Chapter Six
Emma
Emma shifted against Austin’s shoulder as the plane taxied into the airport. The attendant was mumbling something over the intercom, but Emma was so groggy that she couldn’t make out any of the words. After a four-hour flight to Minneapolis, followed by a two-hour layover, they were finally in Great Falls, three hours later.
Emma set up and glanced over at Austin. He was studying her with an amused expression. Heat raced to her cheeks as she wiped at her mouth. Had she drooled all over him? Did she snore? Why had he allowed her to fall asleep?
"You're cute when you sleep," he said, shooting her his half-smile.
Relief filled her chest. "That's all? I was certain you were going to say that I snored or something infinitely more embarrassing.”
"Well, you did that too," he said.
Embarrassment raced through her as she pulled away. “Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry.”
Austin shrugged. "I decided to do it as well to hide the noises coming from you."
Emma leaned forward and rested her for head against her hands. "How much longer until the plane is parked?"
Austin’s hand resting on her back. “I’m just joking. You were so quiet that sometimes I had to make sure you were still breathing.”
Emma glanced over at him. Once his words registered, she reached up and whacked his shoulder. "You're so mean."
Austin laughed. “Just consider it an early wedding present from me."
Luckily the plane had come to a stop and all the other passengers were unbuckling and standing. Emma just shot Austin one more exasperated look and then nodded toward the aisle. "You just wait. I'm a pretty vengeful person." She gave him a wicked smile. "I am like an elephant. I never forget."
"Hey now, I did let you sleep on my shoulder." He opened the overhead bin and pulled out their luggage.
"And I married you."
"Aren’t you two so adorable,” the elderly woman who had been seated next to them said. “I can tell you two love each other and are going to stay married forever.”
Emma glanced over at her. She wasn't quite sure what to say to that. Thanking her seemed the best option. "You're so sweet.” She glanced down at the ring on the woman's wrinkled finger. "How long have you been married?"
The woman’s expression turned nostalgic. "Alfred died two years ago. We’d been married for forty years."
“I’m so sorry.” Emma studied the woman as she smiled.
“We had a good life. But it didn’t always start that way. See, our marriage was arranged. I’d been in love with this man from my home town. But, I had to marry Alfred.” She sighed as she tapped her heart with her hand. “Now I can’t imagine my life going any different.” She reached out and patted Emma’s hand that was propped up on the chair.
Emma’s heart surged. What a sweet lady. That’s what she wanted. It wasn’t just the marriage. It was the love that went along with it. Turning, she glanced over at Austin who was watching the other passengers filter out of the plane.
“Although, they say that the success of the marriage is based on the sentiment of the ring.” The woman waved at her hand. “Where’s your ring?”
“I, um. . .” Emma smiled over at her. She didn’t want to get into the logistics of their arrangement so thought it best to keep it simple. “We just eloped. Haven’t got to that part yet.”
The woman’s eyes widened as she nodded. “Oh, how romantic.” Then she leaned forward to get Austin’s attention. “A romantic as that is, you make sure you get her a ring, you hear me? Every woman deserves a fantastic ring.”
Austin turned and studied the woman. “You have my word,” he said, smiling over at her.
“Good. Now, you two love birds have a fabulous honeymoon.” Then she leaned forward again. “And make lots of adorable babies. You two are going to have handsome kids. I can just tell.”
At the mention of having children with Austin, Emma’s cheeks blushed. She allowed her gaze to slip over to him where she studied his broad shoulders and muscular forearms. After they got to the airport, he’d changed into a plaid button-up shirt and jeans. And she couldn’t help but stare at how amazing he looked. Like he was in his element.
Swallowing, she dropped her gaze and studied the lights that ran the length of the aisle. He was her fake husband. Sure, she was married to him, but it wasn’t like that. It could never be like that.
Austin
Austin slammed the tailgate of his truck after he finished loading up their suitcases. The woman on the plane’s words kept rolling around in his mind. Kids. Emma. All those thoughts were bogging his mind down.
And why had his heart picked up speed at the thought of getting close to her? Emma wasn’t really his wife. He’d promised her that after he got his farm, he’d release her from the marriage. Everything that woman talked about wasn’t possible.
He flexed his hands as he walked over to the driver’s door. The itch to get back to his ranch was stronger than ever. He needed to get back to a place where everything made sense. Where he didn’t feel so confused.
If he were honest with himself, he’d really enjoyed it when Emma had slept on his shoulder. It was calming to listen to her breath. When she shifted, the smell of her shampoo had made his senses go haywire. And when his thoughts returned to how she’d acted when her ex-fiancé had been around, the need to protect her surged in his chest.
She’d seemed so out of sorts around Vincent. Like a lost person in need of help. And he wanted to give her that help. Even at this moment, he wanted to wrap her up in his arms.
“Get a grip, Austin,” he muttered under his breath as he pulled on the door handle and hopped into his truck. Emma was staring at her phone and jumped when he got in.
“Hey,” she said, slipping her phone into her purse.
Why did she look so guilty? Pushing the thought from his mind, Austin started up his truck and pulled out of the parking lot. The sun was setting, streaking the sky with various shades of purple and orange. It was beautiful in Montana, especially in the summer, when the grass was green—his muscles relaxed as he took in the familiar sights.
The open fields with occasional rolling hills. Perfection.
“Wow,” Emma breathed as he pulled onto the interstate and settled back into his seat.
“What?”
“It’s beautiful here.”
Austin nodded. “If you think this is amazing, you should see the Lewis and Clark National Forest. It’s a completely different world there.”
He could feel Emma’s gaze on him when she turned to look at him. He swallowed. What was she thinking? Probably not what he was.
“I’m excited,” she said. Her voice was quiet, almost shy. For a moment he hoped that perhaps, she just might be feeling things too. And then he pushed those thoughts out. He needed to get a grip on his mind.
They drove in silence. He lived over an hour away from Great Falls. Keeping his lips shut was probably the best thing for him. Lessened his chance of saying something stupid.
“Can you believe that lady on the plane?” Emma asked.
He glanced over at her. “What part?”
She was fiddling with her purse strap. “The part about us and kids.”
Austin gripped the steering wheel. “Yeah. That was funny.”
Emma grew quiet again. "Is that something you want? You know, in the future. Once you’ve found The One?”
Austin studied the road in front of him. The truth was, yes, he wanted kids. Growing up alone, he'd always wanted a family. But he just wasn't sure that he could put himself out there again. So, he decided to lie. "No, not really. I like the idea of being alone. Kids come with responsibility and I've got enough of that with my ranch."
"Oh," she said. "Good to know. Then the woman on the plane was really off."
Austin forced to laugh. "Yeah, that woman was way off."
As they continued down the road, the silence felt suffocating to him. Desperate for something to do, h
e leaned over and clicked on the radio. "Mind if we listen to some music?" he asked.
Emma nodded. "Sure. I don't mind."
Forty-five minutes later, Austin pulled into the small town of Moose Falls—population 400. He let out a sigh of relief. He was home. The sun had disappeared but it's glow still shown above the horizon. The neon from the small shops that lined the street glowed against the darkening sky.
As he passed Susan's Diner, his stomach growled. Stale airplane peanuts weren't cutting it anymore. He glanced over at Emma. "Are you hungry?" he asked as he slowed and pulled into the crowded parking lot.
Emma peered out the window. "Famished."
Austin found a parking spot and turned off his truck. Even though the thought of her meeting pretty much everyone in town made him nervous, it was a Band-Aid he needed to rip off. Especially since his grandmother was coming. If he was going to convince her that he was legitimately married to Emma, he needed to get as many people aware of it as possible.
He got out and by the time he has slammed his door, Emma was standing next to him. She had her arms wrapped around her chest as she scanned the buildings around them. "So, this is your town?" she asked.
Austin nodded. "Yep. And it ends just down there,” he said as he waved toward the end of the street. His boots crunched against the gravel as he led her up to the front doors.
"Isn't that hard?" she asked from behind him.
He pulled open the door and held it for her. She passed by him and into the diner. He knew what she was going to say but he asked her anyway. "Is what hard?"
"Living so far away from the world?" Her nose wrinkled as she glanced out the large picture windows toward the street. "I don't think I could ever live this far away from the city."
Austin coughed as he waited at the hostess table for Susan to finish talking with the Bates and seat them. He dropped his gaze from her face and studied the tile underneath his feet. He knew that Emma was going to say something like that, but actually hearing the words shocked him in a way he couldn't describe. She didn't think she could ever live somewhere like Moose Falls? That seemed like a bold statement.
"Never seems pretty definite,” he said as Susan approach them and grabbed two menus. "There's very few things in my life that I am pretty certain will never happen."
"Yeah, like kids," Emma said so quietly that he almost wondered if he had heard her correctly. But before he could ask her, Susan smiled at him.
"Well look who's back from his trip to the big city," Susan said as she hugged the menus to her chest. "Things weren't quite the same around here with you gone." Her gaze landed on Emma and then she turned her attention back to Austin. "Now who is this you have with you?"
Thankful for the distraction that Susan gave him, Austin reached out and placed his hand on the small of Emma’s back. He felt her muscles twitch from his touch. He tried to ignore the warmth that spread across his skin. It was nothing. It had to be nothing. Emma could never live in a place like this.
“This is Emma—my wife."
Susan’s eyes widened. "Wife? How long were you gone for?"
"Emma and I have known each other for a while." He lied. He could feel Emma twitch but he continued. "We found each other again at the wedding and decided that it was time to tie the knot.”
Susan’s lips hung open as she moved her gaze from him over to Emma and then back again. "Well, where are my manners? Welcome to Moose Falls," Susan said shuffling the menus to one arm and extending her hand to Emma. "We were wondering which girl was going to settle down with Austin over here. He's been lonely at that big old ranch all by himself."
Austin cleared his throat as embarrassment rushed through him making his skin feel hot. But Susan paid him no mind as she shook Emma’s hand.
"Susan—” Austin started but she just waved his words away.
"Let me get you a booth and get you settled. I've got to tell Ronnie all about this." She kept Emma's hand crushed in hers as she dragged her across the diner and over to the corner booth. She waved her hand at the table and Emma sat. Just as she released Emma’s hand, she paused and stared at Emma’s ring finger. "Now I know you didn't propose to this girl without a proper ring, now did you Austin Maverick?” Susan said dropping Emma's hand and placing her hands on her hips.
He really needed to get her a ring. But the only one he had was tucked in the back of his sock drawer. It was the ring his grandmother had given him to give to Georgia. A family heirloom. He just wasn't sure how his grandma would feel about giving his fake wife the ring.
"I know, I know. It just happened so fast that we didn't have time to get rings. And we needed to make it back in time for when Gran gets here.”
Susan's skin paled. "Your granny’s coming?"
Austin tried not to groan. His grandmother had a reputation for being particular in this town. After his grandfather died, she moved to Florida to live the retired life much to the joy of everyone here. Her visits were not well received. Austin shrugged and took the menu from Susan and opened it up. "Well, now that I'm married and have fulfilled her stipulation, she probably won't be making trips up here anymore."
Susan nodded. "Well that's good. She is one cranky woman. The town got better once she left.” Her cheeks turn pink as she glanced over at Emma. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."
Emma glanced at Susan and then back to him. "Why would I be scared?"
Susan let out a forced laugh. "I am sorry. You're right. Alayna Maverick is nothing to be scared of."
This conversation was heading south fast. The sudden urge to be alone with Emma hit Austin. He needed to get Susan out of here before Emma changed her mind. "I'll take some ice water," he said.
"I’ll have some water too," Emma said.
“Two ice waters coming up." Susan tapped the pad of paper in her hand with the eraser of her pencil and made her way to the kitchen door.
Once she was gone, Austin turned and eyed Emma. She was studying her menu. What did she think of all of this? Did he dare ask?
"Don't listen to Susan. She talks crazy sometimes. She and my grandmother had a falling out." Why wasn't Emma saying anything? It frustrated him that he couldn't read her. It also didn't help that her face was half covered by the menu.
"Why would I be scared? We're married. That's all you said I needed to do. Unless your grandmothers going to have some ridiculous questions for me to answer." She fell silent and then peeked at him from over her menu. "There isn’t going to be a test is there?"
Honestly, Austin didn't know. When it came to his grandmother, he never knew. But the last thing she'd heard was that his marriage to Georgia didn't work out. It was going to be difficult to convince her that his sudden marriage to Emma was real. He's been so focused on the thought that he could finally get the ranch that he'd work so hard for, that he really didn't think this process through. Or the fact that he'd now caught Emma up in everything.
So, he forced a smile and shook his head. "Oh no. No test. My grandmother is sweet. We’ll be fine. But just in case, maybe we should learn a little bit more about each other. To make this all seem more believable.” He kept his gaze locked with hers, hoping to instill a feeling of confidence that he was sorely lacking.
She hesitated and then turned her attention back to her menu. "You're probably right. If we want to make this fake marriage work, we should probably know more about each other." He watched her as she turned the next page of her menu. "You start first."
Grateful that Emma seemed so relaxed about going with his plan, Austin made a mental note. He was going to help her get over her ex so that when they had their annulment, she'd be able to start again.
She was being so helpful to him and he wanted to return the favor. After all, what were fake husbands for? He wasn't going to be the only one to benefit from this arrangement.
Chapter Seven
Emma
After a plate full of country fried steak, Emma leaned back in the booth and studied Austin. She couldn�
��t quite figure him out. Ever since their conversation with Susan, he’d seemed really jumpy. Was he really as relaxed about his grandmother as he was saying?
But she pushed away those thoughts. She knew that there was probably going to be some convincing she’d need to do. After all, he leaves for New York only to come back with a wife? It sounded fishy, even in her mind. And she was the wife.
“Favorite sports team?” Austin asked as he cut off a chunk of steak and slipped it into his mouth.
“Um, don’t know any. Well, besides the something Soxs. Does that count?” She wrinkled her nose and shook her head. She and sports don’t mix.
Austin smiled over at her. “I’ll just say, doesn’t do sports.”
Emma nodded as she took a sip of her water. “Yeah. Probably for the best. I failed gym class in middle school.”
He snorted just as he was taking a drink of his water. Grabbing a napkin, he wiped his chin where the water had spilled. “Wow. That has to be a first.” He set his cup down and glanced over at her. She wondered what he was thinking. Hopefully, not that she had food on her face. Grabbing her napkin, she nonchalantly wiped her chin. “Can I ask you something?”
“Just one?”
He set his napkin down next to his plate. “Okay, a few things.”
She smiled. “Sure.”
“Earlier today, when we were talking you said something about not liking animals? Do you really not like them?”
Emma fiddled with the fork that she’d laid next to her plate. So, he’d picked up on that. Why couldn’t she just tell him? Maybe it had a little something to do with the fact that he’d said his animals were something he loved. But then she pushed that thought from her mind. She could tell him. It wasn’t like they were going to stay married forever.
“I was bit once as a child.” She reached out to show the scar tissue on her forearm. “Let’s just say, I’m pretty jumpy around them now.”
He reached out and grasped her hand, pulling her arm closer to him. She tried to ignore the zaps of electricity that shot through her nervous system from his touch. When he reached out to run his finger over the puncture marks, she involuntarily held her breath. What was happening to her?
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