Read Online Rangers: Silver-Star Seductions: A Two-Book Box Set by Ciana Stone - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Ciana Stone
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should get on home. A lot to do tomorrow and dinner’s sitting a little heavy.”
“Oh, okay, sure.” Zeb put his beer on the table and stood.
Willa let him take her arm and escort her out to the car. She stared out of the side window for the entire drive, trying to decide what she should do. If she broke it off with Zeb now maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much when he left. Then again, she could just pretend she didn’t know and enjoy the time they had left.
She didn’t think she could do that. She wasn’t good at pretending and there was no way she could fake it. Which meant she had to follow her nature and be honest. But how in heck was she going to do that? She loved him to a fault and she didn’t know if she could break it off.
It wasn’t until he said her name that she realized they’d arrived at her house. She turned to look at him.
“What’s wrong, Willa?”
She shook her head, not trusting her voice and that sent him into motion. He reached for her hand but she pulled it away.
“What is it? Willa, you’re starting to scare me. Has something happened you haven’t told me about? Did someone say something to you tonight or do something to you?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
Willa screwed up her courage as best she could. “I know, Zeb.”
“Know what?”
“I know you’re just here ‘til you can wrangle yourself back into the action in El Paso. I know that the moment you do, you’ll be outta here lickety split. And this time maybe you’ll say goodbye, but you’ll still go and I’ll still be left watching you drive away and knowing that this time you won’t be coming back and –”
“Willa.”
“No. Let me finish. I know it’s coming and it’s what you want but I can’t keep doing … this. Not knowing what’s coming. I just can’t. Better we stop it now.”
He was silent for a long time and when he did speak his words shocked her. “You’re right.”
“I … I am?”
“Yes. I came here not intending to stay one second longer than I had to. This is the last place on earth I wanted to be. But it changed when I got here, Willa. I found something I didn’t expect. Something that gave me a hope that I’ve never had before.”
“Zeb.”
“No, it’s my turn. You deserve the truth. I love you, Willa. I do. And I want to be with you. I don’t like Calder County. There are still too many bad memories. Given the choice I’d head back to El Paso tonight. If you’d come with me.”
“You want me …?”
“Yes. I do.”
Willa had never dreamed such a thing would happen. It was what she wanted more than anything. And what she couldn’t have.
“I wish I could. God do I wish I could. But I can’t Zeb. I … this is my home. There are people here who depend on me, people who call this home. I can’t walk away from it. It’s all I have. All I know.”
“I know, honey. I do. And I want you to be happy. I don’t know the answer but I don’t want you to give up on us. At least let’s try and work this out.”
Had he said he was willing to stay she might have fallen blubbering into his arms. But he hadn’t and she feared that meant he was managing her, giving her just enough to keep her on the hook.
“Okay,” she finally spoke again. “We can do that. Tomorrow. Right now, I’m tired and I just want to crawl in bed and sleep. Thanks for taking me out. It was … nice.”
She started to get out of the car but he took hold of her arm and stayed her. “That sounded like a brush off.”
“I'm sorry. I don’t mean it that way. I … I’m just tired, Zeb. And I need some time. To think. It’d be best if you didn’t stay tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. I am. Good night, Zeb.”
He hesitated a moment then released her and she got out of the car and hurried to the house. She didn’t look back as she let herself in and closed the door. She leaned back against it and listened to the sound of his car until there was silence.
“I know you’re
“Oh, okay, sure.” Zeb put his beer on the table and stood.
Willa let him take her arm and escort her out to the car. She stared out of the side window for the entire drive, trying to decide what she should do. If she broke it off with Zeb now maybe it wouldn’t hurt so much when he left. Then again, she could just pretend she didn’t know and enjoy the time they had left.
She didn’t think she could do that. She wasn’t good at pretending and there was no way she could fake it. Which meant she had to follow her nature and be honest. But how in heck was she going to do that? She loved him to a fault and she didn’t know if she could break it off.
It wasn’t until he said her name that she realized they’d arrived at her house. She turned to look at him.
“What’s wrong, Willa?”
She shook her head, not trusting her voice and that sent him into motion. He reached for her hand but she pulled it away.
“What is it? Willa, you’re starting to scare me. Has something happened you haven’t told me about? Did someone say something to you tonight or do something to you?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
Willa screwed up her courage as best she could. “I know, Zeb.”
“Know what?”
“I know you’re just here ‘til you can wrangle yourself back into the action in El Paso. I know that the moment you do, you’ll be outta here lickety split. And this time maybe you’ll say goodbye, but you’ll still go and I’ll still be left watching you drive away and knowing that this time you won’t be coming back and –”
“Willa.”
“No. Let me finish. I know it’s coming and it’s what you want but I can’t keep doing … this. Not knowing what’s coming. I just can’t. Better we stop it now.”
He was silent for a long time and when he did speak his words shocked her. “You’re right.”
“I … I am?”
“Yes. I came here not intending to stay one second longer than I had to. This is the last place on earth I wanted to be. But it changed when I got here, Willa. I found something I didn’t expect. Something that gave me a hope that I’ve never had before.”
“Zeb.”
“No, it’s my turn. You deserve the truth. I love you, Willa. I do. And I want to be with you. I don’t like Calder County. There are still too many bad memories. Given the choice I’d head back to El Paso tonight. If you’d come with me.”
“You want me …?”
“Yes. I do.”
Willa had never dreamed such a thing would happen. It was what she wanted more than anything. And what she couldn’t have.
“I wish I could. God do I wish I could. But I can’t Zeb. I … this is my home. There are people here who depend on me, people who call this home. I can’t walk away from it. It’s all I have. All I know.”
“I know, honey. I do. And I want you to be happy. I don’t know the answer but I don’t want you to give up on us. At least let’s try and work this out.”
Had he said he was willing to stay she might have fallen blubbering into his arms. But he hadn’t and she feared that meant he was managing her, giving her just enough to keep her on the hook.
“Okay,” she finally spoke again. “We can do that. Tomorrow. Right now, I’m tired and I just want to crawl in bed and sleep. Thanks for taking me out. It was … nice.”
She started to get out of the car but he took hold of her arm and stayed her. “That sounded like a brush off.”
“I'm sorry. I don’t mean it that way. I … I’m just tired, Zeb. And I need some time. To think. It’d be best if you didn’t stay tonight.”
“You sure?”
“Yes. I am. Good night, Zeb.”
He hesitated a moment then released her and she got out of the car and hurried to the house. She didn’t look back as she let herself in and closed the door. She leaned back against it and listened to the sound of his car until there was silence.
“I know you’re
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