by Deb Kastner
Jace had never wanted to hurt Mackenzie. Not in a million years. He’d tried talking to her about his plans. He had talked to her. She just hadn’t listened.
Leaving her had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. He’d hated it. Had even hated himself after.
It had been about so much more than the two of them. It had been about his brother, Evan, who’d lost the chance to chase his dreams because of a stupid, lazy choice Jace had made.
So Jace had done it for him. He’d had to. There really hadn’t been a choice.
But it was seven years too late for explanations, and Mackenzie would crush them under her boot if he offered any up.
“You can’t do this job with a broken arm.” Her chin jutted in challenge.
“Exactly what can’t I do?”
“Ride a horse.”
He chuckled at that silly idea, and she stiffened so quickly that he was shocked steam didn’t shoot out of her ears. Jace really wasn’t trying to provoke her, but the idea of a fractured arm keeping him from riding a horse when he still had one good one was ridiculous.
“My arm won’t prevent me from doing this job, and you know it.”
A strangled argh came from her. Sweet mercy, she was mesmerizing when she was angry. All alive and mad and sparking.
“Jace.” His name on her lips shot a strange thrill through him. “Please don’t do this.” Gone was the burning fire. Now she was deflated. Edged with sharp steel—the deadly stab-you-through-the-heart kind. “I get that Luc thinks we need you. And yes, we need someone. But I need it not to be you.”
She packed a lot of punch into her spiel. And the fact that she’d shown him any kind of emotion—that she was practically pleading with him not to stay... Jace would like to grant her that wish. He really would.
But he couldn’t. Because he needed this ranch. And this place needed him back.
It would be the perfect situation if so much hadn’t gone wrong between him and Mackenzie.
“I’m sorry. But I can’t.”
“Can’t? Or won’t?” Her arms crossed over her Wilder Ranch–logoed shirt, forming a protective barrier, and a scowl marred her steal-his-oxygen features. Man, she was gorgeous. Tall, long and strong, with petite curves. Jeans that hugged her. Worn boots. She was—had always been—a walking ad for all things casual and country and mind-numbing. She hardly ever wore makeup. Didn’t need it. And her wild dark blond hair had most certainly air-dried into those relaxed waves, because she would never take the time to blow-dry it or spend more than five minutes in front of a mirror.
And yet she could take down most of the guys Jace knew with just one piercing glance from those gray eyes of hers. They weren’t blue. That was too simple of a description. They were storm-cloud eyes, so striking and unusual he’d yet to find another pair that had rendered him as helpless as hers did.
“Won’t.” She was already upset with him. He might as well fuel it. At least that would keep him from thinking she’d ever forgive him for leaving. From thinking that there could ever be a second chance between them.
Not that he wanted one. Because once Jace got the all clear to go back to rodeoing—despite the doctor’s recent warning that he shouldn’t be doing anything of the sort—he’d be long gone again.
Copyright © 2019 by Jill Buteyn
ISBN-13: 9781488043055
Her Forgotten Cowboy
Copyright © 2019 by Debra Kastner
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