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was losing his mind, but for now it worked in his favor so he didn’t try to convince her otherwise.
    “There,” she turned to him with a warm smile, “all saddled up and ready to ride.”
    It should have made him happy to know she wanted to take care of him, even happier still at how easily she accepted that he needed her to.   Instead , it tore at his heart because he was beginning to understand how much Adam had leaned on her and just how little his brother had given back in return.   Jessie deserved a man who was strong in both body and mind, a man who would do anything for her and want nothing more than to make her life easier.   What she’d gotten was someone who came to her only when the burden on his heart and soul became too much for him to bear alone.  
    She must have loved Adam very much to endure the long stretches between visits and the endless lonely nights, yet she’d never said the words, at least not to Mitch.   Had she spoken them to Adam?   He wished to God he had been the one to meet her first.   If he had, this life that he was living now would truly be his.   Jessie would be his.
    “Hey, Kincaid,” she said softly, “it will work itself out, I promise.”
    Mitch snapped out of his reverie, and for one panicked moment was afraid she knew what he’d been thinking.   “Jess, I…”
    She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him with all her might.   “I’ll fix it,” she said fiercely.   “I’ll help you through it just like all the other times, but you have to let it go.   Just…don’t shut me out, Kincaid .”   Jessie looked up at him, her heart aching for the maelstrom of emotions she saw churning behind those dark eyes of his.   “Talk to me.   Tell me happened on this mission that made it so much worse than the others.”
    If only he could.   “I will, Jess, I swear.   I just need a little more time.”   She turned her head away, but not before he’d seen how much he’d hurt her.   Mitch cupped her chin in his hand and gently forced her to look at him.   “You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, sweetheart, and I promise I’ll tell you everything soon.   But right now, what I need most is just to be with you.”
    “You’re sure?”
    “I’m sure,” he smiled.   “Every minute I’m with you breathes life back into me.”
    Confused by an unfamiliar twinge of emotion she’d never experienced in the past, Jessie wasn’t sure what to make of it.   Outwardly, he was still the same Adam Kincaid she’d known for three years, but something inside him had changed.   Maybe it was because he was reaching out to her on a more emotional level, verbalizing things that before had only been hinted at through physical contact.  
    “You’ve never said those things to me before.”
    Mitch didn’t miss the wariness in her voice , or the sad undertone.   “I’m sorry for that, Jess.   I realize now there were a lot of things I should have said and done.”   He drew her closer and pressed a soft kiss to her lips.   “I should have told you how wonderful I think you are.”   He kissed her again.   “I should have said that coming home to you is the one true happiness in my life.”   He kissed her harder, longer.   “And I should have let you know that nothing, nothing brings me greater pleasure than when I’m holding you in my arms, kissing you, touching you, making love to you.   You mean the world to me, Jess.”
    Tears glistened in her eyes.   “You really mean that, don’t you?”
    His chest tightened.   He did mean it, every word of it.   “Sweetheart, there’s no place I would rather be than right here with you.”   He hugged her to him.   “I think we should get on the horses and ride out of here while I still have a little self control left.   The way I’m feeling right now, I couldn’t even guarantee we’d make it back to the house.”
    Jessie didn’t doubt he was telling the truth .  H er own internal