Page 34 of Shattered Oaths

He’s thoughtful for a moment, is gaze drifting off into the distance as he mulls over his answer. I wait in silence, the soft thud of horseshoes against the ground the only sound between us.

“Honestly, I don’t know.” He sighs. “When the time comes that I hopefully find what my brother’s and Killian have found, with the right woman of course, then yeah.”

My eyes widen in surprise. “You want what they have?”

“Sure, I do.”

“Wow.” My voice is just above a whisper, the shock evident.

Noah glances my way. “Why’s that so surprising?”

“I just never thought you’d be the settling down type. I can’t imagine you with the white picket fence and two-point-five kids. That life seems too… boring for you.”

A low chuckle rumbles in his chest. “Clearly you haven’t heard what’s been going on in the tack room.”

“What?” I frown, confused.

“Nothing.” Noah shakes his head, amusement lining his tone. “All I’m saying is, married life withme?Could never be boring.”

“Okay…” I draw out, still confused by the tack room comment.

“What about you?” He asks as we come to a halt along the edge of a small stream and dismount from the horses.

“What about me?” I ask, guiding Chance to the water so that he can have a drink.

“Think you’ll settle down? Get married, white picket fence and the two-point-five kids?” Noah asks, mirroring my actions.

I blow out a long, thoughtful breath. “If you had asked me that two months ago, I’d havesaid yes. Now, I’m not so sure.”

CHAPTER 14

NOAH

My jaw ticks in irritation at her answer.

In other words, she was hoping to marry and settle down withhim.

It bothers me.

From day one, he didn’t deserve her. He didn’t deserve the two years she spent with him. He didn’t deserve the heart nor the body she trusted him with. And he most certainly does not deserve her future.

“You don’t think you’ll move on and settle down with somebody else?” I ask, despite the fact I know I won’t like the answer.

Bella laughs, it’s dry and lacking humour. “Move on? In this town? There are hardly many options.”

There’s me.

The thought comes from nowhere and it twists my stomach into knots.

“We get plenty of tourists each year. You never know, one of them might be the love of your life.” Two sentences have never tasted more like acid.

She scoffs, tucking a loose blonde curl behind her ear as she dismounts from Chance and leads him to the stream. I follow suit listening as she continues. “Yeah, right. Half of them probably already have a wife and kids at home and are ‘letting loose’at their buddy’s bachelor weekend.” She emphasises the letting loose with air quotes.

I laugh. “You’re probably right. But c’mon, Bells. Anyone would be lucky to have you as their wife.”

I really don’t know why I’m pushing this subject. I don’t want her to be anyone’s wife. Just the thought of it makes me sick to my stomach.

When she asked me not even five minutes ago if I ever saw myself dropping the façade and I replied, if I met the right woman, the first face that flashed in my mind was hers.