Dane came to his feet and snapped his fingers, immediately getting his dogs’ attention. He opened the front door and put them inside just as those lights cut across his porch.
The knot in his gut tightened, but he remained on the edge of his porch and waited for her to get out of the car. She’d come here for a reason, and had he not deceived her and lied to her face, stealing everything she’d worked for, he might believe that she had come to him to see if there was a chance for them.
Dane wasn’t that naive or stupid to think that anything good could come from a fling and a trail of deception. But now that she was here, he had to keep things businesslike and make her understand where he came from. It was time to put all his cards on the table and explain his past with Mirage. Surely she would understand the importance of family, considering that’s all she’d wanted for herself.
Sliding his hands into the pockets of his jeans, Dane stared out at the drive as Stella killed the engine. He couldn’t see into the windshield that well, but he knew when he looked into her dark eyes, he’d see...
Hell, maybe he didn’t know what he’d see. Pain? Regrets? Rage? Likely all of the above.
She didn’t get out immediately. Keeping him waiting and wondering was the least that he deserved.
Unable to wait a second longer, Dane made his way down the wide stone steps. The first fat snowflake hit his cheek. His boots scuffed against the concrete drive, but he kept his eyes on that door, waiting.
When he reached the side of her SUV, Dane peered in to see Stella with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. Dane jerked on the handle and opened the door. More flakes fell, but he ignored the chill.
“Stella.”
Dane started to reach in, but she jerked her head up and slinked back.
“Don’t touch me,” she commanded as she held him with a watery gaze. “You’re nothing but a liar and I’m a damn fool for even coming here.”
He didn’t know that someone could look so broken, yet so angry at the same time. But Stella was definitely both.
“I am a liar, but you’re not a fool,” he corrected.
Ignoring her plea to leave her alone, Dane reached for her arm and urged her from the vehicle.
“Don’t,” she cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Don’t try to make this better. You can’t.”
No, he couldn’t. Stella had taken hit after hit, but this was the first time he’d seen her so broken and completely vulnerable. He’d done this. He’d crushed her more than her father had...which was truly saying something.
The air seemed to turn colder, icier.
“Come inside,” he told her. “You can hate me and cry and anything else you want, but we need to get out of this weather.”
“I’d rather drive back to Gold Valley through a snowstorm than to be here with you.” She pulled her arm away and took a step back. “To think I came here because...”
Dane’s heart clenched. There was no way to keep his heart out of this because likely it had been involved from the beginning. Stella drove all this way for him—well, she drove for the man she thought he was.
“You’re the new owner,” she muttered, then let out a mock laugh. “My father is one hell of an actor because he pretended not to know you.”
“He doesn’t know me,” Dane confirmed. “The sale went through my broker and was done in the name of the ranch.”
“I’m aware of the ranch name,” she scoffed.
The snow came down so thick and fast, the entire area seemed to be blinding white. Dane didn’t wait to hear what else she had to say and he didn’t ask for permission. She already thought he was a bastard. Might as well go whole hog.
He scooped her up and ran toward the porch. She smacked at his back and cursed him the entire way. Damn she was sexy fired up like this. Not that he’d ever be worthy of having her again. Those memories of their time together were all he’d ever have.
Once he set her down on the porch, Dane kept his hands on her shoulders. He didn’t want to force her to do anything, but he didn’t want her to bolt before she could hear him out—especially if bolting meant trying to drive in blizzard-like conditions when she was crying and upset. That just sounded like a disaster in the making.
“Why?” she demanded as she stared up at him. She didn’t bother swiping at her tears, likely so he’d see the full impact his actions had on her. “Why did you lie to me? Sleeping with me was, what? Just a way to pass the time until you stole my future?”
“No,” he defended with a shake of his head. “I... Damn it.”
Dane dropped his hands, unable to ignore the agony on her face.
“You came to Mirage purposely to find me,” she accused. “Did you laugh when you got me into bed so quickly? I must’ve made this all so easy on you.”