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Chapter 6

Colin had a date. She was a fair-complected blonde—the complete opposite of my angel in appearance—but every time I looked at the couple, I was reminded of my time with Terra.

I didn’t even know what had happened, to be honest. Everything seemed fine, but suddenly she’d shut down on me, and I was stuck hosting this damn dinner when all I wanted was to go track her down and tell her I was madly in love with her.

“I want to thank you all for showing up here this weekend,” I said after dinner as everyone settled in, enjoying their coffee and pie. “This year’s Biker Blast had the biggest attendance ever.” That brought plenty of cheers from around the room. “This weekend I learned a few things about this town that I didn’t know—namely that there are a lot of locals that I’ve never met. Same for most of you in your own towns. It’s important to get involved in our communities.”

The banquet room was packed with familiar faces, along with some new ones. I loved my biker buddies, but it occurred to me, staring out at them now, that they weren’t my family. I wanted a wife and kids of my own.

“Maybe I’m feeling the need to do some good to make up for how much noise we caused this weekend,” I said.

Everyone laughed at that one, and I breathed a sigh of relief. The comment was meant to be lighthearted, but I hadn’t been sure how the crowd would take it.

“The best way of doing that is to support local businesses,” I continued. “Turn the Page Bookstore is one of them. We parked in front of her shop today and even blocked the entrance at first, but she was nice about it.”

That wasn’t totally true, but they didn’t have to know that.

“The owner of Turn the Page wants to be more involved in Biker Blast moving forward. Tomorrow only, all you have to do is ride your bike into the parking lot of Turn the Page and you’ll get ten percent off your purchase.”

That brought a smattering of applause and a couple of cheers. I just hoped some of these people took advantage of the offer. I’d love to send a crowd through Terra’s bookstore.

No, I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to show Terra how I felt about her. This was the woman I was going to spend the rest of my life with, dammit. I felt it.

I didn’t know why she’d cut things off so abruptly, hopping off the bicycle almost before it came to a full stop in her parking lot. What I did know was this thing between us couldn’t be one-sided. It was too strong.

“I have to go.”

Those words spilled out, surprising even me. I hadn’t intended to cut out on the dinner, but it was technically over, and I couldn’t sit here for another few hours knowing that somewhere out there, the woman of my dreams sat alone in her house or apartment or wherever she lived. Even if she wasn’t alone, she belonged with me. No one else.

Once I made the decision, I couldn’t delay another second. I said “thank you” again and made a beeline for the door, planning to keep moving until I was out of the retreat center and on my way back down the mountain.

My mind was spinning with each step. Terra had mentioned someone on the police force was her neighbor. My buddy Garth headed up the small Rosewood Ridge police force. If anyone could help me track down the love of my life, it was him.

I was so caught up in my thoughts, I nearly slammed into the woman standing in the hallway, wearing a long black skirt with a short-sleeved pink sweater. There was something very 1950s about the outfit. Something very uniquely...

“Terra?”

The word came out on a gust of air. I was relieved I didn’t have to track her down. But it wasn’t just that. She’d tracked me down. There would be no other reason she’d be standing outside the Rosewood Ridge Retreat Center banquet room.

“I can’t do it,” she said.

My heart sank. She’d gotten dressed up and drove all the way up here to dump me? Why?

“Do what?” I asked.

My mind was reeling. There had to be some way to talk her into a relationship with me. At least she could give me a chance.

“Escape into a book.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and looked down. Her body language said she was protecting herself from me. She didn’t even have to protect herself from actual threats when I was around. I’d shield her from everything.

“That’s what I normally do.” She lifted her gaze to my face but still kept her head mostly down. “I even ran a bath and poured myself a glass of wine.” She laughed. “I had to stop at the grocery store to get a bottle because I don’t normally drink alcohol.”

I wasn’t following. This was about what she couldn’t do, right?

“I don’t understand,” I said.

I wanted to give her time to open up. I also wanted to get this over with so I could breathe again.

“I’m scared,” she said. “Terrified. I don’t want to be hurt. I spent my whole life being invisible to everyone around me. But you noticed me. You saw me.”

I had a hard time believing this incredible woman would be invisible to anyone, but for the first time in hours, my hopes were up. Maybe this was good news.

“You’re the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen,” I said. “Hands down. But it’s not just that. You’re fun and interesting and smart. I’ve never met anyone like you, and I don’t want to walk away from this.”

She shook her head. “Me either. That’s my point. I’m not running this time.”

“You can run,” I said. “Straight toward me.”

That brought a smile to her face. She took a deep breath and slowly let it out, then said, “I’m ready to do this. I couldn’t be readier.”

As the music started up in the room behind me, we came together, arms wrapped around each other and lips pressed together in a kiss. It was a kiss that felt like coming home.

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