Page 47 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

For the next hour, the plane hit more turbulence and she clutched the seat and closed her eyes. By the time the flight became smooth again, they were landing.

Gabe stood waiting as she stepped to the door behind her parents. He moved close to slip his arm around her waist. “How’re you doing? You made it.”

“Barely.”

“But you did it. It might get easier.” He smiled at her and squeezed her lightly.

He had a limo waiting for them that took them straight to Meg’s aunt’s house, where Gabe met her aunt and uncle and saw her grandmother again and spoke to her grandfather briefly. He was seated in a comfortable chair with his arm in a sling, the only obvious sign of his fall.

When Gabe got up to leave, Meg followed him outside and closed the door behind her. The air was cool even though it was summer, and she wrapped her arms around her middle. “Thank you for flying us here, Gabe.”

“I was glad to. Tomorrow the weather should be good and the flight will be better.”

She didn’t want to say goodbye to him, but she knew he couldn’t stay. “Well, I better go back in.” She turned to open the door but he stopped her.

He pulled her to him, flush against him, and his body seemed to burn right through her. “Damn, it’s good to be with you, even if it was just for that plane ride. I’ve missed you.”

Her heart thudded and she held him tightly. “I’ve missed you, Gabe,” she answered solemnly. She didn’t want to miss him, didn’t want to be so glad to have his arms around her. But she couldn’t deny that was how she felt.

He leaned away to look at her and then he kissed her, and she kissed him in return, unable to resist him.

“I’ll see you in the morning.” She watched him get into the limo and it drove away before she went back in to join the family.

* * *

The next day the flight home was uneventful. The clouds were white puffs in a blue sky, the flight was smooth and her parents and grandparents were happily talking. She sat back in the plush, comfortable lounge and tried to relax.

Was she throwing away a lifetime of happiness because she was too scared to live and take some risks? She thought about Gabe at the controls. He hadn’t been a wreck worrying about the weather yesterday. He was right about life being filled with risks. Would her fears cause her to miss out on a life with the man she loved?

Maybe she was focusing too much on dangers and not looking at what she would miss.

She loved Gabe with all her heart. Would his love be worth taking risks? Could she live with his wild ways if it meant also living with his love? He wasn’t into commitment—could she accept that?

She couldn’t answer her own questions, but she began to do a lot of thinking.

All her worries about this flight had been for nothing and it was far better than driving through blinding rain for days. Was she going through life with an unfounded anxiety about ordinary living? Not to mention some things that weren’t so ordinary—like Gabe’s rodeo bulls. She wondered if she was cutting herself out of what she really loved by being afraid to take some risks, and if she could find a way to live with Gabe’s fearless ways.

After her parents and grandparents were home, she rode to Gabe’s house in the limo. Her car was still at his house and she had to get her bag, as well.

As soon as they stepped inside his house and Gabe closed the door, he took her into his arms. “Ah, Meg, come here,” he said.

Her heart thudded as she went into his arms eagerly and raised her face for his kiss, knowing exactly where this would lead.

* * *

Over two hours later, she shifted in bed as she lay in the crook of his arm.

He caressed her shoulder lightly. “Darlin’, I’ve had time to think about us. I don’t like life without you.”

His words thrilled her and scared her.

“Gabe, I thought about us on the way back today and maybe you’re right. Maybe my anxieties are cutting me out of what I want most. But that would be a huge change for me and I can’t just flip a switch.” She pulled back so she could see his face. “I can’t suddenly say I don’t care if you ride bulls or your Harley or fly your planes, but I do feel differently about it. Give me some time and let’s both think about being together.”

A smile broke out across his face. “Darlin’, that’s progress. Take all the time you need.” His expression grew more somber. “But I hope it’s not a lot of time. I really miss you.”

“We need some space to think about what we mean to each other, Gabe.”

“So does this mean moving in with me is out of the question?” he teased.

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