Steal Her Heart (Kaid Ranch Shifters #1)(31)

Dallas stood in the yard, still in his boxers, toothpick hanging out of his frown, arms crossed over his chest. Apparently, he had given up manscaping. It looked like he had a full grown animal pelt across his torso. She made her way toward Bryson’s truck, but Dallas called out behind her, “Are you really doing this to me?”

He looked so unfamiliar to her now, and familiar all at once. Same striking eyes, same haircut, same disapproving furrow in his brow. Only this time, that frown didn’t make her want to please him anymore. She didn’t want to try to make him smile, or roll over and give into whatever upset him.

Instead, she felt pity for him.

“Yes, Dallas, I really am,” she said. “I’m pretty sure I could’ve asked you that when you left me for this place. For her.”

“You didn’t though, did you? You acted like it was no big deal. You just swept my leaving under the rug and moved on.”

Maris huffed a laugh. “Oh, my gosh,” she murmured. “You’re unbelievable.”

“What does that mean?”

“You were wrong. You get that, right? You hurt another person. Someone you were supposed to take care of. And I never realized at the time how manipulative you were, or how much damage you were causing me because I loved you so damn much. But now? It’s easy to see what you’re doing. You’re going to guilt me for dealing with my heartbreak quietly? Really? Because I didn’t throw public tantrums and cry in the street, you’ll try and make me feel bad for how I handled our split? You. Chose. Someone. Else. You don’t have a say in how I handled it.”

“Everything fell apart after—”

“Nope. You have a nice life, Dallas. Your problems aren’t my problems anymore.”

“Look, Maris, I—”

“I forgive you.” Dallas’s eyes got wide and Maris straightened her spine, lifted her chin and repeated it, “I forgive you.” Felt so good to utter those three words. She’d always thought I love you was the most rewarding three-word combination in the world, but no. It was this. I. Forgive. You. “Not for you, Dallas,” she explained. “I forgive you for me. Because I deserve better than for you to have power over me. For you to make me bitter. You don’t matter that much. I’ll never forget how you threw me away and made me feel like dirt, but I forgive you for moving on. Someone told me recently you did me a favor with your betrayal.” She swallowed hard and nodded. “He was right.” Maris turned and walked away. It was easy to do. Soooo easy. She’d never thought she would get him out of her head, but she had. She really had. He was behind her now, and ahead of her, someone tall, tattooed, nice to her, and caring was standing by a big black truck, smiling at her from under that cowboy hat of his. With that pride.

And she was happy.

Truly happy.

She’d never thought she’d be able to do this again—feel safe to trust her heart with another man, but it was happening.

Dallas didn’t have power over her anymore. Forgiveness took power away.

She’d been standing still for so long, wishing she had the strength to move forward, but her heart had grown stagnant and quiet.

Not anymore.

Now, Maris was free.

Not because of the man of her past, or even the man of her future, but because she chose to free herself.





Chapter Fifteen


She waited for him.

This was her favorite time of day. He was working a day shift at the Kaid Brother’s Ranch. They’d given him some of his work back. And at nights, he came here. Same time every day, he rode his blue roan, Smoke, right up to her porch and talked to her for a few minutes before he went to stand sentinel over the herd for the night.

She was sitting on the porch steps when she saw him from a distance. Sittin’ tall in the saddle, one hand on the reins, one relaxed against his powerful thigh. His hat was pulled low over his eyes, but she could see his white smile in the waning evening light.

Why was she nervous tonight? It had been three days since he and the Kaids had helped her get her equipment back. Her ankle was all but healed, just a little weak. The wolves had disappeared without a trace and weren’t marking the territory anymore. And Bryson…well, he was the steadiest part of her life now. He barely slept, making sure the herd was safe and the wolves were really gone. But tonight? Tonight, she felt brave. She felt ready, but there was this lingering fear of rejection after that big hurt.

He pulled Smoke right up to the porch and leaned on the saddle horn, then jerked his chin toward the brown sack sitting next to her. “You got me a present?”

Her cheeks went to heating up, and she ducked her gaze, focused on Smoke’s dark hooves as she said, “It’s homemade beef stew and some cornbread muffins. Put a beer in there for you, too.” And a little note about how much he meant to her, but he didn’t need to know that until later when she wasn’t around to be embarrassed about writing a cute boy a note like some lovestruck schoolgirl.

He cast his attention to the horizon over the big pasture. “Sun’s settin’. You wanna watch it with me?”

Her heart pounded in her chest, and rage, rage, rage went the butterflies. How could a man affect her so much with so few words?

“Yes,” she murmured.

His eyes were that striking gold when he looked back at her. “I got you a present, too.”