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Her face scrunched up with confusion. “How can you say that? I’ve only known you for a little over a month and even I can tell that you’re one of the good ones.”
Dax’s eyes swung over to lock with hers. He worked his jaw back and forth, then returned his focus to the trail. “Sometimes people make mistakes and they have to live with them.”
His words hit her harder than he probably meant for them to. As much as she knew in her heart that he was referring to himself, she couldn’t help but relate to everything he’d just said.
If her mother could see her now, she wouldn’t be pleased one bit. But then, her mother was always so much more judgmental than any mother ought to be. If she found out about this particularmistake, Sarah wouldn’t put it past her to disown her own daughter. Sarah took a deep breath and shifted in her saddle, shoving down that thought before it could gain a life of its own and live side-by-side with the desire to get closer to Dax.
“Mothers are supposed to love you no matter what.” She said the words softly, not expecting him to hear her, but she’d been wrong.
“She wasn’t my mother, as much as I would have loved to be given the title of her son.” His voice dripped with bitterness. “But yes, I believe you would be right. I think she would have forgiven me if she’d been given the chance. I was an orphan. She raised me to want more.” He gave her a sad smile. “Everything I am wouldn’t have been possible if she hadn’t influenced my life.”
The ache that sliced through her chest was only a drop in the bucket to the ache he must have felt after the only person who cared for him passed. If she could reach across to him and pull him into a hug, she would have.
Silence grew between them, cold, unsure, and palpable. There was nothing she could say to him. What could she offer? She had never lost someone that close to her. And her own mother didn’t seem to share the same characteristics.
Her thoughts continued to spiral as she thought about what he must have struggled through. But they were shattered when he chuckled.
“Why do you look so sad?”
Sarah shot a look in his direction. Heat burst beneath her skin and she tore her gaze away from him. “I’m sorry.”
“Whatever for?”
“For…” She shrugged. “I guess I’m sorry you had to go through that.”
His grin went flat. Great. Had she just offended him? That hadn’t been her intention.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to—”
“Don’t apologize for being human, Sarah. It’s nice to know there’s a human behind the mask you wear.”
She wanted to be insulted by his statement. But as much as the instinct to toss another snarky comment in his direction tempted her, she couldn’t deny that he made a good point. She hadn’t exactly been upfront with him about anything.
Sarah forced a laugh. “Yeah, well, what do you expect when you’re raised different than everyone else?”
She felt his eyes on her, though she refused to meet his gaze. Swallowing hard at the lump in her throat, she fiddled with the reins in her hands and shifted in her seat. “I’m sure you’ve already made a fair number of assumptions about me.” She grimaced and continued. “The reason I’m here is because I was sentenced to community service for some stuff I did a little while back.”
This was it. The moment when he’d demand to know every detail and then judge her for it. That was the reason she’d avoided telling anyone. Because people were innately human and wanted to know the nitty-gritty of everything. When they drove by an accident, they slowed to watch. When flashing lights of cop cars were outside of a building, everyone waited by their windows to watch the officers retrieve the suspect.
She didn’t blame him. But maybe it would finally do some good to get this secret off her chest.
Nothing.
Sarah forced herself to look toward him. “Aren’t you going to say anything? Ask me what crime I committed to be sentenced to working on a ranch?”
He shrugged. “Can’t be anything worse than I did when I was younger.” He gestured toward the fence they came up to. “I’m going to open the gate and you head on in. We just need to inspect the fence perimeter and make sure there isn’t anything that could harm the herd.”
She gaped after him as he hopped from his saddle and pushed open the gate.
Had she seriously built up everything in her head and all for what?
Nothing.
No third degree. No demands. Just understanding.
Dangit.
Why did he have to keep surprising her?
