Page 54 of A Montana Fake Marriage

She gasped. His words were like a slap to the face. She didn’t know why they stung so much, but she couldn’t deny that it hurt for him to compare Caleb’s family history to squalor. Hot,burning defensiveness came roaring to the surface. “None of that should matter to you. He loves me.”

Unexpectedly, her father laughed. His eyes narrowed further. “If you believe that, then you’re a bigger fool than I thought.” He shook his head, his expression softening at the fury that was likely spilling from her gaze. “Sweetheart, your mother and I did our best to shield you from the ways of the world. Beauty, money, power—those are things which are most coveted. Your friend might care for you?—”

“He does!” she insisted, but this time, her voice wasn’t as strong as she wanted it to be. “He does,” she repeated, more to convince herself.

“That doesn’t change the fact that money would make a difference in his life. Tell me something honestly, Sarah Ann.”

She flinched at his name for her. She’d grown so used to everyone using her nickname that Caleb had given her.

“Has he made a big deal about your money?”

Sammie didn’t move. She couldn’t breathe. Yes, of course he had. He’d talked about how she shouldn’t even have to do anything to get it. He didn’t think it was fair how her father was treating her.

“Did he offer to sign a prenup?”

Her blood ran cold, and her eyes shifted to meet his, understanding fully where he was going with this. Slowly, she shook her head.

Pity was the only emotion she’d read in his gaze. Had she been so preoccupied that she didn’t realize what Caleb’s ulterior motives might be? Her father reached across the table and placed hishand over hers. She was in such a daze that she didn’t pull away. “Would you say he might even be obsessed about money in any way? Beyond asking you about what you might be getting in your inheritance, has he talked about his own finances?”

A lump formed in her throat, preventing her from being able to tell him that Caleb was very secretive when it came to his own finances. He’d only ever told her that he had enough to take care of them. No numbers. No access given to his accounts. She had no idea how much he had or what his financial plans were for the future, and yet he had asked her what she wanted to do with her own inheritance.

A cold, sinking feeling settled into her chest. “He doesn’t talk about money,” she murmured, pulling her hand from his. “He doesn’t care about being rich,” she added. Why did she feel like she was lying to her father?

The way he was looking at her, he clearly didn’t believe her. There was a sadness and that dang pity in his gaze. She wanted to jump from her seat and run from him, to throw herself into Caleb’s arms and ask him to tell her she was overthinking things.

But deep down, she knew she wouldn’t be able to do that.

Her father got to his feet. “Please be careful, Sarah Ann. There will be signs. As unfortunate as it is, people use others for their money more often than we want to admit. I’d hate to see your heart get broken.”

Sammie watched her father leave. She couldn’t bring herself to stand, her legs were weak, and her hands trembled far too much for her to be steady on her feet. So, she sat there in the crowded bookstore and focused on her breathing.

Already, she could feel what she thought was a happy marriage crumbling. Her doubt was getting the best of her. Hadn’t she told Caleb that she wanted to walk away from her inheritance? Hadn’t she said it would be better if she washed her hands of it all?

And what had he done?

Caleb had insisted that fighting back was the right thing to do. He’d told her to get her money even though the process was uncomfortable.

Maybe her father was right. She couldn’t believe this thought even ran through her mind, but it did. She wanted to scream. But her father was forcing her to think that the impossible could possibly be true.

What would happen after she got the money? Without a prenup, Caleb could divorce her and take half of everything.

Losing Caleb would be more painful than losing the cash. She believed that with all her heart. But if she lost him because her father had been right, she wasn’t sure she could endure that.

And just like almost always, the doubt about her own worth her father had instilled in her was taking over. What made her think Caleb wanted her at all, let alone for the rest of their lives? Why wouldn’t he divorce her as soon as the money hit the bank account and take half of it as he walked away?

“Sheesh. A normal person wouldn’t think like this. But a normal person doesn’t have Joe Michaels for a father, either.” She shook her head realizing she was talking to herself out loud in public.

Walking to her car she went back and forth in her mind about Caleb’s motives. Finally deciding she’d have to have this fightwith herself later after she’d calmed down, she drove home. At some point she had to convince herself that she was worth love. She just wasn’t sure how to do that since she’d been stuck in this spot for way too long.

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Caleb fingeredthe reins in his hands, glancing to his right to see Sammie deep in thought on her own horse. The last couple of days, she’d been distant. He didn’t know what to do or say to her. For how close they’d been in college and how much closer they’d gotten over the last year, there were admittedly a lot of things he still didn’t know. He didn’t know how to get her to talk to him when she was intent on keeping something from him.

Sure, when they were just friends, he could goad her into it. He could tease her and make light of it. But now? Now he had a feeling that prodding her too hard would ultimately push her away, and that terrified him.

Caleb couldn’t put his finger on why that fear was rearing its ugly head. They were close. They’d finally come full circle in their relationship. There was nothing that would tear them apart—or there shouldn’t be.

And yet the second her father had come to Rocky Ridge, he couldn’t shake the feeling of unease.

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