The Rancher's Redemption

Would he be pleased to see her? Or would he have retreated back to that place where she couldn’t reach him?

Even as she pondered her next move, Adam came out of the barn and looked over at her car. His slow smile did something weird to her heart, making her gulp in air as he approached her vehicle.

“Hey.”

She scrambled to get out of the car. “Hey, yourself. Did Yvonne text you?”

“She did, but I’d already heard from Rio and Ines.” He paused. “What brings you out here?”

Lizzie’s smile faltered. “Don’t worry. I’m not stalking you or anything. Yvonne can’t get here until three. I offered to give the house a quick clean and guessed that Ines might need something for dinner, so I brought her lasagna.” She went around to the trunk of her car, avoiding where he was standing, and opened it with a jerk. “There’s no need to hang around. I won’t get in your way.”

“Lizzie.”

She avoided his gaze as she struggled to get a hold of the largest of the boxes. A second later, he’d whisked it out of her grasp and was walking toward the house. She grabbed the remaining items and followed him inside, putting everything down on the kitchen table. She turned and collided with a wall of warm, muscled man, and had to grab hold of his T-shirt.

He bent his head and kissed her with a thoroughness that made her go all quiet inside. When he finally raised his head, he framed her face with his large hands and looked down at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“You didn’t look particularly pleased to see me,” Lizzie blurted out.

“I was just surprised.” He leaned in to kiss her throat, making her shiver as his teeth grazed her skin. “I was going to text you to see if you’d like to come out and help. I thought you’d think I was being too pushy. That you’d probably be sick of the sight of me.”

“Pushy?” Lizzie queried. “If there is an opposite of pushy that would be you. I was worried that you’d changed your mind about being with me at all.”

“I’m not a stupid, grieving twenty-one-year-old anymore, and I’m not planning on going anywhere.” Adam cleared his throat. “I’d like you to believe that.”

“I’m just . . . not used to guys choosing to hang around,” Lizzie confessed.

“I can see why.” Adam gathered her close again. “How about we promise to try and keep talking to each other like reasonable human beings? I’m going to say stupid shit sometimes, and maybe you will, too, but if we’re communicating. . . ? We can sort it out.”

“I’d like that,” Lizzie agreed.

“Then problem solved.” He kissed her nose. “I’ve got to get on. Rio said he’s about an hour away.”

* * *

Adam lifted Carlos out of the back of Rio’s truck and smiled down at him. Even swaddled in blankets, the man barely weighed more than Roman. His face had sunk in on itself, revealing high cheekbones under the tautness of his skin.

“Nearly home,” Adam said.

“Graças a Deus,” Carlos whispered. “Thank God.”

“Do you want to go straight to bed? Or do you want to sit in your chair?” Adam asked as he bent his head to get through the door.

“Bed, please. I’m exhausted.” Carlos tried to smile at Ines, Rio, and Lizzie who had gathered around him. “Obrigado.”

Rio patted his shoulder. “Va com Deus, my friend. Take care. I’ll speak to you when you feel more up to it.”

Ines went ahead of Adam to open the door into the bedroom. “You can put him here. Lizzie said she changed the sheets.”

Adam gently set Carlos down, helped Ines arrange the pillows behind his head, and pulled up the cotton sheet. The older man was already half asleep when they tiptoed out of the room.

“Thank you.” Ines patted Adam’s arm. “Everyone is being so kind.”

“Carlos deserves it.”

Adam walked back into the kitchen where Rio and Lizzie were sitting at the table having coffee. Rio immediately stood up and for the first time Adam really took in that he was wearing a smart, probably custom-made suit, and well-polished shoes. He looked like an all-high-powered businessman, nothing like a world champion bull rider.