"I hope our offer didn't offend you," Ranger said suddenly.

She glanced at him in surprise.

"Mother was worried. She thought that, if you're anything like your father, you might see all of this in the wrong light."

He sipped his coffee, gaze focused ahead.

She could have feigned confusion—asked what offer he meant—but that wasn't her way.

She didn't play games.

I wasn't offended... Although I should've been. So, why am I not?

Ellie shrugged.

Maybe because she had always known—deep down—that Ranger was different from his friends, his cousins, and the rich boys who came and went from the Range.

He could fit in with both worlds. Yet somehow, even among his own, he always seemed just a little apart. As if he were observing them rather than being one of them.

"You asked for my help," she said at last, fingers tightening around her cup.

"So, will you help me?" he asked gently. "Don't worry about that,"—he nodded toward the building behind them—"not for this part of the decision."

She stared at him for what might have been an eternity.

He won't push, she realized. No matter what this costs him, he'll accept my answer.

But could she live with herself if she said no?

Could she watch him lose everything he loved when she had the power to stop it?

"Does it have to be a real marriage?" she asked finally, her voice quiet, uncertain. "Legally binding, I mean."

"Yes," Ranger said. "It has to be incontestable. Not something that can be annulled or disproved. It has to look real. Be real."

She looked down, took a breath. Emptied her cup and tossed it in the bin.

"And whenever we're with others—even if it's just the staff—we'll have to act like a loving couple," he added. "Even if we're fighting. I can play the part. But can you?"

Can I?

Ellie hesitated—then met his gaze squarely.

"I don't know," she said honestly. "But I'll try."

Some of the tension left his face. His shoulders relaxed.

Just then the hospital doors opened, and a nurse stepped out.

"Miss Gardiner?"

Ellie nodded, her heart skipping.

"Your father is awake," the nurse said with a small smile. "He's asking for you."

Relief swelled inside her... but it came twined with dread.

How am I going to face him, she thought, knowing the lies I am about to live?

Ellie hesitated outside her father's room, hovering near the door.

Crossing the threshold would set things in motion with no way to stop it.

She'd faced plenty of hard things before... but this was different.

This was her father.

Can I live with myself if telling Daddy about my marriage to Ranger will further impact his health? What would I do if he, somehow, guesses the truth?

Her lungs tightened, her breath lodged in her throat, and she had to fight the urge to run away.

Ranger touched her shoulder briefly, then returned to his father.

He knows I'll need a few moments alone.

She took a deep, steady breath.

I need to tell Daddy before he hears it from a nurse or, God forbid, Jaden.

Senior was fond of saying it's best just to rip a band-aid off, and she usually agreed.

Still, her feet would not move.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket, startling her.

She would've ignored it but couldn't take it with her into her father's room.

Ellie went to Ranger just as he slipped his phone in his pocket.

Was he the one who called me? She checked her phone. Yes.

"Keep my phone, please," she asked. "The doctor said not to take electronics into the room."

He took it from her. Their fingers again briefly touched, and she felt it to her soul.

The physical effect this man had on her scared her.

Ranger handed her a tiny white envelope that must have been in his hand already, because she hadn't seen him reach for it.

"You might need this at some point," he said.

Was this why he had called her?

Hunter nodded in agreement.

He knows what it is, she realized.

The envelope was light, yet it had a weight to it.

She opened it carefully and stared at the contents.

Ellie didn't know what to feel as the world around her came to a standstill.

The ring—still nestled inside—caught the light, and the platinum band gleamed softly. The diamonds arranged in a simple yet breathtaking design sparkled as if they were alive.

It was elegant and timeless, meant for a woman who wanted no fuss or spectacle—a ring designed for her.

A sharp, bittersweet pang reverberated through her chest.

This had been the last thing she expected, yet she couldn't stop staring at it. It spoke to her in a way she had never experienced.

Not that I should be surprised that he thought of this little detail, she thought. Ranger's a thoughtful guy.

Tears stung her eyes.

It should've seemed impersonal to have the engagement ring handed to her in an envelope, but it didn't. The physical manifestation of her choice was a gift... and a burden.

Sadness filled her heart.

Women dreamed of the ways their boyfriend would propose, but she respected Ranger for not making a fuss about it. Anything, even the simplest gesture would have made everything feel more fake and fabricated.

Stop being a fool, she scolded herself.

Nodding, Ellie settled the envelope in her pocket.

"It's beautiful," she murmured, shyly—not knowing what else to say.

It mattered that he picked it out, and even though she wasn't a jewelry girl, she liked it.

"It reminded me of you," Ranger said unexpectedly. "And no matter what happens, it's yours."

Her breath caught in her throat and her heart skipped a beat. His words were even more unexpected than the ring.

Hunter raised one dark brow at his son.

"Thank you," she said awkwardly, knowing she'd never keep it.

It could buy two of their fancy dressage horses and a trailer to transport them.

"I wish I could make this easier for you," Ranger said, looking deep into her eyes.

She got lost in those enigmatic depths.

"Uncle Junior won't be easy to convince," he spoke the truth she feared, bringing her back to reality.

"That's putting it mildly," Hunter agreed. "He's been keeping my little stallion away from his prize mares since you were children. Persuading him he hadn't been successful will be a test you two can't fail. And with Ellie being such a straight arrow..."

If not for the circumstances, she would've smiled. The simile Hunter chose was so fitting.

He hesitated and caught her glance. "I only hope you have it in you to convince him."

She nodded, sticking her hands in her pockets, hesitantly turning toward the glass door.

"You can do this," Ranger quietly assured her.

There wasn't much of a choice—she had to do this.

She put one foot in front of the other, and the door slid open before she was ready.

"Where's my wife and daughters?" she heard Junior ask a nurse.

He sounded crusty and unsettled.

She noticed the frown tugging at his caretaker's brow, disapproval pursing the woman's lips.

"If you keep pulling on those," the nurse said sternly. "I'll have to call the doctor, Mr. Gardiner."

"I'm here, Daddy," Ellie said, stepping into the room. "Mom's downstairs being prepped for surgery."

The words stilled his agitated movements, and the nurse looked relieved.

"The stress of you being sick set her back," Ellie said. "She insisted on waiting until you were awake, but the doctors dared not postpone the surgery."

It was not the best way to bring him up to speed, but with the way he worked himself up —nothing but the truth would do.

"They're about to operate on her," she said, skirting the bed and sitting down beside him. "Jaden's with her."

The nurse discreetly left, giving them a moment together.

Ellie's hand naturally found his.

"She'll be fine," she assured him. "The doctor said he'll place her in the room next door once she's out of surgery."

Worry set his lips in a narrow line and there were shadows in his eyes.

"Will she be okay?" he asked. "You never call her 'mom.'"

Guilt stung her conscience.

She had never realized it bothered him.

I've been selfish, she admitted.

"It's a dangerous operation," she said simply. "But I was with her early this morning. She's more concerned about you than herself. They had to sedate her to keep her from slipping out of the room and checking on you."

His blue-green eyes filled with tears he'd never shed.

"I don't deserve that woman," he said, finally settling down.

She'd never heard him say that before—and it made him seem even more vulnerable.

Though he would not admit it, she could tell how weak he was.

Is this the right time to tell him about me and Ranger?

She pulled her hands from her pockets, and they knitted together.

Ellie was overly aware of the little square envelope and what it contained.

What if the stress worsens his condition?

That was almost guaranteed.

Will waiting a few days matter? Even as she thought this, she wondered if she wanted to keep it from him for his sake or hers.

"What bullshit did the nurse sprout about you being outside with your boyfriend?" he asked unexpectedly. "The man you're going to marry?"

Her heart froze as her gaze met his.

The cat was already out of the bag... and her entire body trembled.

He was fidgeting with the leads again.

She swallowed with great difficulty, pinned by those green-blue eyes like a butterfly to a display board.

"Leave those alone..." she said to give herself a moment to think. "If you don't want the nurse to tie down your hands like she did with the guy next door."

She sounded almost as stern as Junior did when one of the grooms messed up.

Ellie wasn't used to speaking to him this way. But something about his fragile state altered their roles.

Yet, here I am, about to tell him something that could undo all of that.

She hesitated.

What if this breaks him? The thought made her frown. Despite what happened, this was still Junior. Her indomitable father.

His right brow raised, and she half expected him to snap at her. Instead, a slow, crooked smirk touched his lips.

Ellie rarely stood up to him.

It had never occurred to her that he sometimes pushed her buttons just to get her to do so.

Her attention wandered to the hallway where Hunter and Ranger were seated just outside of her line of sight.

She could picture them so clearly.

Her expression caught Junior's attention.

"You haven't told me about the boy," he reminded, calmer than expected.

The slightest tightening of his lips revealed his discomfort.

"Man, not boy," she corrected, again stalling. "And I think this conversation can wait until you feel better."

He watched her from under those dark brows and his gaze searched her face as if he saw something there, he'd never seen before.

Is it my guilt, worry, or my feelings for Ranger?

"The whole world seems to know," he grouched, squirming against the pillows, "except me."

I've hurt his feelings. The realization heaped glowing coals on her conscience. If this were real, he would've been the first to know. Not the last.

She adjusted the bed, helping him position himself more upright.

I've never had to take care of him before. Her nerves settled. He was always the one who took care of me. Now it's my turn.

"Your reticence says you don't feel comfortable telling me about him..." he said, sharp as always. "And you think I won't approve."

She glanced at him and avoided his eyes.

"The nurse blushed and bloomed when she spoke of your soon-to-be-fiancé," he said, "so I assume he's handsome."

Her cheeks heated, and her reaction was all the confirmation he needed that it was all true.

His expression hardened. "What kind of man doesn't first ask the father of the bride for her hand?"

His aggression said he'd had way too much time to think about this. And the fact that he had every right to his feelings only made her feel worse.

"That tone," she said with a heavy sigh, "is the reason why I didn't tell you. You having a heart attack is why he hasn't asked you."

The words came out sharper than she intended, and she was very aware that by choosing to say "he," she had chickened out.