Page 82 of Montana Groom of Convenience
“He does not know the terms of our marriage, nor does he need to, but perhaps we can ease his concerns by sharing the same room.”
“Not the same bed?” What did Sawyer truly want?
“I agreed I wouldn’t expect that, and I’m a man of my word.”
You could change your word. Change your mind. Offer to agree to a new arrangement. But he didn’t. “I was thinking along the same lines.”
“Then I’ll move into your room. Is that agreeable?”
“It is.”
“Good.” He sounded less than enthusiastic, which stung her to the core. It wasn’t as if she was so undesirable. She recalled Bart’s words. Pretty up. Perhaps if she didn’t wear trousers and didn’t ride like a man, he’d see her as a woman.
But she dismissed the idea. Seems she couldn’t satisfy the men in her life. Father wanted her to be ason. Bart had wanted her to be a pretty little woman. She didn’t know what Sawyer wanted. She was weary of trying and failing. From now on, she would be who she wanted to be.
If she even knew. All her life, she’d tried to please her father.
And she’d failed. “If only I’d been a son.”
He took her hand and gently squeezed it.
“You are who God made you to be, and I don’t see that anyone has a right to complain about that. Including you.”
Despite her recent promise to herself to need no man and be who she wanted to be, she clung to the comfort of his words. The truth of them sank deep into her heart, where they rooted and blossomed.
“You’re right.” Did he think she was fine as she was? “My mother used to quote a verse. ‘I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are Thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well.’ She said the most marvelous of His words is mankind.” Carly smiled as she recalled how her mother had hugged her and said Carly was the most marvelous of God’s works.
What did it matter how her father viewed her? And yet it did.
Even more, it mattered how Sawyer viewed her. She wanted to be more than part of a contract.
She stared at her mother’s headstone and brought her thoughts back to her father’s latest trick. No longer would she be controlled by his opinion. But she cared about keeping the ranch and her home. She’d do what she must to achieve that.
Feeling had returned to her legs, and she got to herfeet and reached down to offer a hand to Sawyer. “Let’s go do it.”
They called Jill to join them as they returned to the house.
Father had retired to his big chair, his head tipped back as he slept. How could he sleep so easily after such a despicable deed?
Ignoring him, they told Jill she and Sawyer were changing rooms.
“I like sleeping with Carly.”
Carly hugged the child. “I like sharing a room with you, too, but I’m married to Sawyer.”
Jill’s mouth formed an O. “You’re gonna sleep with him?”
Father jerked awake in time to hear Jill’s words. “About time,” he muttered.
Carly’s face burned, and she dared not look at Sawyer. Instead, she hurried to her room to collect Jill’s things and carry them to the smaller room. She and Sawyer passed each other, his arms full of his things.
“Where shall I put my stuff?” he asked.
“I left the drawers open that held Jill’s things, and there are hooks to hang stuff on.”
“Can I take my bed?” Jill asked. “I like it.”
“Of course. We’ll exchange beds.” She counted on doing so. Jill’s bed was too short for her. Had been since she was twelve. Two beds would mean they didn’t have to share.
