Chapter 25

TWENTY-FIVE

Falcon rolled over in bed, then frowned when he saw the Hart Ranch out the window.

What the hell?

He sat up, then grimaced as pain shot through his side. Right. The stabbing. Vague memories passed through his mind of being on the plane, and having some woman treating him. Hart family doctor, maybe?

And now he was here. Was Bella also? Had she come back to the ranch with him?

Bella .

Was she safe?

He shoved the covers back and lurched to his feet, pressing his hand to his side. He wasn’t in the guest room in Brody’s house or any of the others he’d been in. Which Hart house was he in?

He forced himself to stand up straight and strode across the room, jerked the door open, and stepped out into the hall. “Bella!”

“You’re up! In here, Falcon!”

Relief rushed through him at the sound of her cheerful voice. She was alive, and sounded fine. He walked down the hall, hand still pressed to his side. When he walked out into the main living area, he immediately recognized the big white couches, the adjoining professional-grade kitchen, and the big picture windows that looked out on the ranch.

He was in Bella’s house.

Yes.

“How do you feel?”

He turned toward the sound of her voice as she walked around the corner from the back of the house. He was pretty sure she had an office back there. She was wearing black leggings, a baggy pink sweatshirt, and pink fuzzy socks.

She looked absolutely adorable, and he couldn’t stop his smile. “I feel great. You?”

She raised her brows. “You look pasty and wan. Sit down and let me feed you.” She pointed to a chair at the kitchen island.

“No hug?”

She paused. “You want a hug?”

“For a start.” He moved gingerly across the room, smiling as she frowned at him.

“I think you’re a little too injured.”

“No such thing.” He caught her wrist, pulled her toward him, and kissed her. Not a kiss to seduce. A kiss to connect. To wind their souls together. He knew he had to leave, but seeing her made him want to do nothing but fall into her kiss and never leave.

Bella immediately wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back without hesitation.

Her response settled his edginess, and when the kiss ended, he continued to hold her, resting his forehead against hers as pain throbbed through his side. "I was afraid you’d be pissed at me.”

She closed her eyes. “For getting stabbed? I am. I thought you might die, and I wasn’t happy about it.”

“I promise not to die.”

She searched his gaze. “Don’t make promises you can’t keep.”

“I always keep my promises.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “I thought you’d be mad that my injury forced you to come back to the ranch.”

“Forced me?” She shook her head. “No one ever makes me do anything.” She wrapped her fingers in the front of his T-shirt. “I chose to come. You would have been fine if I’d put you on the plane alone.”

He considered that. “And you would have gone back to the cottage?”

“Well, no.” She shrugged and released his shirt. “But I’m good at disappearing. I would have been fine alone. I made a choice, Falcon. I always choose.”

He caught her wrist as she began to turn away, drawing her back to him. “Well, then, thank you,” he said softly. “Thank you for taking charge, getting us out of there, and for coming back to the ranch for me.” He pressed a kiss to her hand. “I know it wasn’t what you wanted, and you did it anyway. Thank you.”

Her face softened. “You’re very welcome, Falcon. I’d never let you down. You know that.”

“I do.” He took a breath. “I never let myself be a burden to anyone. I never put myself in a position where anyone needs to help me, but last night, I fucked up, and I had to count on you.” He paused. “I can’t even express what it feels like to have someone take care of me like that. I—” He didn’t have words. “I’ll never forget it,” he finally said.

Bella smiled tenderly. “You are a very sweet man.” She patted his cheek. “Let me feed you, please. I hate seeing you so pale.” She pulled out a chair. “Sit those cute little butt cheeks on there, please.”

Falcon grinned and eased himself down on the seat. “I assume there have been security upgrades to your house?”

“Of course. No one could get in now. We’re safe.” She walked over to the stove and began making him an omelet.

She’d put in all his favorite ingredients, he noticed. She’d remembered what he liked and had made the effort to get everything for him in the few hours they’d been home.

He smiled. Bella might not want to be a wife or a mom, but her nurturing side was beautiful to him.

“What are you grinning at?” she asked, tossing him a sassy look.

“Your ass looks great in those leggings. Want to get naked later?”

She rolled her eyes. “You’re moving so stiffly that I don’t think you’d be able to handle me.”

“Try me.”

“No.” She was quiet for a minute. “I did some things you might not like.”

He leaned back in the seat, feeling immensely relaxed with her. He knew they were fully protected on the ranch, and he didn’t have to be on guard. This was what had kept him going for all those years. The vision of breakfast on the ranch with Bella. Just the two of them.

And now he was living it.

He knew it was fleeting, but he was going to burn every detail into his mind so he would never forget it.

She looked over. “Did you hear me?”

Oh, right. He focused on the conversation. “I did. It’s fine. When I blew my bodyguard duty, I forfeited the right to be annoyed with anything you do.” When he fell in love with her, he also forfeited that in some ways, but he wasn’t going to mention that.

She flipped the omelet. “Well, first, let’s get things straight. You didn’t fail at being a bodyguard. You took down a man coming to get us. Yes, you got stabbed in the process, but you saved the day, so take a little bit of pride in that, please.”

He grinned. “All right. I’ll admit that. Did you find out who he was?” He had no doubt that Brody made some calls, and that man had been tracked down before he’d gotten very far.

“Well, that’s one of the things I want to talk to you about.” She put the omelet in front of him, along with a coffee and utensils.

“Thank you for the breakfast.” He leaned over, caught her chin, and kissed her. “I appreciate it. You know that your omelets are the best in the entire world, and I’m honored you made it for me.”

She smiled and kissed him back. “You’re very welcome. And thank you for the compliment. I accept it.”

He kissed her for another moment, until his growling stomach made them both laugh. She pointed at the plate, and he sank back down onto the chair.

“Yes, ma’am.” He took a bite, and had to close his eyes. “Hell, this is incredible.”

“We have so many fresh vegetables and herbs in the garden right now,” she said. “It makes such a difference.” She paused, and he felt her tension rise. “I hired Dylan to track down the men who broke into my house and the guy who stabbed you.”

He paused, his fork halfway to his mouth. “What?”

“I don’t want you running around the world getting stabbed,” she said, searching his face. “You fulfilled your promise to your mom, Falcon. It’s over. I paid Dylan to take over. He already has his best team on it. They’ll find out what’s going on soon. In the meantime, you can just stay here and recover.”

He put his fork down, tension wrapping around him. “No.”

She lifted her chin. “Yes.”

Tension coiled through him. “This is my legacy, Bella. You don’t get to take it from me.”

She frowned. “It’s not your legacy! Starting another revenge quest is an excuse not to live. The man who killed your mom is dead. He’s dead. It’s over.”

“It’s not over! Someone came after you. Twice!” He pushed back. “I can’t sit around eating. I have to get started. I have to go—” He stopped when tears glistened in Bella’s eyes. “Bella?—”

She shook her head and held up her hand to silence him. “You don’t get to choose to die anymore, Falcon. You made me fall in love with you again, and when you did that, you forfeited the right to go do stupid, unnecessary things that are going to get you killed.”

He stared at her, stunned. “You fell in love with me again?”

“I did. And guess what? You aren’t the only one who suffered loss as a kid. I did, too. I don’t trust anyone but my family. And you made me trust you again, so your choices are no longer only about you.” She put her hand on her heart. “I thought you were dying,” she whispered. “I thought you were dying right next to me in that truck. It was awful, Falcon.”

Shit. He ran his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry?—”

She didn’t give him a chance to speak, talking right over him. “You know the Harts protect each other, Falcon. You’ve been gone for a long time, but the rules still apply. You don’t get to risk your life anymore. Brody and Dylan agreed with me. It’s over. It’s done. We’re taking it away from you.”

The tears streaming down her cheeks made it impossible for him to be angry at her. But… “If someone on Dylan’s team dies because they took over my issue?—”

“Stop!” She held up her hands. “Just stop, Falcon. They’re professionals!”

“I know but?—”

She interrupted him. “It’s just one excuse after another, isn’t it? You don’t really want to get married and have kids, do you? It’s your dream, but you’ll always have an excuse not to do it, won’t you? Because at the end of the day, you’re more scared than I am.”

He stared at her. “I’m not scared. I’m a protector. I need to protect you.”

“No.” She tossed her spatula on the counter. “ Brody is a protector. He steps into life fully. You’re just using the danger as an excuse to run from life, and from those who love you, who would have given you the home you lost so long ago.”

Tension coiled inside him. “I’m not running from life.”

“No? What if I told you I’d marry you? Right now? This second. What would you say?”

His breath caught in his chest. “You want to marry me?”

She froze and then lifted her chin. “Falcon, will you marry me? Right now? Brody will marry us. He has a license.”

The tension in the air was so thick he could taste it.

This moment, this woman, it was everything he’d ever dreamed of.

She waited, watching him. “Falcon?”

He swore under his breath. “I can’t. Not until it’s safe.”

“Of course not.” Hurt flashed across her face. “You never would have married me, would you? You always would have found a reason.”

“That’s not true?—”

“Are you so sure about that?”

At her challenge, he paused. Was she right? He trusted Bella’s judgment. What did she see that he didn’t?

When he didn’t answer, she tossed a sponge at him. “This is why I don’t date. This is why I’ll never get married. Because even the men I should be able to trust, aren’t worth it. When you were unconscious, I told you that I loved you, but that I couldn’t marry you because I could never be the wife and mother you dreamed of. But I take that back. I’ll never marry you, because you can’t be the man I deserve. Clean up after you finish eating. I’m going for a ride. Don’t follow me. Just…don’t.”

Then she turned and walked out the back door, leaving him at the kitchen counter.

He wanted to go after her.

He wanted to haul ass after her, drop to his knees, and ask her to marry him properly. To show he was the man she deserved.

But he didn’t move.

Because life had taught him that she was dead right.