Page 67 of Christmas with the Cowgirl
Riley’s father looked as if he genuinely meant it.Miles liked Jim Garrett, and he didn’t want to push him when he obviously was not happy with the pledge his daughter had wrung from him.
“Look,” Garrett added, “whatever happened between you, I wish you could work it out.I’m not blind, I know how close you two got.But even if I didn’t know you’ve been spending your nights here, I’d know by how happy she’s been since you arrived.Up until the day before the wedding.”
Miles felt an odd jab at the admission that Riley, too, had been happy enough to be noticed.And yet it had taken only a split second for her to throw it all away.And obviously she’d meant it when she’d told him not to come back.It wasn’t like he hadn’t expected her to refuse to see him, but that she’d left town completely was an even harder kick to his gut.
He pulled himself together.And he met her father’s gaze head-on.And said formally the words he hadn’t said even to Riley.“I love her, Mr.Garrett.Stupidly, I haven’t told her that yet, but I do.I swear to you.”
A sort of satisfaction and, Miles dared hope, approval warmed the older man’s face, but it was followed by a frown.“Then what’s this about?”
“She…got a mistaken idea about something.Because I had a mistaken idea about something.And she won’t give me the chance to explain.”
He took a deep breath.He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the envelope with Riley’s name on the front.He’d had to ask Nic’s mom for it, since nobody else had an actual paper envelope.It had taken him hours and half a notebook of paper to get this done.His hand was even sore, unused to that much writing by hand.
“She’s blocked my calls and texts.I’m hoping that a physical letter might meet a different fate.Would you give this to her?And maybe…try to keep her from tearing it to bits without even reading it?”
James Garrett took the envelope.He tapped it against his other hand, looking thoughtful.“I’ll do better than that,” he said.“I’ll see to it that she does read it.”
Miles blinked.“You will?”
He smiled.“I’ve got that much bargaining power with her at the moment, and I can’t think of a better thing to use it for.”
Miles let out a long breath.“Thank you.”
Her dad’s brows lowered then.“But fair warning to you.My girl has had enough heartbreak in her life.If you hurt her, you’ll have me to reckon with.”He gestured toward the crutches leaning against the wall.“And I’d be happy to make those useless by bending them over your head.”
“Yes, sir,” Miles said humbly, having no doubt the tough rancher would do just that.
He didn’t want to leave, but there wasn’t a darn thing more he could do here.Riley wouldn’t see him, her father wouldn’t give up where she’d gone, and Texas was too darn big for him to search.
He’d poured his heart and soul into that letter.And if James Garrett could keep his word to make her at least read it, then his best and only shot would have been fired.
What happened now was up to Riley.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Riley drove backhome with an appointment next month, after the holidays, for True to come out and take a look and give them an estimate.Some of the questions he’d asked had sent her mind back to the time when she’d decided they needed to do this.The time when she’d realized she was never going anywhere, never leaving the ranch, and wanted a bit more than what had been her childhood bedroom.
At the time, she’d been a little bitter.Not that she was never going to leave, but that she’d been foolish enough to think that she and Derek would need the bigger space.In fact, it had been when she’d mentioned it the morning of the wedding that it had all fallen apart, with him telling her not to waste the money, since they’d be living in the city.
He had other plans for her money anyway.
So now all she had to do was stop imagining what it would have been like to share this planned new space with Miles.
She’d barely gotten out of the car when Ed, their foreman, trotted over toward her from the hay barn.
“How’s Marguerite?”she asked immediately.
The man’s smile was warm.“Better every day.Hard to get her to take it easy.”
Riley smiled.“That sounds like her.”
“Yep, that’s my wife.”
There was such pride and love in the man’s voice it made Riley’s throat tighten a little.Once, finding someone who’d love her the way this man did his wife had been her dream.But she was awake now, and knew exactly how hard—in her case apparently impossible—that was.
Ed handed her the receipt from the hay delivery that had arrived while she was gone.They were good and stocked up until spring now.She’d wanted it done before Christmas, and he had come through, as usual.
He turned to go, then turned back.“I keep meaning to tell you, I like your guy.”
