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“It was already too late. I thought you wouldn’t forgive me.”
Max walked back to me. He squatted, his hand hesitating before touching mine.
“I’m sorry, Anna. I never stopped loving you. Not for a single day.”
His touch sent a wave of warmth through me, softening the edges of my pain. As I looked into Max’s eyes, I realized that the past shouldn’t dictate our future. Although I’d forgiven him, his explanation made me accept him fully.
Now that I knew how much he loved me, I didn’t think he’d been trying to take Harrington Ranch from me. But I still had to ask for the sake of clarity.
“I’ve heard rumors about you wanting to snatch Harrington Ranch from me,” I said with a trembling voice. “Is there any truth to it?”
His expression faltered for a moment. It took three full seconds before he answered.
“No, Anna. I don’t have any intentions like that. I want your ranch to thrive and grow. I have only the best intentions for it.”
His words seemed earnest, but his hesitation before replying made doubt gnaw at me.
“Then why were you talking to Richard Kane at the festival? What were you discussing?”
He tried to draw me closer. Wanting to listen with a clear head, I leaned away and stood. He followed.
“Max, I need honesty. If there is something you’re not telling me, I need to know it now. I can’t keep living in the dark wondering if the rumors are true.”
“Anna, I want to be honest with you. I really do. But there are things from the past that have become complicated. They aren’t easy to explain.”
He moved closer, his presence overwhelming.
“Anna, please,” he implored, his voice tinged with a hint of desperation. “I promise I’ll tell you everything at the right time. Just trust me.”
His plea hung heavily in the air.
Should I trust Max when he refused to reveal his business with Richard Kane? But then, he’d had my best interests at heart when he left for the rodeo and he couldn’t tell. Maybe this situation was similar.
I would give him the benefit of the doubt once more. But not for too long. If he didn’t tell me why he was cozying up to Richard, I’d have to investigate myself.
16
Max
I should have told Anna. I should have explained everything to her.
But I didn’t.
At least I’d told her the truth. I no longer had plans to take over Harrington Ranch. And I needed her to trust me, so I’d find the best way to tell her how I’d wronged her. A way that would ensure she would still forgive me in the end.
That included preparing a romantic dinner for her before explaining everything.
But first, I had to distract Anna from her train of thought.
My hand found hers. Our fingers entwined, sending familiar tingles up my arm. I hoped it was doing the same to her too. She relaxed and looked at me in a way that made me want to give her the whole world. I started tickling her palm playfully, smiling. She laughed, leaning into me.
“Come on. There’s something I want to show you,” I whispered.
I led her through the house, the floorboards creaking under our feet. Once we stepped outside, I took her to a secluded part of the ranch—a clearing with a small pond at the center. It was filled with wildflowers and their intoxicating fragrance.
The moment she saw the flowers, she smiled. She breathed in deeply, closing her eyes.
The moonlight cast a soft glow on her face. Her blonde hair shined in the night. For a second, I wanted to go and embrace her. To feel her warmth.
