Page 20 of Marrying a Cowboy

Emma nodded and walked over to the oak table in the middle of the room and ran her fingers across the top. She stopped. A question was nagging at the back of her mind. “Why not yourfather?”

Silence. When she glanced up, she saw that his expression hadsoured.

“Why didn’t I inherit this from my father?” His voice had turned strained as he ran his fingers through hishair.

Emma held up her hands. Truth was, she was tired of all his secrets. If she was going to convince his grandmother that they were really in love, she would need to know these things about him. “It’s probably something I should know.” She hesitated as she glanced up at him. Was she pushing him toofar?

“Not much to say there. He left when I was a baby. Low life decided that a life on the run was better than being a man and staying with his wife and kid.” He turned and pushed his fists down on the counter. Tension permeated from hisshoulders.

Pushing out all her thoughts, Emma approached him but then hesitated. Should she do it? She wanted to comfort him. He was her husband after all. In a moment of weakness, she wrapped her arms around his waist. He tensed from the contact but after a moment,relaxed.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. And she was. She knew what it was like to live without a father. Her own had left when she was only ten. Even to this day, she didn’t know where hewas.

“Emma,” he whispered. His voice had turned deep.Husky.

She rested her cheek against his back. “Yes?” Was it bad that she was enjoying the feeling of his muscles against hers. Who knew that this man was hiding all that behind his flannelshirts.

“This is probably not part of theno shenaniganspart of ourcontract.”

Heat rose to her face. She let go and took a few steps back. Wrapping her arms around her chest, she nodded. “Right. Sorry. Fake Marriage.” She gave him a small smile. Anything to let him know that she wasn’t trying to hit onhim.

His eyes widened as if he wanted to back pedal. But the words were already out there. He didn’t want her to touch him. They had an arrangement and that was it. She heard that message loud and clear. Faking a yawn, she took a few more steps back and nodded toward thefoyer.

“You said you’d show me where my room was?” She was ready to get this day over with. A good night sleep and hot shower in the morning would make her feel rightagain.

Austin studied her. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but she didn’t want to hear it. No matter what itwas.

“Please?” sheasked.

He hesitated and then nodded. “I’ll show you,” he said, stepping forward and waving his hand toward herluggage.

She followed after him, thankful for the silence he allowed between them. It had been a strange day filled with even stranger emotions. There was no way she had the mental capacity to deal with any of it. Or the heart capacity. Which right now, was all out ofwhack.

Chapter Eight

Austin

Ablaring noiseripped Austin from his sleep. Groaning, he turned over on his bed and slammed the snooze button on his clock. He’d finally gotten to sleep just a few hours ago. Now, at five in the morning, he was wondering why he’d been so eager to come home. Another day to sleep in might not have been such a badidea.

Just when he finally slipped back into slumber, his alarm went off again. Cursing, he slammed the alarm off and threw his covers to the side. He couldn’t mess around when he had things todo.

Swinging his feet to the side of the bed, he stood and stumbled out of the room. He needed a hot shower.Now.

When he got to the bathroom, he turned the handle and pushed open the door. He reached over to flip on the light switch, but it was already on. Before he processed what was happening, he reached over and pulled open the showercurtain.

It took a few seconds to register Emma’s scream. He blinked away the sleep in his eyes to see her standing there, trying desperately to cover herself with any part of the shower curtain she couldgrab.

“Austin! Get out! Get out!” shescreamed.

Her hair was wet. Her face was wet. Hershoulders. . .

Austin slapped his hand over his eyes. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t know you were in here.” Embarrassment flooded through his body as he fumbled for the handle and ran out into the hall. Once he was safely on the other side of the door, he leaned his back against it, tapping his head against the wood a fewtimes.

Why had he done that? He felt like such an idiot. That would be the last time he’d allow himself to wander around his house in a half-sleep daze. There was a woman here. Yes, she was his wife. But she wasn’t his. And that was a part that only she could give tohim.

Pushing his hand through his hair, he paced the hallway. Why was he even thinking about that? He was an idiot to the tenth degree. He paused when he got to her door. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand andknocked.

“Yes?” her muffled voice came from the otherside.

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