The slam of her car trunk echoes out across the long grass. She picks her way past me, careful not to let our sides touch. “I found a nanny job. I’ve got an interview down south.”

“That’s great,” I lie, “I’ll drive you. And then we can talk on the way, okay?”

Because she can leave the Barns if she wants, as long as she doesn’t leave me. If Josie wants to work in another town, I’ll drive out to see her as often as I can. Maybe I could even move—find a new patch of land and build the Barns 2.0. Anything to be close to her.

“I’d rather you didn’t,” Josie says, so cold and prim. “I think you said it all last night, Mr Bray.”

This was a mistake.

I’m such an ass.

“Josie,” I plead. And I’m not above begging this girl, but she looks so fucking wounded that I don’t want to make things worse. I settle on following her slowly to the passenger side, watching her root around in bags stuffed in the footwell for something or other.

“You suck,” she whispers when she senses me behind her, digging faster, her movements agitated. I screw my eyes shut, chest aching.

But when I blink my eyes open, I’m done tip-toeing here. My girl doubts how I feel? Then I’ll show her. I’ll prove how much I love her, today and every day until every ounce of doubt is scrubbed clean from her mind. I’ve got Harry’s blessing, and I’m running with it like a bank robber tearing out of dodge.

I draw in a deep breath, the air scented with pollen and last night’s wood smoke. “Josie,” I warn, and then I step closer, crowding her against the car. “I’m not playing. If you drive away from me with things left unsaid, I’ll come after you.”

“Oh, scary,” she says, but it comes out wobbly. When she straightens, her back is flush to my chest, her shoulders heaving with every breath. “The big, grumpy man wants me to listen to him. So original.”

I wrap an arm around her waist and jerk her back, anchoring us together. Josie’s heartbeat thumps clean through my shirt, and I hate that I hurt her this badly. I hate that I put this strain in her body.

“The big, grumpy man wants you. Only you.” Soft hair catches in my beard, and I rub my face against her head like a cat. “Only ever you, Josie. Fuck, don’t drive away from me. You’ll take my soul with you, buckled up right there in the passenger seat.”

Her breath catches on a sob. Her head tips back against my shoulder.

Ah, hell. Josie.

I won’t take a single second of this for granted. Not when she grabs my wrist and tugs it down, running my hand along her body; not when she guides my grasping fingers to the juncture of her thighs.

“This doesn’t mean I’ve forgiven you.”

“I know, baby.”