Make-Believe Marriage

by Pamela M. Kelley

  She sniffed a few times and tried to reign her emotions in. It was silly to cry. She had nothing to be upset about or really even emotional about. What she had just done was a business transaction and nothing more. In thirty days, everything would go back to normal. Ethan would have his house and she’d go home to her condo with a big check to cash, and then she could move into a condo that she owned. They would both get what they wanted. She took a deep breath and felt calmer as she turned onto the street where she’d be living for the next thirty days.

  Mrs. Crosby was fussing around the kitchen when Ethan walked in. She rushed over and gave him a hug.

  “Congratulations! Everything is ready in the dining room. I made all your favorites—steak tips, spinach-stuffed chicken, pasta salad, potato salad, lots of snacks, cheese and crackers, onion dip, and of course a cake. I went with lemon with raspberry cream filling.” Her eyes looked suspiciously moist and Ethan gave her another hug.

  “Thank you so much. If this was a real wedding, you’d be there you know. It was just her family and mine, and Tyler.”

  “Of course. And I wanted to do this for you. I haven’t seen Cameron since she was a little thing. She was awfully cute then.”

  “She still is,” Ethan said automatically and Mrs. Crosby smiled, but didn’t say anything. She went back to what she was doing in the kitchen, putting dishes into the dishwasher.

  Cameron had looked beautiful though. She’d taken his breath away as she walked down the aisle toward him. But, he had to remind himself that this wasn’t personal, it was strictly business. He knew that he wasn’t Cameron’s type. They got along well though, so hopefully their month together would go smoothly enough.

  He heard voices outside the door and went to let everyone in.

  For the next two hours, everyone ate and drank and generally had a good time, almost as if it was a real wedding. He and Cameron said their goodbyes to their guests and when the door closed behind them the big house suddenly felt very quiet.

  “So, now we’re married,” he said awkwardly.

  Cameron laughed. “Crazy, huh?”

  Mrs. Crosby bustled into the room and began clearing leftover dishes off the dining room table. Cameron went to help her and she shook her head.

  “Not in that pretty white dress. I’ve got this. You two just relax. I’ll have this all cleaned up in a jiffy.”

  “No, I’ll help you. I’ll just change into my sweats.”

  “Did you bring a suitcase? I can grab it for you,” Ethan offered.

  “Oh, that would be great, if you don’t mind. It’s in the trunk of my car.” She handed him her keys and a few minutes later he was back with her huge and very heavy suitcase. He wondered how she’d managed to get it into her trunk.

  “If you want to follow me, I’ll take it up to your room. Mrs. Crosby made up one of the big front rooms for you. It gets a lot of sun and has big windows overlooking the fields and the mountains.”

  “Oh, that sounds wonderful, thanks.” She followed him upstairs, and he showed her to the room. His was right next door, but the rooms were huge and had their own bathrooms, so they wouldn’t be in each other's way at all. His grandmother’s room was on the same floor and was the master bedroom but he couldn’t bring himself to stay in her room. Not yet.

  “I’ll be right down.” Cameron shut the door and Ethan decided to change into something more comfortable too. He hung his suit up and climbed into a pair of faded jeans and his softest sweatshirt. It was a deep hunter green and has always been a favorite. When he went back downstairs, Cameron was already there, looking very cute in baby blue sweat pants and a white long sleeved t-shirt. She had her arms loaded up with dishes. He went into the dining room and grabbed what was left and brought it into the kitchen.

  Mrs. Crosby thanked the two of them. “That’s enough now. You kids run off and relax. I’m just about done here and then I’ll be doing the same.”

  Ethan grinned. “I think I’m going to have a wedding day beer. Care to join me? Or a glass of wine?”

  “Sure, I’ll have a glass of white wine.” Ethan got a bottle of beer out of the refrigerator and poured a glass of wine for Cameron.

  “My grandmother has a pretty cool home theater area in the basement if you want to watch a movie?”

  “Sure, it’s still early.” Cameron followed him downstairs to the theater area.

  His grandmother had spared no expense on the movie room, as she called it. There were two rows of plush leather chairs that reclined and had built-in tables in between the chairs. There were soft knit throw blankets on top of each chair in case someone was cold or just wanted to curl up with one. Ethan noticed Cameron’s eyes grow even bigger as she looked around the room.

  “This is impressive.”

  He smiled. “Nana liked her movies.” They settled into two recliners and Cameron immediately pulled one of the soft throws over her lap. Once they were settled, he pulled up Netflix, and they found a romantic comedy that neither of them had seen.

  The movie was a good one, though by the time it ended, Cameron was yawning. It wasn’t all that late, just a little past nine, but he was feeling tired too. It had been a long day.

  “I think I’m ready to head to bed,” he said as the credits began to roll.

  Cameron laughed. “I am too. I never go to bed this early, but I’m exhausted.”

  He noticed that she’d barely touched her wine. He hadn’t finished his beer either. When they went back upstairs, he emptied the rest of his beer down the sink, did the same with her wine and put the glass in the dishwasher.

  “What is your schedule usually like?” Ethan knew nurses often had varying shifts.

  “Day shifts the first half of the week. I should be home by five thirty or six, but Thursday and Friday I’m working from three to eleven, so I’ll have to miss trivia.”

  “Oh, that’s too bad. I had fun going last week.”

  “You should still go!” Cameron said.

  “Maybe I’ll bring Tyler. He’s around nights more now that his band is taking a break.”

  Cameron yawned again. “I’m going to head up. Good night, Ethan.”

  “Night, Cameron. Thanks again, for doing this.”

  She turned back. “Ethan, this is a good thing, for both of us. And before we know it, our thirty days will be up.” She smiled before she turned back around and headed up the stairs. Ethan nodded in agreement and followed up to bed.

  Chapter 5

  Cameron woke early the next morning when the sun streamed through the huge bay windows in her bedroom. At first, she was disoriented until she remembered where she was. It was strange waking up in a different bed. She’d have to remember to close the drapes when she went to bed if she wanted to sleep in on the weekends.

  She showered and changed into her nurse’s scrubs and went downstairs. She was going to pick up a coffee and breakfast sandwich on the way to the hospital, but the smell of coffee brewing stopped her in her tracks. Mrs. Crosby was already hard at work in the kitchen and pulled something that smelled insanely delicious out of the oven as Cameron walked into the kitchen.

  “Good morning! Are you hungry? I just made a quiche and there’s fresh coffee made.”

  Cameron stomach rumbled. She had plenty of time to stay and eat if she wanted to.

  “That sounds wonderful, thank you.”

  “Have a seat at the island. What do you take in your coffee?”

  “Oh, I just drink it black.”

  Mrs. Crosby filled a big yellow mug almost to the top and set it in front of Cameron. A minute later, a plate with a generous slice of steaming quiche, joined it.

  “That’s Ethan’s favorite breakfast dish. I don’t make it often, because it’s rich, but it’s perfect for a special occasion. You don’t get married every day, right?”

  Cameron laughed. “That’s true.” She took a nibble of the quiche and it melted in her mouth. It tasted even better than it smelled, a tangle of crisp bacon, sweet red pepper an
d some kind of cheese.

  “This is delicious. Thank you so much.”

  “Oh, you’re very welcome. I’m glad you like it. What do you feel like for dinner? I was thinking of making either a shepherd’s pie or a tray of eggplant parmesan and meatballs.”

  Cameron’s jaw dropped. “You’re cooking us dinner?” It seemed like such a luxury.

  The older woman smiled. “That’s what I do. It’ll be ready when the two of you get home and you can just heat and eat.”

  “Both sound great to me. Whatever Ethan wants.”

  “Hmmm, he likes both too. I’ll see what he’s in the mood for.”

  “Ethan said he’s known you all his life.” Cameron knew that Mrs. Crosby was like part of the family.

  “That’s true. He’s a good boy, Ethan. I’ve been looking forward to seeing him married.” Her face clouded a bit. “This isn’t quite what I had in mind, but I trust that his grandmother knew what she was doing. She had a knack for fixing people up you know.”

  “She did?”

  “Sure she did. She introduced me to my husband, Phil. He was a carpenter that made some shelving for her office and she took a liking to him. She introduced him to me, and we got married three weeks later.”

  Cameron knew that Mrs. Crosby was a widow and wondered how long it had been since she lost her husband.

  “Phil died of lung cancer ten years ago. It was so hard as you can imagine. But being here and keeping busy helped.”

  “That must be so hard,” Cameron sympathized.

  “I still miss him of course but it does get easier every year. And Ethan is almost like my own son. Have you ever seen him around the animals? He has a gift that one.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “He’s just so good with them, so patient. He really has a way with them. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

  “He did mention that he liked being outside and working with them, instead of in an office like his father.”

  Mrs. Crosby laughed. “Oh, that would have been a disaster. His father was disappointed of course, but he knew it wouldn’t have been the right path for Ethan. He’s where he’s supposed to be.”

  “Has he been down yet?” Cameron didn’t imagine he’d be sleeping this late.

  “Yes, he was down about an hour ago. Had a quick cup of coffee and a banana. He’ll be back for a mid-morning break and will have his quiche then.”

  Cameron took the last bite of her quiche and washed it down with the rest of her coffee. She brought her cup and dish to the sink and was going to rinse them but Mrs. Crosby shooed her away.

  “Go on off to work. I’ll take care of that. Go save some lives.”

  Cameron laughed. “My job’s not that important. That’s what the doctors do.”

  “Don’t underestimate your worth. Nurses are just as important as doctors in my opinion.”

  Cameron told her she agreed as she grabbed her purse and went to leave.

  “Oh, hold on. Ethan left this set of keys for you, so you can come and go as you please.”

  Cameron took the set of keys and dropped them in her purse.

  “Thanks, Mrs. Crosby. Have a good day.”

  When Cameron got back to the ranch at the end of the day, it was about a quarter to six and Ethan was in the kitchen. He was sitting at the island, writing out some checks. She noticed that his hair was slightly damp and guessed that he’d just taken a shower after spending the day outside. He looked up when he heard her footsteps and smiled.

  “Hey there. How was your day?”

  Cameron set her purse down and collapsed in the chair next to him.

  “It was good, but long. We didn’t stop all day. But two babies were born today, and I got to help with both of them, so it was really rewarding. I love seeing babies come into the world.”

  “That sounds pretty amazing. My day wasn’t nearly as exciting.”

  “No? Tell me about it.” She was curious about what he did.

  “We rode around and checked on the cattle. Cut some hay, fed all the animals. Spent some time with the horses and rode up in the fields to fix a broken fence. It was a good day. Gorgeous out too.”

  Cameron smiled. “I used to go riding all the time. It’s been years since I’ve been on a horse now, though. I used to love it.”

  “It’s going to be light for a few more hours. We could go for a ride after we eat if you’re up for it?”

  “Oh, I’d love that.”

  Ethan stood and pulled a glass casserole tray out of the oven. “Mrs. Crosby made us a shepherd’s pie. I can heat it up while you change into jeans for riding?”

  “Sounds like a plan.” Cameron went upstairs and quickly changed. When she came back down, there were two plates on the island.

  “I wasn’t sure what you wanted to drink, but help yourself to anything in the fridge.”

  Cameron grabbed a bottled water and joined Ethan at the island. They ate quickly and after they cleaned up the kitchen, Ethan led the way to the stables and introduced her to a sweet horse named Mandy. He saddled her up and helped Cameron get situated in the saddle. It had been a long time but once she was back on a horse, it all came back to her.

  Ethan’s horse was named Midnight and was a solid black.

  Ethan led the way, and she rode beside him as he took her around the property. They rode through fields and meadows, down to the brook and to a pond. The pond was set in the middle of nowhere surrounded by trees and soft grass. It was a beautiful and peaceful spot. Cameron could picture herself relaxing at the water's edge on a sunny Sunday reading a book or having a picnic lunch.

  "This is absolutely gorgeous."

  Ethan looked pleased to hear it. "This is one of my favorite spots. I used to come here all the time when I was younger. I still do now sometimes when I feel like just getting away."

  They rode into the upper fields after that and Ethan pointed out different landmarks along the way—the apple trees, blueberry bushes and the areas where he often saw deer. They rode and rode until the sun started to set, and then Ethan turned around and they rode back to the house. When they reach the stables, the sky was a brilliant red, and they both looked up at it in wonder.

  "I couldn't imagine living anywhere else," Ethan said after a moment of silence.

  "I know. Thank you for this. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed riding."

  Ethan looked pleased to hear it. "Anytime you feel like going for a ride just let me know."

  As they walked back into the house, Cameron was surprised by how much she was enjoying herself so far.

  "I don't think you have actually seen the whole house yet have you? Why don't I give you a tour?"

  Cameron laughed. "That's probably a good idea."

  Ethan walked around the house with her, showing her the dining room, office, formal living room, and family room. Upstairs, they were five bedrooms and on the third floor there was another office and to a game room with a pool table and a card table.

  "Did your grandmother play pool?" Cameron couldn't picture it.

  "Not really. My grandfather did though. He loved the game and every once in a while she played with him."

  "Do you play?"

  "Not as often as I'd like. What about you?"

  "I used to play a lot in college. I love it, but I haven't played much in recent years either."

  "One of these nights we'll have to have a game then."

  They went back downstairs and into the family room where Ethan clicked on the TV.

  "Anything in particular you'd like to watch?" he asked.

  "No. I'm actually really tired I'm probably going to head up to bed in a few minutes."

  "I don't think I'll be far behind you."

  Cameron settled on one corner of the soft gray sofa and Ethan sat on the other. The room was casual, but still elegant with soft shades of grey and blue. There were pictures of Ethan scattered throughout the room at various ages and Cameron smiled when she saw some of them. His grandmother had adored
him.

  She watched TV for about ten minutes with him before deciding to head to bed because she couldn't stop yawning. She said goodnight to Ethan, went upstairs and fell into bed.

  Chapter 6

  “How’s married life treating you?” Cameron smiled at the text message from Blake as she pulled into the hospital parking lot Thursday afternoon for the three to eleven shift. So far, her week had been surprising pleasant. Ethan was easy to be with and was good company. They fell into a routine of sharing dinner together, whatever Mrs. Crosby had made for them, and then going for a walk or riding for a bit after they ate. They both were early risers and went to bed by ten most nights. They usually spent the rest of their evenings in the family room, watching TV or reading.

  Her phone beeped as another text message from Blake came through. “Sure you can’t sneak out for a quick drink with an old friend?”

  Cameron laughed and then quickly texted back. “Not yet. In a few weeks, maybe, if you’re still here.”

  His message came back a few seconds later. “I’m not planning to go anywhere just yet. TTYL.”

  Blake hadn’t changed at all. Funny thing, though, Cameron hadn’t thought of him at all this past week. Knowing Blake, she guessed that he was more interested simply because she was unavailable at the moment.

  Another message came through, this time from Rachel. “Are you up for trivia? We need to catch up. Dying to hear how it’s going.”

  “Can’t tonight, working. Next week, hopefully. Ethan might go.”

  “We’ll miss you. There’s a good band playing at Figs Saturday night. Why don’t you both meet us there?”