“You’ve met Emma?” Thomas asked.
Austin’s gaze slipped back over to her. The older woman had left, leaving Emma alone. She was staring off into the distance. Her blonde hair was pulled up, accentuating the length of her neck and soft skin. Heat crept up his neck when he realized that he was staring.
“Hey, you okay?” Thomas asked.
Austin cleared his throat and turned his attention away from her. “Emma? Yeah.” He rubbed the back of his neck with his free hand. “We met a few years ago. At that retreat. She’s um. . . well, she’s something else, isn’t she?”
Thomas snorted. “Oh, that’s right.” Then he leaned in. “Interesting is definitely one way to describe her.”
Trying to seem nonchalant, Austin leaned forward. He wanted to apologize to her, but wasn’t sure what he was getting into. Perhaps Thomas could give him some information. “What’s her story now?”
Thomas grabbed a few appetizers from a passing tray and shrugged. “Her mom’s this journalist for the Times. Apparently writes the wedding announcements. Emma’s wanted to be a photographer for the newspaper but hasn’t gotten her chance, or something.” He wheezed and coughed as he pounded his chest. Austin moved to help him, but Thomas waved him away. “That’s just what Shannon’s told me. I’m not even sure if I’ve gotten it right.” He rasped as he grabbed another glass of champagne. “I should go mingle. Shannon’s going to kill me if she sees me just standing around.” He shoved the rest of the food into his mouth and clapped Austin’s shoulder.
Austin nodded and in a few moments, was standing there alone. He reached up and undid his bow-tie. The pressure around his neck lessened, helping him relax. This scene was not him. Before his grandfather had gotten sick, he was going to move to New York where he’d gotten a job at one of the top law firms. But he’d turned that down to stay back and help at the ranch. Maybe that’s why his grandmother was not giving up on the whole married stipulation. Even if she thought he’d gotten stuck, Austin knew that he’d picked the perfect life for himself. Animals were simple. They weren’t attractive bridesmaids who seemed to hate him.
With the champagne glass in hand, he weaved his way through the crowd. He’d offer her a drink. That was a good ice breaker. Right? His heart pounded in his chest the closer he got. Emma had received her food but an older gentleman had stopped to speak to her. She kept nodding and glancing down at her plate.
“—he would just be so perfect for you. You know, you’re not getting any younger,” Austin heard the man say.
“You know, I’m just not really looking for someone so young,” Emma said. Austin could hear the strain in her voice.
“Eighteen isn’t young. I went to war and came back by the time I was eighteen.” The man waved his hand in the air.
Emma’s smile waivered as she nodded. He could see the frustration written across her face. Knowing what it was like to have people convinced that they had the answer to love’s problems, he moved to save her.
Just as he approached, a hand shot out and grabbed his elbow. Startled, Austin turned to see the weather-worn face of an older woman. She narrowed her eyes as she studied him.
“Well, aren’t you just adorable,” she said, reaching up and patting his cheek.
Austin cleared his throat. “Thank you.”
She sidled up to him. “I haven’t seen you before. Are you Patsy’s boy?” Her eyeglasses lifted off her nose as she smiled.
He shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t know who Patsy is.” He started to step away but the woman just held on tighter.
“Oh, then you’re Kim’s boy. I should have known. You have the same caring eyes she does.”
Realizing that he wasn’t going to escape this woman’s grasp anytime soon, Austin just nodded. “Yep, that’s who I am.” He really didn’t want to go through the entire list of this woman’s friends just to explain to her again, that she really didn’t know who he was.
“How’s that new wife of yours?”
He coughed and shook his head. Was she joking? He was trying to get away from his past. How had it followed him here? “I’m not married.”
Her mouth dropped open as she glanced over at him. “A handsome man like you not married? What’s wrong with women these days?” She reached up and squeezed his bicep. “You seem like good breeding material.”
Heat rushed across his skin. He needed to escape. Fast. “You know what, I see Thomas waving me over. I should—”
“You know who you should meet. Our Emma. Poor girl.” The woman leaned closer to him, ignoring his attempt to leave. “She’s the only one left of her group. All the other girls are married, but she’s alone.”
Austin parted his lips to tell her that he’d already met Emma, but the woman seemed to be on a mission and was dragging him along. Before he could stop her, she tapped Emma on the shoulder. Emma had been mid-bite and the force from the woman’s pat caused the potatoes on her fork to fling across the table.
“Emma, dear,” the woman said.
Emma turned and her eyes widened when she glanced up at Austin. “Aunt Miriam, it’s nice to see you.” She stood, wrapping Miriam in a hug.
Miriam nodded. “You too, dear.”
Austin watched them. They were family? “Aunt? This is your niece?”
Emma glanced over at him. “She owns the bakery on the street where we all grew up. We call her aunt.”
Miriam patted his hand. “You can call me Aunt Miriam, too.”
Austin only had a moment to nod before Miriam began talking again.
“Emma, this is Austin. He’s single—which means he’s not married.”
Emma’s gaze met his as she nodded. “I know what single means.”
Miriam laughed. “Of course, you do.” She wrapped an arm around his waist and the other arm around Emma’s. “Where I come from, that’s all you need. Two single people.” She grinned up at both of them.
Emma cleared her throat as her gaze darted from Austin then back to Miriam. He wanted her to meet his gaze so he could show her that he felt her pain. That he knew what it was like to be constantly set up with everyone’s random friends.
“Thanks, Aunt Miriam. I’ll keep that in mind.” She wiggled out of Miriam’s grasp and collapsed back onto her chair.
Miriam turned back to him and steadied her gaze. “Don’t let that girl slip from your grasp. She’s worth the frustration.”
“Miriam!” Emma scolded.
Austin leaned in. He couldn’t help it. He enjoyed Miriam. “I promise.”
She patted his arm, pausing to give his bicep one last squeeze, and then walked away, waving down a pimple-faced teenager.
Emma had returned to eating when Austin turned his attention back to her. For some reason, he felt nervous. He just wasn’t sure why. They’d already talked, and he’d already offended her. So, their reunion was off to a great start.
“I brought this for you.” He set the glass of champagne down and then noticed the one sitting in front of her. “Oh, I didn’t see that you had one.”
She glanced up at him and gave him a smile. “The waiter dropped one off earlier. He just barely beat you to it.”
Well, she was talking to him. Maybe she wasn’t as mad as he’d thought. “Mind if I sit here?” he asked, pulling out the chair next to her and waving toward it.
“Sure,” she said.
Austin sat down, not quite sure where to look. He wanted to talk to her, but for some reason, his tongue was tied. What was happening to him? It must be the polluted New York air. It was muddling up his brain. “So, you’re still single?” Just as he said it, he kicked himself. Who says that? Of course, he knew she was single. It had been made abundantly clear since he’d met her.
She glanced over at him and then took a sip of her champagne. “What gave me away? Was it my total lack of a ring or the fact that every person over the age of fifty seems to have the magical remedy to cure my single-itis?”
Austin laughed. For how quirky she was, Emma h
ad a wit that drew him in. “Single-itis? That’s perfect. I’m going to have to use that in the future.”
Emma nodded as she swirled a piece of steak around in some sauce. “As progressive as we are as a society, you’d think that men would get reamed out for not being married just as much as a woman.” She shook her fork at him. “Not true. Take George for example.” She nodded in the direction of a man with a comb-over who was leaning back in his chair, scratching his stomach. “He’s forty and single but do you see all the elderly do-gooders swarming his table? Nope.” She stabbed another piece of steak with a bit too much gusto. “You’re lucky.”
Austin leaned back on his chair as he mulled over her words.
Before he could say anything, she spoke up. “It must be because men don’t have a biological clock.” She took a sip of her champagne.
Now, he really didn’t know what to say to that. Growing up an only child never prepared him for what to do when women talked about anything physical. She glanced over at him as if she expected him to respond. Desperate to say something, he blurted out, “You’ve got time.” His face heated as he studied her. Was that the wrong thing to say?
Emma turned back to her plate and sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry. This”—she motioned to her face—“ is not me. Weddings just bring the worst out in me, ya know?” She picked up the napkin on her lap and wiped her lips. “I’m being rude. And I was rude earlier. It’s been years since we’ve seen each other. There’s no way you would remember me.”
Austin studied her. He liked how honest she was, even if she was yelling at him. She was transparent and it was refreshing.
“It’s okay. I totally get it. I’m the same way.” Austin drummed the table as he watched the guests milling around the room. A few brave souls were on the dance floor moving like they didn’t care that half the room was watching them. He understood. He’d been content in his single life before he’d decided to pull the trigger with Georgia. And what did that get him?
Not wanting to spend a lot of money on the wedding, Georgia had agreed to an elopement. Too bad he’d already added her to his bank account right before they set the date. Not only did she not show, but she drained his accounts. Now he had nothing to fix up his crumbling ranch.
“Marriage stinks,” he said. He needed to stop thinking about his poor decisions. Wasn’t the reason he was here was to forget his past mistakes?
When he glanced back at her, he saw that she was studying him. There was a hint of curiosity in her gaze. Like she was trying to figure him out. Or he had food on his face. One way or the other, it made him uncomfortable.
“Thomas tells me you’re a food photographer? What’s that?” he asked. Moving the conversation back to her seemed like a good idea. Plus, it gave him time to make sure his face was clean. He nonchalantly reached up and rubbed his lips and cheeks. When he didn’t feel anything there, he let out the breath he’d been holding.
Emma took another bite and sighed. “See the food?” She motioned to her half-full plate. “I take pictures of the items on it. Well, before someone eats it. I’m a photographer of food.” She gave him a hinted smile.
Austin nodded. “Ah. See, it was the photographer part that was messing me up.”
She chuckled. “It trips most people up. And what about you? You’re still a cowboy?”
If only it were so glamorous. “I’m a rancher. I inherited my ranch from my grandfather.” Just as he spoke, a waiter appeared with a plate full of steak and potatoes and set it down in front of him. Austin thanked him and dug in. He didn’t realize until now how hungry he was. After Thomas’ call last night, he bought the first plane ticket out just to show up in time for his tux fitting and the wedding.
He heard Emma’s soft chuckle when half of the food on his plate was gone.
“Don’t ranchers eat?” She asked.
He nodded. “I just haven’t eaten since yesterday.”
She leaned closer to him. “Scared you wouldn’t fit into your tux?” She gave him a sly smile and straightened. “I get it. It’s like every bride’s nightmare. I don’t think Shannon has had solid food in three weeks. She’s all apple cider vinegar and Cajun pepper.” She stuck out her tongue as she shook her head. “That won’t be me. . .” Her voice trailed off as she glanced down at her folded hands.
Austin studied her. It had to be hard. Being the last to get married. Feeling that social pressure for different reasons than him, but hard none the less. Before he could say something to help her feel better, a woman appeared next to them. Her hair was pulled back in a tight bun and a pair of readers was perched on her nose. She looked like an older, more tight-lipped version of Emma. Her gaze floated from Emma and then over to him.
“Hello, dear. And who is this?”
Chapter Three
Emma
Emma tried not to groan at the sound of her mother’s voice. Of course, she just had to come over right when Emma was having a good time. Just when she realized that she might have misjudged Austin. Her mother always ruined everything.
“Hello, Mother,” Emma said, turning and giving her mom a forced smile. “This is Austin. He’s Thomas’ friend from Montana. Austin, this is my mother, Jezebel George.”
Austin extended his hand. “Nice to meet you,” he said, giving her mom one of his amazing, set-her-at-ease smiles. Even though it wasn’t directed at her, Emma melted just a bit. How could someone from a small-town ranch have such perfect teeth? And lips?
Heat rushed across her skin as she dropped her gaze. What was the matter with her? Was she serious? She was really losing her mind. Perhaps she should have run away earlier. It would have saved her from her mother. And Austin.
“Austin. From Montana,” her mother repeated as she shook his hand up and down a few times. “Well, it’s nice to meet you.” She dropped his grasp and turned back to Emma. “The ceremony was beautiful, wasn’t it?” she asked, pulling out the chair to the left. “Very inspirational.” She steadied her gaze as she stared at Emma.
Emma tried not to groan. Her mother was anything but subtle. “Really, Mom? Can we talk about this another time?”
Her mom rifled around in her purse and pulled out a notebook and pen. No doubt, to scribble something about the ambiance or lighting of the reception. She could paint words in a way that made even the most cynical wedding skeptic tear up.
“If not now, when? Don’t you know how embarrassing it is to write columns for all my friend’s children’s weddings and yet never have the chance to do it for my own daughter?” Her perfect cursive flowed across the crisp paper. “I would figure a wedding would be the perfect place to inspire you to find someone.”
Emma tried to stifle a groan. Why did her mom always have to bring this up? Emma already knew that she was a major disappointment—and recently that disappointment just might have spilled over to her job. But it was hard when she was the imperfect product of a perfect person. Why did her mother have to be so good at everything?
“I think it’s braver to spend time focusing on your career than forcing a relationship that just won’t work.”
Emma whipped around at Austin’s words. She studied him and then glanced back over at her mom who had raised her gaze to meet his.
“Is that so, Mr. Maverick.”
He nodded.
“Have you ever been married?” her mother asked.
Emma peeked over at him when he didn’t respond right away. His skin had paled as he focused on pushing the last bits of food around on his plate with his fork. “Once. Well, almost.”
Emma swallowed. Had it been with Georgia?
Her mother raised her eyebrows. “Almost? Did you get cold feet?”
Austin’s jaw muscles twitched as it seemed like he was going to bore holes into the tabletop in front of him.
“Mom, stop. You just met the guy. Geez.” Emma pushed her chair back from the table. “Do you want to dance?” she asked, staring down at Austin. Anything to get away from her mother’s ridiculous qu
estions.
He hesitated and then nodded. “Sure.”
In ten steps, they reached the dance floor and Emma turned to focus on Austin. She suddenly felt really stupid that she’d just asked him to dance. “We don’t really have to—”
But he’d extended his arms, halting her words. “I didn’t go to all those barn dances for nothing.”
Emma raised her eyebrows as she stepped toward him, trying to ignore just how good he smelled. He wrapped his fingers around hers and pulled her close. His warm hand on her back sent shivers across her skin. What was she doing? She should be running. Far away from all of this.
“Barn dances?” she breathed out, hoping he hadn’t noticed how his proximity was sending her senses haywire.
“It’s a joke.” He leaned closer to her and she held her breath. “There weren’t a lot.” When he pulled back, his smile caused butterflies to flit around her stomach.
She forced a laugh. Anything to cover up how her emotions couldn’t seem to process Austin Maverick at all.
His expression stilled as he peered down at her. “So, your mom really wants you to get married.”
In those few words, Emma found her sanity again. Anything to do with her mother had a way of bringing her back to reality. She sighed and studied the elderly couple dancing to the side them. “Her. My job. Apparently, Emma, the single girl, just doesn’t cut it anymore.”
He pulled back and her cheeks heated from the feeling of his gaze on her face.
“What?” she asked after a few seconds passed by. Being under his scrutiny made her uncomfortable.
“Your job? Why would your job want you to get married?”
She shrugged. “I’m just guessing. An intern got the job I’d been hoping for. I might be wrong but the only thing I can think of that made me different from her was the fact that she was married and I wasn’t.” Heat raced to her cheeks. “It’s just hard being the only single person. It gets to you, you know? And now that every one of my friends are married, I’m going to just be that tag-a-long loser friend that only gets invited so they don’t feel bad.” She pinched her lips together. Since when did she become such a whiny person?
Marrying a Cowboy (A Fake Marriage Series Book 1) Page 2