Page 52 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
“All right, then. But do me a favor and take it slow this morning. Your body needs time to recover, and I’m guessing the rest of you could use a rest from all the stress as well.” He leaned forward and she held her breath as he tucked a stray lock behind her ear.
The gesture seemed to surprise her as much as it did him because he dropped his hand like her skin was a hot stove, and pulled it back quickly.
He looked anywhere but at her as he got to his feet. “Sorry, I… I should, uh...I should get back to my chores.”
“Of course.” She found herself fighting a smile at his discomfort. “I’ll see you around lunchtime, for our ride?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He had his hat in hand and was almost at the door when he turned back. “You still up for the barbecue later this afternoon? Because if you’re not, I don’t want—”
“I told you I wouldn’t miss it,” she said. “I was promised the best peach cobbler in the world and I mean to taste it.”
The tension in his face eased. “All right then,” he said gruffly. “Rest up and I’ll meet you at the stables a little later.”
She nodded. Her heart was oddly full when he walked out the door. It had been a long time since anyone had fretted over her like that. Lizzy worried, and she never doubted that her sister and her parents loved her unconditionally, but nine times out of ten, she was the one taking care of others. Which was great. She liked being needed.
Her gaze lingered on the door where Nash had disappeared.
But she supposed every once in a while it was nice to feel like she was the one being taken care of.
After breakfast and a quick clean of the kitchen, Emma did exactly as her new riding instructor ordered. She took her sweet time getting ready for the day. At one point she found herself facing the dreaded file again, her attention fixed on one name—April O’Sullivan.
She’d done a little digging on Sierra the night before and was no closer to a good number for the elusive eldest sister, but April’s number was right there, ready and waiting to be dialed.
In the end, Nash’s words came back to her, and she shut the folder with a decisive flip.
It was Saturday. She now had an extra week. Plus, she had a riding lesson and a barbecue to get ready for.
The call to April could wait one more day.
It wasn’t until she got out of the shower and was getting ready to meet Nash for her lesson that Emma heard back from Lizzy.
“Hey stranger,” Lizzy said with a grin. Even on a video call, during her lunch break, Lizzy managed to look phenomenal—hair up in a stylish ponytail with large hoop earrings and makeup applied so perfectly that it highlighted all her best features. She could have been a runway model, and had this ability to make whatever she wore look extremely cool.
“I tried you last night,” Emma said. “Sorry we didn’t connect.”
“I was on a date with my soon-to-be-husband,” Lizzy said. She started playing with her large diamond ring and it made Emma simultaneously thrilled for her sister’s good fortune and just a little green with envy.
“I take it you had a good night,” Emma said with a laugh.
“The best,” Lizzy sighed. She filled Emma in on every detail, from the gourmet meal at the high-end restaurant to the concert after.
“Just like my night last night,” Emma teased.
Lizzy laughed. “I’m guessing there aren’t a lot of Michelin-rated restaurants in Aspire?”
Emma grinned. “Probably not. But I have been promised the best peach cobbler in the world.”
“Oh, well then,” Lizzy said. “You can’t turn down that opportunity.”
“That’s what I said,” Emma shot back.
“So where’s this peach cobbler? Some bakery in town?”
“Uh, no. I’ve been invited to a barbecue.” Emma took a breath to continue, but hesitated. Her entire life, she’d always told Lizzy everything. Even during their high school years when they’d bickered over clothes and who got to borrow the car, they’d shared all their secrets.
So the fact that Emma was hesitating now over whether or not to tell Lizzy about her new fake-dating situation was jarring. It made her wonder if she’d made the right decision, after all, if she didn’t want to admit to it.
In the end, she didn’t have to make a decision because Lizzy was already moving on to the next topic.
