Page 48 of Marrying a Cowboy

She shrugged. “Never mind. Let’s just get this done so I can get out of here. I never realized until now, how much I missed home. I’m ready to get out of this tiny town with nothing but fields.” She folded her arms and dropped his gaze. She remained still as he finished cleaning up hercut.

Once he dabbed the last bit of antiseptic cream on her cheek, she stood and pushed past him. “I’ll pack my bag. Be down in aminute.”

Austin stood there, watching her race up the stairs. Unable to even look at himself, he flipped on the faucet and washed his hand. He wanted to run after her. To tell her that he’d lied. That he couldn’t imagine his life without her. That letting her go just might break him in a way that he’d never be able to healagain.

He clenched his hands. There was no way he could do that. Pulling her into a life with him was selfish. What would he do if she’d gotten hurt and there had been a chance that he could have gotten her far away from him? He could never forgive himself. His last mistake was buried in Moose Falls cemetery. He wasn’t going to make another mistakeagain.

After wiping his hands, he grabbed his keys from his pocket and stood by the front door. She was going to leave. He’d push all his fears of loneliness aside and put her first. Right now, Emma was all thatmattered.

A few minutes later, the sound of Emma’s suitcase banging down the stairs filled the silence. She came into view. Her expression was just as sour as it had been in the bathroom. Without looking at him, she wheeled her luggage behind him and up to the door. Austin turned the handle and pulled itopen.

She continued walking into the late afternoon air and over to his truck. Not waiting for him, she pulled open the door and jumpedin.

Austin spun his keys around his finger. Good. This was what he wanted. She couldn’t have feelings for him. She needed to believe that he didn’t want her around or she would never leave. Even if it broke him inside to see her hurt, he knew that her safety was the most important thing and he was never going to put his own feelings above someone he cared about. He loved her too much to dothat.

The ride to the airport was silent. Austin decided it was best to keep his gaze on the road and not let it wander over to Emma. He was afraid that if he did that, he just might lose his resolve and confess to her how he was reallyfeeling.

As he pulled up to the airport, Emma shifted and waved toward the ticketing drop off. “Just let me out there,” she said. Her voice quiet but her tone wasicy.

“I can park and walk youin.”

She shook her head. “No thank you. Just let me out here. I can find my wayhome.”

Austin swallowed down the protest on the tip of his tongue and nodded. If that was what she wanted, he’d respectthat.

As soon as his truck stopped, Emma opened the door and hopped down. Austin moved to get out but she waved himaway.

“I can handle it from here.” She pulled her suitcase out and moved to shut thedoor.

Fear griped his chest. The thought that he’d never see again settled in his mind. What was he doing? Was he an idiot? They couldn’t part likethis.

“Emma,” he said, leaning over the console to catch herattention.

She hesitated but then met his gaze. There was so much pain and anger there that rattled Austin’s resolve. But he swallowed, and steadied his mind. This was better for her. He needed to rememberthat.

“Thank you. For helping me. You really went above and beyond.” And he meant it. She really helped him out of a bind. And he was going to keep his word to help her. Pushing her away was the first step. Emma needed to move on, she just couldn’t move on withhim.

“I’m happy it worked out for you,” she said, stepping back and placing her hand on the door. She paused, looking up at him. “Have a nice life,Austin.”

The words she spoke cut like daggers in his chest, but he couldn’t pull back now. “You too,Emma.”

She shot him one more pained look and then slammed the car door. Austin watched as she walked into the airport with her luggage trailing behind her. He swallowed as the urge to run after her caused his muscles to twitch. He could be strong. Strong for Emma like he hadn’t been for hismom.

A car’s honk ripped him from his thoughts. He glanced behind him and stuck up his hand. The car could wait another minute. But by the time Austin moved his attention back to where Emma had been walking, she was gone. He swept his gaze around. She must have made it into theairport.

He blinked as he watched the automatic doors open and close. She was just on the other side of them. Still within his reach. Before he let himself delve into the thought of bringing her back, he put his truck in drive and pulled out of the drop off. He just needed to get far away fromher.

Once there was a good distance between the two of them, he’d finally feel like his chest wasn’t getting crushed by the realization of his decisions. She’d be able to move on without him there to keep her down. It really was the best thing for the both of them. Now, if only his heart understood that, he just might be able to begin to get over EmmaGeorge.

Emma

Emma let out a huff as the airline attendant’s nails clicked on the keyboard in front of her. Her mind was swirling as it seemed it was trying to keep up with what had just happened. She tightened her grip around the handle of her luggage and glanced behindher.

Yep. She was still alone. Austin had abandoned her at the airport. And why? She still wasn’t sure about that little bit. What had she done? Every time she replayed the afternoon events in her mind, she kept coming upblank.

There was no reason for him to react the way he did. They had been getting along. The feelings he confessed to his grandmother had been true. She’d felt it. As sure as she felt the counter in front ofher.

But he’d never said them with only her in the room. And because of that, she could never believe them as truth. He didn’t seem to be the kind of guy that would play with a girl’s emotions like that. He was different. Even if he seemed hell-bent on convincing her that he was likethat.

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