AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Improbable. He’d be more likely to ruin the life of whoever you wanted to marry before you have a chance to say ‘I do.’”
Her head spun. She hadn’t considered that her father would go after the person she loved.
“You see it, now, too. Your father has a lot of reach in the community. He’s partnered with the Baker’s ranch. He’s got money and land, and he’s not afraid to use force if he has to. He loves each of you so much, that he probably wouldn’t care if he destroyed the lives of anyone in town.”
Constance shook her head. “He’s never mentioned that kind of threat, though.”
“Think about it. If he keeps you from even thinking that romance is a possibility, he doesn’t have to tell you what his real plans would be. With his reach, I would wager that he could even get Shane Owens on board.”
Constance shook her head. “Shane is James’s best friend. He’d never do anything that would hurt James or his reputation.”
Sarah shrugged. “Your brother-in-law is the one training his horses. Your ranch and the Baker’s ranch provide horses. Shane’s business would probably survive, but it would be a headache to deal with if your father cut off access to those things.” She frowned, reaching out to touch Constance’s arm. “I could be wrong. I don’t know your father like you do. But I have seen how much he loves you and I know he wouldn’t give you up without a fight. So it’s not you who would lose everything you held dear. It’d be—”
“James.”
Sarah nodded.
He could lose clients, his business—and probably more than she could comprehend. Constance might not even have a choice in the matter. If James felt like he was drowning, he’d cut ties with the one thing dragging him down.
James would be the one to break up with her.
The realization made her even sicker to her stomach than before. That was it then. She couldn’t fight for the love she’d found—but it wasn’t for her own good, it was for James’s.
21
James
James sat back in his office chair bright and early before anyone had arrived and just reveled in the current state of his life. He set his legs on his desk and crossed them at the ankles, then let out a contented sigh.
His life couldn’t be more perfect than it was at this moment. James had the girl, he was training one heck of a veterinarian, his business was thriving, and he couldn’t think of anything else he wanted in his life.
Okay, there wasonething.
He’d been dating Constance for several months now and there was still no sign that she was willing to stick up for herself and tell her father what she really wanted. How was he supposed to even confess how deep his feelings ran if she wasn’t willing to risk making her father angry in order to be with him.
James was painfully aware that neither one of them had admitted they were in love. It was the hardest thing he had to fight against. When he was younger, those words came so much easier.
With Constance, they meant more. And he wasn’t sure he could tell her how he felt when he didn’t know if they would stay together.
It was ridiculous. They were just three small words. They shouldn’t have the power over him that they did.
Maybe it had been the relationship with Brielle. He’d told her he loved her when they’d been together for a couple weeks. Why couldn’t he get up the courage to tell the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with that what he felt for her surpassed anything he had felt for anyone else?
Because he was a coward.
What if she was waiting on telling her father about their relationship until she knew what they had was stable? He might be the one who had pulled this relationship train to a screeching halt. If he wanted this relationship to work as much as he thought he did, he needed to do something to show it.
It was almost too simple.
His feet dropped to the ground. How could he have been such an idiot? He kept expecting Constance to do something when he needed to take the initiative.
The front door to the clinic opened and swung shut, jostling the bell overhead. He jumped to his feet and hurried toward the doorway.
Chloe gasped, her hand flying to her chest. “What are you doing here so early? Don’t you have rounds to make?”
He shook his head. “The final checkups for the Callahan account and the Owens account happened on Friday. There will be follow-up visits, but those will be here.”
She glanced around the clinic. “Where’s your little protégé?”
