Page 1 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
1
The man sitting beside Emma on the packed plane was decked out in a fly fishing vest and sunhat—a fact which puzzled her to no end. Was he planning on going straight from the plane to a fishing boat?
She might have asked him, but he never gave her a chance to get a word in edgewise.
She’d come to realize seconds after their flight left Chicago that the man liked to talk, and he did so loudly.
Even worse, he was completely oblivious to the fact that Emma had stuck ear buds in to deter him from aiming that loud mouth in her direction.
Needless to say, it didn't work. And unfortunately for Emma, she was too polite to do anything but nod and smile when he espoused opinions on the state of local politics or rattled off information about the trip he and his buddies had planned.
The buddies in question were sleeping peacefully behind them. How could she not envy them?
By the time they landed, Emma’s cheeks ached from the endless closed-mouth smiles she’d had to offer. As far as flights went, this one had not been her favorite. But when their plane taxied to a stop in the perfectly green and expansive valley in the midst of the majestic Rocky Mountains, she forgot all about fly fishermen and their loud opinions.
Her eyes widened with wonder as she took in the snow-capped peaks, enhanced by the vibrant blue sky beyond.
Beautiful.It’s like looking at a painting.
She didn’t even mind when the pilot came on to say they’d be delayed on the runway for a while. She could look at this view all day.
“So what about you?” Mr. Fishing Vest said.
“Hmm?” She turned her head slightly to address him, but her eyes stayed fixed on the view. She didn’t want to be rude, but she couldn’t bring herself to tear her gaze away from the peaks in the distance.
“What brings you to Montana?” he asked.
She blinked, her gaze darting to meet his and her lips parting in surprise that after hours of talking, he’d only now thought to ask her that. “Oh, uh…”
“Business trip?” he offered, because apparently his ability to talk knew no bounds. He even answered his own questions now.
“Er, something like that.” Close enough. After all, it wasn’tpleasurethat brought her here. Dealing with her deceased father’s inheritance wasn’t exactly a dream vacation.
He nodded. “Thought so. I know a thing or two about business trips, and you have that look about you.”
Her brows arched. “Do I?”
It was hard not to laugh at that one. She was as far from a business woman as you could get.
Before he could expound on whatthat lookwas meant to be, the flight attendant came over the speaker.
“Sorry folks, we’re going to be delayed for a few minutes more. You are now welcome to switch your phones off flight mode and use any electronic devices while you wait, but please remain seated until the captain turns off the seatbelt sign.”
Jumping at the chance, Emma reached for her purse and pulled out her phone, using the excuse to call her sister in Chicago. She smiled brightly, hoping it would reach her voice when Lizzy answered.
“You made it?”
“Hello to you too.” Emma giggled.
“Hi. So, you’ve landed?” Worry tinged Lizzy’s voice.
Emma cleared her throat, sensing this was not a good time to tease her little sister. “Yes. We landed about two minutes ago.”
“How was the flight?”
Emma stole a quick glance at her seatmate who’d only now decided to pull out a magazine about angling.
Where had that been these past few hours?
