Page 112 of Set It Right
“Wait. Back up. You’re leaving the ranch?”
He turned toward me, confusion flickering across his face. “Oh no. I assumed…you and Zara are friends.”
A cold prickle spread across the back of my neck.
“We are,” I said slowly. “What job?”
His expression collapsed into dawning horror. His mouth opened then shut.
“Oh.” He rubbed a hand roughly over his mouth. “I thought she’d told you.”
The words landed like a dropped stone in my chest.
“She hasn’t.”
“I’m sorry, Cormac.” He shifted his weight, suddenly restless, his gaze darting away like he was looking for an exit. “HR is aware of my plans to depart at the end of the season. I approached Zara about taking over for me, but she hasn’t given me an answer yet. I shouldn’t have said anything. Truly, it’s my mistake.”
She hadn’t told me. Not on any of our early morning runs down to the river. Not when we ate dinner together. Not when I held her in my arms. Not when she told me she loved me. Not when I was screaming on the inside, begging her to just stay.
Not a single word.
My head was going in a whole other direction, like the fact that Zara was currently at home, interviewing for a job back in Portland.
I forced myself to take a deep breath and clapped a hand on Javier’s shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be incredibly sorry to see you go.”
“I will too. I’ve enjoyed my time at the ranch, but my knee is stopping me from being as hands-on as the job requires. I’ve found a more suitable position in Spain.”
I forced a smile. “Going back home, huh?”
“Yes. It will be nice to be near my family again.”
“Of course.”
Abruptly, I spun on my heels. “I just remembered something. I’ll talk to you later.”
I didn’t wait for a reply.
On my way out of the lobby, I dropped my untouched coffee into the trash without breaking stride. The glass doors slid open, and a rush of warm air hit me, but I barely felt it. My shoes struck the pavement faster and faster as the knot in my chest tightened.
By the time I reached the parking lot, I was half running.
I fumbled my keys out of my pocket and hit the unlock button before I reached the truck, the sharp chirp sounding too loud in the morning quiet. My hands felt clumsy, useless, as I yanked the door open and climbed in.
I turned the key, and the engine roared to life.
I needed to talk to Zara.
I pulled out of the lot faster than I should have, heading straight for her place. It didn’t take me long to get there. Not nearly enough time to gather my thoughts or plan out what I was going to say.
My blood was thrumming in my veins as I hopped out of the truck, slamming the door behind me.
Before I made it to her porch, she was there, in the doorway, one tan foot stacked on top of the other, her golden legs bare beneath one of the T-shirts she’d stolen from me.
A look of surprise flashed across her face. “Hey. What are you doing here?”
I didn’t stop when I got to her. My arm banded around her middle, lifting her right off her feet. She let out a yelp, but that was all the objection she made, melting against me as I carried her to the couch and dropped her on the cushions.
