Page 11 of A Montana Fake Marriage

Caleb pulled back and offered her a warm smile. “After today, we just have to play the waiting game. That’s it. Easy.”

“Speak for yourself,” she muttered.

He chuckled again then chucked her under the chin. “You’re stronger than you think, Sammie. You’ll get through this.”

She lifted her eyes to meet his, wondering how on earth she’d lucked out this much and found a guy who could be so sweet and caring without expecting a single thing in return. One day, she’d have to repay him for his kindness.

Caleb tugged her over to the edge of the bed and had her sit beside him. “You know, it could be worse.”

She laughed again, this time sounding more weary than anything. “How’s that?”

“At least the girl I’m marrying is hot.”

Sammie laughed again and gave him a shove. Caleb nearly fell off the bed from the gesture. He chuckled for a moment longer, then both of them grew quiet. She rested her cheek against his shoulder and sighed. “I guess it doesn’t get any harder than this, huh? Are you sure you can put up with me for a year?”

“I’ve done harder things before.”

Sammie clungto Will’s arm as he guided her along the path to where Caleb stood. What better person to give her away than her future father-in-law. Will was the kind of father she would have loved having. He was a strong, quiet presence in an otherwise terrible world. She felt safe with him. If this had been real and she was to be with Caleb for the rest of her life, she would have gladly accepted the opportunity to call Will her father.

Her eyes locked with Caleb the second he turned around. And that was it. Everything from that moment to when the pastor gave Caleb permission to kiss the bride was a blur. All she’d been able to see were Caleb’s eyes, his smile, his confident nature. He had saved her from a life she had been terrified to return home to.

The kiss was quick—a brush of his lips against hers. She’d smelled the mint on his breath, but it didn’t last long enough to leave a lasting impression. He wasn’t her husband. He wasn’t the love of her life.

He was Caleb.

Just… Caleb.

They both turned to the crowd of people that stood and cheered. She blushed, her eyes tearing up once more. Happy tears.

The party was moved to a barn that had been cleared out for occasions such as this one. Music, food, laughter, and dancing ensued. Every single moment of it, Caleb was at her side, his hand at her waist.

Sammie did her best to remember everyone’s names. Eli and Jennifer were the heads of this ranch, and they had five children, but Sammie could only remember the two oldest and the youngest. Bo and Jack did most of the running of Sagebrush. Their youngest sibling and only sister was Katrina.

Eli had two siblings. Will and Sonya.

Sammie didn’t have a problem remembering Caleb’s brothers. She’d spent enough time at the house with Mack and Noah to start to see just how different and similar they were to their older brother.

But she couldn’t recall the names of Sonya’s two sons or her husband’s name.

Jennifer also had two siblings now living at the ranch. A sister and a brother. But the only name Sammie could remember was that of Jennifer’s niece. Hallie was the only other woman around Sammie’s age that seemed interested in developing a friendship besides Katrina. The three of them had spent a great deal more time together than Sammie had originally anticipated.

It was nice to have some other friends for when Caleb was busy with work.

Katrina was pregnant and not always on the property, but whenever she was, they made it a point to spend time together.

Hallie’s happy face popped into view. She pulled Sammie into a tight hug. “Congratulations!” The way she treated Sammie was as if they’d been friends for ages. Last year, when Sammie had visited, she’d kept mostly to herself. Now she found herself regretting that she hadn’t gone out of her way to get to know the others in Caleb’s large family.

Sammie clung to Hallie, holding her tight. “Thank you,” she whispered.

Hallie pulled back first. “Now that you’re stuck here, we’re going to have so much fun together. I’m thinking girls’ nights and coffee runs.”

“Sounds like fun,” Sammie agreed.

The music died down, and a DJ spoke into a microphone. “Ladies and gentlemen. It’s time for the couple’s first dance together as husband and wife.”

Before Sammie knew what was happening, Caleb had moved his hand from her waist to grip hers. He led her to the dance floor with a wink, and her stomach fluttered—not out of anything beyond nerves for having to be in front of an audience.

He lifted her hand to his shoulder and slipped his other one around her waist to pull her close. They swayed back and forth as he lowered his mouth closer to her ear. “Have I told you that you look beautiful today?”

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