The Cowboy's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  He pointed at her. “See? Thinking face.”

  Before she could think twice, she lunged forward and poked him in the ribs. He yelped and jumped back. Oh, this made things interesting. She flashed a wide grin and lunged forward again.

  “Oh, no! No tickling!”

  “You totally have it coming.” She dodged one of his arms trying to hold her back, and this time she used both hands. “I’ll show you thinking face!”

  Jackson wasn’t nearly as fast as she was, and every time he tried to block her, she’d slip out of his grasp and tickle him even harder. It was more fun than she’d had in, well, she couldn’t remember.

  He finally held her wrists and pinned them to her sides. “No. More. Ticklin’.”

  Grace threw her head back and laughed. She didn’t know where it was coming from. For so long, it had felt like all of her joy had been sucked out, and she hadn’t known how to get it back. In the span of two days, being in this place had filled her with something she thought she’d lost.

  “It’s not that funny,” he grumbled.

  “You didn’t see your face.”

  He let her go and crossed his arms over his chest. “Oh yeah? Well, I’m a firm believer in revenge being a dish best served cold.”

  She didn’t know why, but that made her laugh harder. “Ohhh, I’m sooo scared.”

  Jackson narrowed his eyes and leaned down. “You should be, missy; you should be.”

  “Consider me terrified.”

  He snorted. “Come on. Let’s get those sandwiches made, and we’ll go dig through the attic. Apparently, my interior designer needs inspiration.”

  “Okay.” She was nearly giddy. Going to the attic, digging through boxes, and finding the history of the house was something she’d been dying to do. Jackson had no idea what he’d done for her. He’d given her time and space to figure out who she was again. It was like having a drink paid for by the stranger ahead of you. A gift you could only pay forward.

  Chapter 8

  With the last bite of sandwich stuffed in his mouth, Jackson pushed through the millionth cobweb to grab another box. They’d started in the left corner and moved right. So far, they’d only found newer records, and his grandparents hadn’t done the best job. None of the boxes were in the same decade. It was as though someone had taken the room and given it a good shake.

  Grace seemed especially disappointed. With each box, her lips curved down more. That didn’t sit right with him. If ever a woman needed to smile, it was her. And her laugh? Good heavens, she had a great laugh. It was light and lilting. Bubbly and cute.

  He had to stop those thoughts. She’d made it clear she wasn’t looking for anything like that. Neither was he. All he wanted was her help getting the house back in shape. It would have been dumb to turn down a professional interior designer, and he was no dummy.

  “You think this box will have something?”

  Swallowing the rest of his sandwich, he said, “I don’t know, but I hope so. If not, we’ll keep looking.”

  “Anyone home?” a deep voice called from below. A voice Jackson knew.

  Grace startled. Her foot hooked on the box he’d just set down, and she knocked into him. He grabbed her elbows to stop her from falling, but with the momentum, they crashed to the floor with a thud with her sprawled on top of him.

  Pain stabbed through his back, and he squeezed his eyes shut.

  “Oh, Jackson, I’m so sorry.” She scrambled off him, but he could feel her next to him.

  When he opened his eyes, she was leaned over him, her face inches from his like she was inspecting him. The sunlight coming through the window made her eyes look like sapphires. Even her freckles seemed to stand out against her skin a little more. “Wow, you’re beautiful.”

  “Did you hit your head too?”

  As he tried to sit up, she hugged him around his chest to help him. “It’s just my back that smarts.”

  She slid her hands up his neck and into his hair, in what he assumed was her checking to make sure he didn’t have any bumps. The sensation was making his body go haywire. “Are you sure that’s the only place you hurt?”

  He took her hands and pulled them out of his hair. Instead of immediately letting her go like he should have, he held onto her. “I might be sore, but nothing’s broken.”

  Everything stopped. All the dust, cobwebs, and boxes filled with musty old records were just a blur on the edge of his vision. He even forgot there was someone downstairs. What if he kissed her? Maybe the fireworks from that first time were just because it’d been so long. If he kissed her again, he’d know for sure. In his mind, the reasoning was solid.

  He took both of her hands in one of his, slid his other arm around her back, and pulled her closer. How was it that she fit so well? The air was suddenly buzzing around him to the point that his nerves felt exposed. How could he be so attracted to someone so fast? That hadn’t happened to him before.

  “Jackson?”

  Grace quickly pulled away and stood. Her cheeks were so red they looked sunburned.

  Jackson looked up at the man who’d intruded. “Hello, Thomas.”

  “It’s been a while,” Hannah’s father said.

  Jackson pushed off the floor and stood with a grunt. He gripped his sides and stretched back. No doubt, he was going to feel that tumble tomorrow, if not sooner. “What are you doing here?”

  Thomas stuck his hand out to shake Jackson’s as his gaze traveled to Grace. “Hannah said something interesting.”

  Jackson’s gaze drifted from Thomas’s extended hand back to his face. “Yeah? What’s that?”

  His ex-father-in-law withdrew his hand. “She said you’re engaged.”

  Jackson put his arm around Grace’s waist. “I sure am. Why?”

  “I know you and Hannah had your problems, but I always thought you’d work them out. You two belong together.”

  Hannah had told Jackson that her father knew why their marriage ended, but the look on the man’s face said otherwise. “There’s no working it out. I’m with Grace now.”

  Grace stuck her hand out. “I’m Grace Maddox. Nice to meet you.”

  “Yes,” he said dismissively and returned his full attention to Jackson. “Did Hannah tell you I purchased the mortgage on this place?”

  “Yeah, she told me.”

  “I know you can’t come up with the money, son. Why not just sell?”

  Jackson looked at Grace. “Sweetheart, would you mind giving me a minute to talk to him?”

  “No, I don’t mind.” She lifted on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “I’ll be in the kitchen.”

  It took effort not to palm his cheek where her lips had touched. He smiled as the warmth spread through him. “Thank you.”

  Grace gave Thomas a small wave and quickly hurried out of the attic.

  Jackson went back to the stool he’d occupied earlier and sat. “Thomas, why do you care if I sell if you own the mortgage? If you foreclose, that’s a big payday for you.”

  “Despite what you might think, Jackson, you’re still a part of my family, and Hannah wants to try again. I want good things for you, son. This house is falling apart. You have a good offer. Take it, retire to the Caribbean, and enjoy your life.”

  Jackson leaned forward, balancing his elbows on his thighs. “This isn’t just some house. I want to make it into a bed and breakfast again. Eventually, I want to have a working ranch. There’s plenty of acreage to do both.”

  Thomas chuckled. “So, now you’re a ranch hand or something?”

  “No, I’m a ranch owner. Once I get this place running again, I’m going to have a home built a few miles away, and I’ll start my ranch. I plan on hiring someone to manage the B & B part of it.”

  “It’s not going to happen.” Thomas paused a moment and then shook his head as he scoffed. “Truth be told, I find it hard to believe you’re really engaged, so I want to see a marriage license as proof. And if you don’t have the license and the money in full by th
e end of the three months, I’m foreclosing on you. Not only will you be out this property, you’ll be out that six-million-dollar offer.”

  Jackson stood. “Why would you do this? If we’re family, why not let me see if I can make this work?”

  Thomas licked his lips and looked away.

  Hannah. “This is her doing, isn’t it?” When Thomas didn’t speak, Jackson put his hands on his hips and cursed under his breath. “I’m not getting back with Hannah. It’s never happening.”

  His ex-father-in-law jerked his attention to Jackson. “My little girl loves you, and you left her.”

  “Left her? Is that what she told you?” Jackson licked his lips and shook his head. “She cheated on me. You can ask your partner Wes about that.” Jackson’s blood was boiling. He’d left her? Of course she’d lie. That’s what she did. Everything with her was a lie. He’d caught her in so many since they’d separated that there was no way he could ever be with her again.

  Thomas’s eyes widened for a moment before he regained his composure. “I didn’t come here to hash out why it happened. I came here to talk sense into you.”

  “Hannah and I are over, Thomas. That’s as clear as I can make it.”

  Thomas exhaled sharply. “Then you have three months. No extensions will be offered. Do you understand?”

  “I understand fine. Now see yourself out.” Jackson clenched his jaw as Thomas gave him one last look and left. He turned around and scrubbed his face with his hands. Leave it to Hannah to lie and turn everything back on him. It’s what she was good at. He’d dismissed so many things while they were together. Why hadn’t he seen it?

  His heart was hurting him something fierce. It was almost like finding that first text message from Wes.

  “Jackson?”

  He turned around, and Grace stood at the entry of the attic with her hands clasped in front of her.

  She crossed the room and stopped in front of him. Her eyes locked with his. “Are you okay?”

  “No.” His voice cracked, and he didn’t know what else to say. He thought his days of being broken by Hannah were over, and here she was, trampling him into the ground.

  She opened her mouth like she was going to say something and then stopped. Without uttering a word, she hugged him around the waist. He wrapped his arms around her and tucked her head under his chin, relishing the feel of her comfort.

  After the divorce, he didn’t get much in the way of sympathy. Everyone had warned him Hannah wasn’t the one, but he fought for her. He pushed their warnings to the side, and when all was said and done, mostly what he got was I told you so. It didn’t go a long way for soothing his broken heart.

  Grace pulled back and cupped his cheek. “You’re a good man. One of these days, you’ll find someone who thinks the world of you, and she’ll love you like you’ve never been loved before.”

  “How do you know I’m a good man? You just met me.”

  She dropped her hand to his chest and flattened her palm against it. “You saved a horse from a kill pen, and he’s not an easy horse. Most people would have demolished this house. Where others saw no value, you did. Plus,” she said and smiled, “you let a crazy stranger invade your life and live here for free. I’d say that makes you a good man.”

  It was easy to see why Bret loved Grace. Aside from the physical, there was something about her that made being with her comfortable. “How about we finish looking through these boxes?”

  “Are you sure? We don’t have to continue right this second.”

  “Weren’t you the one saying we didn’t have time to lose?”

  Grace’s eyebrows knitted together. “You’re more important than a house, Jackson. No matter how old and great it is.”

  His heart picked up speed, and he was sure she could feel how hard it was beating. Man, she sure was different than the other women he’d met. The spot where her hand lingered was sending sparks leaping from one inch of him to another.

  It was then that he realized he was still holding her, and he wasn’t particularly fond of letting her go. Mentally, he checked himself. This was a business deal.

  He dropped his arms from around her and stepped back. “I appreciate that, but I’m okay. Let’s get back to work.”

  Grace smiled, and it was like his own personal sun was in the room. “All right.”

  He rubbed his hand across his lips. “We have another problem. Hannah’s dad said he wanted a marriage license as proof of the engagement, along with the money in full, or he’d foreclose in three months. Our little lie keeps getting bigger. Maybe we need to just come clean now.”

  Her lips parted with a gasp. “What? A marriage license?”

  Jackson nodded. “Hannah’s dad wants a marriage license as proof. He says he doesn’t believe we’re really engaged.”

  She drew her eyebrows together as she pinched her lips. What was it about her feistiness that made his heart speed up? “I can’t stand the thought of just giving in like that. Did he say it had to be a signed license? We could apply for one and have it handy in case we need to show it to him. They’re good for ninety days. Just because we have one doesn’t mean we need to use it.”

  “I guess that’d work. We can raise the money and pay it off before the three months is up so he can’t force a marriage, but we can get the license and pretend to be planning a wedding at the end of the three months to throw him off.” It wasn’t just her feistiness he liked either. The woman wasn’t a quitter. At that moment, he couldn’t decide which of those characteristics he liked better.

  “We’ll get it done. Before you know it, you won’t have to deal with him or Hannah anymore.” Her smile lit up the room and his pulse jumped.

  In an instant, he found himself looking forward to spending more time with Grace. Just then, an idea hit him. “I was thinking we could work hard for a couple of weeks. At the end, we reward ourselves and take that day off. By then, we’ll need it.”

  Her smile faded. “But—”

  He held up his hand. “We’ll still be working. I had a chance to look at the property map. There’s a huge stream about twenty minutes from here. We’ll take a couple of horses, some lunch, and explore on our way there.”

  She clapped her hands together. The only thing cuter than her thinking face was her excited face. “Oh, I’d love it. I know we’d be losing time, but do you think we could camp out? We could test the overnight theory.”

  A night alone with Grace? Was that a test he could pass? He already liked her more than he should. But it was just camping. Not a big deal. He could handle it. “I can arrange that. Are you the type that needs a tent?”

  “As long as it doesn’t rain, I’ll be fine.”

  Not only did Grace give her all to things, she was as tough as any woman he’d met. Most would have insisted on a tent. At least, the women he knew would have. “Okay, tough gal. We’ll freewheel it.”

  She bounced on her toes, and her eyes twinkled. “It’ll be so much fun.”

  “Have you been camping?”

  “No, but I’ve wanted to.”

  This was going to be more fun than she knew. When someone who’d never been camping was this excited, it never was as good as they pictured it. He’d keep that to himself, though. He didn’t want to dampen her enthusiasm.

  “Then this’ll be a treat.” For him.

  Chapter 9

  Grace hefted another pitchfork full of hay into the wheelbarrow. She’d been up early again, and by the time Jackson came downstairs that morning, she’d manage to sand a section of the plaster in the dining room. She wanted to make sure it would look good when the whole room was done. His parted lips showed he was impressed, and then he shot her a wide smile that made her nearly melt into the floor.

  They’d spent the evening before digging through box after box, and they were only halfway through when they both threw in the towel. The plan was to try again today once the horses’ stalls were taken care of, which is why she’d taken it upon herself to get up early
and work some on the dining room.

  “Jackson, it’s me, Hannah.”

  Grace went to the stall door and peeked out. What was Hannah doing here? Was she going to try to talk Jackson into selling again? Selfishly, Grace wanted him to march Hannah’s happy self to the door and send her packing. The part that wanted good things for Jackson hoped that Hannah had changed and she was there to make peace with him so she could move on.

  Jackson walked out of the stall two doors down and stopped in front of Hannah. “Why are you here again?”

  Her shoulders sagged. “I’m not giving up on us, even if that only means being friends with you.”

  “You told your dad I left you.”

  Hannah reached for him, and he jerked away before she could touch him. “Jackson, I’m sorry. It was right after we split. I should have confessed, but it’d been so long. I was too embarrassed to tell him I was the reason we broke up.”

  “Now’s as good a time as any to set him straight.”

  “When I found out he’d come to visit you, I did. And I didn’t send him here. I swear. I was upset, and I told him why. I didn’t even find out he came here until he returned to the house.”

  Jackson raked his hand through his hair. “How do I know you’re telling the truth? You’ve told so many lies that it’s hard to separate fact from fiction.”

  “I realized the other day that I’d handled things wrong. Again. I’m trying, though, Jackson. I promise I am. And I know you’re engaged, and it breaks my heart to see you with someone else. I just need to prove that I’ve changed.”

  Grace pulled back and leaned against the wall. Not a minute ago, she wanted this. So why did it bother her that Hannah was trying to win Jackson back? It shouldn’t matter. All Grace had with him was a business arrangement. She peeked around the doorframe again.

  “I’m with someone else, and even if I wasn’t, I can’t go back to the way things were. I can’t handle the lies and deception again. Hannah, you need to go.”

  “Jackson, please.” Hannah wrung her hands. “I know I completely messed up. That’s why I was thinking—hoping—that you’d let me stay here and help you with the house. That way I can show you I’ve changed. I can’t do that if we’re never around each other.”