Her cheeks flush, and she glances down. “I don’t know about that.”
“Well, I do. You’re my girl, River. Even if you can’t see it yet.”
She cocks her head and squints at me. “What the hell are you saying, Burke? Are you confessing your love or something?”
“Maybe,” I tease.
“Maybe, huh?”
I keep my eyes fixed on the road when I say, “Definitely.”
She’s quiet for a long moment, and I risk a glance her way. She’s staring at me, and those blue eyes of hers are so full of emotion, they steal my breath.
“Colby, I...” She shakes her head.
“It’s okay, River. I’m not expecting anything from you. But I do want you to know that the other night... It wasn’t just sex. Not for me. And maybe I’m crazy, but I think it was more than that for you too.”
“Colby, please,” she whispers.
“Just hear me out. Please. And after, if you want me to shut up and leave you alone, I will. I promise. I’ll never mention it again.”
She nods, and the look in her eyes tells me I have her permission to keep going. Thank God I’m driving, because if I had to look at her while I say this, I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to get it all out.
“You are the most incredible woman I’ve ever met, and when I’m with you, I feel like the luckiest son of a bitch in the world. You’re beautiful and funny, and you don’t take any shit. And that’s sexy as hell. You’ve been through a lot, River. I know that. And I want to be the one to help you through the hard stuff. I want to be there for you. To protect you. To take care of you. And not because I want to control you or because I’m some macho asshole who thinks women need a man. But because I care about you. More than you know. Because I love you, River.”
River takes a shuddering breath and lets out a soft sob. “How?”
“What do you mean?”
“How can you love me? After everything. After seeing how messed up I am and what kind of baggage I come with.”
Her words tear into me like a goddamn machete. Every speck of air in my lungs turns to ice, and I swear to god, it’s like a dagger to my heart. I have to pull the truck to the side of the road before I crash the damn thing.
I twist in my seat to face her and grip her chin.
“Look at me, River.”
She does, and her eyes are so full of emotion, they suck the oxygen from the space between us.
“You’re not messed up. You’ve had a hard time, yeah. But who hasn’t? Life is full of ups and downs. Good times and bad. And it’s the bad times that shape us. Make us stronger. Wiser. More compassionate. And none of that makes you broken or damaged. It makes you a warrior. A fighter. A survivor. You’ve been through hell and back, and you’ve come out stronger for it. So don’t you dare talk about yourself like that. Not in front of me. Got it?”
She nods, and her chin trembles. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry, Thurston. You’ve got nothing to be sorry for. Nothing. Do you understand me?”
“Yes,” she breathes.
“Good.”
She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. When she opens them, the sadness is gone, and she’s giving me a shy smile. “So you love me, huh? That’s pretty bold, Burke.”
“That’s me, babe. Bold as fucking brass. And you’re just going to have to get used to it because I’m not going anywhere.”
She laughs as I pull the truck back onto the road and head for town. “We’ll see about that.”
When we arrive at the rodeo, the parking lot is packed, and it takes us a while to find a spot. The crowd is huge, and as we weave through the throng, River’s hand slips into mine. My heart soars, and I can’t hide my smile.
“This is nice,” she says. “I haven’t been to a rodeo since I was a kid.”
