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They’d left town and were heading toward her family’s ranch—but he passed the gate and kept right on going.
“That’s where we met,” he interrupted Betty and Nancy’s back seat debate on which laundry detergent irritated Curtis’s skin and pointed out the window.
Renata looked past him at the stretch of fence line. He was right. She could never have anticipated how much that dreamy-eyed photographer would change her life.
“There?” Betty asked. “On the side of the road? Were you hitchhiking?”
“My rental truck broke down,” he explained. “Renata rode up on her horse and rescued me.”
She laughed. “Is that what happened?”
He shot her a look. “I like my version.”
“Whatever happened, it turned out just fine.” His mother reached forward to pat Ash on the shoulder. “My son is smiling again. What more could a mother ask for?”
Renata’s heart thumped against her rib cage. He did seem happier—maybe. Or was that what she wanted to see? Still, he winked when she glanced his way. That wink, that smile, kicked up the molten burn only Ash Carmichael stirred. She was so distracted, she didn’t realize where they were until he’d parked in front of Gruber House. He sat back, watching her.
“The key?” she asked.
He nodded. “Signed everything this morning.”
The mothers were already climbing out of the truck, taking Curtis with them, but Renata didn’t move. “Ash. Why are you giving me a key?”
“I’m hoping you’ll want to spend a lot of time here. I like the Lodge and I respect it’s your home, but it’s not my home. And, honestly, I can’t imagine raising Curtis and the twins there.” He cleared his throat. “Space, I think you said? Plenty of that here. And a home. For whatever happens next.”
Her happiness fizzled. We—he and Curtis and the twins. She was welcome here, anytime, but the Lodge was her home. Last time he’d mentioned this place, he’d teased her about the kids they’d have in the future. Not this time. Instead, he was following her rules and using her terms. Space. Whatever happens next. None of that had to mean something bad. Something like Ash finding his soul mate and moving into her dream house to have the half a dozen kids he’d teased her about. Talk about going to extremes... Her overactive imagination had doubled since she’d gotten pregnant—which only amped up her emotional seesaw.
“We should probably open the place up before they freeze.” He pointed at the mothers, leaning over hedges to peer inside.
She nodded, climbed out of the truck and opened the front door. Betty and Nancy took off, opening doors and shouting back and forth about every little detail. There was good reason to be excited. Everything was pretty...perfect. The more she saw, the easier it was to envision living here, and the harder it was not to cry. She carried Curtis upstairs, peering into each room she passed. It was the last room on the left that made her pause.
A nursery. The palest mint green with detailed white trim. Massive windows and a wide window seat peered out into the overgrown garden behind the house. Beyond that, the pastures, a small fruit orchard and bare grape vines promised an incredible spring view. Sitting here, in a rocking chair, singing lullabies and reading books.
“What do you think?” she whispered to Curtis.
He was sound asleep in her arms. She buried her nose against his glossy black curls.
This, all of this, was everything she’d ever wanted. Well, most of it.
Was it too late to tell him she’d marry him? To settle for what he would give her versus what she truly wanted? He’d do it, she knew he would. And she’d have him, forever. But the thought of trapping him in a loveless marriage... No, that was wrong—for both of them.
* * *
Seeing her in the nursery, holding Curtis close... If the words hadn’t clogged up his throat, he’d have told her how he felt. Loving her wasn’t a choice. It was a truth. A truth he worried she wouldn’t believe.
“What do you think?” His voice was gruff, hoarse.
She turned, facing him, and his heart clamped down—hard.
“It’s a great house.” Her eyes darted away. “Just like I remembered it.”
Something was wrong. Her smile wasn’t quite right. With Renata, her smile lit her up from the inside. It was warm and real, making her eyes shine and his burdens ease. The exact opposite of how he was feeling now, when her smile was tight and forced and her eyes were pointedly avoiding his.
“What’s up?” he asked, stepping forward.
She shook her head.
“Why won’t you look at me?” he pushed.
