Full Rigged (Lost Creek Rodeo #4) - Rebecca Connolly Page 0,79

gorgeous as Lost Creek, Texas, and he’d tell anybody who cared to listen.

Ford could easily see himself living in this town and taking an active part in it.

The question was whether or not the land he was going to see would be something he wanted to work, and if he could see the potential in it. If he could see himself there.

If he could see Brynn there.

He shook his head to himself as he drove, Sherlock panting heavily beside him, sticking his head between the seats just as he always did.

There was no point in asking himself if he could see Brynn on the land with him. She had given him no promises that she was in any way interested in what he had to offer in the future. He could respect that, given what she had been through. Should have expected that.

But heaven help him, he wanted a future with her.

He wanted her to want a future with him.

Maybe he didn’t mean it when he said he would wait as long as it took. Maybe he only meant for as long as he could hold out hope.

Even as he said that, he knew it wasn’t right.

He wanted Brynn Kershaw. And if Brynn Kershaw needed five years, he’d give her five years. If she needed ten years, he’d give her ten years. If she needed longer . . .

Then he needed longer, too.

His mother would never understand that. She wanted Ford to bring home a girl with a ring on her finger tomorrow, if possible, but he knew that she was only worried about his happiness and his future prospects. He wanted to settle down one day, too.

Maybe it mattered less where he hung his hat at the end of the day, and it mattered more who was with him when he did.

Home could be anywhere if Brynn was there.

Maybe he needed to tell her that.

Or maybe he needed to say less. In the exhilaration of his record-setting night, he’d told her that he loved her. That was true, but it was also something he hadn’t exactly planned on revealing so soon. He chalked it up to some insane confidence after his win, or a stupid side effect of adrenaline, but it was bad timing on his part, there was no question.

Honestly, he was lucky Brynn hadn’t run from him when he’d said it.

She was a classic example of commitment issues, and those weren’t her fault. Pushing too hard, wanting too much, was the surest way to run her out of town, and with everything she had told him, he ought to have remembered that.

They hadn’t sat together on the porch last night, and he hadn’t seen her this morning before he left. Hadn’t heard from her.

He’d packed up with the expectation that he would be heading down to San Antonio after this to get ready for the next rodeo on the circuit. He couldn’t operate under any other understanding after the conversation he’d had with Brynn last night.

And if he had to do that, so be it. He’d just call Brynn tonight from San Antonio, or maybe tomorrow, and make sure she was okay. Validate her feelings. Accept her concerns.

The only way she could believe that he meant what he said would be for him to do exactly what he said. If he were always there for her, she would see that he could be believed and trusted in the way she was most afraid to believe and trust.

He had all the time in the world to prove to her that he did love her, and that because he loved her, he would stay by her.

But those words might not mean the same to her as they did to him.

Her ex might have taken the power out of them.

He could add that to the list of things to want to kill the guy for.

He pulled into the drive labeled with the name and numbers Holt had given him, heading down the gravel road until he saw Holt standing by his truck waiting for him.

Ford parked beside him and got out, opening the door for Sherlock, who immediately started bounding off to enjoy his freedom from the truck.

“Morning,” Holt greeted, pushing off of his truck. “Ready?”

“Yep.” Ford shook his hand, nodding firmly. “I’ll make this quick. Don’t want to keep you from your Sunday.”

“Macie’s not expecting me until supper,” Holt assured him with a quick smile. “We’ve got lots of time to see whatever you want about the place. This