Page 79 of Just My Fake Husband

The road vibrates under my feet, and it takes me only a moment to realize what’s going on. I’ve nearly reached the bend in the road that opens up to cow pastures, above and to the west of Tate International. The vibrating ground tells me it’s cattle drive time.

A sea of cows, mostly black and brown, headed by a rancher on horseback, approach the road, belting and bleating out theirunhappiness at having to walk such a long way. Their faces hold a dramatic woe as they bellow at me to help them.

I hear ya, buddies. My body is screaming, too.

Dust flies in the air as the throng presses against itself in a swarm in front of me. They’re crossing the road in a mass of bovine power, like a river of cows has poured over the road and is flowing across to the other side. There must be hundreds of them. One of the ranchers, from high above me on her horse, scowls resolutely as if to say,Settle in because this is going to take a while.

I didn’t count on this. I want to get to Gabriel, and I didn’t even bring my phone. Now I’m stranded by the crossing cattle, and he doesn’t know where I am. To be fair, the cell service on the mountain top sucks, especially for my phone. But I could have left him a note.

Is he awake and worried about me? And not just because he has to take care of Lunch Lady Liz?

Finally, I trudge up the rise off the side of the road and above the press of cattle. I walk uphill several yards until I’m high over the cattle drive. A large stump, halfway toppled over from some unseen force years before looks like a good place to sit. The rancher’s expression was right. I’d better settle in. For all the cows’ belly aching, they’re not moving very fast. Besides, there’s a sea of them. How in the world does anyone keep track of all these ladies?

My thoughts again turn to Gabriel while I sit and wait. It’s going to be a long while until I can head back up. And although I appreciate being forced to rest, it’s taking too long. I want to see my husband.

The thought of him being my husband doesn’t feel strange or make me feel like I can’t be there for Skye, that I’m failing her somehow, or indulgent, or shirking my responsibilities. I’mexcited.I’m married to Gabriel Tate, and it feels good.

“River!”

Now I’m imagining his voice. The cattle’s mooing is starting to reverberate in my head, conjuring up all sorts of fake sounds. Listen to the cows long enough, and you’ll start to imagine they’re speaking English to you, too.

But I hear it again, more clearly this time. So I stand from the stump and look down the rise at the cows filing past guided by the ranchers on horseback.

It’s then that I see him, across the great cattle drive of the century on the ridge opposite mine, waving both arms over his head. I lift a hand to let him know that I see him. I raise my shoulders to conveyI’d come over there, but I’ve got a hundred half ton beasts in between us.

I brighten in a smile, mostly because he’s so cute across the great divide. Like he’s my hero come to rescue me from the mean and ornery old cows. He grins and waves again, but it’s insistent, like he wants me to make it over to him.

Gabriel, in what universe do you think that is going to work?

I raise my shoulders and hands in an exaggerated move and shake my head.

The need to get to him presses on my stomach and throat.

I need Gabriel.

I fantasize about grabbing handfuls of cow hair and pulling myself up on one of them bareback and somehow getting her to turn and go towards him in the sea of her friends.

But that would never work, obviously.

That fantasy is interrupted by a sharp, stinging pinch on my neck.

And then another one on the back of my arm.

And another on my shoulder.

Ow!

Did I not hear the buzzing because of the noisy cows? Now I’m surrounded by them.

Still, all I can think about is getting to Gabriel.

Chapter 28

Gabriel

If it weren’t for the smell of cattle and the bellowing of at least a hundred head, this might actually be a cool moment. On the ridge above the cows, I can see River across the way, and through the dust and incessant clopping and mooing, there she is. And she seems happy to see me.

I’m relieved. I started walking when I woke up to her gone. Her phone and wallet were still there in the bedroom, so I wondered what was up. As I passed Sebastian and Elianna’s place, they were out doing yardwork and pointed me in the right direction.

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