He studied me for a moment and then turned me around. “Let me get your zipper.”
He’d just gotten it up when there was a knock on the door. We both jumped. He straightened his tie and checked his pants, then nodded.
“Yes?” I called.
Sinclair opened the door. “Oh good, you’re in here,” she said when she saw Mo. “Stark is on the phone. And, I think we need to talk about some…staff issues…morale.” She looked at me. I wasn’t sure if she meant Trina or me. Probably both.
He nodded. “Yes, of course. I’ll be right there.”
Sinclair looked at me and then Mo. Could she tell what we’d just done? He arched a brow at her.
“Right. I’ll be in my office,” she left, but the door stayed open.
“I’ll see you later,” he said.
I remembered my dinner date with Tucker. “I’ll be out tonight for dinner.”
He frowned. “Out? At your dad’s?” His tone was hopeful, and it was as if he knew I was referring to Tucker but didn’t want it to be true.
“Tucker. I want to help him get settled.”
I wondered if he was a good poker player because his face was impassive. “Of course. Have a good time.”
He looked like he might kiss me, but then he stopped himself. Instead, he turned and walked out of my office. I blew out a breath and went to sit behind my desk. What just happened? What did it mean? Did it mean anything?
I finished my day and headed home—Mo’s home—to shower and change. Then, because I had a little time before I was meeting Tucker, I stopped by my dad’s house to check on him.
He was just coming over from the barn. He smiled when he saw me. “Well, what a lovely surprise.”
“Hi, Dad.”
He looked at my outfit, a summer dress, and strappy sandals. “My, you look nice. Hot date?”
“My friend Tucker has moved to town. I’m meeting him tonight.”
He frowned. “Is it wise to be with your boyfriend when you’re married to Mo? I mean, I know it’s all fake, but still, I told Mo it wouldn’t be right for him to see anyone—”
“Mo wanted to see someone?” Was it Shelley?
“No. Of course not.”
“Then why were you telling him not to see someone?”
“We were reminiscing about old times and the dreams we had, which included families. He’s had to put that off by helping us. I want him to be happy, find a good woman, but of course, right now, that’s on hold. That’s all.”
I nodded, accepting his explanation.
“But it goes for you, too. You can’t be with your boyfriend—”
“Tucker isn’t my boyfriend. He’s a friend who happens to be a boy.”
My father stared at me like I was crazy. “What’s the difference?”
“We’re friends. That’s it.”
He shook his head. “You might be a friend, but trust me, young men can’t just be friends with beautiful, smart women.”
“Dad—”
“Don’t get me wrong. I like Tucker. I plan on accepting him into the family one day as my son-in-law.”
I gaped.
“But, right now, we’ve got to maintain this marriage ruse.”
I sighed. “That’s not a problem.”
“Maybe you should have him out here.”
“He’s moving to town to teach. He needs to get to know the area. Besides—” I started to tell him he had eyes for someone else.
“Okay. I know Mo has kept this marriage a secret, but if it got out and you were seen with—”
“It’s not a problem. How’re things with the cattle?”
I finally got my dad off the topic of Tucker and Mo. He told me about some of the changes they’d made in the ranch’s management, and I told him about work, leaving out my problems with Trina. Feeling like he was doing well even though he was alone on the ranch, I left to meet Tucker for dinner.
As I drove, I thought back to my dad talking about the dreams he and Mo shared. They’d wanted good women and families. My dad had hit the jackpot with my mom. Unfortunately, their love story ended too early, but I knew they’d had something special. Something I wanted, too. Honestly, I wanted it with Mo.
Mo, on the other hand, ended up with Shelley. Even as a teenager, I couldn’t ever figure out why he loved her. Had he just settled for her? Salvation was small, so there weren’t a lot of prospects for love. A huge number of people married their high school sweethearts. Sinclair and Wyatt were proof of that. Even Trina and Ryder, who I guess was the father of her baby, had grown up together. Perhaps Shelley was his best option, and he was for her.
I knew he planned to end his political career and go back to being a rancher. Did he still want a wife and family? I felt like I’d made it clear he could have that with me, but he couldn’t get beyond the issues he felt prevented that. Once again, I wondered if I could change his mind, or if I was wasting my time and bringing myself heartache by trying.
23
Maurice
I could feel my life unraveling. I tried to get rid of that feeling through beer and listening to old music, but I suspected that it was only making it worse. I might as well face it, all the problems in my life couldn’t be fixed through booze and music. Getting drunk wouldn’t make me younger or Brooke older. It wouldn’t change the fact that she was Frank’s daughter. And since most music was about heartbreak, I was pretty sure I was wallowing in self-pity as the words of love lost resonated in my chest.
Then, there was the whole issue with Stark. Why couldn’t that fucker get a clue and leave town? Surely there was some other place in Nebraska that would open their doors to his money. Why did he have such a hard-on for Salvation?
He’d called that afternoon, hassling me about getting in his way before and wanting me to pave the way for a new mayor of his choosing. That wasn’t going to happen. But there was a tone to his voice that suggested he’d be happy to ruin me to get what he wanted. Up until now, there hadn’t been any dirt that he could get to use against me. Now, I did have dirt. If he found out about Brooke, not just that I’d married her, but why and for what, I’d be the laughing stock of the town.
But if I was honest, the unsettled feeling really came from my relationship with Brooke. Once again, I’d fucked her when I shouldn’t have, but this time, I didn’t feel as guilty about it. Did that mean I was getting desensitized? Was I rationalizing being with her? Nothing had changed. She was still Frank’s daughter. I was still too old for her. So why had touching her today felt so right?
I sat on the couch as the old blues tunes washed over me and the beer buzz washed through me, wondering what the hell I was doing. Why was I in such a funk? Brooke. She wasn’t here with her bubbly spirit and sweet smile. Worse yet, she was out with that friend of hers who was better suited for her. He was closer to her age and handsome. I remembered Frank once thinking the young man would become his son-in-law.
Over my dead body, I thought. Then I groaned. Did I really think that? She wasn’t mine. Yes, we were married. Yes, I’d had sex with her a few times. But that didn’t make her mine. I didn’t own her. I had no right to ask her to stay home or dictate who she could hang out with.
At the same time, it felt so wrong that she wasn’t here. This was a new feeling for me, not just around Brooke, but at all. When Shelley started spending more time away from home, I’d felt relief. I’d been glad that I wouldn’t be subjected to more browbeating or complaining. But with Brooke away, I felt alone. So fucking lonely. My heart hurt from it.
Oh, Jesus, was I in love with her? God, I didn’t need that on top of everything else, and at the same time, the idea of loving her felt good. Right. Good God, I was so fucked up.
I was considering another beer or maybe switching to something stronger when there was a knock on my door.
I stood, wondering if Brooke locked herself out. I opened the door, thinking about pulling her to me and kissing her senseless and finally showing her what sex could be like in a
bed. Maybe I’d teach her how to suck my dick like she’d asked. But it wasn’t Brooke.
“Shelley.” Jesus, what was she doing here?
She sent me that wide smile that had beguiled me the first time I met her back in high school. “Can I come in?”
We shared only one class all through school, U.S. History. If I’d taken it at a different time, would she and I have ended up together? As much pain as she brought me, though, I couldn’t be completely regretful of my time with her. We’d had some fun. We’d given each other our virginity and were fairly sexually explorative. She was shallower and more ambitious than me, which ultimately led to our divorce, but for a time, she and I had been happy.
Even so, I wasn’t interested in reminiscing or restarting something that died years ago. But I couldn’t send her away, so I opened the door to let her pass.
Her gaze scanned the room. “Nothing has changed.”
I looked around, thinking that couldn’t be right. I saw signs of Brooke everywhere. Yet as I looked around, Shelley was right; the house was much the same as when she left it. I wouldn’t have thought I could feel more guilt where Brooke was concerned, but the pesky feeling rose. I should have invited her to make changes. This house was her home now. At least, for the time being.
“What are you doing here?” I asked, refocusing on why Shelley was here.
She turned to look at me. “I’ve come to make you reconsider running for governor.”
I shook my head. “Sorry. No can do. Once I’m done being mayor, all my focus will be on the ranch.” And Brooke. The thought made my heart jump, but was it in excitement or fear?
“Mo, the ranch will always be here. The people of Nebraska need you. They respect how you stood up to the current governor over that prison issue—”
I rolled my eyes. Yes, eventually, I did put my support and considerable work behind stopping Stark and helping the farmers, but that was due to seeing what the farmers needed as well as helping Sinclair for when she made her run to be mayor. Initially, I’d been for the prison. Something like that would appear wishy-washy and would likely be used against me in a run for the governorship.
“You’re a folk hero and need to ride that wave of support right into the governor’s mansion.”
“Laying it on a bit thick, aren’t you, Shelley? I’m not interested in any home other than the one I’m standing in right now.”
I didn’t invite her to sit or offer her a drink, hoping she’d get a clue and cut this visit short, but she simply stared up at me with the disappointment I’d come to know well during the last years of our marriage.
“It’s a pity you lack ambition. There’s so much you could do if you’d just put your mind to it.”
“I think that’s the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me,” I quipped.
She huffed out a breath. Then, her face morphed into that sweet, beguiling smile I’d fallen for long ago but now knew was a wolf in sheep’s clothing. “The governor’s mansion will have something you once wanted very badly.”
“I can’t imagine what.”
She flinched, slightly, but then ran one manicured nail down the front of my chest. “Your wife.”
I was out of practice in dealing with Shelley. But in my defense, she was using slightly different tactics. The last thing I’d expected was for her to kiss me, and yet, there she was, pressing her lips against mine. It took me a moment to realize that was happening. I jerked back, my gaze catching something by the door.
Oh shit.
Brooke stood in the open door, her eyes at first wide and then, fucking hell, filling with tears.
“Brooke, honey, what are you doing here?” Shelley asked. “Is everything okay with your dad?”
“She’s bringing some paperwork Frank wanted me to have.”
I was really going to hell now. This was my chance to let Brooke know that this was her home, that I cared for her, and I’d just blown it. At the same time, Shelley knowing the real-deal at this point was a recipe for disaster. Then again, it would definitely put her off me for governor. How was it that I was constantly getting myself between a rock and a hard place?
“Thanks for stopping by, Shelley, but as I said, I’m not interested in being governor. You’ll need to find someone else.” I nearly suggested she contact Stark. They seemed well-suited to each other. I ushered her around Brooke and out the door.
“Just think about it, Mo,” she said as I finally got her out of the house.
“Nope. Bye, Shell.” I closed the door and whirled around to talk to Brooke, except she wasn’t there. “Shit. Fuck.”
A door slammed down the hall, and with it, my heart sank. And while it was a jerk thing to think, I had to worry that she was packing to leave, and all of a sudden, not only would I be without Brooke in my life, but I’d also be in debt up to my neck, having to repay the trust.
But then I remembered where she’d been tonight. She’d been with her boyfriend. The man Frank was so certain she’d marry someday. Who the hell was she to get hurt by Shelley making a move when she was on a date with her future husband while married to me?
No, no, no. I wasn’t going to be made to feel like the heel for this. I considered ignoring the situation. In some ways, it would be better if she realized I wasn’t the man for her. It would be easier for all these crazy feelings I had for her to go away if she hated me and was interested in her friend. I still had the issue of the trust, but if we could live like roommates for the next year, she could then get her divorce and be with Tucker, and I could live in peace and not worry about Frank shooting my dick off.
But it wasn’t in me to let her be in pain.
“Goddammit,” I said as I strode down to her room and prayed we could come up with a solution to make this fake marriage work.
24
Brooke
Loving Mo was like a roller coaster ride. Sometimes it was thrilling, but the peaks were few, and most times it was low valleys. I don’t know why I was surprised to see him and Shelley kissing. They were married once, so they’d loved each other. My dad often said he didn’t think Mo ever really got over her leaving. They looked chummy in the restaurant today. So, maybe this was inevitable. I supposed if I really loved him, I’d get out of their way. I loved Mo, so I should put his happiness first, and if that was with Shelley, it would be a waste of my time to try and keep him. Especially since he had so many hang-ups about me. I’d always be Frank’s daughter and nearly twenty years younger, so the issues he’d identified as being problems for him wouldn’t ever be resolved.
Still, it hurt that, just today, he’d made love—no, had sex—with me in my office, and now he was kissing his ex-wife. What was going on? Mo wasn’t the cheating type. Sure, our marriage was fake, but still. We agreed to no other people during our marriage. Did he think he’d get his rocks off with her to avoid me?
Was he done with me? We got my dad the money he needed, and now I could move on. Was he so revolted by me that he was willing to forgo the additional money he’d get if we stayed married for a year?
I flopped on the bed and cried into my pillow. He was right. I was only a silly girl to have fallen for him. Perhaps I was still trying to live a fairy tale. I’d heard that love took work, but surely it wasn’t this hard. My mother and father loved each other, and life seemed so happy and easy between them. I just wanted to love Mo, and if he loved me back, life would be smooth sailing, wouldn’t it?
I ignored the knock on my door. I didn’t want to talk to him. It would just be much of the same. Me trying to convince him my feelings were real and him telling me I was just a kid. And I was starting to think maybe I was because I didn’t understand why this was so hard.
The knock became more insistent. “Open the door, Brooke.”
“Go away, Mo. I don’t want to talk to you.”
“Too bad. Open the door, or I’ll break it down.”
Yeah, right, I thought. He knocked and called to me again, but I just lay on the bed, feeling so tire
d and lost.
A loud bang and then a crack startled me to sit up. The door slid sideways along the wall and onto the floor as Mo stepped into my room after breaking it down.
“Are you crazy?” I asked him.
“You have no right to be angry with me,” he growled. His breath was heavy, his eyes blazing. I’d never seen the usually calm and collected Mo like this. At one time, it might have scared me. Now, it just annoyed me.
“Of course not. I’m not your real wife. I have no reason to be upset that I’ve come home to see you having sex with your ex-wife. I should have known with the way you were pawing each other at lunch. Let me ask you, when you fucked me in my office, were you thinking of her?”
“Goddammit, Brooke,” he roared. He looked up and away, taking a deep breath. When he looked back, his breath was calmer, but his eyes were still heated. “I wasn’t having sex with Shelley, and we weren’t pawing. She kissed me.”
“As far as I could see, you didn’t stop her. You kissed her back.” I shrugged. “I get it. You never got over her.”
“You’re wrong.” He glared at me. “Besides, you have some nerve busting my balls over Shelley. You were out to dinner with your boyfriend.”
“What?” I jerked back, surprised by his comment.
“You want to be treated like an adult, then be one. Don’t pretend that Tucker is just your friend. Your father is, right now, saving some of the money I gave him to plan your wedding. My money!” He bellowed.
I glared at him. “Well, maybe if he thought this was a real marriage, he wouldn’t do that.”
“Don’t you fucking put this on me. He wouldn’t think Tucker was your future husband if there wasn’t something to it.”
I’d never seen Mo like this, and while it was a bit unsettling, there was something sexy about it, too. All this passion over me spending time with Tucker.
“Like you, my father can be hard-headed and dismissive of what I tell him. Tucker is a friend. Only a friend. He’s got the hots for Holly if you must know.”
Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set) Page 54