Page 100 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
Cody’s eyes shut as he shook with silent laughter.
“You are a very indulgent uncle,” Emma said as she watched the little ones clamber all over him.
“Yeah, well, what can I say? Everyone’s got to have the fun uncle, right?”
Emma grinned at that. She supposed there was some truth to it, but with her mother and Derek being only children, she’d never experienced a big family.
She smiled as she sank down onto the steps and rested her chin in the palm of her hands. She’d certainly never had an uncle like Cody.
He neighed loudly as if to make her point, and she and the twins burst out laughing.
Kit stuck his head out. “Where are my little curtain crawlers?”
“Daddy!” Chloe leapt off Cody as Corbin slid to the ground.
“Is it time for cake?” Corbin asked.
“Not yet, but if you eat all your dinner, I promise to snag you the biggest piece I can find. Deal?”
“Deal!” Corbin shouted.
Kit winked at Emma as his kids ran through the doorway, leaving her and Cody outside.
He fell onto the steps beside her. “Sorry if me and the kids ruined your hiding spot.”
She shot him a rueful smile. “Is it that obvious?”
He eyed her kindly, not pointing out the fact that her mascara was no doubt smudged under her damp eyes.
“I’m not judging,” he said. “Heck, it’s no coincidence that I brought the twins out here to play during the picture time.”
“You’recamera shy?” Emma teased. She nudged his arm. “A handsome guy like you?”
He shrugged, his grin sheepish. “What’s your excuse? You don’t like cameras either?”
It was the nicest possible way he could ask what was wrong without directly asking what was wrong and Emma’s appreciation for the ranch hand grew tenfold.
“Something like that,” she said.
He sat quietly beside her. Kind of like Nash, he seemed comfortable with silence, and for a moment she wondered if that came from spending long hours alone on the range or if the cowboy lifestyle just appealed to that type of man.
Finally, his comfortable silence got to her and she found herself admitting, “I just don’t want to be that girl.”
“That girl?” he asked, his gaze still fixed straight ahead.
“Two years ago my best friend from college got married,” Emma said. “I was her maid of honor.”
“Okay,” Cody said slowly.
“One of the groom’s cousins was the best man and he brought a date.” Emma cleared her throat, humiliation and pain making her throat feel too tight. “Anyway, when picture time came around the photographer and the parents dragged the best man’s date into all the pictures.” She glanced over at Cody with a wry smile. “Two weeks later they broke up.”
Cody’s brows arched. “Ahh.”
“So,” Emma finished with a shrug. “Now she’s ‘that girl’ whenever my best friend and her family post pictures of the big day or look through the album to relive the happy moment.”
Cody nodded slowly, clasping his hands around his knee. “I see.”
Emma turned to him. Something in his quiet, gentle demeanor made her think he really did see. Maybe more than she wanted. He looked out across the small yard. “Does that mean you’re going back to Chicago?”
