Page 86 of Second Chance with the Rancher

“Don’t worry about my relationship with Nate,” Triss said. “We’ll be fine. And as far as the awkwardness goes, that’s on him.”

“Doesn’t make it any less awkward.”

“Just stay in bed until they leave in the morning after breakfast, then have Hank meet you in the corral at dinner time for dance lessons. Then you and I can go for a walk in the field or something until bedtime. Asher will understand.”

“I hate this,” Mieka said with a big pout.

“Me, too.” Triss pulled her in for another hug and rubbed her back. “Me, too.”

Nate was brushing Umber in his stall when Triss stomped into the barn and over to where he and the black cloud over his head were working. “You’re a fucking idiot,” she said, loud enough for everyone in the barn to hear. Loud enough for Mercy in the stall at the end to grunt and huff because of the abrupt noise. “Sorry, Mercy,” Triss called out, before turning her attention back to Nate. “But I stand by my statement. You’re a fucking idiot.” She brought her volume down significantly the second time she said it.

“I know,” Nate said, standing up to his full height from where he’d been brushing Umber’s legs. “I spent the entire night berating myself, so you can save your breath.”

Triss plunked her hands on her hips. “And what do you plan to do about it?”

Shrugging, Nate went to work brushing Umber’s neck and mane. “What is there to do? I fucked up and fell in love with her, told her such but that doesn’t seem to change things. She’s still convinced this isn’t the life for her, even if I might be the guy.”

“Ever wonder if you came on a little too strong?” Triss asked, her nostrils flaring. “That she’s still dealing with the complete and total faceplant of her career and life and that she’s trying to figure out where she fits into the world? Then you went and told her that she belonged in this life, rather than letting her figure that out on her own, and attempted to manipulate her further by telling her you loved her in a last-ditch attempt to get her to stay. And when she didn’t say it back, you went all passive-aggressive and apologized for falling in love with her. Then told her to leave. Ended the date in a big pout and told her to walk back to the house in the dark by herself. It was selfish and super manipulative, Nate. Not cool. I love you. But I’m pissed off at you right now.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and pinched the bridge of his nose, counting to ten in his head before he spoke. “I thought I was being romantic. Isn’t it supposed to be romantic to tell someone you love them?”

“Depends on the circumstance, and in this circumstance, it was manipulative. Then when your ego got hurt, you punished her for not saying it back and made her walk back in the dark. What the fuck, dude?”

“So what do I do? I can’t leave the ranch and move to Toronto.”

“She never invited you.”

Ouch.

Heat flared in his cheeks at how candid and real his sister-in-law was being. She was dishing him a harsh dose of reality, but it was one he sorely needed. Here he thought that he was being romantic, putting his heart on his sleeve and showing his vulnerability to Mieka, but in reality, he’d been trying to manipulate her. To sway her to make a decision based on how he felt, not how she felt. Then, with his heart in shambles, he made her walk back in the dark alone thinking he was saving them both the awkwardness of walking back together.

He was an ass.

“I can see that what I’m saying is actually sinking in, and that’s good. Your head isn’t nearly as thick as your brother’s, but either way you need to give her space and not make it awkward. You apologized for fucking up and falling in love with her, apologized for failing to convince her that this is the life for her, but you haven’t apologized for how you treated her on your date. You haven’t apologized for trying to manipulate her. And she deserves that. She did nothing wrong and we all know that.”

Nate exhaled. “How do I do that? I’m worried it’s going to be uncomfortable no matter what I do.”

“Yeah, probably. But you can’t be mad about it. This is a situation of your making, so deal with the awkwardness like a man. You can’t show her any animosity, because we all know that the one who fucked up here, is you. You should be humble, regretful and apologetic, and not expect or assume that an apology is going to bring her back into your bed or you into her good graces. But she deserves an apology.”

His head bobbed and he leaned forward and pressed his lips to Umber’s neck. “She does.”

“Good.” Triss’s shoulders rounded and she heaved a weary sigh. “I’m also sad that it didn’t work out between you two. I was really rooting for you. I wanted your plan to work as badly as you did, but she’s stubborn and lost and—”

“Incredible,” he said softly. “She’s incredible.”

“She is. And I think the two of you would have been incredible together, but we can’t force things.”

“No, we can’t.” He scratched his head and met his sister-in-law’s brown eyes, eyes just slight darker than Mieka’s, but with the same intelligence and kindness. The sisters looked a lot alike and were similar in a lot of ways, too, and yet, they were also so very different. Mieka had a wilder side to her than Triss. A more adventurous side that really spoke to and appealed to Nate. Asher was the responsible one, and Triss was a lot like that, too. Cautious and careful, cerebral and serious. Though Triss had more of a sense of humor than Asher, she was slowly drawing out Asher’s more playful side which was nice.

But, Nate liked a woman with a sense of adventure and who wasn’t afraid to take a few risks. Which was why he thought Mieka was perfect for him. And he still believed that.

“Just don’t make her last few days. Here miserable, please. She’s leaving Saturday since she promised Hank she’d finish helping him learn to dance, so it’s only seven more days, then you can wallow how you please.”

One week?

She was leaving in a week?

Was he having a heart attack? His hand came up to rest over his chest as an excruciating tightness filled the space between his lungs, and his breathing grew short and shallow. He tried to breathe through the pain, but it wasn’t easy.

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