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How could she even doubt him? Just because he’d kept his feelings locked away for years didn’t mean he didn’t have any. Didn’t meant they weren’t real. “Of course, I do.”

“Graham…”

This wasn’t how he thought this would go down. A few days ago, it had been her coming to him, kissing him. How could she be retreating now? “What is it, sweetheart?”

“I’m not sure you love me. You hardly know me. It’s… admirable that you want to step in and take care of things, but I can’t let you.”

“But—”

“No. You’ve been attracted to me for years, from what you’ve said. But I…” Her tone softened. “I didn’t really know you, not until the past few weeks. You didn’t know me, either.”

That was all the time it had taken for Tate to propose to his wife, and if Stephanie had rejected Tate’s proposal at first, no one had mentioned it. They hadn’t even known each other way back in college. How could this be going so very wrong?

“Cadence, I love you. Please let me take care of you.”

She stiffened.

Man, he’d said it wrong again. Open mouth; insert foot. But he meant it! He did. Why couldn’t she see past his bumbling ways and into his heart? Because in the core of his being, all he wanted was her. Yes, to protect her, but it went way deeper.

“I’m honored, Graham. I like you. A lot. But I can’t do a relationship right now. I have to figure my way through this mess, and I don’t know how long that will take.”

His gut iced over. Was she leaving him any hope? He wanted to protest, to remind her she’d come to him, that she’d wanted a relationship mere days ago. How had her parents and Paul messed with her so badly in so short a time? Maybe when they returned home, she’d be back to herself.

Graham studied her.

She stood partially facing away, arms tight around her middle, as she stared down the lane toward the lake, moisture glistening on her cheeks.

“Cadence,” he said softly, taking a step closer.

“I can’t, Graham. You’ll thank me later.” And she took off at a run. A moment later, the door to the home she shared with Paisley thudded shut.

Like the door to Graham’s heart.

How could this be? She was hauling around a burden too heavy for her, one she didn’t need to carry at all. It had been tied there by her parents, by Graham’s moron cousin and his parents, but it wasn’t hers.

He wanted to remove it, see her free and happy as she’d been the first few weeks she’d been at the ranch. He wanted to hear her laugh. He wanted to be with her, even if that meant sitting in a tippy kayak or atop a powerful horse. He just wanted… her.

God? Wasn’t it You who put this plan in my head?

Still no booming voice from heaven, of course. Still not even a faint whisper. The only sound he heard was the crackle of a branch in the forest beside Hummingbird Lane.

And Graham wasn’t sticking around long enough to figure out which of the creatures he feared was stalking him.

* * *

Paisley’s head jerked up and her eyes widened when Cadence burst through the door. “What happened now?”

Right, because it was always something with her. She could be the star of a soap opera or a fake reality TV show with all the drama in her life.

Drama she’d brought on herself, but still.

No one pounded on the door she’d slammed shut, which meant Graham hadn’t followed her. Which meant she was right, that he didn’t love her, like she’d suspected.

Was there a fault in that reasoning? Possibly, but she was flailing too deeply in the whole mess to figure it out tonight.

“My parents are leaving in the morning. As is Paul.”

Paisley beamed. “Excellent.”