Page 40 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
He gave a little grunt of amusement and sympathy at the anxiety he heard in her voice.
He was so comfortable, the moment so intimate and warm...he did something he almost never did. He spoke without thinking. “And I just have to break it to Casey and my family that my ranch hands are idiots. Hopefully Casey won’t murder me, and my mom won’t die of heartbreak.”
She laughed as she looked at him. “What? Why?”
He turned to tell her about how Kit, JJ and Cody had thought it would be funny to throw him under the bus, but the moment he caught sight of her expectant smile, her cute, upturned nose and her pointed chin, he forgot what he’d been about to say.
The way the dying light seemed to catch on her hair and make it glow like a crown…
He swallowed thickly.
He’d been about to tell her about the fictional girlfriend his pals had created, and how they’d used her name, but now…
Now a new thought was forming. A plan, really. His heart started to thud faster in his chest as he turned it over in his mind.
Was he really considering this?
Her smile was so bright it nearly blinded him. “What?” she laughed. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
It could be perfect. Not only would he have a date to the wedding, but everyone could get off his back about finding a bride. The pressure would be gone, just like that. And when Emma returned to Chicago, he could maybe say he was too heartbroken to be ready for dating again. He could drag that out for at least a few months. Not only that, but...
His chest lightened with an additional idea. A selfless, worthy one.
He could protect her. If everyone thought they were romantically involved, he could ensure that his father left her alone. He could stay close to her side and play running blocker when his dad tried to force a sale out of Emma.
His gaze focused on hers and he was hit with a wave of uncertainty, but her expectant smile drew the words right out of him. “I was thinking...that is...I think maybe you sticking around for a while might be a good thing for both of us.”
She tilted her head to the side in a silent question.
Aw heck. He was already making a mess of this.
He cleared his throat. “My sister, my mother, all of my aunts and basically any woman over the age of fifty in this town, really wants me to have a date to Casey’s wedding.”
“Ahh.” Her expression cleared with understanding.
“Yeah, they’re a real romantic bunch…” He shook his head. “And the fact that I’m still single at the age of thirty-three really seems to stress them out. My mother and my aunts are obsessed with me meeting my future wife.”
“Oh dear.” She winced.
“Exactly.”
“And weddings only add to the pressure,” she said, with so much understanding he had to wonder if she was getting her own fair share of nagging with Lizzy getting married soon.
“That’s exactly right,” he said. “So, I was thinking…”
Her expression turned to curious anticipation.
“Would you maybe consider—that is, would you do me a favor and—no, that came out wrong. You’re not dating anyone right now, are you? You don’t have a boyfriend?”
She shook her head, obviously fighting the urge to laugh.
His insides started dancing. She was single. Yes!
That doesn’t mean she’s free to be yours. Stay focused, you idiot! Tell her your plan already.
He was making such a colossal mess of this. What would she think of him? Scrubbing a hand down his face, he softly groaned.
Emma giggled. “Just spit it out, Nash. I promise I don’t bite.”
