“Hey, it’s the only time I could catch you singing.”

“You’re such a creeper,” I teased.

He shrugged. “You need to get over your fear, Hadley.”

I wasn’t afraid to sing in front of thousands of people I didn’t know, but if I sang in front of him, it’d make me vulnerable. He’d see right through me. I wasn’t ready for him to see me like that. The truck began to slow and we came to a complete stop.

“All right, we’re here,” he said, getting out of the truck. We were in the middle of nowhere, with wide open fields all around us. There were a few bison off in the distance and I prayed they stayed far away.

I got out of the truck and watched him climb into the back. There was a basket and a cooler, along with another box I couldn’t see inside of. “What are we doing all the way out here?”

Smiling, Blake pulled out a bunch of blankets from inside the box and spread them out in the bed of the truck. “I thought we could have dinner and spend the evening out here, alone.” Extending his hand, he helped me into the back of the truck and I sat down on the smooth, fluffy blankets. He opened the basket and pulled out various containers of food.

“Is that what Tyla brought this afternoon? I saw her hand something to you and leave.”

He chuckled. “She’s a really good cook, so I called in a favor.”

“I wish I could’ve said goodbye. Will you tell her for me?”

“She’ll be by in the morning. You can tell her yourself.”

The food smelled amazing, and I piled a bunch of it onto my plate. She’d made roasted chicken, asparagus, mashed potatoes, and rolls. It all tasted like heaven. “Remind me to tell her how amazing this was before we leave,” I noted. Blake averted his gaze to his plate, his body tense. “Is everything okay?”

“I got a phone call this morning, about my next mission.”

When he looked at me, my heart sank. “Okay, so what does all of this mean?”

Sighing, he set his plate down. “It means, I won’t be able to take you home tomorrow. Robert is going to fly over and escort you back.”

My eyes burned and my chest ached. I knew we were going to have to say goodbye, but I was hoping I could coerce him to stay a few days in California. I wasn’t ready to let him go. “I see. What kind of mission are we talking about? Is it dangerous?”

“Everything I do is dangerous, princess,” he murmured.

Nodding, I focused on my plate. I didn’t want him to go on another mission. Was that how it was going to be for the rest of his life? “How long will you be gone?”

“I don’t know. It all depends on what happens. But as soon as it’s over, I’ll come see you, wherever you are.”

Swallowing hard, I nodded again and quickly wiped under my eyes.

Blake moved over and put his arm around my shoulders. “Baby, don’t cry. You know our lives are completely different. You’ll be leaving me to sing at your concerts and I’ll be leaving to go on my missions. I don’t know what else to do.”

“I know. I guess I just thought things would be easier. I have one night left with you and then everything’s going to change. I’m afraid I’ll never see you again.”

Holding me in his arms, he gently laid me down on the blanket, his body covering mine. He wiped away my tears and placed a gentle kiss on my lips. “I promise you’ll see me again. I’m in love with you, Hadley. I don’t want tomorrow to come any more than you do.”

He kissed me again, but I gasped and pulled away. “What did you just say?”

Brushing the hair off my face, he smiled and traced my lips with his fingers. “I said I love you.” He trailed his lips down my neck. “And I want to make love to you . . . right here. Tonight is all we have.”

Blake nipped at my ear. “I bought you something. Hopefully, you’ll think of me when you look at it.” We’d just made love under the open sky and were snuggling under one of the many blankets he’d brought. He turned and reached over to pull out a small jewelry box from the picnic basket.

Handing it to me, I gasped as I opened it. “Oh wow, it’s beautiful.” Inside was an amethyst stone necklace, held in place by swirls of diamonds encrusted in the silver lining. He took it out and placed it around my neck. I tried to look down at it, but could barely see it through the tears. “Thank you. I’ll wear it every day.”

“Even when you’re walking the red carpet without me?” he asked flippantly. As much as he joked, I could see the pain in his eyes.

“Yes, even on the red carpet. I want you with me, always. I love you, Blake Evans.”

Hadley

“I think Nightshade’s going to miss you,” Tyla said, coming up behind me.

Gasping, I turned around, clutching my chest. “Holy hell, I didn’t hear you come in.”

She smiled and patted Nightshade’s back. “You were too busy talking to him to notice. Although, judging by the way Blake is this morning, I’d say this horse isn’t the only one who’s going to miss you. How did it go last night?”

“Amazing, and I wanted to thank you for that. The food was out of this world. It’s almost not fair how you can be so good with horses and cooking.”

She brushed her shoulders off. “Thank you. I figured I could help Blake out with his last night with you. I have to say though, it doesn’t look like either one of you are happy about this situation.”

I glanced over her shoulder at Blake, who’d just walked outside with my bags and the case with his grandfather’s guitar in it. “We don’t have a choice. I have to go.”

“No, you don’t. You can always stay here.”

Sighing, I shook my head. “If you only knew.”

“If I only knew what,” she placed her hands on her hips, “that you’re Hadley Rivers?”

I froze. “How did you know that?”

She chuckled. “It was quite easy to figure out. You look just like her, minus the makeup, and I caught you singing your songs when you thought no one was listening. Plus, I know what Blake does for a living. When word got out that you were in protective custody, I put it all together.”

“You didn’t tell anyone did you?”

“Are you kidding? I care about Blake and I admire what he does. I would never jeopardize this for him, or for you.” Her gaze landed on Blake. “I’ve never seen him like this before. He loves you.”

“And I love him, but it doesn’t change anything. I still have to go back to California.”

She snorted. “Why? I’m pretty sure celebrities don’t always live in Hollywood. You could stay here and still travel.”

“Robert’s coming,” Blake called.

Sucking in a breath, I heard the car come down the driveway. “And I would’ve, if he’d asked me to stay. But that hasn’t happened.” All night, we’d made love to each other, and all night, I waited on him to ask me to stay. That was what hurt the worst. I thought he would; especially after he told me he loved me. The words never came.

Tyla pulled me into a hug and squeezed. “He might not have said it, but he wants it. He’ll come to his senses.”

A tear fell down my cheek. “I hope so, Tyla. I truly do. Maybe one day, I’ll see you again.”

“You will.”

Taking a deep breath, I let her go and slowly walked up to the front of the house where Blake stood. “I guess this is it,” I said, forcing a smile.

He pulled me into his arms, burying his nose against my neck. “Call me when you get home, so I know you got there safely.”

I nodded. “I will. Be careful on your mission.”

“Always am.”

As soon as he let me go, I jumped back in his arms and kissed him hard.

At first, he opened up to me, but then he pulled away and rested his forehead to mine. “You’re not making this easy.”