by Liv Brywood
Garrett waded through the river to slap his friend on the back.
“Congratulations, man.”
“You sound surprised,” Daniel said.
“Real talk?”
“Shoot.”
“I’m really happy for you, but Harmony? You two are polar opposites. She doesn’t like hunting or fishing. And she’s always complaining about your furry back.”
Daniel laughed and pulled his shirt off.
“She shaved me last night.”
“Does she know it’s going to grow back the minute you shift?” Garrett asked.
“Yeah. She wanted to see me without all the fur for once. Her words.”
“Is she going to buy you a new razor now?”
“No,” Daniel said. “It’s not dull. I wasn’t that hairy. How’s everything going with your fiancée? I can’t believe you two are still faking it after all this time. No offense, but I don’t think your old man’s going to the next life unless he sees a ring on your finger.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me.”
“You still hell-bent on never getting married?” Daniel asked.
“Yep. And what happened to your vow against monogamy?”
“People change. Time marches on and one day you wake up and wonder what it might be like to have your own family with little furballs running around.”
“Is she pregnant?” Garrett asked.
“No. God no. We’re not planning on having kids anytime soon.”
“You weren’t planning on getting married anytime soon either.”
“I know, but I love her,” Daniel said. “My bear loves her too, so there’s no denying she’s my mate. When you find the right woman, you should hold onto her and never let go.”
Garrett eyed him with suspicion. It almost sounded as if he were talking about Garrett’s relationship with Arizona. Or maybe he was reading into it too much.
“How are things with you and your fiancée?” Daniel asked.
Nope. He was right. He was talking about their relationship.
“Fine.”
“Just…Fine?” Daniel cocked his head. “You two can’t keep your hands off each other.”
“Chemistry will only get you so far.”
“True, but if you didn’t have anything in common with her, then you wouldn’t spend hours talking to her every night,” Daniel said.
“How do you know we spend hours talking?”
“I’ve seen you at the barn night after night talking nonstop. Well, when you’re not pawing each other.”
“We have a lot in common,” Garrett said. “We both have less than perfect fathers.”
“Based on what you’ve told me, hers is an asshole. Your dad’s just trying to carry on his legacy through you.”
“But he is still trying to control my life. Arizona’s dad is doing the exact same thing. It may look like one is better than the other, but ultimately, they’re both trying to force us to do something we never want to do,” Garrett said.
“Never say never. I can’t wait to get married. If you’d told me this would be happening three months ago, I wouldn’t have believed you. But now, I can hardly wait. I’m going to need a best man. Can I count on you?” Daniel asked.
“Of course. I’d be offended if you hadn’t asked.” Garrett grinned. “But don’t worry. I won’t be asking you to be my best man anytime soon. I’m not ready to settle down. No ball and chain for me.”
“If you say so,” Daniel said. “But one day you’ll wake up and realize this act you two are putting on isn’t an act at all.”
As they moved to recast their lines, Garrett couldn’t help but wonder if his friend was right. Was he falling in love with her?
***
After spending the afternoon shopping with Connie, Arizona met up with Garrett at the barn. Several couples who they knew from the nightly shifter gathering waved at her. She waved back. The strong sense of community fed her hungry soul. Although she had plenty of casual friends back home, she wasn’t very close with anyone but Gerri. Garrett’s family had gone out of their way to include her in every activity. It was more than she could ever hope for, which hurt. One day their fake engagement would end and she’d have to leave everyone behind. She wasn’t looking forward to that day.
“A penny for your thoughts,” Garrett said.
When he scooted his chair closer to hers, their thighs touched. Warmth spread throughout her body. They’d tried to avoid having sex that morning, but it was impossible. Their connection was too strong, so they’d eventually given up.
“I really like your family,” she said. “Even your dad. I feel so bad for him. He’s been bed-bound for weeks and he’s lost so much weight.”
“It’s hard to watch him wither away,” he admitted. “No matter what I think about his domineering attitude, he doesn’t deserve to be in pain. I wish I could do something for him.”
“He has a nurse and around-the-clock care. You can’t do much more,” she said.
“Yeah.”
“I never had family gatherings like this,” she said. “My father’s behavior made us the black sheep of the family. We have some distant cousins, but I’ve only met them once or twice.”
“With shifters, everyone’s part of a bigger family. We call it a clan, but it’s really a collection of huge extended families,” he said.
“I love the way everyone helps each other out. It’s like being in a small town where everyone knows everyone else.”
“There are benefits and drawbacks.”
“Like what?” she asked.
“You can’t keep a secret.”
“We have,” she whispered.
“We’re good actors.”
Are we?
She hadn’t been playing her role as fiancée for weeks. She tried to think back to when she’d stopped being so focused on making sure their relationship was believable, but she couldn’t pinpoint an exact time. Maybe she’d never been faking it.
“You’re deep in thought again,” he said.
“I hope they forgive me when the truth comes out,” she whispered. “I don’t want to hurt anyone, especially not Connie. She’s been so sweet to me. I hate lying to her.”
“Did you have fun shopping today?”
“It was a blast. I never had siblings, but if today was any indication of what it would be like to have a sister-in-law, I’m all for it.”
“That would require getting married,” he said in a playful tone.
“Good point.” She took a swig of beer.
“I have something I need to ask you. And… it’s really important. It’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you all night.”
A spark of adrenaline tightened her gut. She wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the question. When he leaned over to place his lips close to her ear, she shivered. Was he going to reopen the conversation about their relationship? They’d just closed the door on it—hard. How could he change his mind so fast? She’d have to set him straight.
His lips grazed the edge of her earlobe. Her traitorous body responded, wet and ready. All he had to do was touch her and she’d melt into his arms. She couldn’t control her reaction, and that realization scared her more than anything else.
When he opened his mouth to speak, she froze.
“Are you wearing any panties?” he asked in a low, seductive tone.
“What?” Had she heard him right?
“Are. You. Wearing. Panties?”
“No.”
“Good.”
“That’s what you wanted to ask me?” Her eyebrows knitted together. “I thought…”
“What?”
“Never mind,” she said.
Although she should have been relieved, conflicting emotions warred in her heart. If he’d asked her to be in a real relationship, would she have said no?
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As she let it out, the tension in her stomach loosened. He wanted more sex, nothing more. There wasn’t anything to be worried a
bout.
“Let’s go home,” he murmured against her ear.
In a daze, she followed him home. Fear clutched at her heart. She wasn’t ready to fully accept it, but she cared about him far more than she wanted to admit. Over the last few weeks, they’d done everything together. She’d gotten to know the gentle, soulful man behind his furry façade. And she wasn’t ready to let him go.
Inside the house, she headed toward her bedroom. If she didn’t get away from him quickly, she might voice her concerns out loud, which would only make them more real.
“Have a good night,” she said.
“Are you really going to play hard to get?” he asked.
“What? I’m not… I’m tired.”
“You won’t have to do any of the work,” he said. “Just lie there.”
He scooped her up and carried her into the bedroom. As he laid her on the bed, she wanted to protest, really, she did. But she couldn’t make her mouth cooperate. And when he molded his body against hers and pressed her into the mattress, she forgot why she’d ever considered saying no.
Eight
Arizona groaned as something jostled her pillow. Without bothering to open her exhausted eyes, she yanked the covers over her head.
“Wake up, honey,” Garrett whispered. “I want to take you on a hike.”
“No way,” she grumbled.
Clearly he was joking. They’d made love all night. At least three times... or was it four? She could hardly lift her arms let alone her legs. As she shifted away from him, her thighs protested. If she didn’t get at least four hours of sleep she’d be completely nonfunctional.
“We have to leave now,” he said. “I’ll grab some clothes from my room and be right back. I need you up and dressed in five minutes.”
“What time is it?”
“About 4:45 a.m.”
“We’ve only been asleep an hour. Two at the most,” she said.
“I know, but you can sleep all afternoon if you want.”
“Can I sleep now instead? Whatever you want to show me will still be there in four hours.”
“Not this,” he said. “I’ll be back in five minutes and if you’re not up and dressed, I’m going to carry you out to the horse’s water trough and dump you in it.”
“Do it and you’ll never get sex from me again.” She opened one eye and glared as if they were both open.
“You can’t resist me,” he said in a smug tone. “You now have four minutes and thirty seconds. Tick tock.”
The mattress shifted as his weight left the bed. She heard the door open, then close. Dammit. She wasn’t entirely sure he wouldn’t drop her into the slobber-filled water trough. So although her body twitched and throbbed at the slightest hint of movement, she got out of bed with the force of sheer will. Whatever he planned on showing her had better be damn good.
Three minutes later, she’d pulled on a pair of loose jeans, a baggy T-shirt, and a stretched-out hoodie. She wasn’t about to reward him with a cute outfit. In her condition, he should be happy she’d even left the bed.
After shoving her feet into thick socks and a pair of hiking boots, she lumbered toward the door. It swung open, almost clocking her.
“You’re up!” He grinned. “I was actually looking forward to dropping you in the trough.”
“You’re evil.”
“Nope. I’m resourceful.”
“All right, what’s so important that you need to drag me out of bed before the sun’s even up? It’s still dark outside,” she said.
“You’ll see. Come on.”
He grabbed her hand and led her to the truck. As soon as she was belted in, she leaned back to rest her eyes. When she opened them again, he was pulling off onto a narrow, unpaved road. She sat up.
“Where are we?”
“Near the top of the Gallatin Mountain range,” he said.
“You dragged me out here to see trees? If you’ve seen one forest, you’ve seen them all,” she said.
“Not true at all. But no, I brought you here for something really special.”
After parking the truck, he helped her out. He led her toward the edge of an overlook built into the side of the mountain. She sucked in a breath. Lights from Bozeman blanketed the valley in a yellow glow. A thin line of orange outlined the black shadow of a distant mountain range. She gazed up at a sky pregnant with stars. A falling star arced across the sky for a split second before vanishing.
“Did you see that?” she asked.
“The meteor?”
“Yeah.”
“Did you make a wish?” he asked.
“I’m not awake enough to think that fast,” she said.
“Another one will come soon enough.”
“Did you make a wish?”
“I did.”
“What did you wish for?” she asked.
“If I tell you, the wish won’t come true.”
“Oh.” She turned her face toward the heavens. “Then I won’t have to tell you mine either?”
“Not if you want it to come true.”
As she waited for another falling star, she combed through all the usual wishes. More money, a better job, a Mafia boss’s death, the usual. She held back a laugh.
Before she could resume her catalog of wishing options, a star jetted across the sky.
I want someone to love me.
The wish struck her in the heart as if she’d been hit because it was the most truthful she’d been in weeks. She’d spent her whole life waiting for someone to love her and it hadn’t happened yet. Sure, Gerri loved her, but it wasn’t the same as having a partner in love. A person to share her deepest dreams and desires with, someone who really cherished her for who she was.
Tears sprang up. She looked up and tried to blink them away before they fell.
“That must have been a powerful wish,” he said softly.
“It was.”
“I hope it comes true.”
“Me too.”
“Look.”
He pointed toward the horizon. She backed into him and his arms wrapped around her chest. His lips pressed against her head.
“This is what I wanted to show you.”
Words escaped her as the sun’s curve peeked over the horizon to paint wispy clouds bright shades of orange and red. With the sky ablaze, her heart beat in time with his. Nothing could be more perfect than this moment. She was exactly where she needed to be. And it was all because of him.
“I found this place when I was sixteen,” he said.
For a moment, the green-eyed monster reared its head. How many other women had he brought here?
“I’ve never shared this with anyone before,” he said, as if reading her mind.
“Never?”
“I never met anyone special enough to bring here.”
“Garrett…”
She swallowed back all the emotions, nearly choking on them. If she told him how deeply this had touched her, was she setting herself up to be disappointed? If she spoke of her growing feelings toward him, would everything spiral out of control?
Maybe all of the amazing sex last night had fried her brain. That had to be it. And she was tired. Too tired to make any declarations about…well, anything.
She pressed her lips together. It would be better if she stayed quiet. After she got a good night’s sleep, if she still felt like she was falling… She couldn’t finish the thought. She blocked it out and turned to kiss him. Keeping her mouth busy with something that didn’t involve heartfelt confessions was her best option. Because once she told him how she truly felt, she’d never be able to take it back.
***
Garrett wrapped his arms around her and held her tight. He never wanted to let go. Watching the sunrise with her at his secret spot was even better than he’d imagined. He hadn’t slept a wink that night. Instead, he’d lain awake watching her sleep while wondering how he could ever let her go.
It wasn’t just the incredible sex, but there was something else wei
ghing on his heart. It wasn’t lust; he knew exactly how that felt. It was something more. Something that reached into his soul and refused to let go. But he wasn’t ready to call it love. Not yet. He wasn’t ready for the implications. If he was falling in love with her, he’d be risking a broken heart. He’d been through the pain of losing someone he loved twice. Once with his mother and once with his ex. Was his heart strong enough to handle the possibility of another failure?
He hadn’t intended to open a can of worms by bringing her up the mountain. He’d only wanted to share the sunrise with a woman who appreciated nature. She’d already shown him how much she loved animals with the way she groomed the horses. She’d taken over feeding Smokey weeks ago, and insisted on helping him feed the cattle. Ranch life wasn’t for the faint of heart, but she’d adapted to it. It was hard not to fall in love with a women who loved the ranch and everything on it.
“Should we head home?” she asked.
“Not yet. I have something else to show you.”
“Is it in your pants? Because I don’t know if I’m ready to get pine needles stuck in my butt right now,” she said.
“I’ve got blankets in the truck.”
Her laughter sent blood rushing into his cock. He groaned.
“The things you do to me,” he murmured.
“I’ll do anything you want, after I get some sleep.”
“Just one more stop, please?”
“Oh now you’re not playing fair. You know I can’t resist you when you bat your eyes at me like that,” she said.
“But it worked, didn’t it?” he asked.
“Yes. I may be sleepwalking, but watching the sunrise was amazing. So if you’re taking me someplace equally incredible, then I’ll find a way to stay awake.”
“I promise it will be worth it,” he said.
***
Arizona leaned back in the truck and rested her eyes. A whirl of questions twisted through her brain. She couldn’t seem to focus long enough to rein in her reaction to him. While they were standing on the precipice, she’d almost confessed her feelings. But they weren’t even real, were they? Had she fallen for their lie? Did she actually fall in love with him?
And why had he brought her to watch the sunrise? It didn’t have anything to do with pretending to be engaged. So why do it?