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The corner of his mouth turned down as he crossed the room and settled on the bed. Scrubbing his face with his hands, something was eating away at him. I had seen it after his ride and again throughout dinner.
“Bryce what’s really bothering you?”
Peering over his hands, his shoulders slumped. The long exhale wasn’t a good sign.
“Gigi hated doing shit like this. It doesn’t happen often but she couldn’t stand spending time with me if it wasn’t for a photo opportunity. I just don’t want you to feel like you have to say yes Hannah. To anything I ask you.”
As he spoke all I could think was that it was a gigantic relief. From what I saw of their relationship they were head over heels in love. Now Nicole's statement about not believing what I saw on social media made sense.
His personal page had no photos of them. It was all the farm and a few of him riding. My personal favorites were him with his nieces and nephews. Those kids adored him. They had been around the farm a few times and all I heard were complaints that uncle Bryce wasn’t around.
“Bryce, I wanted to come. Honestly, it’s nice that you even care about what I want. That’s new for me.”
The shift of his position drew our eyes together. He was the first guy I had been with that had cared enough to ask what I wanted. Most assumed I would be okay with whatever they picked. Not that they cared if I voiced my opinion anyway.
“Darlin, I’m sorry I made you wait two years to know what life should have been. I’m such an idiot.”
“I don’t think our lives would be what they are if you kissed me back then. Back then, I was a mess. I certainly wasn’t ready for someone like you.”
The way his face contorted made me second guess my choice of words. I did not mean it as an insult. Bryce was the kindest, most loving guy I had ever met. His love for his family and riding was unsurpassed by anything I had ever seen before in all my life.Stumbling over my words to try to fix what I said my voice rose with each word.
“I mean someone with such a big heart. Someone who thinks of others first. Most guys I was with it was all about how I could make them look. Going to the gym or starting a diet so that I didn’t look like…” I trailed off looking down at my body. Something that Bryce didn’t seem to care about but still ate away at me. I had lost some of my unwanted weight over the last two years but not nearly as much as I needed to. His gaze raked over me as he stood and crossed the room. A determination in his eyes that I only ever saw right before he got on a bull.
“Beautiful? Ravishing? Delicious? Like the most amazing woman I have ever laid my eyes on? That’s what you were going to say is it not Hannah? Because if that’s not the first thing that comes out of your mouth about yourself then I have a lot of work to do.”
His words still made my stomach clench as my eyes dropped from his. I wanted to believe him, to think that he really saw me that way. As his hands grasped my hips he pulled me in closer to him. Our chests barely touching as he placed a chaste kiss upon my lips.
“Don’t bother denying it Hannah. I’ll spend the rest of my life proving it to you if that’s what it takes.”
My breathing hitched at his admission. Nicole’s words flashed in my mind from that first day at the rodeo.
“Hannah you know me. I’ve always been so damn independent but that boy right there. He’s a true cowboy. I thought his mama was kidding the first time I met her she told me if I managed to wrangle him I better be prepared.”
Prepared for what, I thought to myself. She must have seen the questions written on my face as she continued.
“They have so much respect for their woman it’s insane. Once you have their heart, they stop at nothing to protect you and show you how special you are. They will love you fiercely and unconditionally until the day they die. Damn if that woman wasn’t right.”
It was insane. We had only been together for two weeks. There was no way that he was already that in love with me. That he would have that strong of feelings for me. Right?
Chapter Sixteen
Bryce
When guys would say they had a lucky charm, I thought they were a few whiskeys in. Then Hannah came into my life and I realized what they had been gloating about. She was everything I could have dreamed of and more. That girl made me forget about the bad in my life and only want to focus on my future. A future that involved her having my last name.
It was insane. I had always assumed I would grow old on the farm. The cool uncle who never met a girl and was just a permanent fixture around the place. Jumping on that bull during my vacation may have been dangerous and it may have been irresponsible but every decision I had made that day led me here.
Hannah was still sleeping peacefully in my hotel bed and I didn’t want to wake her. We had spent hours talking last night. Hours of me skirting around things like my parents and growing up. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to tell her about my life. I wanted her to be a part of everything with me but I knew how she would look at me. The minute someone heard about my parents' accident and everything that followed their posture would shift. Eyes would soften and the classic I can’t believe you went through all that you poor baby behavior would start.
My entire family handled me with kid gloves my whole life. Not that I didn’t use it to my advantage. Working in the shop and helping in the barns with the animals instead of out on the tractors was part of that. When Lilly came around,I started watching her daughter, Molly, when she needed a hand. It wasn’t often since she rarely asked for help. When I went over to help she always found a way to get me to talk about myself. She was the first person since Kelly that I opened up to.
Hannah rolled over, stretching her arms over her head. Watching as her eyes slowly adjusted to the sunlight coming through the curtains she smiled.
“Morning.” Her voice was coated in a sleepy husk that I found so adorable I couldn’t help but smile.
“Mornin’ darlin. Sleep well?”
She nodded. How was it possible for her to be this beautiful after just waking up? I was in over my head with her. No one had ever made me feel like she did.
