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“Oh my God, are you serious, Matt?”
“I told you, I knew you wouldn’t be able to forgive me.”
“That is so not what I’m talking about.” She immediately leaned closer, reaching for him, her heart breaking for the pain he’d gone through. “How in the world could you think her death was your fault? You had nothing to do with it.”
“I had everything to do with it. We fought at my apartment. I’d played the fool once and it wouldn’t happen again. I told her I didn’t love her and didn’t want to be married to her. I forced her to leave.”
“My sweet cowboy, you are seeing this all wrong. It was not your fault. I’m really sorry she and her baby lost their lives, but if she left with the other guy in the first place, she was admitting to the baby not being yours. She leftyou. You didn’t leave her. You married her, for God’s sake, no questions asked. What were you supposed to do? Just continue to support her while she was off with the real daddy? You did the right thing.”
“You really believe what you just said?”
“Yes, Matt Gentry. You are so stubborn. I do believe it, and I’m assuming my daddy believes it, too. Before I left the hospital, he said he knew what happened with you and it wasn’t your fault.”
“I kinda figured Jesse knew. Every so often he’d drop a comment and leave me wondering. Amazing man, that dad of yours.”
She gently touched his cheek affectionately then dropped her hand to his shoulder. “It’s time for you to forgive yourself because you weren’t to blame. In your line of work, you had to know you couldn’t save everyone—no matter how hard you tried.”
“I suppose I’ll work on it. So, princess, since you’ve probably lost your job, what’ll you do now?”
“Hmm, I hadn’t really thought about it, yet.”
“Maybe you could get an editor job where you can work from home. The ranch has Internet.” Matt scooted closer to her in the cab of the truck and slid an arm behind her.
Heat coursed through her at the familiar feel of his body touching hers. “What are you tryin’ to say cowboy?”
“What I’m sayin’,ma’am, is I want you back on the ranch. I miss you, and I know your father does, too. You can work from there, or you could marry me and work on the ranch. Either way I think Rock Creek is the—”
“Did you just ask me to marry you?” She knew her eyes popped out as big as saucers and she had trouble keeping a smile from forming.
“Oh, you caught that part, huh?” He grinned. “Well, if you lived there, too, we could sure get to know each other better, but I already think I know all I need to know.”
“You’re pretty slick, Mr. Foreman.” She slid closer to the man who had gotten under her skin and apparently planned to stay there for a while.
“Gotta be to keep up with the likes of you.” His smile warmed her heart.
“Well, then,” Ally whispered close to his lips, “why don’t you just take me home, cowboy?”
* * *
The End
