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“Thanks.” He smiled as she handed over his coffee. “But am I too nice?”
“You’re a good, strong man.” She pressed her hand over her heart. “In here.”
“I try to be. That’s all I can do.” He sipped his coffee. “So can we be friends again?”
Bella considered him for a long moment. “I can’t do casual sex.”
He blinked at her. “I beg your pardon?”
“That’s what I’ve realized over the years since Ron died.” Bella took a deep breath. “The thing is, I don’t feel casual about you.”
“Sexually or generally?” Billy asked.
“Either,” Bella said, then took her courage in both hands. “It feels to me that if I did sleep with you, then we’d have to be a couple.”
“Okay.” Billy nodded.
“Doesn’t that scare you?”
He sat back and regarded her. “Should it?”
“Well, because of your kids, and the ranch, and your mother—God, your mother—and Annie . . .” She ran out of breath. “What about them?”
“What would they have to do with us being a couple?”
“Because they’d all know, and—”
“That would bother you?” He raised an eyebrow. “You’d prefer to keep everything secret?” His eyes were full of sympathy. “I don’t think that’s possible in a town this size, and if it does bother you, then maybe, as I said, you aren’t yet ready to move on.”
“I’m trying to be,” Bella whispered.
He reached for her hand. “Look, I’m not going anywhere. If you get to a point where we can be a real couple, then come and tell me.” He squeezed her fingers. “I mean it. I’ll wait. You’re worth it.”
“Really?” Bella looked into his eyes and saw nothing but understanding and genuine concern in them. “I feel like I’m letting you down somehow.”
“You’re not. We’re not kids anymore. We’re old enough to speak our minds, take things slow, and get them right. I don’t have a problem with that.” Billy did his best to try and get through to her. “I just want you to be okay.”
He wanted a lot more for her, but a year in jail had taught him all about patience—about how to pace himself, how to shed his past, and look forward to a better future. He’d even learned to forgive himself, which had been the hardest thing of all. Some things in life were worth waiting for, and Bella Williams was definitely one of them.
She was still worrying at her lip, which made him want to kiss her real bad, but he also sensed she was relaxing a little.
A loud crash reverberated through the floor, and Billy stiffened. “Did you leave anything out in the kitchen?”
“No. But Jay might have gone in there for something, although it’s unlikely that he’d make a mess.” Bella slid off her stool in double-quick time.
“Could it be a raccoon or some kind of animal?” Billy asked.
“It’s possible. It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened.” Bella was already heading toward the door. Billy caught her elbow.
“Where are you going?”
“To see what’s happening. This is my home, and I’m not letting any raccoon or skunk run wild in my kitchen!”
“Don’t you think Jay can handle it?”
“He might not have heard a thing. It gets really noisy out front on Friday nights.”
Having rarely been in the bar since his return, Billy could only assume she was correct.
“Shall I call Nate?” Billy offered.
“Not yet. I don’t want to look stupid or waste his time. Let’s see what we’re dealing with first.”
Bella went into her office, opened the closet, and started punching numbers in the safe. When the door swung open she grabbed a box and started loading bullets into the chamber of a gun.
“You’re going to kill it?” Billy asked. “I was thinking about opening the back door and simply shooing it out.”
“It depends how big it is,” Bella said. “We had a wild pig in here once, and it was as big as a calf and caused so much damage you wouldn’t believe it.”
