He had to see her.

Had to see her one more time before she married another man.

Maybe kiss her one more time. Would it be enough to last the rest of his life? Probably not. But he had to tell her how he felt. Yes, it was too late. She’d made that clear. But she deserved to know.

Rafe hopped in his car Saturday morning and sped to Angelina’s.

---

Angie picked up her cell phone. “Hi, Catie. What’s up?”

Silence on the other end of the line.

“Catie?”

“Ang, listen. Chad and I have been talking.”

“Yeah?”

“I want to… That is we want to…to give you our share of Bay Crossing.”

Angie dropped the phone and picked it up quickly. “What?”

“I’m serious. We don’t need it, and we both feel terrible about what your fa—” She coughed. “What Uncle Jefferson is putting you through.”

A tempting offer, but one the new Angie would not accept. “I love you both for offering,” she told her sister, “but it’s time I made my own way. I don’t know anything about ranching yet. I’m staying here with Mama. We have a lot to work out.”

“But Ang—”

“I’m going to work things out with her, don’t worry. After that, I’ll find my way, I promise. You just take care of yourself and that little angel you’re carrying.”

Catie gulped and said goodbye with a quiet sob.

Her sister and brother-in-law were good people. The best. But she couldn’t depend on them or anyone else anymore. Time for Angelina Bay to make it on her own.

She put the phone in her pocket and got back to work folding clothes and placing them in boxes. Later she’d drive into Denver to donate them to one of the shelters. Preferably one for single mothers and their children in need. They held a special place in her heart.

After all, she could have easily been one of those children herself.

When a rapping met her ears, she quickly taped up the box of clothes and got up to answer her door.

Rafe stood on the other side, his hair in his signature ponytail, his jeans slung low on his hips as usual. Sadness shadowed his beautiful bronze features.

“Hello, Rafe.”

“May I come in?”

She sighed. Why not? “Sure.” She held the door open for him.

He looked around her cluttered living room. “Getting ready to move, I guess?”

She shook her head. “These are actually donations to charity. I went through my closet this morning. I decided I don’t need but about a quarter of the clothes I have. So I’m going to help those less fortunate than myself.”

He didn’t smile. “That’s right nice of you, Angie.”

“Oh, I don’t know how nice it is.” She smiled, hoping it didn’t look too forced. “I wish I knew more about being nice. But it’s never too late to learn, I guess.”

Still no smile from Rafe. “The poor will appreciate your sacrifice. And your future husband can buy you a whole new wardrobe, anyway.”

She shook her head. He thought she was being facetious. Of course he did. He only had her past actions to consider. Time for him to meet the new Angie.

“No new wardrobe. From now on, I’m only buying what I need.”

“Oh?” His eyes widened. “You’ll save him a bundle then.”

She let out a breathy laugh…or what she hoped sounded like a laugh. “I’ll save him more than that. I’m not getting married after all, Rafe. I couldn’t go through with it.”

His eyebrows rose. “Oh?”

“My parents married for the wrong reasons, and I can’t do it. I won’t marry unless it’s for love. And I can’t fall in love in two months.”

She couldn’t fall in love because she was already in love. In love with a man who was married to someone else. The man standing before her now. But she couldn’t tell him that. He’d never know.

In a flash, his demeanor changed. Still no smile, but he grabbed her shoulders and his dark eyes came back to life. “Could you get married if someone loved you?”

“No.” She shook her head. “Frank loves me. Or he’s at least infatuated with me. He has been for years. But he deserves a woman who loves him.”

“Most men do,” Rafe said. “And I agree with you. Getting married for the wrong reason, no matter what the circumstances, is a mistake. Believe me, I know.” He touched her cheek oh-so-gently. “Angie, would you listen to me? Would you let me tell you about my…my wife?”

His touch seared her. But she steeled her strength against her need for him. “I don’t see what purpose that would serve at this point.”

“It would serve many purposes, the most important of which is that I want you to know the truth. It’s important to me.”

She sighed. Fine. What could it hurt? It didn’t matter now anyway. She’d lost the ranch. More importantly, she’d lost Rafe.

She’d never love again. She’d resigned herself to spinsterhood. She’d find her calling, make it on her own. And live out her days alone. She found herself smiling. Maybe she’d live out her days with her widowed mother.

The widowed mother she’d decided to forgive.

She’d wasted too much of her precious life being petty. Life was too short to hold grudges. Love was too precious to let slip away. And she did love her mother. She might have been Daddy’s girl, but she’d always adored her Mama.

“Fine. Go ahead.”

“I’m getting a divorce.”

“Not on my account, I hope.”

“On my own account. I married for the wrong reasons, like you said.”

She widened her eyes. Was his marriage truly over? Did she dare hope? “What do you mean?”

She listened as he told her about the woman named Lilia who lived with his father. Who’d fallen in love with his father.

“But we figured it out. Dallas McCray talked to an immigration attorney in Denver, and I can get my divorce. I would have gotten it anyway, but the attorney fixed it so Lilia doesn’t have to go back to Mexico. She can stay here and keep her green card.”

“That’s nice, Rafe. I’m happy for her. And for you.”

“I’m sorry I couldn’t help you save your ranch. The divorce won’t be final for six months.”

“No worries. There are more important things in life than the ranch.”

Strange words, coming from Angie Bay. But she meant every one. There were so many more important things. Like love. She regarded the beautiful bronze man who’d captured her heart. Could he have ever loved her?

“Yes, there are more important things than the ranch,” he agreed. “Like people.”

She nodded. Thirty-two was a late age to learn that valuable lesson, but at least she’d learned it.

“Would you marry for love, Angie?”

“Yes, of course I would.”

“Would you… Would you marry me?”

She widened her eyes. “What?”

“I love you, Angelina.” He dropped down to one knee. “Would you be my wife?”

She dropped down next to him. His words echoed in her mind, their sound sweeter than a Mozart sonata, sweeter than a baby’s laugh. “Say it again?”

He took both her hands in his. “I love you more than life itself. I swear I’ll take care of you. It might be a modest life, but I’ll work two jobs if I have to. I’ll kick Tom out of the apartment and you can move in. Or we’ll find our own place. A better place. I’ll do anything, if only you’ll say yes. Please, Angie. I love you.”

Tears welled in her eyes. He loved her.

And suddenly nothing else mattered. Not the ranch she’d lost, not the fact that he’d already been married, not that her mother had lied to her entire life, and even not that the father she’d adored had been her uncle, not her biological father. Nothing mattered but Rafe and their love for each other.

His gaze penetrated her. “Do you… Do you think you could grow to love me?”

She threw her arms around his neck. “Rafe, I already do. I’ve loved you for so long.”

He clenched her in a bear hug. “I’ll bust my ass to provide for you, I swear it.”

“Oh, Rafe, Rafe. I love you so much.”

“I promise I’ll take care of you. I’ll treasure you. You’re my most precious thing in the world.”

She whimpered silently into his shoulder.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your ranch for you. I’ll find some way to make it up to you. I promise, baby. I’ll give you a good life.”

She sniffed and choked back a sob. “I don’t care about the ranch anymore. All I need is you and our love.”

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. “I’m sorry, I have to take this. My mother told me if she called today to take the call. That it’d be important.”

“I understand,” Rafe said. “Go ahead.”

“Yeah, Mama?” she said into the phone.

“Angie, you need to come over to the house right away. It’s important.”

“All right. We’ll be right there.”

“We?”

“I’ll explain when I get there. I love you. Goodbye.” She clicked the phone off and turned back to Rafe. “I need to go to my mother’s, and I want you to come with me.”

“Okay, but why?”

“My mama says it’s important, and I want you with me to hear anything important. You’re my fiancé now, and everything that involves me involves you.”

He smiled. “I kind of like that.”

“I kind of do too.”

When they reached the house, Angie and Rafe walked in hand in hand.

Her mother greeted her with tears in her eyes. Jefferson Bay sat on the sofa in the living room.

“Oh, Angie,” Maria said, “did you mean it?”

“Mean what?”

“When you said you loved me. Did you mean it?”

She smiled, love warming her heart. “I did, Mama. I’m forgiving you. I will always love Daddy, and he was my real daddy in every way that mattered. You did what you felt you had to do at the time. It will take some time for me to deal with it, but I love you.”

“Angie, what’s this about?” Rafe asked.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Mama, this is Rafe Grayhawk.”

“Yes, hello, Rafe. We’ve met. How are you?”

“I’m fine, ma’am.”

“Rafe is here because…well, because he’s the man I love. We’re getting married.”

“Angie! That’s wonderful! But you don’t have to now. I’ve—”

“I’m not getting married because I have to. I’m getting married because I want to. Rafe and I are in love. But we can’t be married for at least six months.”

“Why not?”

Rafe stepped forward. “Because of me, ma’am. I’m real sorry I couldn’t save Angie’s ranch. To make a long story short, I made a decision five years ago and didn’t consider all the consequences. I married someone else to help her out of a bind. It was never a real marriage. I’ve got an attorney and we’re dissolving the marriage. But it won’t happen in time to save the ranch. I’m very sorry.”

Maria Bay touched his forearm. “Do you love my daughter?”

“With all my heart, ma’am.”

“And Angie, you love him?”

“Mama, I love him something awful. I can’t imagine my life without him.”

She smiled and wiped her eyes. “Then I’m so very happy for both of you. And I have more wonderful news. Tell them, Jeff.”

Jefferson Bay stood. “I have decided not to take the inheritance away from you. Since you are my rightful heir anyway, even if I did, it would go to you eventually. So I want you to have it now.” He handed her an envelope. “Here’s a document signing over my interest in the ranch to you. Your brother drafted it. It’s all legal.”

“Jeff is staying here at Cha Cha with me,” Maria said. “We’ve decided to put the past behind us and try to recapture our friendship.”

“Mama, you don’t have to do this for me.”

“She’s not,” Jeff said. “It was my idea. I thought long and hard and decided I didn’t want to live out the rest of my life as a bitter old man. I know you don’t think of me as your father. Maybe you never will. I understand if that’s the case and I will respect your wishes. I would love to cultivate a relationship with you, but I’m willing to do it on your terms. And if you’re not interested, I will accept that.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Angie said. “Thank you, I guess.”

“Please don’t thank me. I’m ashamed of the way I’ve acted. Even if you weren’t my daughter, I’m not sure I could have gone through with it. I always envied Wayne. It’s time to put those bad feelings to rest.”

He stepped forward and held his hand out to Rafe. “I’m Jefferson Bay, Angie’s uncle…and biological father.”

Rafe’s eyes widened. “Oh?”

Angie wrapped her arms around him. “It’s a long story, Rafe. I’ll tell you all about it tonight, okay?”

“Okay, baby.”

“What do you do, Rafe?” Jeff asked.

“I’m a ranch hand for Chad McCray, Angie’s brother-in-law. I also give riding lessons.” He winked at Angie.

“Then I’m sure you’ll be a huge help to Angie at Bay Crossing,” Jeff said. “You all can move out there anytime and get settled.”

“Well, half of it belongs to Catie,” Angie said.

“Catie’s content at McCray Landing with Chad,” Maria said. “She trusts you to see to her interests. The ranch is yours to run, Angelina.”

She smiled up at her handsome fiancé. “Ours to run.”