Page 91 of Love, Hate, Love

I didn’t even know why I’d said it to them in the first place. Like Chuck had said, I’d set them up to think the worst. Why bring Leah here and then do that? It was lousy.

Early on when we were going at each other like mortal enemies, it wouldn’t have been so bad. If I’d brought it up in a joking manner before now, still not so bad. Like this, at this moment? The timing couldn’t be worse.

“I’m so sorry,” Missy said.

“It’s not your fault. It’s mine for saying those things in the first place. How did she react?”

“She blew it off like it was no big deal, but I could tell it hit hard.” Missy was wringing her hands together.

“Do you know where she is now?”

“No. She walked off and then I came here.”

“I’ll go find her.”

“Kade, I’m really sorry.”

“Don’t worry about it. This is all on me, Missy.”

Leah wasn’tin the old barn or at the creek. I found her in Princess’s stall. As I stood there, I didn’t know what to say. Maybe I shouldn’t have rushed here until I figured it out, but I’d felt the need to find her as quickly as I could.

“I’m sorry. I know that falls short, but I am. I never should have said that.”

“Why not? It’s what you think of me. At least you were being honest.”

“Leah, I was wrong. I should’ve known better.”

She nodded, almost in a perfunctory way. Nothing I said was going to matter, and could I blame her?

“Please tell me how to make this right.”

“Move my things into the bunkhouse.”

“I’llmove to the bunkhouse. You can take the house.”

“I don’t want to stay there. Either help me move my things or call the court and tell them to expect me in prison.”

She couldn’t possibly mean that. It would be crazy, but I felt too panicked at the prospect to push her. She was hurt, and a hurt Leah was a stubborn Leah.

“So where does that leave us?”

“There is nous. I’m a felon working off my sentence for a rancher named Kade. That’s it.”

I nodded. The wall I’d managed to knock down was firmly re-erected around her, and there was no getting through it tonight. Considering she’d be a free woman soon, I doubted there’d be time to make a crack in it going forward. I’d obliterated what we could’ve had. My only shot was to tell her what I’d done, tell her how I ignored her wishes not to get involved, and tell her I had a PI investigating her.

Somehow, that didn’t bring me any optimism at the moment.

“You’ll never know how sorry I am for this,” I said.

She didn’t reply, and I tried to respect her wishes, walking out of the stable and heading up to the ranch to move her things.

I’d fallen in love, and it was more gut-wrenching than I’d ever been prepared for, especially when it could’ve been the greatest thing in my life.

* * *

Leah

I was almostat the bunkhouse when Missy walked over, looped her arm with mine, and tugged me with her.

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