Page 95 of Montana Groom of Convenience
“In name only. We both know it would take nothing to annul the contract between us.” Challenge flared in her gaze.
“You want more than that?”
She nodded. “Do you?”
Yes. Yes. A thousand times, yes. “You only married me to save the ranch. Our marriage isn’t necessary if your father plans to sell it anyway.”
She lifted one shoulder as if that didn’t matter, and his heart swelled with hope.
“Do you want to stay married even if your father sells out?” There, he’d laid it on the line, risked everything to know the truth. And if she said no, well, he’d lived with disappointment before and survived. His insides quivered. Surviving this time might prove more of a challenge.
“Do you?”
He closed his eyes. She was forcing him to take the first step. He dug deep for the strength to open his heart and let her see to the darkest corners. He opened his eyes and fell into her gaze. For this woman, he would risk everything—even his carefully constructed security. For her, he’d knock down the walls surrounding his heart.
“Carly, I don’t want to end our marriage. In fact—” He drew in a breath for courage. “I want it to be real.”
She studied him as if waiting for more. Finally asked a question. “Why?”
He smiled. He should have guessed she’d want more. “I don’t know. It just seems right. Like we fit.”
She nodded. “I know. So we’ll continue our agreement even if Father decides to sell?”
“Agreed.”
She waited. “But—” Shook her head. “Never mind. Shall we go back and see what he’s decided?”
As they rode back to the house, he knew he hadmissed something but couldn’t say what it was. He was grateful she’d agreed to continue their marriage.
But neither of them had discussed changing the terms. Or had she when she said she wanted to be his wife?
Had he missed an opportunity to tell her how he felt? All because of his habit of protecting his heart?
If he continued in this direction, he would protect his heart from everything he yearned for. She galloped homeward, making it impossible to say anything now.
Would he ever get another chance to say what he felt?
Chapter 19
Carly tried to convince herself she wasn’t disappointed with the decision she and Sawyer had made to continue their marriage. Except she was. How much plainer could she be that she wanted more than a contract between them? She’d practically spelled it out. She wanted to be his wife. She wanted him to love her as she loved him. There, she’d come right out and said it. Just not out loud. The next move was up to him.
They crested the last hill before the house. The Jacobs’s buggy headed toward town. Good. Maybe they’d changed their mind.
If only she could believe that was so.
They took care of their horses before they went to the house. One minute, Carly wanted to rush the task, and the next, she wanted it to last forever.
Sawyer finished first and leaned against the doorjamb, watching her delay. He chuckled. “Better to know the truth than to imaginethe worst, wouldn’t you say?”
“True.” But she wasn’t thinking solely of the ranch. Seems the words applied equally to their marriage. Better to know the truth. Unless it was a truth she didn’t want to hear. “I’m done.” Together, they crossed the yard.
“They’re gone,” Jill said from the end of the porch where she played with Skippy. “Granddad is inside. He said he wanted to talk to you without little girls listening.” She sighed. “He could have said me, but he was trying to be nice.”
Carly wished her father would try to be nice to her. They entered the house and stood facing him.
“Sit,” he said.
They sat side by side across from Father and waited. She squeezed her intertwined fingers so hard they hurt.
