Chapter 43

Every instinct told him to run, to get as far away from the pain as fast as possible. But he'd given his word, had made a promise, and he'd keep it. Though it wouldn't be right under her nose on the ranch, Nate would protect Olivia just the same. Pain be damned.

On his Hog, he tore down the road, heading for town with two goals to accomplish by day's endto find a way to stay in Meadowlark and to make sure he'd never be in a position to hurt Olivia again.

He'd barely made it out of the Cattenach Ranch gate and his chest pinched from missing her. And he'd better get used to it. Not that he ever would. Christ, he never should've touched her, never should've let her try to...heal him. His own misery was something he'd grown familiar with eons ago, but this particular level went beyond that to an amplified version of hell.

The look on her face, the hurt in her voice, the way she'd tried to justify...

No. No, no, no.

Pulling off the main road a few minutes later, he parked in front of