Page 38 of Marrying a Cowboy

What had that been? For someone trying to convince himself that he didn’t have feelings for his fake wife, the rest of him definitely didn’t feel that way. And what about Emma? Had she felt somethingtoo?

He contemplated turning around to look at her reaction but then thought against it. Right now, he needed to get his head on straight and his thoughts together. So, trying not to look like an idiot, he dipped down and took a drink from the water. Once he was done, he turned off the faucet and grabbed a nearbytowel.

Feeling as if he had enough control over his emotions, he glanced around the room. Gran had returned to reading the newspaper. Emma had sat down on the chair farthest from her. She had an uneasy look on her face as she kept reaching up and touching her lips. When she caught him looking at her, she dropped her hands and gave him a weaksmile.

Good. He’d had an effect on her. That was what he was hoping. If she was going to leave Montana and go back to her ex, he was bound and determined to show her just was she was going to miss. He was a great guy. And would make a great husband—even though that was not what he wanted atall.

But why did she get to have her happily ever after? As he turned around to look out the kitchen window, he let out the breath he’d been holding. The sun was creeping up over thehorizon.

A guilty feeling squeezed his chest. This wasn’t what he wanted. To prove himself better than Emma. Why did it matter that she wanted to go back to Vincent? If it made her happy, who was he to stopher?

A cloud of dust trailed down the road and a few minutes later, Sean’s truck pulled into view. Austin grinned and turned, nodding to the ladies on the wayout.

“I’m off to work,” he said, pulling open the back door of thekitchen.

Before either of them could speak, he shut the door and grinned over at Sean who had just jumped out of histruck.

“Ready to do some work, boss?” he asked, grabbing some tools from the bed of histruck.

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” Austin said. Right now, all he wanted to do was be on his ranch. To get away from his grandmother and Emma and just work. He’d deal with the emotional repercussions of the kiss later. Right now, he’d get lost in his chores. And for the first time this morning, he felthappy.

Chapter Fifteen

Emma

Emma stoodon the porch staring off into the distance. After breakfast and that extremely strange and unexpected kiss, Mrs. Maverick said she had some work in town to do and left, leaving Emma alone. Alone with her thoughts. Which were now riddled withconfusion.

Why had Austin kissed her like that? For a guy who didn’t want to get married, he certainly kissed like he did. Emma brought her fingers up to her mouth. The feeling of his lips against hers seemed burned on her skin. She had not expected the fireworks that had exploded through her body when he’d pulled her close. Or the way she seemed to forget everything around her when he wrapped his arms around herwaist.

And why had he had a ring stashed in his drawers? Just about every person they’d met chastised him for not getting her a ring, yet he’d had one all along. For some reason, the thought that he’d had a ring all this time hurt her more that she expected. He must not feel anything forher.

She groaned and paced the porch. She felt like an idiot. This was not why she’d come here. To have feelings for her fake husband? That was not part of the plan. Austin seemed to have everything together. He was cool and collected and acted as if the kiss they’d shared meant nothing to him. When to her, it seemed engrained in hermind.

This was proof that Austin was a better liar than her. That’s all it could be. He hadn’t given her any indication that his physical advances were anything but then what was expected when playing the part of a fake marriage. And the intimate moments when they shared parts of their past? Well, it was probably just him being a good friend. That wasall.

Emma was the only idiot in this relationship who was slowly falling for her fake spouse. And she was going to get crushed because ofit.

Reaching up, she pulled her hair up into a bun and glanced across the field to where Austin and Sean were working. They seemed in their element. Something Emma had been struggling with since she gothere.

And for some reason, seeing Austin so happy bugged her. Why did he get to just act the way he did without any consequences? It infuriated her. Letting out her breath, she plodded down the stairs and headed straight in theirdirection.

Austin was standing next to the pen, hammering a crooked post. His expression was serious as he studied it. Emma stopped a few feet away, hoping he’d take notice. When he didn’t she folded her arms, and stepped closer tohim.

“Excuse me,” she said when he didn’t glanceover.

The hammering sound thudded in her skull as she waited for him to stop and look over at her. The seconds felt like hours. Finally, he finished and lookedup.

“What’s up?” he asked as he passed by her and over to the nextpost.

She stared at him. Did he just say, what’s up? Why was he acting so weird? “Um, I’m just wondering exactly what happened in the house over there.” She waved toward theporch.

Austin squinted in the direction that she was motioning toward. “You mean earlier? WithGran?”

She studied him. Was he seriously going to play dumb? “Yes. All of that. And. . .” She took a deep breath. How was she going to say this without sounding like an idiot? “And thekiss?”

His swing faltered and he ended up slamming the hammer down on his finger. She watched as he winced and then brought his finger to his lips. “What aboutit?”

She suddenly got a giant desire to strangle him. He was acting ridiculous. And she didn’t want to play games. “You kissed me, Austin. Like it meant something.” She cleared her throat as she watched him. “Did it mean anything?” She paused, holding her breath. This was his opportunity to tell her whatever he wanted to. Why did it feel like her heart would burst from herchest?

---