Fake Marriage Box Set (A Single Dad Romance)

by Claire Adams

  I drove up the long driveway from the country road that ran along one side of Pete’s property as the sun was rising on the far end of the farm, a blinding ball of light slung low on the horizon. Pete was on the porch reading the paper, as seemed to be his way in the morning. I parked my car and walked up to the house, but he didn’t get out of his seat like he had last time.

  “Morning,” he said.

  “Morning,” I said back.

  “Come on up and take a seat.” He motioned to the empty chair on the other side of his wiry-haired dog, who hadn’t lifted his head yet.

  I hesitated, unsure of why we weren’t getting right to work. Surely, there was plenty to do. But maybe he had a few things to tell me about the running of the farm and figured this was the best way to do it. After that, we’d get to it.

  I sat down but didn’t relax, my back straight and fingers twitching over the jeans I was wearing. Pete wasn’t wearing his hat yet today — it was sitting next to him on the ground — so I could see his thick shock of shiny black hair, which he wore clipped short to show his ears and pushed back away from his forehead. He’d shaved this morning, his strong jawline glistening and smooth.

  “Tell me about yourself, Emma,” he said with an easy smile.

  I didn’t see what this had to do with my place on the farm, but he was the boss. “Not much to tell. I was born and raised here, went to school in Austin, and came back after graduation.”

  “John Flowers is your daddy?” he asked.

  My eyebrows twitched, but I kept them from pulling together. Had he been asking around town about me? “Yeah.”

  He looked at me, waiting on something. Maybe for me to ask him about himself. I was interested to know something about him, but I was more interested to get started with my duties on the farm. That was what I was being paid to do. I imagined I’d do most of my work throughout the day without seeing him much. I might see the trainer more, whose name I still didn’t know.

  “I grew up on this ranch,” Pete said, staring out at our view of the front end of the property. From here, it was nothing but rolling green land and the country road far out in the distance. “My daddy raised heads of cattle part of the time, but he really loved horses.”

  I snuck a glance at him from the corner of my eye while his gaze was elsewhere. His straight nose led to lips that were used to smiling and a chin that was strong and square. He ran a hand over his dark hair, flattening it before setting his brown cowboy hat onto his head.

  “He passed after I finished high school. I took over from there. It was hard, mostly because I was used to goofing off more than I was used to working, but I’d been on the farm since before I could walk. And, I had help. My best friend works on the farm right beside me.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I’d never met a cowboy who talked as much as Pete did. And he never stopped smiling, even when he was talking about his daddy passing away. I was getting more uncomfortable as the conversation went on. It would be good to get to my duties, but I couldn’t really insist on that. This was his ranch. If he wanted to jibber jabber, that was just what we’d do.

  After another twenty minutes of him talking nonstop while I watched and dropped the occasional nod or single word response, we finally got started with the day. I hung a step behind him as he led me to the barn so I could check my watch without him seeing me do it.

  We’d wasted nearly an hour on the porch, letting the sun get higher and the horses hungrier. We’d always fed our animals before school on Daddy’s farm and again before we sat down to dinner. Stables needed mucking out before we did anything else. Even chatty Kasey had known to knuckle down to get her chores done while keeping her lips buttoned. I hoped this morning’s conversation wouldn’t be as regular with Pete as reading the Register.

  He slid open the alleyway doors to the barn, and we stepped inside. I loved the smell of this place: the closeness of the animals and the deep, sweet scent of hay. I liked how clean the stables were kept. I could smell the tang of manure. too, but that was just fine. It would only take me a few hours to get the horses fed, watered, and out to pasture so I could clean their stalls thoroughly.

  Pete stopped at the first stall, grinning like he’d just heard something particularly funny. “This is Elroy.” He smiled wider at my confused look. What kind of name was that for a horse? “He’s the new colt. We’re still trying to figure out a name for him. If we don’t come up with something quick, I think we’ll be stuck with what he came with.”

  Elroy stuck his long face out of the stall, and I rubbed his soft neck.

  “I’m sure you know what needs to be done in a barn each day, but I’ll go over it anyway.” He was a little more serious now, but his clean-shaven jaw and sparkling eyes — the mischief in them reminding me of my own giggly sister — made him look much younger than he was, like he was still that boy fresh from high school and struggling to run his daddy’s ranch.

  “The horses need fed and watered each morning. We like to put them out in the paddock first thing. The trainer will choose the ones to work with each day, but the others will be up to you to exercise and keep watered. The stalls get cleaned in the morning. You can spray them out. The floors are cement under the mats.” A grin broke over his face, like he just couldn’t contain it anymore. “We have a stereo hookup too, so go ahead and play music if you want. The horses are used to it. Just don’t blast it!” He laughed, slapping his knee while I watched, one eyebrow raised and jaw clenched to keep my face neutral.

  “You don’t talk much, do you?” he asked, blue eyes as wide as his smile.

  I shook my head a single time. “Not unless I have something of import to say.” I’d heard Daddy say that in response to the same question when I was about ten years old and never forgot it.

  “Well, I talk enough for the two of us, so I think we’ll get along just fine. You could laugh at a joke or two now and then.” The power went up on his smile, but I didn’t change my serene expression. I didn’t smile or laugh just because someone wanted me to.

  It was important to set up boundaries between Pete and me. But, I had to admit, the way he went through the things he wanted, even if he was as giggly as Kasey, was attractive in its way. He didn’t worry about not matching the idea of the average cowboy: reserved, serious, with a rough, well-worn demeanor. He acted just the way he wanted and was letting me know exactly what he expected from me. I could respect that, even if it didn’t match with the way I thought a ranch should be run. By the look of the property, what he was doing was clearly working for him.

  We went to the tack and feed rooms again so he could point out everything I’d need to complete my daily tasks.

  “I like the horses groomed at the end of the day, so they’re clean when we put them in their stalls.” He showed me the collection of curry brushes, dandy brushes, main combs, and body brushes, all neatly organized on a pegboard hung up on the rear wall of the tack room.

  “The last thing you’ll do before leaving at the end of each day is make sure each horse has fresh water in their stalls.”

  I nodded once. I’d loosened up after our long tour of the barn. Pete wasn’t just a good-looking jokester playing rancher. He actually knew what he was doing. I could be happy here, caring for these horses. I’d have to figure out a way around the drawn-out morning conversation, or at the very least keep it under ten minutes of small talking and jokes that fell so flat I almost felt sorry for him. Even if I had to suffer through the full hour, at least he wasn’t bad to look at.

  He took me out of the stable the way we’d come in, stopping at each stall so he could introduce me to the horses one by one. He had mostly quarter horses, but there was a spotted Appaloosa, and a pinto, too. I spent a little extra time rubbing the pinto’s nose. I’d grown up with my own pinto and had a special spot in my heart for them.

  “They like you,” Pete said, glancing over at me as we walked out of the barn and into the sun. “That says a lot.”

  I didn’t
respond, just followed him out to the corral, where he leaned on the fence, his arms hanging into the empty space. I was itching to get started with the horses. They were hungry and ready to run around. But I leaned onto the fence, too, and stared out at the pasture land in the distance. The fields were beyond there. I planned to saddle up a horse later this afternoon once my other duties were done and take a good long tour of the property.

  “How do you feel about the job?” he asked. I could see him looking over at me from the corner of my eye, but I didn’t turn to meet his sparkling baby blues.

  “I like it just fine,” I said. “I can’t wait to get to work.”

  He smiled when I turned to stare up at him. “I’m glad to hear it.”

  “Should I get started with the horses?” I asked. I needed to get them used to me. And fed. And watered. And out in the sunlight where they could stretch their long, lovely legs. I couldn’t believe I hadn’t gotten started already. I’d been there for nearly three hours. Those horses had to be getting as anxious as I was.

  “Just one more thing,” he said, stopping me from walking off just yet. “There’s another woman who’ll be on the farm most days. Her name’s Lacey. You’ll get to meet her later in the week. She’s got other business to attend to for the next couple days.” He watched me, his light eyes as blue and open as the sky above our heads.

  I nodded once. Lacey must’ve been the woman in the red pickup. The way his face softened up when he mentioned her name told me all I needed to know about their relationship. It was a relief, really, because once she got back, Pete would start pointing all his conversation and jokes her way, leaving me free to start my work as soon as I got in. And, unlike Kasey, I considered men with girlfriends completely off limits.

  “I’ll let you get to it then,” he said and turned to strike off in the direction of the house. I watched him go, unable to keep my eyes from drifting down to the fine shape of his ass in those jeans. I should’ve looked away, but I didn’t. There was nothing wrong with appreciating the way those jeans hugged his muscly legs and butt, was there? Not like I was ever going to do anything about it.

  Chapter Nine

  Pete

  Wednesday

  I was out on the porch right before sunrise when Emma pulled up in her little blue sedan. She lifted a hand in greeting, but didn’t walk over to say hi, choosing instead to head straight to the barn. I watched her slide open the alleyway doors, appreciating her slim body and the curve of her hips in those dark jeans. She disappeared inside the barn, cutting short my view of her.

  She wasn’t a talker. Or a smiler. Or a laugher. I hadn’t quite figured out exactly what she was besides a hard worker. The door on that safe was still firmly locked. But there was something valuable in there. I could see it sometimes when I looked deep into those emerald eyes.

  Lacey pulled up after the sky had lightened up a bit more, but well before the sun started peeking over the horizon. She walked up to the house and sank down in the seat next to mine.

  “How was Austin?” I asked her. We were long past greeting each other the usual way after all the years we’d known each other. Half the time we just picked up a conversation right where we’d left it the day before.

  “The same,” she said. She’d been out that way visiting family she didn’t care much for. “How’s the new girl?”

  “Emma?” I shrugged. “She’s good. She knows her shit.”

  “You don’t sound convinced.” Lacey swung her head around to stare at me, her eyebrows rising up to hide under her cowboy hat. Her hair was cinched at her neck and free over her back. She was wearing a tank top, her freckly shoulders bare.

  “I just can’t figure her out. She’s too quiet. She doesn’t laugh at any of my jokes.”

  She grinned. “Neither does anyone else. Your jokes suck.”

  “I mean, she doesn’t talk hardly at all. I don’t know if that’s just how she is or if it’s something else.”

  Lacey’s grin got so wide it threatened to drop off the sides of her face. “She probably just doesn’t want to talk to you. Not that I blame her.” She broke into a long hard gale of laughter that brought tears to her eyes.

  “Just come meet her and see what I mean,” I snapped, shooting her my stormiest look. But I couldn’t quite pull it off. Just looking at her got me smiling.

  We walked over to the barn, shoving each other at first and giggling. We straightened up before stepping into the barn. Emma had her back to us and was fitting the Appaloosa we called Dusty with a halter. She was speaking low to her as she slipped the halter on. She rubbed Dusty’s neck, smiling up at the horse as she whispered to her.

  I had to take in the view of that smile. It was small — nearly nonexistent — but a lot more than I’d seen in the last several days. I shook my head to clear some of the surprise. The girl had teeth and could show them. That was certainly a relief.

  “Hey, Emma,” I said, walking closer with Lacey on my heels. “This is Lacey.”

  Emma lost the smile as she turned away from Dusty to face us. She wasn’t wearing any makeup, but her cheeks were flushed with healthy color. Her lips twitched, but not into a smile. Her green eyes jumped from me to Lacey. I’d never seen eyes quite that color. I wanted to get a good long look at them, but I’d really scare her away if I leaned in just inches away from her face to stare her down.

  Lacey stuck out her calloused hand, and Emma shook it firmly.

  “Nice to meet you, Emma.”

  “Nice to meet you,” she answered, nodding her head once, as I was learning she liked to do.

  “Lacey here is in charge of training the horses on the ranch. She’s a barrel racer and one of the best riders you’re like to meet.”

  Lacey shot a suspicious glance at me, her dark eyes narrowed, before turning back to Emma. “That’s a long way of saying I know how to ride a horse.” She laughed while Emma watched, straight-faced, her pretty green eyes steady as she rested her small hands in the pockets of her faded jeans. She was small — no more than five-five — but tough. You could tell by the way she held herself and jutted her chin out, daring you to pick a fight with her.

  “She can ride a horse, that’s true,” I said. “But she can’t figure out how to set a stable right at the end of the day to save her life, so maybe you can help her with that, Emma.”

  Lacey snorted a laugh as she flipped me off.

  This tugged a real smile out of Emma, the first one I’d been able to see up close. My mouth nearly dropped open. It was gorgeous. The way her eyes brightened and got squinty at the same time, the flushed roundness of her cheeks as her lips lifted at the ends, the little dimple in one that I wanted to press with my fingertip. She put the smile away again quickly, which was good. I had to get a handle on myself. Sure, Emma was cute, but she wasn’t the first cute girl I’d ever seen. I had a job to do around here and needed to let Emma do her part of that without worrying over the swell of her hips or how warm her face became when she smiled.

  “Why don’t you go find some real work to do, Pete, so Emma and I can get these horses out to the paddock for feeding and watering?” Lacey asked, hitching her eyebrow at me, her best troublemaking grin stretching over her lips.

  A worry shot through me over leaving the two of them together. Lacey was bound to run her mouth, and she had the details of every dumbass thing I’d done over the last twenty-nine years. But, unlike when I was standing there, she usually had a good amount of positive things to say about me to other people.

  I left them, turning my back to Lacey’s chatter and walking around the barn to the low wood building where I kept my tractor and baler. I had a lot to do today out in the field beyond the pastureland and a limited amount of daylight to do it in. Hard work always cleared my mind and, as I got started, I stopped thinking about Lacey and Emma gossiping together about how silly and immature I was.

  Sweat worked on me like magic, always had. I hunched into my work under the blazing sun stopping for the occasional wat
er break. I stayed out in the field for most of the day, catching glimpses of the ladies as they moved around the barn. At one point, they rode by on two of the quarter horses, Lacey waving and Emma nodding solemnly as they passed.

  By the end of the day, my skin was slick and warm from the afternoon’s steady sunshine, and my muscles were humming from the hard labor, but I felt good. The ranch was where I belonged. Not some fancy desk job in town or some classroom at the community college in Austin.

  I dropped into my seat on the porch, joining Riley and Lacey, who were already there relaxing. Lacey handed me an ice cold beer from the fridge inside. I took it gratefully.

  “Thanks, Lace.” I unscrewed the top and took a long, deep swallow.

  Across the way, Emma was just leaving the barn in the deepening twilight. She slid the door to the barn shut and walked over to her car. She lifted a hand to us before getting in and driving away.

  “What do you think of her?” I asked Lacey.

  She took a deep swallow of her own beer. “I like her. She’s a hard worker, and she knows what she’s doing.”

  I stared over at her, eyebrows high, so stunned my mouth dropped open. Lacey didn’t care for many people, especially other women. She had high standards — a little too high, if you asked me, which she never had — so an endorsement from her actually meant a great deal.

  “Definitely keep her around,” she said, lifting her bottle to clink with my own. “And, keep your goddamned hands off her.”

  I grinned, but took another long sip of my beer instead of agreeing to that last part.

  Chapter Ten

  Emma

  Friday

  All the horses were out in the pasture for now, except Elroy — the name was terrible, but it was starting to fit the little colt’s silly personality — who I left in the paddock for Lacey to work with. I walked to the other end of the barn and slid open the rear alleyway door. I had to muck out the stalls, spray down the roughened concrete floor in the alleyway, and scrub out the small troughs in each of the enclosures. I had a system down already, and it was only taking me about two hours to get everything ready for the horses to rest comfortably in here at the end of the day.