Page 46 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
It wasn’t a good sign.
“When do you think you’ll know for certain?”
“Well, it’s important for me to get a good read on the place,” Daisy said, her voice suddenly serious.
“O-kay,” she said slowly. What did that mean?
“I need to see the ranch in person, be in our father’s space,” Daisy continued. Her voice wasn’t just serious, it was solemn.
“Okay,” Emma said again, even slower this time. She felt like she was missing something here. But even so... “I can understand that,” she said. “It’s one of the reasons I came. I needed to see the ranch with my own eyes.”
“Exactly.” Daisy’s tone lightened, apparently pleased that Emma could relate. “I need to feel it. I need to know if the land speaks to my soul, you know what I mean?”
Emma blinked. She didn’t know. She had no clue what that meant, but she didn’t want to offend Daisy by saying so.
“Once I’m there, I’ll know my answer,” Daisy said. So calm. So at peace.
Emma oddly felt a pang of jealousy at the other woman’s certainty. Emma was here and she was no closer to feeling resolve or closure than when she’d set foot on the plane back in Chicago.
“So, you’ll make a trip out here then?”
“Yes, most definitely!” Daisy said. “I can’t right away, but I’m so excited to see the ranch.”
Emma started to smile. Maybe it was fate that she was extending her stay. With the extra week she’d tacked on she might even get to meet this sister in person. “So when do you think you can get here?”
“Oh, in about four months,” Daisy said.
Emma blinked, pressing the phone even closer to her ear. “Four…fourmonths?”
“I’m on tour.” Daisy’s tone was breezy. “I can’t just bail on the band, I...” her voice trailed off and Emma listened to more muffled conversation. She had a feeling Daisy was going to hang up any second now. “But as soon as I’m done touring, I’ll book myself a ticket. How does that sound?”
“But, you can’t just take a couple days off or—”
“I’ve gotta run, Emma, I’m needed for a sound check,” Daisy said.
“That’s—I mean, we can’t—”
“Bye sweetie, can’t wait to meet you in person.”
“Wait, Daisy—” Emma’s protest was cut off by the call ending.
What was it with these sisters hanging up on her? Had they not been taught proper phone etiquette?
She lowered her device and stared at the screen.
Four months?
Well, it wasn’t like she had to be here that whole time. Even so, her pulse accelerated at the thought of not having an answer for so long. Of not being able to move on, one way or the other.
She really wanted this wrapped up before she returned to Chicago. She needed things to be done and dusted so she could put this behind her.
She’d never been good at open-endedanything. Secretly she suspected this was one of many reasons sexy, eligible men put her in the cute, girl-next-door friendzone the moment they met her.
No one looked at her and thoughtfun, spontaneous fling.And for good reason. She couldn’t even handle the thought of not committing to a decision on a house for a few months, let alone a relationship that didn’t have firmly established boundaries.
She fell back in her seat with a sigh. No wonder she was so terrible at dating. Men must be able to sense this about her. It was like her entire demeanor emitted a vibe that saidcommitment. It scared them off before they could even get to know her.
That’s probably why Nash went straight for the fake-dating arrangement. He was safety-proofing himself against her and trying to avoid the very thing he was afraid of—being pressured into some kind of romance he wasn’t interested in.
