss her?

She was his best friend in a lot of ways, but he had brothers, a half brother, other best friends. Meg had him in knots half the time. He had assumed she was bringing trouble to his doorstep the first day she showed up and he had been right. His life hadn’t been the same since and it wasn’t going to swing back to the peace and quiet he’d had before she arrived.

Could it be—

No, he couldn’t be in love. He stared down his driveway. He could still see her driving away and it hurt to watch her go.

If she had captured his heart, what the hell would he do about it? He turned and walked back into his house that seemed silent and lifeless. He had never felt that way about his home, either. It was as if she had sailed into his life, turned it upside down, stolen his heart, melted him in bed and then driven right out of his life again, leaving him in shambles and feeling empty and lost.

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