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“It's why I had to get out of there. I had to leave it all behind, you know? Leave a father who resented me, leave a town that turned on me, leave a brother who was the town drug middleman. Mostly I had to leave our memories. That ranch, every square inch of the land and star-filled sky, reminded me of us.”

“I'm sorry.” Even though the words were heartfelt, they fell flat. Being sorry did nothing for her now, nothing to repair the damage I inflicted in the past.

“Some days, simple moments of seeing a mom and her child, or even seeing the natural motherly nature in animals, it still hurts. For years, guilt pulled me under on a daily basis. Then it turned to weekly, then every so often.” The wind at her back pushed all her hair toward me, wrapping my face in a coconut-scented blanket. “Never once did I regret us.”

“I don't deserve someone like you. Don’t deserve your forgiveness.”

Her smile pulled at my heart, my breath catching. “That's what's amazing about forgiveness, B. You don't have a say in it. Forgiveness is a gift you have no control over. And honestly, forgiving you is less work than harboring the hate.”

“What can I give you? Name it and it's yours.” I'd give her every last penny if she asked.

“If you have to ask”—her smile faltered—“then what I want, you're not ready to give.”

Me.

Only this beautiful, selfless woman would want me instead of all the things thirty million could buy.

She sighed and turned to lean her back against the rail. Her eyes narrowed as they scanned the living room through the large windows. “What a mess.”

“I'll call someone to clean it up.”

Her head dropped back with a loud laugh. “Of course you will.”

“Hey, something came up and we need to head back tonight. Sorry to cut this short.”

She shrugged and closed her eyes. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, just some things to handle before I leave.”

A single nod and Beks shoved off the railing. At the door, she turned back with her brows pulled together in a thoughtful look. “Based off your dad not wanting you to look into the files, I’m willing to bet he had more to do with breaking us apart than you.”

I nodded in agreement and followed her inside. “I want to see those documents. Come on, let's go call them.”