Page 28 of Marrying a Cowboy

But as he stood there, gazing into her eyes, he knew he couldn’t follow through with what his body wanted him to do. He couldn’t lean forward and kiss her lips. To accept the trust that she seemed willing to give him. He didn’t deserve it. He was a fool for bringing her here. For asking her to lie forhim.

“I think you’ll do the same. As a mom and wife.” He hesitated before he said the next sentence. But he needed her to realize that he wasn’t the husband for her. He took a deep breath and continued. It was best. Emma couldn’t fall for him. It wasn’t fair to her especially when he wasn’t ready. “With someoneelse.”

Her eyes widened as she pulled back slightly. Almost as if his words were the last things she was expecting. Thankfully, the song faded away, giving Austin an excuse to leave the dance floor. And to leave Emma standing there.Alone.

As much as it broke his heart to walk away, he knew he was doing the right thing. Emma deserved that once in a lifetime love and if he was sure he couldn’t give it to her, why would he keep leading her on? His life was anything but consistent. Besides, hadn’t she been the one to say that she could never live in a place like Moose Falls? And this was the last place he wanted toleave.

Austin dipped his head as he headed into the bathroom and slipped into an empty stall. He’d stay in here until he had his emotions under control. Because right now, even though someone was vomiting in the stall next to him, he was safer then out there. And so was Emma. Hopefully she’d understand. He couldn’t care about her.Ever.

Chapter Eleven

Emma

Emma stoodon the dance floor, watching Austin walk away. She wasn’t quite sure what just happened. All she tried to do was get closer to him, but he didn’t want her to. Apparently, she’d been the only one feeling anything. She shook her head as she headed over to the bar and ordered aCoke.

How could she be such a fool? He didn’t want to be married to her. He didn’t want kids. All he wanted was to stay at his ranch.Alone.

She sighed. Fine. She’d let him do that. When his grandmother got here, she’d be the doting wife—fake it like the best of them—and then leave. She wouldn’t even make him come back to prove things to her mother. She’d release him from the contract and never think of him or Montanaagain.

Pulling out her phone, she turned it on. Scrolling through the contacts, she found Vincent’s text. Would it be so bad? After all, he was her ex. And he seemed genuine. What could ithurt?

Pressing her finger on the text bar, she wrote amessage.

Thanks for contacting me. Things with Austin aren’t sogood.

A guilty feeling settled in her gut. Why was she telling him this? Then she took a deep breath and hit the send button. She needed to start thinking about her future. One that didn’t includeAustin.

“You okay?” Jasmine’s voice broke through herthoughts.

Emma clicked her phone off and her text faded to black. Turning around, she plastered on a fake smile. Jasmine was watching her with her eyebrowsraised.

“Just messaging a friend back home,” Emma said, trying to keep her voice steady. How much had she seen? Why did she care? Austin pretty much told her he wasn’t interested in her. What did it matter who she moved onwith?

“It looked like trouble in paradise,” she said, slipping onto the bar stool next to Emma. She motioned to the bar tender who set a wine cooler down in front ofher.

“What?” Emma scoffed. “No. Definitely not. Austin thinks he had some bad fish earlier. He needed to use the restroom.” She was married to him. She could lie like that.Right?

Jasmine’s drawn-on eyebrows rose higher. “Oh. Notgood.”

Emma turned to her Coke and took a sip. “Yeah.”

Silence fell around them. Thankfully the band started their next song, surrounding them in the upbeat dance that had half the bar moving around on the dancefloor.

“How long have you known Austin?” Jasmine asked. Just as Emma parted her lips to respond, Jasmine spoke up again. “I’ve known him since high school. He’s never mentioned you.” She narrowed her eyes as she took a sip from thebottle.

“We met at a retreat a few years back.” Emma’s memories returned to the Austin she’d been introduced to back then. There was something different about him now. He wasn’t the arrogant guy heportrayed.

“When he was dating Georgia?” Jasmine reached out and took a few pretzels from the bowl in front ofher.

“Yeah. She was there.” Why was this woman talking to her? For some reason, discussing Austin’s past made Emma feel uncomfortable. Desperate for something to do, she twirled her straw in her glass, making the ice clink against thesides.

“Georgia was an awful person. Broke Austin’s heart. If you’re not going to take things all the way with a guy, why keep him from the rest of the female population?” Jasmine sighed and flipped her long blond hair behind her shoulder. “It’s justselfish.”

Emma swallowed. There was truth to Jasmine’s words. Even though Emma was pretty sure, she was doing the same exact thing. “Yep,” shesaid.

“That’s not something you’re doing, is it?” Jasmine leaned closer to her. “Word on the street was, there was some sort of stipulation on his ranch that he needed to marry someone to getownership.”

“What?” Emma faked a surprised look. “I had no idea. It was never mentioned tome.”

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