Redsand Canyon I got a hankering for four wide tires

That was what she needed to hear. She wouldn't hold it against him that he'd listened, but if it came down to it, she didn't want to be with someone who chose the easier path. If problems arose down the line, and the road forked in a similar way, she needed him to offer solutions before proposing they part ways. He said this thing between them was permanent, but that meant nothing if permanent was just ignoring any issues and hoping they went away. Her mateship with Bronco could have been permanent too... if she had been willing to live with it.

She tensed momentarily when he reached to pull her in, but then shifted to lean against him. She wondered if she'd ever stop expecting him to react poorly to these discussions. It didn't feel right that they hadn't even yelled, but he was holding her now as if something had been resolved. His question caught her by surprise.

She thought it would be obvious. Never. The reply was immediate, but a moment later she elaborated. If she needed reassurance then maybe it was only fair that he did too, despite the fact that she felt she'd already said most of it. He'd said the same things a dozen times too.

The love he wanted wasn't the kind I needed. Love wasn't what was important. He didn't trust me and he lied to me. Not even about the little things, but about the things that were most important. Things he held against me in the end. She finally relaxed more into his hold, resting her cheek on the side of his chest. That's why I told you the most important things for me at the start. I just wanted to make sure you meant it when you said you understood.

Love without those wasn't love. Ignoring those meant telling her, over and over again, that the way she felt and the things she wanted didn't matter. She would take consideration and respect over love any day. That was why she'd agreed to this - because Germanicus had offered her something she'd never experienced before. Actual trust.