Fake Marriage Box Set

“Meeting Daddy tomorrow night.”

He hesitated, his nose nuzzling my cheek. “I haven’t met a girl’s parents in a long time. I’m willing, as long as you don’t mind how rusty I am.”

I laughed, still a little breathless from our roll in the hay. “You can’t be that bad.” I turned my head to face him, our noses pressed together. “He’s been the most important person in my life since I was born.”

“Oh, I’m damn sure gonna be there. If it made you happy, I’d walk from here to Dallas, barefoot.”

“You don’t have to do all that,” I said, giggling. “This will make me happier than I’ve been in a long time.”

“Well, making you happy is almost as good as the fun we just had.” He kissed my nose while I laughed again. “Almost.”

I leaned to kiss him on the mouth, still giggling.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Pete

Sunday

I was putting the finishing touches on my outfit when I heard Emma coming in the house.

“I’m in the bathroom!” I called out.

She appeared behind me in the mirror, grinning. “Are you wearing a tie, Pete Gains?”

I turned away from the mirror, trying to smile, too. I hadn’t been this nervous in a long time. I really liked this girl. I didn’t want to fuck things up by getting off on the wrong foot with her father. I knew how much of a daddy’s girl she was. If I fell out of the saddle tonight, I might not get another chance to get back on the horse.

She looked me up and down, from the tips of my nicest boots to my khaki pants — I hadn’t worn them in years, and they were a little tight — to the dressiest shirt I owned topped off with my only necktie. She laughed, but her green eyes were kind.

“The first thing you need to do is get that tie off.”

I didn’t need to be told twice. I tugged it off my neck and threw it on the back of the toilet, happy to never put another one on as long as I lived.

“Daddy’s not gonna be dressed up,” she said. “And, you can see what I’m wearing.” She had on a sundress and sandals, her long hair loose down her back. “You’re not gonna be able to relax if you aren’t comfortable. Go put on something else.”

I went to my room to do just what she’d asked, keeping the nicer boots, but trading the uncomfortable khakis and dress shirt for a pair of jeans and a button up shirt I might wear to ride in. Her daddy had horses and a good chunk of his own property. He probably didn’t expect me to show up in my Sunday best. That relaxed me a little, but I still didn’t know how I was ever going to settle down enough to eat. My stomach had been in knots since Emma’d brought up this dinner.

She looked me over again, this time nodding once to show she approved. “You look great, Pete. Much more natural.” She stepped closer and lifted up onto the tips of her toes to plant a kiss on my mouth. “Let’s get on. Daddy’s got the grill going already.”

We walked out to her car. I’d never ridden in it before. Damn, it was tiny. I felt like I had to fold my legs in half to fit inside of it. I reached under my seat, pulled up on the lever, and slid it back as far as it would go.

She turned us around and headed out to the main country road.

“Should I be worried about today?” I asked.

She shrugged a bare shoulder. “I’m not the one to ask. I’ve never done this before.”

“Damn, I’d think you’d at least have some advice for me.”

She glanced over at me briefly, displaying her warm grin, before putting her eyes back on the road. “You’ll be just fine. Daddy’s a sweet man.” Her grin deepened, those emerald eyes flashing with a light I didn’t quite care for. “At least, he is to me.”

We pulled up to her Daddy’s property, and I had a second to look around before she parked the car and we got out. I could see lots of rolling, grassy land and a barn set back a few hundred feet from the main house.

She turned to me, taking my hand and squeezing. “Don’t worry. You’ll do fine. Kasey’ll probably do most of the talking, anyway.” She leaned to give me another quick kiss, then she was gone, opening her car door and getting out.

Reluctantly, I followed her. We walked up to the porch together, not holding hands. It might’ve been some time since I’d met a girl’s parents, but that didn’t mean I was stupid. I knew better than to keep putting my hands on Emma with her daddy around, not even an innocent arm around her shoulders. I wasn’t about to do anything that got me led out of the house by the barrel of a loaded shotgun.

As soon as we hit the porch, the front door flew open. Kasey was there to greet us, grinning excitedly, her green eyes blazing and hair loose and bouncy around her shoulders. She was wearing a dress, too, but it was a fair bit shorter than Emma’s was.