Page 39 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
She dipped her head and the way she studied him made him feel like she could see straight through his checkered shirt and right into his heart. “And you’re sure you’re all right with me being here in your space?”
“I told you it’s your—”
“Yeah, yeah.” She waved a hand. “Legally I own this place. I get it. But it’s your home. It’s your world.”
A smile spread across his face and pride swelled in his chest as he followed her gaze to the valley beyond. The sun was sinking low, casting the meadows and hills in shades of golden yellows and warm ambers. “It is my home,” he agreed, his voice gruff. “But it’s yours too, for as long as you want it to be.”
She nodded, and he caught the flicker of indecision crossing her face before she blurted out. “Are you sure? Because you seemed unhappy about it when I first said I’d be staying.”
His eyes widened in surprise. She was perceptive, all right. Most people accused him of being unreadable, at best. Not to mention too serious, too quiet.
His lips twitched. No one had ever accused him of being fun. He swallowed down a laugh. Or too cool, for that matter.
Emma arched her brows in a prompt and he realized he had yet to answer. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. The fact was, if his father had stuck around a little longer or arrived a little earlier, they would have crossed paths.
He’d told himself earlier that he could keep them apart for the next six days, but if she was staying even longer?
He’d have his work cut out for him trying to shield Emma from his ambitious father.
“Okay, now you’re starting to freak me out.”
He dipped his head with a rueful laugh and took off his hat to run a hand over his hair. “It’s nothing, just…” He sighed. “My family owns that property over yonder.”
“Over yonder,” she repeated with a funny quiver in her voice. “I remember.”
“My dad has his heart set on buying this property from y’all when you decide to sell.” He caught himself quickly. “Ifyou decide to sell.”
She nodded, her brows drawing together. “That’s likely a good thing, right? I mean, we want to sell, your family wants to buy…?” She trailed off with a question in her voice.
“It is, it’s just…” He winced. “My father is a good man.”
She grinned. “Okay.”
“I don’t want to give the impression that he’s not.”
“I didn’t get that impression at all,” she said. “You’ve very clearly told me that he is.”
He smiled because...she was teasing him. And he liked it. Somehow it felt familiar, and it made her easier to talk to. Even now he felt the tension from his father’s visit starting to crumble, and it helped him to be completely honest.
“He’s a very single-minded man, especially when it comes to business. I just don’t want him bothering you since I know you have a lot on your plate already. You don’t need the added pressure of my father and his grand plans.”
Her expression softened. “That’s sweet of you to worry, Nash, but I’m a big girl. I can handle your father.”
He met her smile with one of his own, but he wasn’t so sure. His father wasn’t some villain, and he had a heart as big as Montana, especially when it came to his family. Unfortunately though, all that love for his family meant he sometimes lost track of what was best for others. And when it came to his own family, he expected a lot from them in return.
He expected a lot from Nash.
And right now all those expectations felt like a ten-ton weight.
Emma reached a hand out and touched his arm with a soft smile. “Hey, you okay? Your face is very serious right now.”
“I’m always serious,” he said. “Ask anyone.”
Her smile widened like he was teasing. He wasn’t. He typically was too serious. Okay, maybe not around his buddies when they were shooting pool, or when he was spending time with his sister and cousins...
Or when he was around this woman.
Her hand dropped from his arm and he felt the lack of her warmth instantly. She leaned against the fence beside him. “Well then, so long as you’re on board, I guess I need to tell Lizzy that I won’t be back next week to help with the wedding.”
