Page 22 of If You Loved Me

So, I murmured another thank you and walked out of her bakery.

My pulse was quaking. I could feel it in my head, my throat, my wrists. Fuck.

I was halfway to my truck when I heard someone shout my name behind me. “Ranger!” I turned to find the very woman I was trying to avoid running directly at me. Her soft curls caught the sunlight and shimmered streaks of gold and auburn.

I shifted toward her, feeling that magnetic pull that seemed to have more control over my body than my own mind had.

When she stopped in front of me, she put her delicate hands on her hips and sucked in a lungful of air that had her dainty nose flaring slightly.

“I…um…I was wondering if I could ask you a question.”

“You can ask me anything.” The words were out before I had a chance to stop them.

“Would you like to go out on a date with me?”

Not the question I expected. Not even in the slightest and maybe that’s why I found it difficult to speak. Or maybe it was because this woman was doing strange things to me. Making me feel like I wanted to take chances and put everything on the line.

But there was always the risk that I could lose it all. It happened once and it sure as hell could happen again. I wasn’t the kind of man who had an easy go at life. Even now when the ranch was doing well, I had this feeling in my gut that it wasn’t going to last long. Some ill fate would come along and swipe my slate clean. Forcing me to start over, just like I had to when I got out of prison.

There was no way in hell I was going to put this girl through that. Not a chance.

I gave myself one touch as I reached out and tucked her hair behind her ear, letting my hand trail down the side of her face. Her eyes fluttered for a moment before I pulled my hand away.

“You don’t want anything to do with me, Sarah. I’m no good. Especially for a woman like you.”

The devastation on her face nearly did me in, but I knew this was the right call. Sarah Williams was a well brought up woman and I was a rancher with a blighted past. She was everything I wanted, but as I turned my back on her and walked away, I knew I’d made the right decision in saving her from all the things I couldn’t be for her.

Chapter 10

Sarah

After the most humiliating rejection from Ranger, I spent the rest of the week licking my wounds. Fatigue had gripped me and I was barely keeping my eyes open from throwing myself into my work. Most of my nights involved countless hours in my bakery’s kitchen making way too many cupcakes. I was pretty sure I got a contact high from all the powdered sugar in the air tonight when I started talking to myself about how stupid I was for asking Ranger on a date.

“You don’t want anything to do with me, Sarah. I’m no good. Especially for a woman like you.”

I was embarrassed to admit how many times his words had run through my mind.Especially for a woman like you. What the hell did that even mean? Was he suggesting that I was a rich bitch because of my family? But then he said he wasn’t any good…so, maybe he was worried that I would judge him for his time in prison.

Honestly, I wasn’t sure which one was worse. Himmaking assumptions about me because of my parents’ money or assuming I would make assumptions about him for his time behind bars.

I made a mental note to call Deacon later and make sure he knew just how dumb his idea was. Asking a man out on a date had gotten me nowhere and it was his fault for talking me into it. I went after what I wanted and was now sitting on the floor in my living room with a half-empty bottle of wine waiting for Willow to get here so we could start working on wedding details.

Yeah. There was no way I would take Deacon’s advice ever again.

The turn of a key sounded at my front door. I slowly rose to my feet, careful not to tip over the wine on my white rug as I made my way to the door.

“Sarah!” Willow bellowed as she swung the door open. Her arms were full of glossy magazines and a wooden box sat at the very top of the pile.

“Oh my God! How’d you make it in here with all that?”

She peeked at me over the top of the box and said, “Very, very carefully.”

We both giggled and it feltgoodto have my friend here. She was always the best distraction and I was sorely in need of one tonight.

I took the top half of the pile from her and we set them down in the living room before I snagged her a wine glass from the kitchen. When I walked back into the living room she held up the bottle of wine and arched a brow. “Looks like you already got started without me.”

“Sorry. It was a rough week and the wine was calling my name.” I handed her the empty glass and she poured herself some.

We sat cross-legged across from one another with the magazines between us. She handed me the bottle and I topped my glass off before settling in.

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