Chapter 20

Chapter

Twenty

Cade let Jacey go to give statements to Clint and his deputies. He tried to keep her in his sight. With her memory back, she didn't choose him. She didn't want him or need him.

He recognized that she'd known only those words would get him to release her at that crucial moment. Had she meant them? It sure felt like she had. She could never stay with a simple cowboy. He'd known that was true from the start. His heart felt hard and cold in his chest. Her voice had been snooty and of course she'd spewed all his deepest fears in the heat of the moment.

She didn't choose him. She'd never choose him.

He pushed the pain to the side.

Clint kept apologizing for not answering his phone. He'd stayed up all night, monitoring the cameras and stewing about Sheryl. He'd used the bathroom and taken a quick shower to wake himself up. He noticed the phone lit up on the desk and realized the ringer had been turned off .

They assumed the leak came from Sheryl. Clint got her on the phone and she admitted that she was ranting to a friend about Cade's new woman. She'd told the friend the woman was as gorgeous and composed as Jacqueline Oliver. That was when she'd realized it was her. She googled the best paparazzi magazines, planning to expose Jacqueline when she saw the huge reward from Jacqueline's family and figured she might as well make some cash for her heartbreak. What a nightmare. The experience and Sheryl. Clint had better be over her after all of this. Cade definitely was.

Sadly, Jacey was over him.

The medics had tended to the two surviving bodyguards and transported them to the hospital where the FBI would meet them. Clint's deputies bagged all the bodies and transported them.

Jared and Millie came with breakfast and drinks for everyone and lots of hugs. It was great to hug Millie and know with the rift between him and Clint healing, he could go visit often. Millie asked him what was happening with him and Jacey. He had no idea how to respond.

Quaid arrived not long after. Apparently Aiden Porter had a private jet and Quaid had flown from California as soon as he got the message. Cade watched the siblings reunite. He was grateful that Quaid was here for Jacey. He liked watching them together, and it dug at his tender heart.

Jacey glanced over at him. He looked away quickly, embarrassed to be caught staring. Especially as her words rang in his ears.

I would never choose you.

She was safe. That was what mattered .

When he looked back, Jacey was talking animatedly to her brother and Quaid was staring at him.

His heart needed a break from staring at her. He walked off to get his morning chores done. It was late morning and the cows were letting him know it. Moving and having a purpose helped, but his mind whirled.

Jacey had almost died. She'd been incredibly brave, standing up to her mother and fighting for her own freedom. He was drawn to everything about her, except her not choosing him.

Refilling Annie's water, he blew out a breath. Would he ever get the image of Jacey on Annie's back out of his head? He might have to sell his beautiful horse.

He heard vehicles driving away and it punched him hard in the gut.

She'd left? Without even saying goodbye? What did he expect? It was better this way. The painful words between them would've made any goodbye awkward.

He waited, stroking Annie's nose until the crunch of gravel under tires disappeared. Heading out of the barn, he ignored the blood stains on the concrete. He'd deal with them later. He'd deal with everything later. Including his broken heart.

Walking around the stretch of grass, he stopped in his tracks. Jacey stood there. She looked tired, disheveled, stained, torn, and absolutely beautiful.

Clint and Quaid flanked her, all of them staring at him. They stood close to Clint's truck and a rented Cherokee. Jacey's face lit up in a beautiful smile. He half-expected her to run and knock him off his feet like the impetuous, fun, and loving woman he'd savored each moment with this past few days.

Sadly, she didn't move. Her smile dimmed, and her eyes grew cautious. Would she apologize for her words in the loft or had they been the truth like they'd punched him at those moments of despair and pain?

Quaid strode forward to meet him, extending his hand. "Thank you," he said simply, shaking his hand then releasing it. He glanced back at Jacey. "My sister. You can't understand what I owe you."

"I have two sisters," Cade said in return.

Quaid nodded to him. "Anything you need. Please ask. I'll be here."

His sister's hand in marriage? Cade squelched that thought quick and only nodded. He'd never ask for anything from this famous man because he'd never fit in their world. With her. He'd known it all along. She'd made it abundantly clear this morning.

"I'll … let you two say goodbye." Quaid tilted his chin to him and strode back to Clint.

Quaid knew it was goodbye and knew it would be awkward.

It was over. He'd protected his Jacey and now she was Jacqueline Oliver again. She'd go back to her famous life. If her dad and older sister had been run by Catherine too, would she go home to see them or go with Quaid to be with his new wife Anna?

Cade widened his stance and focused on even breaths as Jacey crossed the distance. He studied her, wanting to memorize every inch of her beautiful face.

He pulled off his cowboy hat, a sign of respect that she probably wouldn't recognize, and ruffled his hair with his hand. He stunk like cows, manure, horses, sweat, and blood from the fight. He probably looked worse.

"Thank you, Cade Miller," she said, arching her head back to meet his gaze. He loved her blue eyes. He'd never see them in person again.

"My pleasure, Jacqueline Oliver," he returned.

She flinched at that. "I …" She looked away. "I don't know how to ever thank you, putting up with an amnesiac woman, sheltering me, feeding me, all the good times."

Gratitude. That was nice of her. He wanted a heck of a lot more from her than gratitude.

He nodded. "Anytime."

She stared at him as if wondering if he meant it. He did, but he doubted she'd bite. "All right. Next time a depraved lunatic is after me, plan on a visit."

He forced a smile as his heart broke. She was teasing. She was leaving. She didn't choose him. She only had when she was suffering from amnesia with a depraved lunatic after her.

He glanced over to see her brother and Clint watching. They both looked away. He focused back on her beautiful face, tilted up toward his.

"Cade, we talked about me choosing …" She gnawed at her lip. "I've never really had a choice before."

His eyes widened and agony churned his gut and ripped at his already shattered heart. Did she really need to reiterate what she'd said in the barn loft? He couldn't handle it a second time.

He nodded tightly. "You're free to choose now. I'll pray for you, and …"

Could he beg her to forget who she was, all she could do with her choices, cradle her close and help her heal, have hundreds of more fun experiences, struggle and laugh and lift together? No. She was meant for much more than this simple cowboy and backwoods valley. He knew it. If only she hadn't said the words and broken him .

She peered at him. "Thank you."

He rubbed at his jaw, clinging to his hat with his left hand.

Then she launched herself at him. Cade was stunned but easily caught her and held her close. He savored each moment, knowing it was their last.

Pulling away, her eyes looked suspiciously bright. "Thank you, cowboy. You have given me my freedom and life back."

That was good. She deserved to be free, happy, to live her life. He didn't think it was fair that she called him cowboy. She'd never be his sweetheart, and he had to figure out how to deal with that.

"You're welcome," was all he managed.

She paused, as if waiting for him to do or say more. He had nothing.

Finally, she gave him a regretful smile, turned, and walked back to Clint and Quaid. He nodded to the men and knew he couldn't watch her drive away. He lifted a hand to the group. Jacey waved back. Clint and Quaid tilted their chins to him. Then he rushed into his front door and through his great room area. There were fresh baked goods on the counter, and he could only imagine how stocked his fridge was. Millie must have come in here and cleaned and straightened up whatever damage Catherine's men had done as they searched for Jacey.

Cade stormed up to his master suite and noticed immediately her suitcase was gone, all the girly stuff disappeared. He slammed the bathroom door behind him and hurried to strip his clothes off, drop them in the hamper, and climb in the shower.

Jacey was gone. Jacqueline Oliver now occupied her beautiful face and body. His sweetheart, his Jacey, was no more.

Resting his head on the shower wall, he let the tears come.

Gone. She was gone .

He wanted Jacey and he needed her and he thought he might even love her. She didn't choose him, want him, or need him. No way would she ever come back.

Finally climbing out of the shower, he dressed in a comfortable T-shirt and joggers. He had to try to sleep and shut his mind down for a few minutes. His future loomed like a dark hole full of pain and loneliness. This hurt a million times worse than Sheryl dumping him, and losing Jacey had nothing to do with injured pride.

Opening the bathroom door, he heard voices floating through the master from downstairs. Who was down there? Friend or foe? The FBI had confiscated his weapons as evidence. He walked quietly into his closet, grabbed a 1911, and checked that it was loaded. He didn't even have the phone Clint had given them. Did Jacey still have it? He should've programmed his number into it for her.

He crept out of his room and peered over the banister down to the living area, gripping the 1911. Jacey sat curled up on his couch, focused on the television. He heard Jake say to Melanie, "So I can kiss you anytime I want to."

His stomach pitched happily. Was it possible? Had she stayed?

He shoved the gun into his waistband and pounded down the stairs.

Jacey looked up at him, sweet and beautiful and a little spicy. She pushed pause on the show, stood, and smiled at him. She appeared confident, but she was shaking like an Aspen leaf in the fall.

"You … stayed?" he asked. For him?

She swallowed and said, "I choose you, Cade Miller. I only said otherwise to save your life. "

He could only stare at her. He'd hoped that was the case, but hadn't dared let himself go there and be in even more pain. Was his Jacey still his?

"Quaid told me it was time I started choosing what I wanted. And I know exactly what I want."

His fingers tingled. Did this mean what he was dreaming about? Jacey was choosing him? Could it be possible?

"Please forgive and forget what I said in the loft."

"Gladly."

She smiled but was still shaking. "I choose you, Cade."

"Jacey, you don't know what that means to me."

"I do, but my stomach is churning and I am terrified that you aren't going to choose me back." She blinked quickly, her mouth clamped closed but her breath rushing too fast through her nose. She was terrified, standing here bravely and laying herself wide open. He'd been so consumed with her not choosing him, he hadn't realized that his high-class, self-assured, wealthy and famous Jacey was vulnerable in this moment, and just as scared as he was.

"Sweetheart," he murmured.

Her eyes widened.

Cade hurried across the space between them, wrapped his arms around her back, and pulled her in tight. He should probably just shout that he chose her as well, but he had to make certain she knew her options.

"You realize you are light years out of my league. I am just a simple cowboy. You're famous, beautiful, wealthy, educated. You're Jacqueline Oliver. Now that you know what that means and all the choices open to you … you could go anywhere in the world, spend time with royalty, celebrities, famous athletes, have unequaled experiences. Do you really want to choose me?" Fe ar made his throat tight, but she'd stopped trembling in his arms and she leaned into him, those blue eyes lighting up his world.

"First of all, I am not some stuffy Jacqueline." She jutted out her chin. "I am your sweetheart, Cade, my cowboy. Yours. You can address me as sweetheart or Jacey, but I refuse to answer to Jacqueline."

"I can do that." His heart was racing out of control. His sweetheart?

Please, Lord, if I've ever done anything worth a blessing like her in my life, please …

"There may be other choices I could make, but I would choose you, Cade. All day, every day. Now that I have my memories back, I know you are the perfect fit for me, the man I've longed to find, a life in this valley that I did not know existed off the movie screen. But …" She gnawed at her lip. "If you don't feel the same, I will call my brother and tell him to come back and pick me up."

Cade's arms tightened around her. "Sweetheart. If your choice is to stay here, with me, I'll fight anyone who tries to take you from me."

Jacey trailed her fingertips along the back of his head, making his scalp tingle. "I have witnessed that firsthand. No smart person would dare fight you."

He smiled. "But if you ever want to leave, I will let you go. I don't ever want to hold you down, Jacey, or keep you from all that you could do and be."

She put her fingertips against his lips and he didn't mind stopping that train of thought. "You could never hold me down. You let me soar on Annie's back, you let me fly off cliffs into the freezing lake, and you gave me wings when you kissed me." Her eyelashes fluttered as she glanced down as if embarrassed she'd said that.

"So … you're ready to fly again?" His mouth tingled with anticipation.

"Yes, please, cowboy." She arched onto her tiptoes, her breath warming his lips. Her blue eyes met his, so becoming, so beautiful. His sweetheart. His Jacey.

"The lake or a horseback ride?" he asked, unable to resist teasing her.

She laughed and dropped back onto her heels. "If that's what you prefer."

Cade chuckled, then he lifted her back onto her toes and brushed his lips across hers. "I prefer you," he said softly.

"Good, because I choose you," she said again.

Cade had never heard more beautiful words. He could hear them over and over again. He captured her mouth with his, and she was right. He had wings. They soared to new heights, places he'd never imagined visiting, together.

His sweetheart had chosen him.

He'd spend the rest of his days making her grateful for her choice.

Thank you for reading Cade and Jacey's story! I hope you loved it.