Page 98 of Pretend To Be My Cowboy
“Dad, Aunt Angela’s looking for you,” he murmured.
He couldn’t bring himself to address his father in the eye. He couldn’t tear his gaze from Emma’s face. Right now, all he wanted was to ease that pain in her eyes. He had to make this right.
“Sure, sure,” his father said as he stepped away, casting one last regretful look in Emma’s direction.
A tense silence fell in his father’s wake.
“How much did you hear?” she asked.
“Enough to know that I’m real proud of you,” he said as he moved toward her.
He thought she might turn away but to his surprise, she turned into him and buried her face against his chest with a quiet sob.
“Oh sweetheart,” he murmured, stroking her back.
“I never get angry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have said all that.”
“Yes, you should have.” Nash took a deep breath. “He needed to hear it, and it’s exactly what I should have said to him rather than…”
She pulled back, biting a lip that still trembled in an attempt to regain her composure. She swiped at her eyes. “Do you regret it then?”
He stared at her, trying to make sense of the question.
“D-do you regret asking me to play the part of your girlfriend?”
Nash was at a total loss for words. His inability to speak to women had fled around Emma, but right here and now, he had no clue what to say. But not because Emma was so hard to talk to. He just had no idea what the answer was.
Did he regret getting close to Emma? Kissing her and dancing with her?
Heck no. He wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world.
But he hated that his lies had led to this mistrust he saw in her eyes. He hated that their newfound friendship was based on half-truths on his end.
She shook her head when he didn’t immediately answer. “It’s okay. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
He opened his mouth and closed it abruptly.
His mother’s voice in the corridor cut him off before he could try again. “Nash, honey, Casey needs you. She says you’re in charge of the music?”
His mother’s flustered expression transformed into a smile. “There you are, Emma. We were afraid you’d taken off when you didn’t join in for the pictures.”
Emma’s smile probably seemed genuine to his mother.
Nash knew better.
She mumbled some excuse about not wanting to get in the way. It appeased Delphine, and she turned back to Nash with a warning look. “Don’t make your sister wait. I don’t want her turning into a bridezilla on us. We’ve gotten this far.”
He and Emma both chuckled because it was expected, and Delphine disappeared back into the main hall.
“You’d better go,” Emma said. Her gaze held a look of resignation that killed him. There was a finality there that made him want to drag her out of this church hall so he could kiss her and tell her everything that was in his heart.
“Emma, no. There’s still so much I want to say.” A surge of love so fierce took hold and made it impossible to hear anything but the pounding of his heart.
“Later.” She gave him a smile that made his heart break with its bravery and strength. She gave him a little push toward the door. “There will be time later. But right now, you have big brother duties to attend to.”
“Emma—”
“This isherday, Nash.” Again with the serious teacher expression. He couldn’t fight that look. She pointed toward the door. “Now, go. I’ll be fine.”
