Page 71 of A Montana Fake Marriage

She had her money. Of course she was fine. She was probably halfway across the country by now, settling in a city that called to her, sitting in a cute little apartment that suited her needs.

“You still dodging calls from the lawyer?”

Again, Caleb avoided his brother’s gaze.

“Caleb.”

“What?” he snapped. “What do you expect me to do? He’s just going to ask for the divorce papers, and I’m not signing them. So there’s no reason to talk to him.”

Mack gave him a flat look. “If you’re not going to sign them, and you’re not going to call her, what on earth are you doing?”

“I don’t know!” Caleb laced his hands behind his neck and looked up at the sky. He seriously didn’t know what he was going to do.

He was being a coward. Even he could admit to it. He’d fought falling in love with Sammie so hard that when he’d finally given in, it had been… easy. Loving her had been the easiest thing in the world. Kissing her had been heaven. Dreaming of a future with her had been… there were no words for it. And he still couldn’t wrap his head around a life without her in it.

“Hey,” Mack said, quieter this time. “You can’t keep doing this to yourself. Either find the courage to move on, or go after her.”

Caleb froze. He stopped his pacing and turned his angry gaze on his brother. The man didn’t know what he was talking about. He’d never had his heart broken like this. “It’s not that easy.”

“Isn’t it? Two choices. A fork in the road. Pick one.” Mack’s tone of voice grated on Caleb’s last nerve. “I’ve sat back and watched you make mistake after stupid mistake. What made you believe you were capable of living with your best friend, being married to her no less, andnotfall in love with her? What have Mom and Dad always said about finding someone to spend the rest of our lives with?”

Caleb’s jaw tightened.

“Find someone you can laugh with, right? Marry your best friend.”

What Caleb wouldn’t give to wipe that smirk off Mack’s face. His little brother thought he was smarter than Caleb in this?This?

“You know I’m right. The fact that you tried to fight it is laughable. And what happened? You did. You freaking fell in love with your best friend just like I told you would happen.”

“Get to the point,” Caleb muttered.

“The point is, you let her go.”

“I didn’t do anything. She left on her own.”

“So?” Mack spit out. “And you didn’t chase after her.”

“She doesn’t want me!” Caleb practically yelled. “I’m not going to chase after someone who would rather run home to her controlling and manipulative father than be with me.”

“Again,” Mack sighed with frustration. “You don’t know that’s where she is.”

“Where else would she be?”

Mack hesitated.

It was short, and Caleb might not have caught the tick in his brother’s cheek if he hadn’t been looking straight at him.

“Mack?” Caleb ground out. “What do you know?”

His brother fidgeted, digging his foot in the ground at his feet. “You’ve been working a lot lately.”

“Yeah, so? What’s happened? Has she called? Are you screening phone calls now?” Caleb started walking again, unable to sit still. He didn’t want to have to listen to another word his brother had to say—even if it had something to do with Sammie.

Mack shook his head. “But I might have seen her.”

Caleb’s whole body seized up. Then, slowly, he turned his head around so he could look his brother in the eye. “What?” This couldn’t be happening. His brother had to be mistaken. Sammie wouldn’t have stuck around. To do so, she would have had to find a place to stay.

Maybe she did just that.

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