Page 15 of The Wrangler Takes a Wife

Amara immediately pulled her hand away. However, in a display of having more sass than sense, she challenged him. “Does barking orders and growling normally work for you?”

As much as it bothered him, that she even attempted to open her own door. He was smart enough not to point out; it did, in fact, work, and she was no longer attempting to open her own door. “You keep your tush in your seat until I get the door for you.”

Chase opened the door and helped her down.

“And they say chivalry is dead.”

He smiled at her sarcasm and dramatic eye roll. Well, life with her wouldn’t be dull. He carried the bag she had packed for her cousin.

Salema, the receptionist, smiled up at them. “Jo is on a call. She will be out soon. Can I get you a drink?”

They both declined. Chase let Amara select a chair, then selected the one nearest to her. For his trouble, he was gifted a glare. They waited in silence. True to Salema’s word, not ten minutes later, Jo’s office door opened. Those genes Amara referred to were strong. Although the women were cousins, they could have passed for sisters. They shared the same complexion and body type, but Amara was three inches taller than her cousin. The other major difference was Jo possessed the deepest dimples. Even when she wasn’t smiling, they were visible.

Jo greeted and ushered them into her office. Amara took the bag from Chase and presented it to her cousin. “Thank you,” she squeaked. It took him by surprise. Until this point, the woman presented herself as professionally friendly, but no nonsense.

“I have your documents ready as requested, Mr. Harrison.”

“Mr. Harrison is my father. Please call me Chase,” he reminded her again.

“Yes, Chase. I will keep it in mind. Read and then sign. This is a boilerplate, lease agreement. Well, except for the lack of monetary compensation.”

Jo handed him the documents first. It spelled out the agreement he and Amara had decided on. Chase would give the Welches access to the land for two years. It was proof of his acting in good faith. When they married, he would then sign an agreement that turned the land over to Amara on their second anniversary.

Amara had been worried about the optics. To him, it wasn’t complicated.“I’ll be giving my wife a wedding gift. It is all anyone needs to know.”

While Amara read over the document, he observed how Jo looked at her. Jo regarded Amara as though she were trying to work out a puzzle. Amara signed the papers and handed it back to her cousin.

“There, you are both all set.” A look passed between the cousins. Well, more than one. They seemed to have an unspoken conversation. It ended with Amara shaking her head. “If you don’t mind me asking Chase, what made you decide to ‘lease’ the land?”

“Amara and I decided it was time for a truce. This was just a sign of good faith.” Chase said, pointing to the papers.

“Well, I hope you got something out of it, too.” Even though Jo was speaking to him, her eyes darted towards her cousin.

“I think it works for both of us,” Chase answered. Jo arched her brow at him.

“Well, as long as both of you are content with your agreement,” Jo smirked.

Amara cleared her throat, then thanked her cousin for the work. Amara was on her feet before Chase fully grasped she was ready to leave. Their goodbye was quick. Although his gait was longer than hers, he had to put in some effort to keep up with her. When he opened the door for her, she practically jumped into the passenger’s seat.

While rounding the hood, he kept his eyes on her the whole time. Once he was behind the wheel, he nudged her. “You were in a hurry to get out of there.” Chase buckled himself in.

Amara was quiet for a long time. “I don’t know if this will work.”

“We have an agreement which is already in play.”

Turning, she looked at him. “I know. You don’t understand. Jo can read me like a book. I’m telling you; she knows there is more to this.”

There was no way Chase was going to let Amara back out now. As far as he was concerned, they couldn’t abandon the plan. “Jo is correct. There is more to this than a truce. We will start dating, and she, along with everyone else, will witness us fall for each other.”

“You don’t have siblings. Do you?”

“Am I missing something? I thought you were cousins.”

“We are, but closer than sisters. Probably because we are biologically sisters,” Amara explained how their mothers were twins married to brothers.

“Anyway, she can read me better than anyone. She isn’t buying this.”

“Make her buy it.”

---