Fake Marriage Box Set

“Morning,” I said.

He looked up from the stall door he was messing with, grinning the way he always did when he saw me coming. “I thought maybe you slept in.”

I laughed at the idea of not being up a few hours before the sun rose. I couldn’t remember ever having done that, not even at school. “I ran by my daddy’s house on the way over, and my sister was up.” I stopped short of telling him what we’d talked about and the things Kasey had said. I wanted to because now it was bothering me something fierce, but I knew I didn’t have anything to worry about. Why get Pete upset for no reason?

“Lacey should be in a little later today with the new horses,” he said.

“I’m so excited to get them out here.”

“Me, too,” he replied. “I’ve got a few things to do in town before she gets in.”

“I’ll finish getting this place ready and hold down the fort until you’re back.”

He stopped to kiss me on his way out, and I closed my eyes to enjoy the clean smell of him. I liked him sweaty, but it was nice just smelling his soap and clean skin.

As soon as he left, I got busy with the horses. They had to be fully groomed today before they went back to their stalls for the night, so I needed to budget my time properly. If Lacey was coming back from Dallas tonight with new animals, I couldn’t depend on her to help work or clean the horses today. I got them out to the corral for feeding and watering, then busied myself with mucking out their stalls. We were a few horses down for the moment, so it didn’t take as long as usual.

On a good day, the hours just melted away in flurry of sweaty activity. Today was one of those days. By the time I groomed the last horse and put him away in his stall for the night, the sun had nearly given up on the day.

I realized with a start that Lacey had never arrived with the new horses. I frowned at the empty stalls I’d prepared. Maybe Pete knew what had happened.

I left the barn, telling the horses goodnight before I slid the alleyway door shut. I ran out to the car to leave my hat in the front seat, leaning into my car to drop it onto the passenger side. I glanced up through the windshield just in time to see Lacey come out of the house with Pete right behind her.

The relieved grin at seeing she was okay froze on my face at what happened next. She turned back to Pete, who took her into his arms and hugged her, pulling her in tight to his body as she buried her head in his chest and put her arms around him. They were swaying together as Pete dropped his chin to kiss the top of Lacey’s head, his lips lingering in her blonde hair.

I sat down hard on the driver’s seat, all the wind knocked out of me watching them clinging to each other. I blinked my burning eyes, refusing to cry over this. Kasey was right. I was the one who didn’t understand what the hell had been going on right in front of my eyes.

I closed the car door, making the lovebirds spring apart on the porch and stare my way. I didn’t wait to hear their goddamned excuses and lies. I just started the engine and drove away.

Chapter Thirty-One

Pete

Tuesday

I took my regular seat on the porch, a mug of cooling coffee in one hand and Riley curled up on the floor. I finished the coffee with no sign of Emma. She’d come late the day before. She must’ve decided to do the same thing today. I’d been sorry to miss her last night. I saw her drive off, but she didn’t stop to say goodbye, which wasn’t like her.

I went in for more coffee, taking it back out onto the porch. I stood at the railing, sipping the hot liquid and looking out over the front of the property line while the sun came up. It was light out and still no Emma. I checked my watch, but I knew by the light what time it was. She was really late.

I went to the barn, getting busy with the horses. She’d kick my ass up one side of the property and down the other if I didn’t keep them on the schedule she’d kept since her second day on the farm. Lacey was out today, too, so it was just me moving the horses to the corral to be fed and watered. I cleaned out the stalls, which I usually only had to do on the weekends when the girls weren’t here. Over the last few weeks, Emma had taken to coming by on Saturdays and sometimes Sundays to help me out, the two of us joking and laughing while we saw to the animals.

Once the horses were out, I saddled up Elroy and took him on a ride around the property, just getting an idea of what needed doing today. I put him back in the corral forty-five minutes later and took the next horse out, riding to the far corner of the property and back. I had to get some of the back field mowed again; we’d had a fair amount of rain during the prior week, and the grass was growing like I hadn’t cut it in weeks.

I took the tractor out there and worked the rest of the day away. Focusing on the field helped, but I couldn’t stop worrying over Emma. It wasn’t like her not to come into work. I hoped she wasn’t sick, but I didn’t want to crowd her. I knew how independent she was and how much it bothered her sometimes that I was both her boss and her boyfriend. I wasn’t sure if I could call as just one without being the other at the same time. I didn’t really care that she’d missed work — if she’d decided to take the day to go hang out in Austin with Kasey, it wouldn’t have bothered me in the least — I just wanted to know she was okay.

By the time the end of the day rolled around, I’d made up my mind to call her if she hadn’t called me already. I didn’t like carrying my cell phone and only kept it on me when I was traveling. She could’ve called me this afternoon, and I never would’ve heard.

I put the horses up, making sure to feed and water them the same way I’d seen Emma do. They were clearly disappointed to see me at the end of the day instead of her, but I didn’t know what to tell them. I was disappointed, too. And worried.

I walked up to the house and went inside to the kitchen. I could plainly see no one had left me a message on the machine. I pressed the button anyway, cursing myself for being a damned fool as I did it. I picked up the phone and dialed her number. No one answered. After a few rings, it went to her answering machine.

“Hey, Emma, it’s Pete. I just wanted to make sure you’re okay. I missed you today. I’ll see you when you get in tomorrow.” I hesitated, feeling like I should add more, but I didn’t know what. I hung up the phone, not feeling good, but it was what it was.

I went to the fridge for a beer. I already knew I wouldn’t be able to eat much tonight. I went out to sit on the porch. It sure was lonely on this damned farm without the girls. Shit.

I looked down at Riley. He wasn’t much, but he beat nothing at all. “I sure hope Emma’ll be in tomorrow, old boy.”

He raised his head, dark eyes staring up at me, and thumped his tail once.