Page 27 of The Rancher's Wedding Betrayal
"You two are quite close, aren't you?"
Hunter stiffened, realizing what his cousin was up to.
"We are, yes."
Even though Evelline's tone as she answered Janelle was of casual honesty, Hunter was still determined to shut things down from here. He shot a look of warning at his cousin, and it was enough.
Janelle checked her watch and pretended surprise. "I didn't realize it was so late." She glanced at Hunter, asking, "Should we get on with the business proposal I told you about?"
Hunter gave her a clipped nod. "Wait for me in my study."
Eve waited until Janelle had left before turning to Hunter. "You were rather abrupt with your cousin," she noted in concern. "Is something wrong?"
Everything,Hunter thought broodingly. Everything was wrong the moment he had doubted his Evelline, but he would make sure to fix that tonight. He would tell Janelle he had been wrong, come clean to Evelline, and hopefully...she would still be willing to marry him afterwards.
But for now...
"It's just ranch business, nothing for you to worry about."
He had to force himself to lie to the woman he loved.
Eve touched his cheek, still troubled by the taut expression on his handsome face. "Sure?"
"I promise."
And because he didn't want to keep lying to her, he could only end the conversation by pulling her close and covering Evelline's mouth in a hard, deep kiss that had her hands coming up to clutch his shoulders.
Hunter intended to walk Evelline back to her room afterward, but she shook her head, saying, "You've already kept Janelle waiting long enough."
Before he could say a word, Evelline surprised him by raising herself on her toes and placing a quick, shy kiss on his cheek.
What the—
"See you later!"
His last glimpse of his fiancée as she raced up the stairs was her delectably pink cheeks, and it was the most fucking adorable thing...as well as something he completely didn't deserve.
Janelle was on her phone when he joined her in his study, and he caught her hittingSendin a hurry before pocketing her phone.
"Everything alright?" he questioned.
"Just office stuff, it's fine.
"Anything I can help with?" He had always admired his cousin's insistence on being independent, but also wanted Janelle to remember that his family was there for her, always.
"Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" Janelle's tone was wry. "Then again, with what I've seen of you two together...I take it all's well between you two again?"
"I should never have sent you that text." Hunter's tone was stiff. He was not used to owing up to any mistakes like this, mostly because he always got things right the first try. It was only with his Evelline, unfortunately, that he often got things wrong.
"Why did you then?" Janelle looked at him chidingly. "It's been eight years, you know. Whatever they were to each other before—"
He cut her off, saying flatly, "They were never anything to each other."
"Hunter..."A delicate frown creased his cousin's face. "I hope you know how much I love Eve. She's, like, the best thing that's ever happened to you. But I don't think it's also right to be blind to things. I didn't imagine those rumors I heard eight years ago—"
"But they were exactly just that. Rumors."
Janelle slowly shook her head. "But I alsosaw—"
