The Cowboy's Fake Marriage

by Bree Livingston

  He wished that was true. Part of him wished that someone was Grace. He liked her laugh, her humor, and the way her nose wrinkled when she was thinking.

  She yawned as she stretched her arm over his chest and put her leg over his. “I’m so comfortable,” she murmured, sliding her hand up his chest. She tilted her head up, and he could see that her eyes were closed.

  Comfortable. That was a good word for how he felt right then. It’d been a long time since he’d been so relaxed. Eventually, he’d pick her up and take her to her room, but for now, he was going to enjoy holding a woman he genuinely liked while lying under a blanket of stars.

  He’d wondered what it’d feel like, and now that he knew, it dampened his spirit a little to know it wasn’t going to last much longer.

  Chapter 15

  Grace smacked her lips and stretched in bed. It had been months since she’d felt so rested. Then she remembered the night before. She’d lain down with Jackson outside and fallen asleep. He must have brought her to her room.

  It had been the most natural thing to curl up next to him and throw her arm across his chest. Her body had fit like she was made to be right next to him. She smiled as she thought of him. He was comfortable, and anytime she was around him, she had such a sense of peace.

  A ray of light slowly grew on the bed until she squinted and bolted straight up. The sun was already rising, and she was late.

  Grace flung the covers off, pulled on her jeans and a t-shirt, and slipped on her shoes. As she darted out of the room, she grabbed a ponytail holder and threw her hair up. She made a quick stop at the bathroom to check herself, brush her teeth, and then ran down the stairs.

  Knowing Jackson would be in the barn, she didn’t slow down until she got there. She pulled the door open and let it shut behind her. As she walked through the barn, she peeked into each stall before continuing. By now, all the horses would be out. So where was Jackson?

  She heard the last stall door open and froze. Gulliver. Anytime Jackson let him out, he made sure she was outside. They’d slowly been working on getting him used to Grace, but the stallion was still unsure of her. And to be honest, the feeling was mutual.

  Gulliver stopped short and eyed her. She still couldn’t get over his size. According to Jackson, Friesians were some of the tallest horses bred. This guy was the biggest horse she’d ever seen in person.

  The stallion pawed the ground and whinnied just as Jackson walked out. His eyes widened.

  “Grace!” Jackson yelled. “Move.”

  Gulliver jerked his head up and down, his long black mane flying around him. His hooves bounced off the ground like he was about to rear up.

  “Grace!”

  Before she could gather her wits, Gulliver shot forward, and time slowed. She knew that animal was going to ram into her, and for the life of her, she couldn’t get her feet to move.

  Next thing she knew, Jackson had his body curled around her like a cocoon. She felt the shock of the horse ramming them into the wall, and then the wind knocked out of her as they hit the ground.

  Gulliver slid to a stop at the front of the barn and turned around. His hooves pounded the ground, and Grace wondered if he wasn’t going to paw both of them to death. Relief flooded her as he seemed to change his mind and flew past them, out the open back door to the pasture.

  Grace pushed herself into a sitting position. It felt like her brain had been jiggled.

  Jackson groaned, and she was instantly alert.

  She leaned over him. “Jackson, are you okay?”

  He took a deep breath before answering, “I think so.” He started to sit up, and Grace threw her arms around his chest to help him. Then she noticed the tear in his shirt and the jagged scratch.

  She touched her fingertips to it, and he sucked in a sharp breath. “You’re hurt.”

  “Aw, it’s just a scratch. After riding broncos, this is nothing.” He touched his head and rubbed the back of it. “I do have a headache developing, though.”

  “You need to see a doctor.”

  “I’m fine.”

  Grace took his face in her hands. “You saved me. I wanted to move, but I couldn’t. I froze. You told me to be careful, but I wasn’t. You got hurt because of me.”

  He took her hands in his. “No, I didn’t. I got hurt because someone abused that horse and now he’s scared of people. If anything, that person is responsible.”

  She sat back on her heels. “But if I’d checked first, it wouldn’t have happened. I slept late and didn’t think about it taking you longer to do things.”

  He smiled. “Everything’s fine, Grace.”

  Everything wasn’t fine. Not for her. He’d saved her life and got hurt in the process. It’d been all her fault. If she’d just taken a moment and thought it through, none of it would have happened. It was history repeating itself. Tears pricked her eyes, and she looked away.

  Jackson took her chin in his fingers, making her look at him. “It is not your fault, and I’m fine. I’m telling you, I’ve been worse off. Getting bucked from a horse is a lot more painful.”

  She could hear the words, but they did nothing to alleviate the guilt she felt. Wiping her eyes, she nodded and said, “Let’s go inside. I’ll clean that scratch, and we can eat breakfast.”

  “Sounds like a plan.”

  Grace helped him to his feet and kept her arm around his waist while they walked to the house. When they entered the kitchen through the back door, Hannah was sitting at the table.

  Her head popped up as Jackson took a seat at the table. “What happened to you?”

  “Gulliver got spooked.”

  In Grace’s head, she added, “Because of me.”

  “You’ve looked worse,” Hannah said.

  He smiled. “Yeah, I have.”

  Grace pulled out a dish towel and wet it. “Did you meet while he was in the rodeo?”

  Hannah nodded. “Yeah, I won tickets when it came to town. We met afterward.”

  “I’ve never been to a rodeo,” Grace said. She crossed the kitchen and stopped next to Jackson. “I need to clean that cut.”

  He pulled his t-shirt over his head, revealing the cut. She pressed the rag to it, and he flinched.

  “I’m sorry,” Grace said.

  Hannah chuckled. “That’s nothing. The night I met him, his hand got caught.”

  Jackson nodded. “I sprained my wrist that night.”

  “And got a decent-sized knot on your temple.”

  “I drew the hardest horse that night, but it worked in my favor.” He smiled.

  Grace finished cleaning his shoulder. “How?”

  “The harder it is to ride a horse, the more points you get.”

  “Oh.” She took the rag back to the sink and laid it over the faucet. “How did your hand get tangled?”

  Jackson shrugged. “It happens. Things are moving so fast. You don’t even realize it until you dismount.”

  “It sounds scary.”

  “Can be.”

  Hannah scoffed. “It’s terrifying. I saw a guy get trampled. Later, I found out he’d broken his collarbone and his leg was crushed. I’ll never forget it.”

  “Is that why you left the rodeo?” asked Grace.

  “No,” he said.

  The way he said it made Grace pause. She looked from him to Hannah. Her curiosity was killing her, but she’d ask him about it later. Something told her it was part of why they split, so she decided to let it go. For now.

  Grace went back to him with a band-aid in hand. “This is the biggest bandage I could find, and it’s too small.”

  “I don’t need it.”

  “You have a bruise developing right at your temple,” she said as she combed her fingers through his hair. “Do you need something for the headache?”

  “Now that I can use.” He chuckled as he looked up. His laughter died the moment their eyes locked, and instantly, it seemed the room had no air.

  Grace brushed the back of her hand along his jaw. Ti
ngles shot up her arm, and without even thinking, she bent down and kissed him. “Are you sure that’s all you need?”

  His Adam’s apple bobbed. “A couple of aspirin, and I’ll be fixed right up,” he said, his voice husky.

  “Okay. You want me to cook you some eggs?”

  “Is that what you’re having?”

  She smiled. “Is that your subtle way of asking me to eat with you?”

  Hannah made a gagging sound. “Oh my gosh, just stop.” She pushed from the table. “First, it wasn’t enough. Now, it’s overboard.”

  Grace clenched her jaw. “As I recall, you’re the one who begged to stay here. No one’s keeping you from leaving, either.”

  For a moment, they stood there, staring each other down. Grace wasn’t sure what was going through Hannah’s mind, but she almost hoped she’d leave. Sure, they still needed her help, but it was getting old having her around.

  “Oh, I’m not going anywhere. I said I’d help, and I will,” Hannah said and stomped out of the room.

  Grace had a feeling that helping wasn’t what was on Hannah’s mind, no matter what her mouth said. She turned her attention back to Jackson.

  “You sure know how to get to her,” he said.

  “She makes me mad. Things fly out of my mouth without so much as a second thought.”

  He chuckled. “You’re cute when you’re mad.”

  “You won’t think that when I’m mad at you.”

  “I think I’d try to make you mad on purpose.”

  She giggled. “Let me get breakfast fixed, you big ole flirt.”

  “You started it.”

  “Did not.”

  “Did too.”

  Grace narrowed her eyes. “Fine. Then I’m ending it.”

  As she turned, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, and he pulled her onto his lap. “What if I don’t want it ended?”

  “Don’t you know the song ‘You Can’t Always Get What You Want’?”

  His gaze found hers and held it. “I’ve heard,” he said softly. “I think he gave up too easily.”

  Before she could stop herself, she brushed her lips across his. Oh, how the feel of them made every nerve ending on her body come alive. She shouldn’t be kissing him. It wasn’t part of the deal. But despite what her head was saying, her body was AWOL.

  She circled her arms around his neck as his arms made their way around her, pressing her tightly against him. Again, she was reminded how she fit against him as she molded her body to his. His mouth moved from her lips to her neck with a delicate touch that made her want more. He stopped at the hollow of her throat and placed several feathery kisses there.

  When his lips found hers again, he teased hers, and, with a moan, she parted her lips as he deepened the kiss. She was losing herself in him and his touch. A wildfire raged in her core and spread outward, engulfing her. Jackson was a cliff, and she was being pulled over. She couldn’t get enough of him or his kisses.

  He pulled back, his chest heaving in and out, and his face flushed. “I—”

  Grace saw movement out of the corner of her eye and realized Hannah was standing in the door. How did she get so caught up in him? He wasn’t kissing her because he wanted to kiss her. It was for Hannah’s benefit.

  “It’s okay.” She stood and caught Hannah’s gaze as she walked to the fridge. “Is something wrong, Hannah?”

  The woman grinned. “Nope.”

  “We’ll be right there.”

  “Okay,” Hannah said and walked off.

  Grace leaned against the fridge door and let the chilly air roll over her heated body.

  A second later, Jackson stood behind her. “Grace.”

  She plastered on a smile and turned around. “Is everything okay?”

  Something flashed in his eyes, and his lips turned down. “Yeah, everything’s fine. I know where we stand.”

  “Okay, good. Take a seat. Breakfast won’t take long.”

  He opened his mouth like he wanted to speak. Instead, he closed it and walked back to the table. The chair legs scraped the floor as he sat down.

  Grace shook her head, trying to clear her mind of Jackson. It was becoming harder and harder to remember why she was there. With every kiss, the line she’d drawn for herself became fuzzier. How was she going to continue to pretend and keep her heart from being broken?

  Chapter 16

  It was another day of sanding the walls in the dining room, this time with smaller grit sandpaper. Jackson was glad it was mindless work, because if it wasn’t, he’d be in trouble.

  Grace had nearly been trampled that morning. He yelled her name, but she stood like a statue. Instinct had taken over, and he propelled himself into action. If something would’ve happened to her...The thought made a shiver run down his spine.

  Of course, from there, his mind would not only replay that, but the kiss too. She’d kissed him, and it’d been all kinds of hot...and definitely left him bothered. Then he’d realized Hannah was there. It explained Grace kissing him, but the way he’d kissed her back hadn’t been planned. It just happened. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but his body wasn’t exactly listening to marching orders when it came to her.

  He thought something magical had happened until he realized Hannah was in the doorway. It had felt so real. The way she’d responded to his touch. His heart had fallen to his shoes like a rock in a well when he realized why she’d kissed him with such abandon.

  “The house sure looks different,” Quincy said.

  Jackson spun around and found his uncle standing in the doorway. Splotches of grease stained his overalls, and his hands looked dirty, even though Jackson was pretty sure he’d washed them before coming over.

  “And so do you! What happened to you, son?” He tapped his temple.

  “Aw, nothin’.”

  Grace walked to Jackson. “It was more than that. Gulliver would have hurt me if he hadn’t put himself in harm’s way.”

  “Oh, she’s making it more than it was.”

  “Am not.” She pressed her palm against his chest. “One minute I was frozen, and the next, he was curled around me, protecting me.”

  Jackson felt heat race up his neck to his ears. He was so tongue-tied he couldn’t find words.

  Quincy looked from Jackson to Grace and smiled like he was proud.

  Jackson rubbed the back of his neck. “Can we change the subject, please?”

  Hannah sighed. “Yeah,” she mumbled.

  Grace rolled her eyes. “Fine. Quincy, do you know what’s wrong with my car?”

  “Yeah, and I’m sorry I’ve taken so long. I don’t have good news. How long did you see smoke coming out?” Quincy asked.

  “I don’t know. I stopped when I noticed it.”

  Quincy rubbed his knuckles along his jaw. “You must not have noticed it quick enough, because you’ve got a blown head gasket.”

  Her shoulders rounded. “How long will it take to fix?”

  “I’m ordering parts, and as soon as I get them, I’ll get to work.”

  Jackson eyed him. “How soon are we talking on those parts?” No doubt Quincy would know what he was asking.

  His returned his stare. “I’ve put the order in for them. They’ll be here in a few days.”

  “That’s good to know,” said Grace.

  “No kidding,” murmured Hannah.

  Quincy’s gaze traveled from Jackson to Grace to Hannah. Jackson was glad he’d told Quincy about Hannah staying and that it’d been Grace’s idea. “I just had the best idea.”

  His best ideas were about as good as scaring a skunk. “I bet you do,” grumbled Jackson. No doubt, Quincy had something up his sleeve.

  “Boy, you hush. It’s Friday night. These ladies need to be introduced to Willow’s Tavern.”

  Hannah’s eyebrows went up. “Tavern?”

  “It’s a place to grab a bite, sit a while, and maybe have a dance or two,” his uncle said.

  Grace ran her thumb over her ring. “Uh, I don’t k
now. We really need to keep working.”

  Hannah scoffed. “I really need a night to relax. I’m there.”

  Quincy chuckled. “Grace darlin’, I learned a long time ago that work and play need to be balanced. I can see you three have been getting after it something fierce. It won’t hurt you to take a night off. Besides, won’t this be good research when you’re talking about the place?”

  There went her thinking face. “Actually, you’re right. Some guests will want to explore the town. It’d be good to have a feel for the place when I’m talking to various historical societies and newspapers. This’ll be great.”

  “See,” he said tapping his temple. “This old man knows a thing or two.”

  Grace smiled. “You don’t look that old to me.”

  Quincy winked. “Good, then you can save me a dance.”

  “What if I can’t dance?” Grace asked.

  “Well, there’s no time like the present to learn.” His uncle nodded to Jackson. “All right, I’ll be going. See you at the Tavern at, say...seven?”

  Jackson exhaled slowly. “Sure. We’ll see you at seven.”

  He tapped the doorframe as he walked away, and Jackson heard the front door open and shut.

  “It’s been a long time since I’ve gone dancing,” Grace said.

  Hannah tilted her head. “You mean you haven’t been there before?”

  Jackson looked at Grace, who returned his wide-eyed stare. It felt like he’d been caught with his hand in a jar of off-limits candy. “Uh...”

  Hannah crossed her arms over her chest and cocked her hip. “I knew it. I knew there was no way you’d be engaged that fast. I was right.”

  “Just because I haven’t been to the tavern doesn’t mean we aren’t engaged. It just means we’ve had other things to do,” Grace said, mimicking Hannah’s stance.

  Hannah clenched her jaw as she stared down Grace. “Okay, fine.” Her posture softened, and she raised her hands, signaling she was backing down. “I guess with the house needing so much work, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that you haven’t been there yet.”

  Jackson studied her. Maybe Hannah had changed. She’d never given up that easily. Grace wasn’t like him, backing down from her like he always did. Still, he had an uneasy feeling in his gut, and he couldn’t put a finger on why.