The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

by Sara Orwig

  She dressed in jeans, a red knit shirt and boots. When she stepped into the hall he was waiting. He crossed the hall to her and put his hands on her shoulders. “I don’t want you to go. Meg, I want you to stay. At least stay tonight.”

  A knot formed in her throat and she took a deep breath. A longing to say yes tore at her and she hurt. “I can’t stay with you. I’ll fall in love, and that would just mean heartbreak because you won’t want any kind of real commitment. Even if you did, I can’t live with your lifestyle.”

  His jaw firmed and a cold look filled his eyes. “Dammit, Meg. I’m me. I love my life and doing the things I do. I make a lot of money raising and breeding and selling those rodeo bulls and my cattle. I fly often. I like fast cars. I live and enjoy life.”

  “Oh, Gabe,” she cried, throwing her arms around his neck and crying, sobbing in his arms as he embraced her and held her close. When she could, she stopped and raised her head, telling him the words she never thought she’d speak to him.

  “I’m probably already in love with you. But I know I don’t love the way you live. I can’t deal with it. I don’t want to fall in love or be in love with someone who will be killed doing something wild and unnecessary like my brother was. It hurts too badly to lose someone you love, and you’ve been a part of my life since I was little. I couldn’t bear it if something happened to you. And I don’t want to be afraid every time you leave the house.”

  No matter how much she hurt and couldn’t stop crying, she couldn’t move in with him. She had to walk away, for all those reasons.

  Looking grim, he wrapped his arms around her and held her while she clung to him and cried. When she finally managed to get control, she wiped her eyes and looked up at him. “I guess there isn’t much else to say.”

  “I can’t change completely, Meg. I’m me and I have to stay that way.”

  “I can’t change either, Gabe.”

  “Is this our first fight?” he asked. She guessed he was trying to lighten the moment, but a muscle worked in his jaw and his blue eyes had darkened. While she knew he was hurt and angry, she couldn’t move in with him. She hurt now, but it would be nothing compared to moving in with him and then having to say goodbye when she left—or when something terrible happened to him.

  “It might be our first fight,” she replied, but she couldn’t smile because she hurt too badly. “We never fought as kids. You were always my best friend and I guess you still are.”

  “Good luck, Meg. I’ll miss you more than you can possibly imagine.”

  “I’ll have to get the rest of my things from your ranch. I’ll do that soon, or you bring them to Dallas and I’ll pick them up here.” She looked up at him. “Thank you, Gabe, for my beautiful necklace. Thank you for everything you did.”

  “I told you, I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. We’ve known each other forever, but in some ways, you’re new in my life.” He took her hand. “If you can change your mind, I’m here. Call me anytime, because you’ll always be welcome back.”

  “Thank you, Gabe.” She stood on tiptoe to kiss him and he held her tightly, leaning over her and kissing her until she was ready to head back to the bedroom with him. But she knew she had to go.

  She hurt all over and was icy cold, shivering, hating every step she took away from him, but she couldn’t change how she felt and neither could he.

  He watched her drive away and with every bit of distance, she felt as if she was losing a chunk of her heart. She saw him in the rearview mirror as she went down his drive. He stood with his hands on his hips watching her go. She had fallen in love with him and she was leaving her heart behind. How long would it take to get over him? She wondered if she’d ever get over him because she felt as if he was the man she would love the rest of her life.

  Tears filled her eyes and fell on her cheeks. She wanted to be in his arms, in his bed. She wanted his cheer and his laughter and his fun. She wanted his friendship that had always been so important to her.

  It was over and she would just have to get over him someway. If she thought about all the wild things he did, maybe she wouldn’t miss him so much.

  She drove home, called the office to tell them she wouldn’t be in and then threw herself on the bed, hugging both brown bears as she cried.

  * * *

  Gabe watched Meg drive away and he felt as if he was losing something important in his life. He liked women, had affairs, broke up, said goodbye, remained friends—all of that. But he hadn’t ever hurt when he had said goodbye. Not once in his life. And he’d definitely never hurt like he did now.

  It was ridiculous. How could she mean that much to him and make him want to be with her? Sometimes she was pure trouble. She didn’t like his lifestyle. She was scared of his bulls, scared of his bull riding. She didn’t like his fast car and she couldn’t bear his motorcycle. Why in the world would he miss her?

  She was his best friend in a lot of ways, but he had brothers, a half brother, other best friends. Meg had him in knots half the time. He had assumed she was bringing trouble to his doorstep the first day she showed up and he had been right. His life hadn’t been the same since and it wasn’t going to swing back to the peace and quiet he’d had before she arrived.

  Could it be—

  No, he couldn’t be in love. He stared down his driveway. He could still see her driving away and it hurt to watch her go.

  If she had captured his heart, what the hell would he do about it? He turned and walked back into his house that seemed silent and lifeless. He had never felt that way about his home, either. It was as if she had sailed into his life, turned it upside down, stolen his heart, melted him in bed and then driven right out of his life again, leaving him in shambles and feeling empty and lost.

  “Dammit, Meg,” he said, frowning. He was going to the ranch, would get her big bag and bring it back here for her to pick up. Maybe he would see her again when she picked it up. Maybe he could even get her to stay for a while.

  That thought wasn’t at all like him. What the hell had she done to him?

  He refused to believe he could be in love with her. That would just be another disaster in his life caused by Meg. He didn’t want to give up his way of life, his fun car, his planes. Speaking of his planes... He called to get one ready. Instead of driving to the ranch, he’d fly—and try to get her out of his system. He’d lived without her for years. Surely he could do so again.

  “Oh, right,” he said aloud. That was before they had kissed or gone to bed together. Her kisses were the most dazzling, bone-melting, instantly arousing kisses ever. And making love with her was the best.

  Are you sure you’re not in love with her?

  “No!” he said emphatically. At least, he hoped to hell he wasn’t. If he was in love—heaven forbid—she’d wreck his life. And she wouldn’t ever marry him because of the way he lived. He’d managed to live his entire life and not once fall in love. His first time couldn’t—wouldn’t—be with Meg. That would be disastrous. Sort of. He thought again about kissing her and making love and in minutes he was hard and wanting her.

  If this was love, then love was hell.

  He nearly ripped off his clothes and changed, then closed up his house.

  If he wanted Meg in his life permanently, he’d have to get rid of his bulls—a fine living there. He’d also have to ditch his planes—she didn’t know he had two—also ditch his fast car and his Harley. If he married her, which was impossible, she probably wouldn’t want him to go out in the rain or snow.

  “Damn,” he said aloud. It wasn’t really living if you were scared of your own shadow. He knew her feelings were 90 percent because of losing her brother, but Hank wouldn’t have wanted her to go through life scared of a lot of things.

  Gabe got into his car to go to the airport and fly to his ranch. He was going to get her out of his life
, out of his thoughts. He just couldn’t be in love. Even if she accepted his lifestyle—which she never would—he didn’t want to be tied down. That would mean the same woman for the rest of his life. He thought about Meg being with him all the time, in his bed every night, and he broke out in a sweat again.

  He swore again as he got out his phone to call her, changed his mind and put it away. They had said goodbye and he was going to leave it that way.

  He should have barricaded himself in his house the day he saw her coming up his drive to ask for his help.

  Since he hadn’t done that, he’d think about other women who could cure him of Meg. Mentally he ran through a list of beauties he’d been interested in. That lasted about thirty seconds before Meg returned to his thoughts. He remembered how she had looked when she had opened the door and he had faced a stunning blonde that he hadn’t even recognized. He groaned, and wondered if she had changed his life irrevocably. He looked down at his speedometer and took his foot off the gas. He was going faster than even he thought his car should be driven.

  He needed to get a grip and stop thinking about her. Even if he was in love, it couldn’t be serious and she would fade into the background soon. She had to, because right now his life was hell without her.

  * * *

  Meg tried everything. She threw herself into her business, working harder and longer in order to be so exhausted she would sleep at night instead of lying awake thinking about Gabe. But that didn’t work. She missed him. Without him, she felt a huge void in her life. She was beginning to think she wasn’t ever going to get over him.

  He had called and told her he had her bag at his Dallas home. But she had appointments and schedules to keep, customers who wanted landscaping plans, and she hadn’t picked up the bag yet.

  She was trying to forget him while at the same time she wanted to see him again. But she felt that when she went to get her bag it would be the last time she would see Gabe, and she couldn’t face that.

  She looked at the picture a friend had sent her, the one she’d shoved into a pile on her desk. It was a picture of Gabe in the restaurant on his knee, proposing to her.

  The picture made her laugh, but it also made her long to be with him and remember all the fun they’d had together, plus the hot sex. Just thinking about that made her want his strong arms around her. She threw the photo into the desk drawer.

  After he called twice about her bag, offering to bring it to her, she decided she should go get it. She made arrangements to take time from the office, called Gabe and finally set a time to pick it up on Wednesday. It had been a week since she had last seen him but it seemed as if it had been months.

  Wednesday morning, she wound up his drive to his Dallas house and saw him waiting on the porch for her arrival. He was in a white shirt without a tie, charcoal slacks and his black boots. Her pulse sped up as he came out to meet her.

  “Hi, come in. You don’t have to grab your stuff and go. Let’s have coffee and you can tell me what’s happening.”

  She wanted to decline the invitation, until she looked into his blue eyes and started tingling all over. Then she followed him inside.

  “Nothing’s happening, really,” she said. “I’ve been busy with yards and pools, landscaping.” She shrugged.

  She wasn’t sure how much he heard because his gaze was glued to her mouth. “I’ve missed you like hell,” he said.

  “I missed you, Gabe,” she whispered, fighting the urge to throw her arms around him. He looked incredible with locks of his black hair falling on his forehead, a shadow of stubble on his jaw. The sight of him made her heart race.

  “We wouldn’t have any kind of future together, would we?”

  His question hurt because it just emphasized their differences. She shook her head. “No, because I still can’t take your lifestyle,” she said, thinking about her brother’s needless death, “and I know you can’t give it up.” They stared at each other in silence for a moment and she felt her heart break once again because there was no hope for a future together.

  “Ah, Meg, come here,” he said.

  Her heart thudded while she walked into his arms eagerly and raised her face for his kiss. It felt like coming home.

  It took a few moments before she realized her phone was buzzing in her pocket.

  “Gabe, wait,” she said. “My phone.” She pulled it out and frowned. “It’s my dad, and he doesn’t call when I’m at work, which is where he thinks I am. I better take it.”

  She walked away and talked softly and in minutes returned. “Gabe, I have to go right now. Last week my grandfather fell and he broke his arm and two ribs. The doctors in Colorado said he could travel. My parents want to bring him back here where all his doctors are. Dad and Mom are leaving to go get him as soon as they can get ready. I told them I’d go with them. Mom doesn’t like highway driving and it’s stormy all through western Kansas and into Colorado.”

  “Meg, let me fly all of you there. My plane is big enough to get him and bring him back here. Where in Colorado?”

  “It’s Colorado Springs. But we can’t go in your plane.”

  “Yes, you can. It’ll be easier on him and save at least a day of driving. All of you can go. My plane isn’t little until you compare it with a Boeing 747.”

  “I can’t do that, Gabe. I can’t fly.” Already she could feel her heart pounding, just at the thought.

  He must have seen the fear in her eyes because he nodded. “You don’t have to go. Your folks can come with me. Let me call the airport and get some information and get things ready.”

  She frowned, staring at him. She didn’t want to fly and she didn’t want to risk her family, either. On the other hand, Gabe was right. It would be easier on all of them.

  In a few minutes, Gabe returned. “The weather is stormy, but it’s okay to fly. The plane will be ready shortly. I’m flying and I have a copilot who works for me. He’ll meet me at the airport. Call your folks and tell them I have a limo to take us to the airport. They won’t object to flying with me, will they? If they do, let me talk to your dad.”

  “I’ll call and you can talk to Dad.” In minutes she handed the phone to Gabe and walked away as he began to tell her father about his pilot qualifications. She stood by a window. It was sunny and a clear day without wind in Dallas. How far could they go before they hit stormy weather? She wound her fingers together and dreaded the flight, but made her decision. She wanted to go along.

  Gabe turned to her and held out her phone. “Your folks are going. As soon as the limo gets here, I’ll leave and pick them up.” Gabe walked to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. “You don’t have to go, Meg, but there’s something you need to know. You’re too vibrant to go through life being afraid. Life is full of risks, but some are bigger than others. You have to take some risks. You do when you go to work. You do when you fall in love.” He dropped his hands and turned away. “I’ve got to get ready.”

  “Wait,” she called out. “I’m coming.”

  She saw the smile he tried to hide before he went to pack his things.

  A few minutes later she saw a black limo coming up his drive. They went outside and as soon as it stopped, the driver stepped out.

  “Thanks, Gene, for getting here so quickly. Meg, this is our driver, Gene Gray. Gene, this is Miss Aldridge. She can give you her parents’ address.”

  By the time they’d picked up her parents and made it to the airport, her heart was pounding so hard she thought it’d burst. But she felt remotely better when she saw the size of the plane.

  “Gabe, this plane is a lot bigger than what Hank flew.”

  “I have two planes. This one is the bigger one. I have one like Hank’s that I fly to the ranch.”

  She felt slightly better that she wasn’t flying in a tin can. As Gabe took charge, she followed his direc
tions and in no time she and her parents were on board, seated and comfortable in a plush lounge.

  Gabe turned to her. “Okay?”

  “So far.” She even managed a small smile. “I have to tell you, you’ve impressed my dad.”

  “Good,” he said. “Once we’re up, the flight attendant will pass out drinks, pillows and magazines,” he told her. “Just relax.”

  Meg buckled up as Gabe made his way to the cockpit. Minutes later she gripped the seat with white knuckles as the plane picked up speed going down the runway. She held her breath until they were finally airborne, lifting quickly, making a wide circle and heading north.

  They had good weather until they were over Kansas. Gabe kept them posted at regular intervals and they were making good time when they flew into clouds. Cold fear gripped her and she couldn’t relax. Her parents had fallen asleep and Meg wished she was able to do the same.

  The flight became bumpy and she hated every jolt. She couldn’t see out the window because of the thick gray clouds surrounding them and she couldn’t imagine how Gabe could tell where he was flying, even with instruments and electronics and everything else he had. And how would they land?

  Her mother woke up and looked at her, wide-eyed as she glanced outside. She looked at Meg’s dad and then leaned toward Meg. “Are you all right?”

  “I’m fine,” Meg lied. She hated the flight and wanted it to be over and dreaded having to go back. They weren’t flying back until the next day and she prayed the weather would be better then.

  For the next hour, the plane hit more turbulence and she clutched the seat and closed her eyes. By the time the flight became smooth again, they were landing.

  Gabe stood waiting as she stepped to the door behind her parents. He moved close to slip his arm around her waist. “How’re you doing? You made it.”

  “Barely.”

  “But you did it. It might get easier.” He smiled at her and squeezed her lightly.

  He had a limo waiting for them that took them straight to Meg’s aunt’s house, where Gabe met her aunt and uncle and saw her grandmother again and spoke to her grandfather briefly. He was seated in a comfortable chair with his arm in a sling, the only obvious sign of his fall.