For a moment, his features blurred in her vision as he bent his head. She felt his warm breath, scented with coffee and mint, caress her lips. She realized that he intended to kiss her, and every pore of her skin tingled with sudden awareness and yearning. Yes. She’d dreamed of this. Longed for it. And finally it was going to happen.

Only just as his mouth brushed hers, the brim of his Stetson poked her on the forehead. He jerked away, held her gaze for a long moment, and righted his hat. Then he stood and smiled sadly down at her. “You definitely have a lot to think about. A lot to work your way through as well. Just don’t stay down here too long. It’s about to get dark. I don’t want you to trip and fall going back.”

Erin wished he would stay and enjoy the evening with her for a few more minutes. She also wished that he would throw caution to the wind and kiss her. Apparently he wasn’t of the same mind, because after giving her a thumbs-up, he walked away.

Trembling and unsettled, Erin wrapped her arms around her waist and stared at the creek. She nearly jumped out of her skin when Wyatt spoke from somewhere just behind her, his voice once again gravelly with emotion.

“Given your past, I can’t just walk away without making sure you know something, Erin, and I hope you never forget it. I think you’re the most beautiful and wonderful woman I’ve ever known.”

Hope welling within her, Erin twisted on the log to look over her shoulder at him. The last, lingering rays of sunlight cast his face in shadow, so she couldn’t read his expression. Even worse, she couldn’t think of a single thing to say.

“If I could see my way clear, I’d wrap both my arms around you and hold on for dear life. I’d go down on bended knee and beg you to marry me. I’d ask you to have at least one of my babies and pray it would be a girl just like you. And you know what else, Erin?”

She could barely speak. “No. What?” she pushed out.

“I’d love that baby girl with every fiber of my being. If she turned out to be a tomboy, I’d support her all the way. If she turned out to be a girly-girl, I’d buy her frilly dresses and pretty little shoes. No matter what, I’d be proud to be her father.”

Erin’s eyes filled. When she blinked, tears spilled over onto her cheeks. She didn’t bother to hide them. Voice shaking, she asked, “Why can’t we make that happen, Wyatt? There’s something special between us. I feel it, and I know you do, too.”

He nodded. “Some things just aren’t meant to be. There are things about me you don’t know. Things I don’t want to talk about, things I never even want you to know. However, I do think you need to know that my reasons for walking away have absolutely nothing to do with you. You’re beautiful, and you’re special. There isn’t a single thing about you that I’d ever try to change.” He bent his head and dug at the forest floor with the dusty toe of his boot. “As you move forward and try to heal from the craziness of your childhood, I hope you’ll remember that one man in this messed-up old world thinks you’re damned near perfect.”