Read The Rancher And The RunawayBride: Part 2 Online
Authors: Susan Mallery
The Rancher And The RunawayBride: Part 2 (9 page)
Brady glared at her. “If that’s what you think, you don’t know me at all.” He turned
on his heel and stalked off.
She stared after him, watching him disappear into the barn. He was wrong, she did
know him. She understood him, his good points and his flaws, and neither mattered.
She’d still fallen in love with him.
* * *
Two days later, Brady still couldn’t forget what Rita had said. No matter how many
times he told himself they weren’t true, her words continued to haunt him.
So what if he surrounded himself with strays? That was hardly a crime. In some circles,
giving people a second chance was a
good
thing. He was only continuing a tradition his father had taught him.
But that wasn’t her complaint, a voice in his head whispered. It was that he used
the act of rescuing to hold himself emotionally distant.
That wasn’t true, he thought as he leaned back in his chair. He stared at the walls
of his office. He wasn’t emotionally distant from anyone. He had friends. Tex, some
of the cowboys, a few men in town, kids he’d grown up with.
“I’m not a snob,” he said aloud. He wasn’t holding himself out as a moral example
to the rest of the world. She’d made him sound like some East Coast prig.
But no matter how many times he tried to discredit her words, a voice inside whispered
she had spoken the truth. At least some of it had been dead-on. He
did
occasionally demand a certain emotional distance in his relationships. He
wasn’t
always as open with people as he could be. Even her accusation that he feared getting
too involved was true. He swore. Where did that leave him? Was he a jerk? Too horribly
flawed to inspire affection in others?
She’d held up a mirror, and he’d been forced to take a good look at himself. Was it
her fault he didn’t like what he saw?
Brady slammed his hands on his desk. He was willing to admit she might have had a
point. About a few things. Maybe he could be more emotionally accessible. He remembered
several times when he’d acted as mentor to young cowboys he’d hired. At least he’d
thought of them as young when he hadn’t been more than a year or two older. By becoming
their mentor, he made sure they weren’t ever close friends.
“Dammit, Rita,” he muttered, and knew his annoyance was with himself. What was he
supposed to say to her? Why would he assume she even wanted to talk to him?
Then he remembered the rest of her words—when she’d said he was the best man she’d
ever met. That she could care about him. He’d ignored all that because she’d pricked
his pride. Because she hadn’t said she would stay.
What right did he have to dictate her life? Until he knew her secrets, he couldn’t
make judgments about her decisions. He wanted it to be different. He wanted her to
be free to be with him so they could explore what each of them felt.
He rose to his feet and headed for the front of the barn. Rita was where he’d expected
her to be, grooming the horses. Despite their words and his ignoring her for two days,
she continued to do a great job.
She looked up when she saw him approaching. His chest tightened as he took in the
dark shadows under her eyes and the faint slump in her shoulders. She watched him,
but didn’t speak.
He paused in front of her. “I’m sorry,” he said.
She shook her head. “No, I am. I crossed the line. No matter what else, I still work
for you. I shouldn’t have—”
“Yeah, you should have. A couple of cuffs to my ears wouldn’t have been wrong, either.”
She smiled at that. “I didn’t know you liked the rough stuff.”
He grinned, then sobered quickly. “Rita, I’m confused by all of this. You, how I feel,
your secrets, and most of all, what’s going to happen.”
“Me, too,” she whispered. “I never meant…” Her voice trailed off.
“Tell me about it.” He absently patted the gelding. “Maybe we should start over. Try
being friends for a while longer.”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. You still want to go to the livestock show with me?”
She nodded.
“We leave in the morning.” He started to turn away. She touched his arm and he paused.
“Thanks, Brady. For everything.”
Affection shone in her eyes. Affection and something that made his heart beat a little
faster. He returned to his office, walking with the confidence of a man whose world
has been restored.
When had he handed Rita that kind of power? And what was going to happen to him when
she finally had to leave?
Time is almost up. After hearing about Brady being left at the altar, how in the world
would he ever understand why Randi did the same thing? Falling in love is about trust,
and Brady doesn’t even know her real name! Lies, lies, lies. Randi better come up
with a solution fast because time is running out. Is it enough to love Brady for just
a couple more days, savoring every last second, or will this plan backfire even worse?
In the conclusion of Part 3, watch what hell breaks loose when all roads collide.
A pounding rainstorm hits the town of Grand Springs, Colorado, causing blackouts and
mudslides. As the people of Grand Springs are forced to come together, find out who
will find love, family and each other.
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ISBN-13: 9781460330982
THE RANCHER AND THE RUNAWAY BRIDE PART 2
This is the revised text of a portion of a work first published by Harlequin Enterprises
Limited in 1997.
Copyright © 1997 by Harlequin Books S.A.
First part of revised text Copyright © 2014 by Harlequin Books S.A.
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