Page 4 of A Montana Fake Marriage

Caleb winced at that last statement. This wasn’t going to go over very well.

“We’re a family, Sarah Ann. That means?—”

“The luncheon isn’t for Mom. I don’t even know why you set it up for the day after we buried her. Don’t you get it?” she shot back.

“What I get is that you’re disrespecting your family. Me. You’re disrespecting me.” His voice got louder with each word.

“Well, the truth is that you’ve never approved of my choices or supported me at all. Whatever I do, it’s always wrong and I’ve been nothing but a disappointment to you. But that’s on you. Geez. I can’t stay here. Not without Mom.”

“You ungrateful?—”

Caleb pushed the door open, and a pair of dark, hard eyes shot to him. If Caleb were a lesser man, Joe’s stare would have been enough to make him wither on the spot. Instead, he lifted his chin and stared right back. “I’ve got everything loaded into the truck. We should head out if we’re going to get back before it gets too late.” He didn’t even glance in Sammie’s direction. It was clear where this conversation was headed.

There wasn’t a drop of affection in Joe’s voice. It didn’t matter that he’d lost his wife. In Caleb’s book, a father was supposed to be there for his daughter, not expect it the other way around. Caleb wouldn’t have been surprised to find out that Joe was the kind of man who had to control everyone and everything in his life right down to the career his daughter would have.

Joe stood, bracing his hands on the desk. His glare was a challenge—one Caleb was willing to take. Then something akin to grief flickered in his eyes, and he glanced to his daughter. “I’m not paying for housing this summer on campus. You can either come home or stay with a friend.”

Caleb stiffened.

Sammie nodded. “Fine.” She didn’t say goodbye as she charged for the door and brushed past Caleb.

Caleb touched the brim of his hat and nodded out of respect, then hurried out of the house and to his waiting truck.

She was already seated, her hands clenched tightly in her lap.

“You can come stay with me this summer if you’d like.”

Sammie gave him a sharp nod, and he started the truck.

CHAPTER TWO

The library felt quieterthan usual. It probably had a lot to do with finals coming up. The place had more people in it than usual, but everyone was studying. Sammie couldn’t believe she was graduating. It had been a year since she lost her mother and it was heartbreaking that she’d be walking across the stage to accept her diploma without her biggest fan with her. Sometimes the grief seemed too heavy. But she was determined to make her way in the world and honor her mom as she did.

Part of graduation was that she’d have to Auburn University behind. She’d loved her years here. She was so fortunate to have attended college in a place she felt like she belonged. And now she thought about her future and her heart sank just a little bit. Her life after college wasn’t going to be what she’d expected. Everything changed after her mother passed away.

A sense of dread filled her chest. Sammie’s father had made it perfectly clear what he expected from her. She’d been given the bare essentials in terms of money after her mom’s funeral. It was all just a powerplay, and Sammie knew it. Her father wanted tocontrol her, to form her and mold her into the person he wanted her to be.

She had never been enough for him. Their relationship had almost always been like this.

Sammie put her head in her hands. It had been made perfectly clear that she would receive her full inheritance until after college graduation. Her mother had seen to that. But in the last year, her father had added strings and she had no idea when—or if—she’d get the inheritance that would make her life much easier.

He didn’t trust her with that amount of money. Joe Michaels was the kind of man who demanded control over everything. He didn’t want to see the trust he’d worked so hard to fund squandered away by his irresponsible daughter.

He’d said as much numerous times. To get her trust released, she had to fulfill one of two requirements. Marriage was option one.

Sammie snorted, earning herself a few dark glares from those nearby. She ducked her head with an apologetic smile then turned back to the email on her computer. The other option was to work with her father and train to be a real estate agent. He’d made a name for himself, and most people would kill to be part of his firm.

She was not most people.

That dread snaked through her body, twisting and writhing, stealing her appetite and making her palms sweat. Sammie couldn’t live in that house without her mother to be a buffer. Her father had made it perfectly clear he didn’t approve of anythingshe did.Never enough. Those words had been pounded into her skull at a very young age.

A chair across the small table was pulled out, and Caleb collapsed onto it. He grinned at her, but it quickly slipped away. He leaned forward and whispered, “What’s wrong?”

Sammie settled back in her seat with a sigh. “It’s my dad.”

Immediately, his features clouded over. There was only one person who disliked her dad more than she did, and Caleb hadn’t even interacted with the man for more than a weekend. “What does he want?”

She spun the computer around to let him read the email. “He says he wants me to earn my keep and come work for him for a year before he gives me my inheritance.”

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