Page 115 of Most Likely to Fear Love

My heart felt like it might beat straight out of my chest as I pulled up in front of Harle’s cabin.My palms were clammy as I turned off the ignition, and my stomach churned with a mix of nerves and something deeper. Hope. Terrifying, exhilarating hope.

The envelope from the PI sat on the passenger seat, unopened. I wanted him to know that I trusted him, and myself, enough. I didn’t need a report to tell me who he was.

Fuck, I was so scared, though. “You can do this, Cassidy. Just breathe.”

I grabbed the envelope and my purse and climbed out of the car. By the time I reached the porch, my knees felt wobbly, like they might give out from under me.

I knocked on the door. No answer. My pulse started thundering in my ears. “Come on, Harle,” I whispered, willing him to open the door and not leave me standing there in my swirling emotions

I knocked again. Still nothing.

There was no answer when I knocked a third time, and my resolve began to waver. Maybe he wasn’t home. Maybe he wasout walking Buddy and Max, or…God, what if he didn’t want to see me? That thought sliced through me like a blade.

Steeling myself, I stepped off the porch and glanced around the property. Maybe he was out back, by the lake, or in the paddocks with the animals.

I rounded the end of the house, scanning the paddocks and the expanse of open land that stretched toward the lake. Buddy and Max weren’t in sight, nor was Harle. The knot in my stomach tightened. Oh god, what if something had actually happened to him? What if I was too late?

And then I saw him.

Standing in the lake, water lapping just below his waist, his broad back turned toward the cabin. His hands were clasped behind his head, elbows bent, like he was holding the weight of the world. My breath caught. The tension in his shoulders was so palpable, it hit me from here. He looked...lost. And hurt.

In that moment, seeing him there, so strong yet so vulnerable, something inside me finally broke free. All the walls I’d built, all the careful distance I’d maintained, crumbled away like sand castles in the tide. The love I’d been fighting, denying, pushing down for so long came rushing in, filling every hollow space inside me, until I could barely breathe with the force of it. My whole body trembled with the truth of it. I loved him. God, how I loved him.

I loved his gentle strength, his quiet wisdom, the way he saw straight through my defenses to the scared girl underneath and never once flinched away. I loved him with a depth that could not be denied one moment more.

I was shaking, waiting for the fear to come, for that familiar panic to claw its way up my throat and choke me. But for the first time in my life, there was no fear. No urge to run. Instead, I felt... whole. Complete. Like every broken piece of me had been waiting for this moment, this acceptance, to finally heal. Thecertainty of it settled into my bones like coming home after a long, exhausting journey.

I started down the narrow track leading to the water’s edge, my heart pounding with every step. My throat tightened as I neared the lake, and I realized I was holding my breath. “Harle,” I called, but my voice cracked, barely audible over the soft rustle of the breeze.

I swallowed hard and tried again, louder this time. “Harle!”

Slowly, he turned, the water rippling around him. His eyes met mine, and the weight in them made my breath hitch. For a moment, he just stared, his face unreadable, before his expression shifted, softening. “Well, aren’t you a sight for a sore heart.”

His words tore at my heart. A sob broke from my chest. I dumped my purse and the envelope on the ground, slipped off my ballet flats and walked straight into the lake.

The cool water bit at my calves, pushing through the gentle ripples toward Harle. My jeans clung to me with each step, and my breathing grew shallow. My throat burned, but I didn’t stop. I couldn’t.

He didn’t move, didn’t take his eyes off me, and that small smile stayed on his lips like he couldn’t believe I was there.

When I was close enough, he reached for me, his large hands gripping my arms as though he needed to feel I was real. Then he yanked me against him, his strong arms wrapping around me like they were the only thing keeping me from floating away.

His lips crushed mine, fierce and desperate, and I melted into him, every piece of me slotting into place like I’d been made for this moment. I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer as I kissed him back with everything I had.

The water lapped at us, cool and indifferent, but I didn’t care. All I could feel was Harle. His warmth, his strength, his heart pounding against mine. When we finally pulled apart, both ofus breathless, he didn’t let go. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing the tears off my cheeks as he stared into my eyes.

“I love you,” I whispered, my voice shaking but resolute. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. “I love you, Harle.”

“I love you, too, darlin’.”

Harle leaned his forehead against mine, his hands still cradling my face. For a moment, we just stood there, so close that our breaths mingled in the air between us. The world seemed to fall away, leaving only the gentle lap of the water and the sound of our breathing.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” he murmured, his voice rough and quiet, like he was afraid to break the spell. His thumbs brushed along my jaw, sending shivers through me. “I’ve been dreaming about this. About you.”

Tears pricked my eyes again, and I swallowed hard. “I was so full of fear,” I admitted. “Afraid of losing you. Of losing myself again. But I couldn’t stop thinking about you. About us.”

His hands tightened around me. “You don’t have to be scared anymore, darlin’,” he said softly.

I let out a shaky breath, leaning into him, letting his words wrap around me. “I know. I’m just sorry it took me so long to figure it out.”

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