Free Ryan's Love (Sawyer Brothers #1) by C. A. Harms

myself,” she whispered. “Try to see what my dad sees. Try to understand.” Her eyes filled with tears, and it broke my heart. I didn’t know her, I had never met her, yet her sadness pulled at something deep inside me.
    “Do you want something to drink or eat?” I offered, and she shook her head. “Do you want to sit down?”
    “No,” she said quickly. “I gotta go.” She rushed out before I could attempt to stop her, not looking back.
    That night I sat up, wondering if getting involved in Ryan’s life was such a good idea. I hated the thought that I was bringing pain to his daughter. She obviously wasn’t ready to accept her father moving on. The poor girl could barely hold herself together for two minutes while talking to me.
    I hated the thought of causing her pain.
     
    ***
     
    I hadn’t seen Ryan since yesterday. Since then I had been wondering if I should cancel our date. I went back and forth about it. Should I just step back and allow Olivia the time she still so obviously needed?
    Bailey made sure to add in her two cents, telling me I should talk to Ryan about it. Not knowing what his reaction would be was driving me crazy.
    After letting my attraction for him outweigh all my reservations, I now stood in my living room, asking Bailey how I looked.
    “So you told him you didn’t have boots and then ran out today and bought a pair?” she asked.
    “Yeah, he said sneakers or boots. I figured I’d go for boots.” I shrugged as I looked down at my kickass cowgirl boots. “I love ’em. You should get a pair. I feel so country-girl-ish.”
    The buzzer sounded and echoed up the stairwell, making my heart jump with excitement. Bailey looked at me and then looked toward the stairway before jumping up from the couch and skipping down the stairs. She was sometimes like a child trapped in a grown woman’s body, so fun-loving and silly.
    I chased after her and stopped dead in my tracks when Ryan came in to view. I must have been gaping because Bailey took the opportunity to reach out, place her finger beneath my chin, and push upward to close my mouth.
    Ryan chuckled and Bailey laughed. And of course my cheeks flushed with embarrassment.
    His jeans enhanced his toned legs and stretched out over his thighs just right. A snug, royal-blue shirt hugged his chest and arms. But the cowboy hat and boots were what made him any girl’s greatest fantasy.
    He traced his lower lip with his tongue as he slowly took me in. I too wore jeans and a T-shirt, but his focus had narrowed in on my feet as a smirk covered his mouth. “I see you found the time to get yourself some boots.”
    “Uh-huh,” I said as I stepped closer.
    He held his hand out toward me and laced our fingers together securely when I took it. “You ready to go riding?”
    “Riding?”
    “Yeah.” He tugged me closer, and my chest bumped against his as he curled a hand behind my back. “Don’t worry, you’re riding with me,” he said just before kissing my temple and pulling me out the door toward his truck.
    I was immediately a nervous wreck. I didn’t know the first thing about riding a horse. Visions of me falling off ran through my mind. I was sure to embarrass myself, no doubt about it.
    “Have fun, kids,” Bailey yelled after us.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    Chapter Thirteen
     
     
    Ryan
     
    I couldn’t contain my happiness. Hell, I had forgotten what it was like to hold a woman close. To hold her hand in mine or to bury my face at the base of her neck, just where it meets her shoulder. The comfort of having a woman in my arms was something I thought I’d never have the pleasure of again.
    Amber was different than any other woman I had met over the years. She was so sweet, shy, and compassionate. She was so easy to talk to, and the way she listened to me made me feel like she was hanging on my every word. The way she looked at me also made me feel like I’d hung the moon. It was reassuring to have someone I could share time with,