“But I can live there while they’re doing it,” Chloe said hastily. She couldn’t stay in the same house as Gabe. Admittedly, it was a huge home, but she was bound to end up spending a lot of time with its owner, and that could be dangerous. She was way too attracted to him; she was still vulnerable and she could very easily get addicted to his company.
He shook his head as he pulled off her sneakers like it was the natural thing to do. “They’re doing everything: carpet, paint, flooring, and new furnishings. The place is gutted at the moment.”
“You don’t have another place—”
He placed a finger over her lips gently, silencing her. “Don’t argue, Chloe. There’s plenty of room for you here. Now take a nap. You can tour the ranch later.”
She was tired, and the bed beneath her felt divine. The pillow was soft beneath her head, and she loved the feel of the fine cotton. “We need to talk about this arrangement,” she warned with a yawn.
“Darlin’, right now, you don’t look like you’re in any shape to argue about anything,” he drawled with a small grin.
She smiled back at him weakly. “It’s been kind of a rough few weeks.” Ever since she’d broken off her engagement, she’d constantly been trying to avoid James. She hadn’t answered his calls, and he’d followed her home from work every day, but he’d stopped once she entered Colter property. So far, she’d outmaneuvered him every time he’d tried to confront her, desperately hoping he’d eventually give up and realize there was nothing more to say.
She was done, and nothing he had to say was going to make a damn bit of difference.
“You’re safe now, Chloe. Trust me,” Gabe said emphatically as he placed his lips on her forehead and kissed her like she was important to him.
Trust? I’m not sure I’m ready to trust any man completely again except my brothers.
Yet, she wanted to believe in Gabe. Honestly, she probably already did since she’d poured her heart out to him. She just wasn’t ready to voice it yet.
“I know I’m safe,” she answered cautiously. “Thank you.”
Chloe felt the mattress shift as Chase hopped onto the bed with her. She smiled as the furry body plopped right next to her and he put his head on her belly. Running her hands over his fur, she laughed as his canine body quivered in ecstasy.
“Chase. Down,” Gabe bellowed.
“He’s okay. Is he allowed on the furniture?” She adored affectionate dogs.
“Most of it,” Gabe admitted reluctantly. “He likes to be wherever I am. I guess he’s switching loyalties.”
“I was crying. Maybe he senses that I’m sad right now,” Chloe mused, continuing to stroke the dog’s silky fur.
“Are you still sad?” Gabe asked in a husky voice.
Chloe paused for a moment before answering. “No. I think I’m going to be okay.”
“I know you will,” Gabe answered confidently. “Now rest for a while. We can see the ranch when you’re feeling better.”
He turned and left the room, closing the door quietly behind him.
Chloe gently removed Chase’s head from her stomach and rolled over, hugging the pillow as she laid her head back down. The dog settled beside her.
She tried to wrap her confused mind around everything that had occurred in the last week or so, but her brain was on overload.
Finally, she gave up and drifted off to sleep.
It took Gabe several days to let Chloe leave the house, and a few more to allow her a tour of his property. She finally started getting antsy. Her confusion had given way to grief, and finally to acceptance. It was impossible to change what had happened in the past, but she had her entire future in front of her.
Chloe wanted to experience all of the things she’d denied herself, live a life free of fear and guilt. “I want to see the ranch now,” she told Gabe calmly.
They were seated for breakfast, both of them finished and lingering over coffee, which had become their habit over the last few days. Gabe had a cook who came in for breakfast and dinner, and a crew who came in weekly to clean and do laundry. She assumed he usually skipped lunch, but he’d made certain to make them a sandwich or something simple around noon.
So far, he hadn’t let her lift a damn finger to help.
Chloe couldn’t say all of the time had been wasted. She’d been with Gabe every day, going over each one of the horses on the farm, their pedigree, his breeding techniques and his plans. It wasn’t a commercial breeding ranch, or even close. Gabe bred the best to the best for various purposes. One thing that made his ranch unique was that he didn’t have to worry about making large profits. When a guy was one of the richest men in the world, he could afford to do something just because he loved it. He could sustain breaking even for as long as he needed to keep breeding his best horses to other phenomenal horses to produce outstanding foals. His horses were in demand, but he was picky about who he sold to.
One of the things she’d come to admire about Gabe was that his ranch was his passion, not his business.
“I don’t think you’re ready,” he told her stubbornly.
She’d heard those exact same words every morning for the last five days.
“I’m ready. I feel better than I ever have, and I just got checked yesterday. The doctor said I can resume all normal activity,” she argued, loving his protectiveness and also resenting it just a little. “I can’t sit around anymore, Gabe. I’m bored. I’ve busted my ass to get through school for over ten years. I’m not used to being idle, and I don’t like it.”