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Based on Sarah’s past experience with losing someone in an accident where a drunk driver was at fault, he wasn’t so sure he could tell her that part of his life.
Dax swallowed hard and headed toward Sarah, his hands deep in his pockets and tightly clenched. He’d already resigned himself not to tell her about the accident. Sure, one day he’d tell her about the meetings, but that would be the extent of his confessions.
Sarah grinned at him as he neared. “Did you see that? She’s getting sogood.”
He patted the horse down her back, letting his hand trail along the animal’s spine. “She has a good trainer.”
She beamed, her cheeks filling with color at his compliment. “You’re just saying that because you like me.”
Dax folded his arms and rested them on the horse’s back. He grinned at her, still fighting off the thoughts that swirled in his head over those secrets he’d kept from her so far. “Maybe it’s more than that.”
Her head popped up and she gazed at him with uncertainty.
Lowering his voice, Dax forced his focus on her to remain consistent. He didn’t want her to have any doubt in her mind about how he felt. “Maybe it’s love.”
A lot of things could have happened in that moment. She could have said she loved him back. Or she might have told him that she appreciated the sentiment, but she wasn’t ready to say it back. Instead, she laughed.
Sarah actually laughed at him. Her head tossed back, and she let out a sweet but heart-wrenching sound that brought him back to the days when he was a bumbling middle school kid with his first crush.
But then her eyes found his and turned solemn. “Oh, you’re serious.”
Dax wandered around the animal, closing the distance between himself and Sarah. “Of course I’m serious. Why wouldn’t I be?”
She glanced away. He should probably be grateful that she didn’t step back from him and turn to run for the hills.
Reaching for her hands, he held them tightly in his own. “I’ve been trying to come up with a way to explain how I feel about you. The only thing I’ve been able to come up with is that… I might be in love.” She absolutely looked like one of those woodland creatures in the middle of the road on a cold night about to be hit by a moving truck.
An ache shot through him, starting in his gut and ricocheting through his body until it nestled into his heart. She didn’t feel the same. At least not yet. At this point he wasn’t about to draw attention to his realization. She might need time to process this.
So instead of making her respond, he released her hands and pulled her close for a hug. Dax rested his chin on her head and fought all the feelings of inadequacy and the returning trauma from when he’d had strong feelings for Brielle and the way that had turned out. Sarah wasn’t Bri. She was her own unique person, and when she figured out what she wanted, she’d tell him. He just had to have faith.
He’d done what Brielle had recommended. He’d told Sarah how he felt about her, and that was what mattered. After a brief hug, Dax released Sarah and reached for the yearling’s reins. “The day is about over. I’ll finish up with this one. You can take the rest of the evening off.”
Dax guided the horse toward the gate, not looking back.
And that had to have been the hardest thing he’d done to date. He’d jumped the gun and told her before he’d given it much thought himself.
No, he wasn’t wrong. He knew he loved her. He was absolutely in love with Sarah Newton, and he didn’t have any regret over telling her.
Okay, maybe he had alittleregret. But not enough to wish he could turn back the clock. She needed to know, and he was glad she did.
23
Sarah
Sarah blinked, watching with her mouth hanging open as Dax wandered toward the barn. To say she was stunned was an understatement. Neither one of them had bothered to label their feelings for the other.
What had happened to doing things the easy way?
Dax couldn’t just drop a bomb like that and walk away.
And yet that was exactly what he’d done.
Her head was still reeling, and she didn’t know what she should do. She could chase after him and make him admit he was teasing her. Because that’s what this felt like. He was making fun of her for some reason only he knew.
Unless he wasn’t.
Her stomach knotted in an almost pleasant way. She hadn’t even thought about what it might mean to be loved by a guy like Dax. A future with him had been the furthest thing on her mind. But the more she lingered on his words, the more she grew to like them.
