Fake Marriage Box Set

“I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how special my girls are to me,” he said.

“No, Sir.”

“It’s been just the three of us for a long time. I worry that the girls think they can’t move on with their lives and leave me behind.”

I didn’t know what to say to that.

“Emma likes to make everybody happy before thinking of herself. Her mother was the same.” He was quiet for a moment, but it was a casual, comfortable silence. “That’s why I’m glad she’s found a place for herself and someone she cares about.”

I swallowed the lump rising up into my throat. He looked over at me, his light eyes more open than I’d expected. He nodded to me once, and I nodded back, hundreds of unspoken words passing between us in an instant before he glanced back out to the yard again. I looked over my shoulder and into the house. I had a clear view of the kitchen where Emma and Kasey were laughing and talking as they did the dishes.

“I’m glad, too, Sir.” I had to think of the best way to express the flood of feelings that welled up in me whenever I looked at Emma. “I truly care about your daughter. I don’t know how the farm got along without her. Or how I did.”

Mr. Flowers nodded again, only once, and we sat in a companionable silence until the girls came out to tell us the dishes were done and it was time for dessert.

Chapter Thirty

Emma

Monday

I ran by Daddy’s place on the way to work to drop off a few odds and ends I’d borrowed over the last couple of weeks. I was just going to run them into the house — he was always out back working with the horses before the sun rose, so I didn’t want to trouble him during his thinking time — but there was a light on in the kitchen. Kasey was digging around in the pantry, dressed in a night shirt and shorts, her hair pulled back into a messy ponytail.

“What are you doing up?” I asked her.

“I woke up so hungry, I couldn’t go back to sleep,” she said and pulled a box of cereal off the shelf.

“You damned near ate your weight in lemon meringue pie last night after dinner,” I said.

She laughed, and so did I. “You know how much I love your lemon meringue pie. It was your own damned fault for making it in the first place.” She reached into the box, pulled out a handful of cereal, and started munching on it. “What are you doing here first thing in the morning??

??

I shrugged. “I had some things of Daddy’s I wanted to get back. And, it’s okay if I get to the farm a little late this morning. I’ll still be there before sunup.”

Kasey groaned, rolling light eyes that looked much bigger without all the liner and mascara. She could have been fifteen standing there in front of me, her cheeks and forehead fresh and clean of their usual foundation, powder, and blush. “I don’t know how you get up that early every morning.”

“I get up the exact same time we did growing up.”

“We didn’t have a choice then!”

I laughed. “I don’t have a choice now if I want to keep my job. Besides, I’m excited to see the new horses today. Lacey ran up to just outside of Dallas over the weekend to buy a pair of fillies. Today will be our first day getting them used to the ranch.” I’d hardly slept the night before, thinking about how much fun we had in store today.

Kasey’s face got serious, her smile evaporating as her eyes stayed steady on mine. “You need to be careful about that girl.”

I tugged my eyebrows together, scowling just a little. “What do you mean?”

“That Lacey is always hanging around all the time. Pete’s your boyfriend now. You need to put your foot down.”

“No, things aren’t like that. Lacey and Pete are pretty damned close to brother and sister. You should see them together. They fight like cats and dogs.”

She put her box of cereal down on the counter and dropped a hand onto her skinny hip. “Emma, ain’t nobody like brother and sister who ain’t actually brother and sister.” She stared hard at me, the heat in her gaze keeping me from arguing. “You need to get that snake the fuck out of your garden before it’s too late.”

I blinked, shocked by her directness. It took a minute to get myself together enough to come up with a response. “I’m really not worried about that, Kasey.”

“Well, you should be. Boys and girls can’t be friends without one of them having feelings for the other. Just keep your eyes open is all I’m saying. I like Pete a whole lot. I could tell Daddy did, too. I’d hate for this girl to ruin it because she decides she wants him all to herself.”

I drove on to Pete’s house, unable to shake the conversation with my sister. It was a relief to get to the ranch and outside of the nest of poisonous thoughts in my head. He was in the barn already, getting the stalls ready for the new horses.