Page 87 of Forbidden to Fall

What I had now was a lot more than a crush, though. I wasn’t looking at James like some god on a pedestal. I was looking at him, one flawed human to another, and strangely, I wanted him all the more for it.

After my bakery shift, I picked up Mia and took her to the stables, simultaneously wanting to see James and hoping for more time before I’d have to face him.

When we walked in, Archer had just come back from taking a group on a ride and was busy seeing to the horses and tack. When he offered Mia a brush to help with one of the saddles, I thought he was crazy—what four-year-old would want to clean tack over feeding the horses?—but she was thrilled. She felt like a grownup.

“Where is Mr. James?” Mia asked as she took the brush from Archer, holding it the wrong way.

Archer cocked a brow at me.

“He’s not here today,” I said, ignoring the look.

Mia’s brow furrowed only to unfurrow just as suddenly. “Is he in the woods?”

“Maybe so,” I said. “Do you think you can brush that saddle all by yourself? It’s a lot of work.”

Mia took up the gauntlet with gusto, singing Moana songs with mostly wrong lyrics as she brushed the leather. How could so much adorableness reside in such a small body?

“What?” I said when I noticed Archer staring at me.

He put up his hands in innocence. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Not with your mouth.”

“I just didn’t expect Ryan Stevenson’s daughter to be asking for James Carver.” He grabbed another brush and tossed it to me.

“Yeah, well, she took a shining to him last time. A very bright shining.”

“And how does Ryan feel about that?”

I brushed the saddle.

“Gotcha.”

I stayed silent, focusing on my task.

“Sadie.”

All the thoughts and emotions I’d been wrestling with bubbled up. I was going crazy trying to sort through them.

I met his gaze, and he searched my face.

“What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing.”

He cocked a disbelieving brow.

“Nothing’s going on. Just…working with James is…complicated.”

“Complicated because Ryan hates him? Or complicated because you’re in love with James?”

I shot him an annoyed look, but the blood rushing to my cheeks betrayed me, just as it always did. “I’m not in love with him.”

“Right. Enjoy your time in denial, Sadie.”

“Um…pot meet kettle?”

He put out his hands. “Hey, I’ve left the land of denial, and I couldn’t be happier about it.”