Page 94 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
“Emma?” Ellie’s voice caught her off guard as she sidled up beside her.
Emma stopped her inner pleading and turned to her new friend with a smile. “How’s your husband feeling?”
Ellie slipped the phone into her handbag. “He’s fine. He just doesn’t like weddings, that’s all.”
“Oh.” Emma wasn’t sure what to say to that. She could make a flippant joke about how he’d played hooky but there was a sadness in Ellie’s eyes that made her think her marriage wasn’t a joking matter. “I’m sorry.”
Ellie shrugged. “I’m used to it.”
To her husband bailing on weddings? Emma didn’t think that was what she meant, so she kept quiet. Ellie’s gaze moved from her to Aunt Angela who was shouting loudly for all cousins and their spouses to gather together outside for pictures on the lawn.
“Aren’t you going to join in?” she asked.
Emma bit back a sigh. Oh Ellie. So sweet. So naive. She actually believed that Emma belonged here. That she was practically a member of the family.
Guilt left an unpleasant taste in her mouth. Of course, she only believed that because Emma was a big fat liar. When she’d agreed to this ruse, she hadn’t imagined she’d make friends in this town so quickly. She hadn’t expected to be so accepted and treated like a member of the family.
No. The sooner they put an end to this, the better for everyone. Particularly her guilty conscience.
But in the meantime…
“Emma, get over here, girl,” Aunt Angela called.
Emma smiled but shook her head resolutely.
“Why not?” Ellie whispered. “Are you camera shy?”
“Um…” Emma couldn’t bring herself to lie any more than she already had. “No. But I don’t feel comfortable being in family photos.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m not family?” Her throat felt too tight.
Ellie laughed. “Could’ve fooled me.” Her grin was knowing as her dimples flashed. The redhead’s eyes sparkled with amusement. “Everyone who saw you and Nash at the festival the other night is convinced this is just the first Donahue wedding of the season.”
Emma made a noise that she hoped sounded like a laugh.
She was a little afraid it sounded more like a sob.
Ellie was watching her closely, like she was expecting some sort of answer. Emma feigned a keen interest in the young cousins being jostled out the door, their shirts being straightened and their hair combed back into place with their mother’s licked fingers.
She wasn’t about to explain to Ellie that everyone had it all wrong. Because then she’d find herself blubbering about howshe’dgotten it all wrong. Next thing she knew, she’d be crying over the wedding cake telling Nash that she’d gone and done the unthinkable. She’d fallen in love with him even when he’d made it clear that was precisely what he didn’t want.
Not from anyone, but especially not from her.
Oh yeah. It was definitely time to go back home so she could start to heal this broken heart.
Ellie’s gentle hand on her shoulder made her tense.
“Emma? Sweetie? Is everything okay?”
Emma’s cheeks hurt from the strain of all this smiling. “Fine,” she said. “Just fine.”
Ellie’s brows came down. Clearly she wasn’t fooled. But when she opened her mouth to speak, Emma cut her off. “Will you excuse me?” She gestured toward the corridor. “I’m just going to go to the restroom before the reception starts.”
“Of course.” Ellie took Emma’s champagne flute and watched Emma flee.
She could sense her gaze, and it forced her to slow down and not sprint the way her body wanted to.
