Page 43 of The Cowboy Takes A Bride

Jace grunted. “You get her coffee and keep her distracted. I'll move it all.” He dropped his arm from her shoulder and lifted them out so his sister could fling herself in them.

18

Willow brought more energy to the house than Meredith thought humanly possible, though she’d been duly warned. After introductions, the two women made their way to the kitchen while Jace made some lame excuse to go upstairs. Once inside, Meredith pretended to not hear his frantic shuffling above them.

Willow was tall, like her brother, and had that air about her, a college student who knew everything and had the world at her fingertips. She talked incessantly about her professors and classes and how excited she was to be graduating soon.

After Jace joined them in the kitchen, looking flushed from rushed exertion, he filled Willow in on the plans for the cabin. She instantly volunteered to help get everything ready and offered to plan a housewarming party for their parents. Thankfully, Jace nixed it.

“Does Mom and Pops know you're here?” Jace probed.

“Yep, I stopped there first. Dad's ready to be done with therapy. I told them we would all try to meet them for dinner in town.”

Knowing Willow would be on the ranch for a few weeks before returning to school for her summer session made Meredith tense, her stomach knot with worry. Would she and Jace be able to pull off their ruse while she was here? Meredith tried to see it as good practice for when the entire family was home, but that did nothing to assuage the churning mess in her stomach.

Though she knew it was silly, Meredith found it impossible to not resent Willow slightly. She was living the dream Meredith had always had. A loving, supportive family, her chance away at college to figure herself out, and the world in front of her. Logically, Meredith understood her resentment should be directed at her own father and the hand life had dealt her, but the tiny tinges of envy were there. Only two years younger, Willow, who did everything with one hand as she held her phone in the other, had the full, rich life Meredith had craved. Meredith knew her time for that had passed. Even if she returned to school tomorrow, it would not be an experience like Willow’s. Being married was now part of her history, of who she was.

After a long day of making chit chat––Jace, the lucky dog, got to be out of the house all day working with the livestock and keeping an eye out for a bear––Meredith was steps from collapsing into bed. She shuffled down the hallway and came to a screeching halt outside Jace's bedroom door. He'd remained downstairs to harass his sister about school. She'd forgotten they'd moved her stuff over, hoping not to tip their hand. Meredith wondered if Willow couldn't be trusted, but as much as that girl rattled on about anything and everything, possessing the tidbit about Jace and Meredith's bargain would surely find its way out of her mouth.

Sighing wearily, Meredith pushed open Jace's door and groaned. From the look of things, Jace must have flung her stuff into his room, not caring where it would come to rest.Clothes were on the floor, over a lamp, but mainly on the bed. He had managed to put the picture of her mother on the nightstand, and her heart softened when she saw it.

Too tired to care about cleaning up and too nervous to be found awake when Jace decided to come to bed, Meredith tossed everything in the large rocking chair in the corner of the room. Once the mess was contained, Meredith saw Jace's room for the first time. It was simply decorated, heavy wood furniture surrounding the queen bed that was covered by a blue, gray, and red plaid quilt. It was all him. Smelled look him, stood quietly like he did, and made her want to take her clothes off. Of course, that might have more to do with the bed and her fatigue than anything. She found her toothbrush in his en suite bathroom and quickly completed her nightly ritual. After slipping into her pajama's, she slid between the sheets on the side of the bed closest to the bedside table with her mother's picture. Unfortunately, she found relaxing impossible as she lay stiffly on her stomach, an elbow stretch away from plank position. Her mind imagined what would happen when he came to bed. She stared at his empty side and wondered what it would be like to share a bed with Jace.

For her, this definitely put a hitch in the frequently discussed hands-off policy. Her mind was already filled with a variety of fantasies.

Meredith flopped on her back and sighed loudly. This was ridiculous. She was all jittery and jumpy, straining to hear if he was coming or not. As she saw it, she had two options. She could jump him when he came to bed, but even that wouldn't remove the awkwardness, just change it. Or she could do like she'd seen several times in the romantic comedy movies she watched. She would put a barrier between them. After she slipped from the bed, she searched for extra pillows and blankets to make the wall. Yeah, she knew the couples in the movies never stayed ontheir designated sides, but this wasn't any silly scripted movie. In his closet, she found another comforter that was long enough to work. Staying focused on her task at hand, she didn't even pause to smell his clothes. He'd probably walk in and catch her doing just that if she did. She rolled the comforter and placed it center of the bed, over the sheets but under the quilt. Then she climbed back into bed, resting on top of the sheet as an extra protection, and unsuccessfully attempted to force her shoulders to relax. She was tossing and turning, mumbling her frustrations, when Jace stepped into the room. She hadn't even heard him coming.

“Is this how we're doing it?” he said in a lowered voice, his attention on the center of the bed.

She gulped and looked up at him over the edge of the quilt. “Yes, we need something. Don't you think?”

He scratched behind his ear as if he was considering her words. “Need something because my animal magnetism is so strong you’ll be unable to resist?” He gave a lopsided smile.

Meredith rolled her eyes and sat up. “You tell yourself whatever it is you want. I still stand by us not complicating things further with...um...you know.” Her legs were crossed under the covers, and she wondered if that made her little white lie exempt?

“Sex,” he said.

“Shush,” she followed immediately with urgency. Though he hadn't said it loudly at all.

Working quickly on the buttons of his shirt, he had it off in record time. Meredith tugged the quilt up to her chin. Sitting in the rocker, he slid off his boots, letting them fall with a thunk to the floor, then he stood again and reached behind his head to pull off his T-shirt.

Jumping Aunt Hannah, he was a sight to behold. Meredith's knees began to tremble, and try as she might, she couldn'tavert her eyes from the ripple of muscles running across his stomach.

When Jace undid his pants, Meredith slammed her eyes closed. His low chuckle was all she needed to force them open. He stood before her in dark boxers.

Well, that answered that question, and knowing it made her feel closer to him, like they were a couple who had layers of intimacy.

“Don't get all worried. Willow is in the next room, and the walls separating ours from hers is thinner than I'd like. If we're going to have some fun, I want to do it when we can let our hair down.” He went to the bathroom door and stopped before entering. “You are a noisy woman, and I'm willing the bed can get pretty loud. Why would I not want that?” He wagged his brows before entering into the bathroom then closing the door.

Meredith's body went hot. Frustrated, she tossed onto her side, her back to where he'd sleep. When he came out, she didn't try to engage him further, not wanting any more imagery to add to her already rampant imagination.

She could tell by his movements he was standing on his side of the bed, and following a soft swoosh of clothing, he climbed in next to her. He'd taken off his boxers and was in bed. Next to her. Naked.

To make matters worse, he was asleep and snoring within ten minutes while she lay there watching the time click away on the clock on the bedside table.

19

If Willow was suspicious of Jace and Meredith, she never showed it. Meredith liked that about her and appreciated being treated like everyone else. Meredith found Willow's joie de vivre admirable––in the mornings––but by late afternoons, the abundance of energy would wear on Meredith and a headache threatened to push through. Not getting a full-night’s rest didn't help either.

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