“Yes. Yes, I do.”
“I always knew it, anyway.”
“Oh you did, did you?” She smiled and touched his cheek. “Confident of yourself, aren’t you?”
“Just in love. It’s a two-way street, you know.”
“Yeah.” She stroked his moustache. “I suppose it is.”
“So why did you leave me?”
She sighed, holding her breath for a moment, gathering her courage. “I never wanted to leave you. Please believe that.”
“Okay. I believe you. So tell me why you did.”
“There were…that is, there are circumstances.”
“They don’t make any difference to me.”
“You don’t even know what they are yet.” She punched him playfully.
“So?”
“Oh, Zach. If only things were different.”
“Time to talk, darlin’. Tell me what’s going on.”
“It’s such a long story, and you already know that our ranch is in financial trouble.”
“Don’t care. I have money. Keep talking.”
“I love you, and I don’t care about your money. I want you to know that.”
“I do know that.”
“Okay. The thing is, your money can’t buy what I need, sweetheart.”
“Which is?”
“My health. I’m sick, Zach.”
“You look great to me.” He smiled and brushed a damp tendril of hair out of her eyes.
“You’re so sweet. The thing is, I…had cancer.”
“I know.”
“What? How did you know?”
“It’s pretty common knowledge around Black Eagle, Dusty. You had leukemia. The same kind your ma died from.”
“How long have you known?”
“Not long.”
She tensed and moved ever so slightly backward. “And you came for me anyway?”
He pulled her back, and her breasts brushed his chest. “What kind of a man do you take me for? Did you think I’d stop loving you because you had cancer? I’m a little pissed you’d think such a thing.”