Page 2 of The Wedding Ruse

Chapter Two

Tristan rubbed his across the back of his neck as he pulled up to Grace’s building. He had been second guessing this plan since he’d made it earlier this week. He really just wanted to spend some time with her, but this may not have been the smartest idea.

It wasn’t that he didn’t have work to do for his uncle, who was out of town this weekend, he didn’t know how she would react to him asking her to stay up there with him. He still didn’t know how she felt. Yeah, he was paying her, but she didn’t seem upset. Shocked was more how he would describe it.

He unbuttoned his top button and took a look at himself in the rearview mirror. If he were being truthful with himself, he had the hots from Grace. Had since he first met her, but her nerves made him nervous. He was never sure where he stood with her. She was always there when he needed anything, but she hardly spoke to him and almost always looked at the floor.

Their emails were full of life though, she joked, made conversation, it was almost like it was two different people somedays. Even their phone calls held more life than a face-to-face conversation between them.

Before he realized it, Grace was already tapping on his window, pulling him from his thoughts. He climbed out and went to meet her at the trunk, popping it as he went.

“Let me get those, I would have met you upstairs, you know?” Tristan said as he grabbed her suitcase from her.

“It’s not a big deal. I didn’t think you would be long, so I tried to hurry and get down here.” She said, in the way that she normally did, quiet and rarely looking at him.

“I didn’t mean for you to rush; I would have waited. I know I kind of sprung it on you last minute and all.”

“It’s okay.”

Walking with her to the passenger side door, he opened it for her, watching her as she got settled into her seat. She looked different today. Instead of her usual blend in clothes, she was in jeans and a sweater. He liked her better in her normal clothes, he realized. The way the jeans molded to her frame was a bonus over those flowy black pants she always wore.

“That’s everything,” she said.

He was still standing there with the door open and hadn’t even noticed. Shaking his head at himself, he closed it and then got in himself.

“You can be the DJ.” And just like that they were on the way to spending a weekend together.

Grace hadn’t moved the entire time they were on the road or said anything. She hadn’t even asked him any more questions about what the project would entail. After about an hour, he couldn’t take it anymore.

“I won’t bite.”

She looked up at him with the cutest confused face before turning red and looking back at her feet. “I know.”

“You’re very quiet, we can talk.” She didn’t say anything, so he kept going. “So, my uncle has this like dude ranch type thing.”

No response again. He always forgot how quiet she was. He didn’t know if maybe he was annoying her, so didn’t add anything else to it. After about five minutes he barely heard her start talking.

“What are you doing there?”

“I am working on redoing a few of the older buildings for him. Seeing if there is any way to make them more functionable and what might need to stay the same.”

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her nod. Taking that as encouragement to continue the conversation, he did. “Some of the buildings have been there for so long I can’t even give you a date. Others are newer, but things just aren’t flowing right.”

“Makes sense.” She never looked back at him but stopped looking at her feet and was back to looking out the window.

“The ranch is closed right now, he always takes a week off in the fall to do his own travelling. So, he’s left us the key to one of the little bunkhouses, for us to use.” He waited to see if she would respond at all or even tense at the knowledge they were staying alone together. She didn’t react at all.

“Have you ridden horses? We can while we are there if you want.”

She shook her head, and he only noticed because her short curls bounced as she did so. “I’ve never ridden, so it’s probably not a good idea.”

“I may just sell you on it. You never know.” Tristan hoped a little teasing would bring her out of her shell a little. “I grew up riding horses and tending to all things ranch.”

“That’s exciting, how did you end up in the city?”

He shrugged his shoulders, no story there. “I went for a job and never left.”

This time when she got quiet, he left her alone to her thoughts. Which left him to his own thoughts.

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