“Are you busy?”Her cheeks were red—likely from the cold this time.
He shrugged.Whatever this was, he wasn’t sure how to act.Seeing her and not being able to hold her close hurt like hell.
“You’re not talking to me?”She stepped inside the barn.“That’s okay.I’ll talk and you can listen.”
“I’m working.”He tugged off his leather gloves and hung them over his belt.“It’d be better if you called later.”He crossed the hay-covered barn floor and pulled his canteen off the hook on the wall.
He took a long sip, hoping he’d turn around and she’d be gone.
She wasn’t.“I wanted to do this face-to-face.”
Do what?Part of him wanted to hear her out, the other part was already bracing for what was to come.He cleared his throat.“I thought you said there was nothing left for us to talk about?”
“I did but you kept on talking anyway.”She marched directly at him.“Now it’s my turn.”
“Maggie.No.”His patience was hanging on by a thread and his voice was harsh.“This was the one place where I haven’t made memories with you.This was it.When I’m here, I can forget.But now you’re here…” He shook hishead.“Forget it.Go on.”He made the mistake of looking at her.“Why are you looking at me like that?”He took a step in her direction.“What’s wrong?”
She was struggling, he could tell.In the span of a minute, damn near every emotion had played across her face.
“Maggie… I’m sorry I snapped at you.What can I do?”Heartbroken or not, if she needed him, he’d be there.
“You’d help me?”She took one step toward him, then another.
He nodded, his throat tightening.“I told you I would.Always.”
“I know.”She nodded.“I want you to understand.I—I made a promise to a young mother, Angelique, a long time ago.She was dying from measles.She was a good mother.She’d made sure her three little girls were vaccinated but she wouldn’t get inoculated.There were too many kids in line.”
Fool that he was, he wanted to reach for her hand.“What did you promise her?”He clenched his hands at his sides.
“That I’d always fight for the people who couldn’t fight for themselves.That I’d be a voice for all the women like her—and their children.She held on until I promised her, Braden.Then she died in my arms.”
Everything fell into place then.All of it.Why she was so torn but couldn’t walk away or let go.Damn but he wanted pulled her into his arms.“That’s why you hold on so tight.”
She nodded.“I thought I was doing what she asked but…you made me question that.”
He felt like an ass.“I never meant to—”
“No, Braden.It’s a good thing.Idosee things as black or white.I did.And I was so wrong.I can do what I promised and stay right here.”Her green eyes swept over his face.
He couldn’t squash the flare of hope her words stirred.“How?”
“A different role in the company.I’m the best at what I do so I should be the one training everyone else.There might be one or two weeks a year that I train in the field but that’s it.”And she looked so damn happy about it.
He found himself smiling, too.“Your company agreed to this?You already worked this out?”He shoved his hands into his pockets.For the first time that day, he was cold.
“I talked to Opal for hours.She’s agreed and she’s really excited.I am, too.”There were tears in her eyes as she stared up at him.“I’d never have thought about it if you hadn’t said…everything.If you hadn’t made me stop long enough to ask myself what I wanted and what it would take to get there.”She kept on smiling at him.“So, I wanted to thank you for that.For helping me think outside the box.”
“I guess one good thing came out of that day.”He forced a smile.“That’s something.”
“More than one good thing.”A tear spilled over, slipping over her cheek.“Cody, too.”
“I tried my best, Maggie.”He ran a hand over his face.“Cody was hurting.You were hurting.I wanted to help, Maggie.Because I…care.”
“Youdidhelp.Thank you, Braden.”She shook her head, more tears flowing.“It’s my turn to apologize.When we met, you asked me for help.You said you had a lot to learn about parenting—that you didn’t know what you were doing.”She laughed softly.“Now I’m asking you for help.I have a lot to learn when it comes to loving someone.I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Braden let her take his hand, unwilling to process what she was saying.
She squeezed his hands.“You said you’d wait for me.Well, I don’t want to wait—either of us.I love you, Braden.But I want to love like you do.I’m ready to risk everything for love, if I can love you.If I’m still lucky enough to have your love?”
