Page 24 of A Montana Fake Marriage

It had been a couple weeks since the barbeque, and she’d finally gotten to a point where she felt steady again. Grounded. She’d forced herself to compartmentalize.

The Caleb who was her friend cared for her deeply. He wanted her to be happy, and he enjoyed spending time with her.

But the Caleb who touched her more intimately was playing a role. Never did he brush his knuckles along her jaw unless someone was nearby to notice. Nor did he hold her hand or pull her closer to him without an audience. It was all calculated, and the more she looked for the evidence, the easier it became.

That didn’t mean she wasn’t still disappointed. If Sammie could turn back time, she would have made it a priority to at least try dating him for real. In the quiet moments before she drifted to sleep or when she was working and could let her mind wander, she thought about how their lives would be different if they’d fallen in love.

They’d be here, at Sagebrush, for sure. Maybe they would have gotten serious enough in college to warrant a marriage before her mother died.

Her mother had loved Caleb. They’d only met a handful of times, but she’d told Sammie more than once that the two of them would make a lovely couple.

Sammie heaved a sigh, gripping another handful of feed from her pocket before holding her palm out for the goats. She rubbed their heads and patted their sides then made her way to the actual tasks she was assigned to do.

She’d caught glimpses of Caleb during her work, and each time, he offered her a smile. She smiled in return but refused to dissect whether the smile was for her benefit or for the benefit of others.

By the time her chores were complete and she was ready to head back to the house to clean up, Hallie and Katrina called her over to the main house.

Katrina held a hand to her growing belly. It would be her first child, and she practically glowed. Hallie sat next to her on the porch stairs. They each had a glass of lemonade. Sammie’s throat suddenly felt hot and dry as she glanced at the beverage.

Hallie hadn’t missed the attention. She grinned and held out her glass. “I haven’t had any yet. I’ll get another.”

Sammie accepted the glass, grinning.

Katrina tilted her head. “You’ve got a real knack with those animals. I don’t think I’ve seen them react that way with anyone else.” She snickered. “Then again, no one spoils them like you do.”

Sammie hid a smile behind her drink. “Yeah, well, I think we understand each other.” She wouldn’t comment that she’d felt trapped by her father with only her mother to really spoil her. She wanted to put that part of her life behind her. Rather than dwell on it, she took a long drink from her lemonade.

Hallie returned and settled back on the top step. She glanced out at where most of the cowboys were doing their work, either with the cattle or the horses. She let out a heavy sigh. “I’m so jealous of you,” Hallie murmured.

Sammie stiffened. “Why?” she blurted without thinking it through.

Hallie didn’t seem bothered by her reaction. She simply pointed out to the cowboys. “Caleb adores you. What I wouldn’t give to have someone look at me the way he stares at you.”

Sammie waved a hand through the air and was about to brush it off, when she thought better of it. Caleb was working really hard to make everyone believe they were in it for real. To make light of it could jeopardize Sammie’s future. If anyone came asking about their relationship, it needed to be solid. She shoved her hand into her pocket and instead said, “I’m sure you’ll find someone who adores you, too.”

Katrina nodded. “You just have to be patient.”

Hallie sighed again. “Patience is not a strong suit of mine.”

Katrina laughed, and Sammie smiled. These two had been a saving grace for Sammie when she’d arrived. Even now, the ease with which she could speak to them was uncanny.

“You never told me how you two met,” Hallie murmured, turning to Sammie.

Sammie’s brows furrowed. “We met at college.” Everyone knew that, at least she thought they did.

“No, the details of the story. That first moment you met.”

Sammie snickered. “Oh. That story.” She leaned against the railing of the porch. “It was at a game. Neither one of us attended the games often. I don’t even remember why I was at that particular one.” Probably some guy she was trying to impress. “We were seated on the same row, and I was carrying two big drinks as I scooted by him. Someone bumped me, and I spilled one of them all over his lap.”

Hallie’s eyes went wide, and Katrina laughed. The latter leaned forward. “I bet he was furious.”

Sammie grimaced. “It wasn’t great. I tried to help him clean it up but ended up buying him a new pair of sweats and a t-shirt from the merch store.”

“I bet he didn’t like that, either.” Hallie shot a knowing look to Katrina. “I’m surprised he even accepted it.”

Sammie shrugged, still smiling from the memory. “I wouldn’t take no for an answer.”

“That right there—that’s how you know it’s true love,” Katrina pointed out.

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