Page 70 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
Emma smiled and lifted her head to find them watching her in concern.
“Is everything all right between you two?” Casey asked.
Ellie leaned forward, her eyes wide. “You don’t have to tell us. We both know how complicated relationships can be, especially when they’re new.”
Emma nodded. “It is complicated, I guess. But everything is fine,” she added with a smile that had Casey visibly relaxing. “We get along great and we’re having so much fun spending time together.”
True and true.
The women both waited, like they could hear the ‘but’ in her voice.
“It’s just that the future is so uncertain, you know?” She winced slightly.Please say you understand. She didn’t want to lie any more than she already had.
Casey nodded. “I heard you’re still planning on heading back to Chicago. I hope you and Nash are good with long distance relationships. It’ll take some effort, but I’m sure you guys can make it work.”
Emma let out an awkward laugh.
“I also heard that your siblings aren’t sure what they want to do with the ranch,” Ellie added. “But that might be a good thing, you know? Give you more than one reason to keep coming back to visit.”
Emma blinked in surprise and both women snickered as they shared a look.
“This is Aspire, Emma,” Casey said with a pat on her hand. “Everyone knows everything.”
They all laughed at that, but it didn’t help ease Emma’s guilt. They might know a lot, but they didn’t know everything.
They didn’t know the truth.
23
This was a night like any other night.
Nash kept telling himself that as he paced the front hall waiting for Emma to emerge from her bedroom. He’d barely seen her all day and that fact had him pacing like a tiger in its cage.
He didn’t like not seeing her.
And that was the understatement of the century.
He glanced at his reflection in the mirror and winced, taking the cowboy hat back off even though he’d just put it on, and twirling it in his hands just to have something to do.
No, he definitely was not a fan of going a full day with only a glimpse of Emma. He’d been leaving the kitchen when she’d come in for breakfast, and that was it.
He knew from her and from texts from Casey that they’d had plans today, but he’d expected to see her every time he popped in for more coffee or lunch or...oh heck, that last time he’d just come home to see if he’d find her.
He hadn’t. The house had been silent.
Which he should have been used to.
After years of being the only full-time resident of the house, it should have been weird to have someone there. It didn’t make sense that the house felt so dang empty without her.
He’d felt like a man possessed the longer he’d gone without a glimpse of her. Even now, he knew she was here in this house, and his skin was crawling with impatience to catch her eye, share a smile with her. There was some part of him that wouldn’t be appeased until she was in his sights, within his reach, her voice in his ears.
“You ready?” She sounded breathless behind him and he whirled around to face her.
He froze the moment she came into view.
Beautiful.
He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen anything or anyone more stunning in his entire life. Emma’s hair was down, the waves loose around her tanned shoulders, and she wore a pretty, flowy dress with tiny flowers and buttons down the front. But it was the boots and the hat that had him grinning like a fool.
