Page 12 of A Montana Fake Marriage (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #1)

CHAPTER ELEVEN

“Her dad is getting antsy,” Caleb muttered, dragging a hand down his face.

Mack rested his forearms atop the top bar of the corral, his expression unreadable. “What do you mean, antsy ?”

“The night of the wedding, he messaged her. I don’t think he calls her regularly. She declines his calls most of the time when he does call. But when he messages her I get why she avoids him. The stuff he texts makes me wonder why he even became a father.”

Mack frowned. “That bad, huh?”

Caleb nodded. “He said he wants her to come home for Christmas, and if she doesn’t, then he’s threatening to withhold her inheritance.”

Mack’s expression scrunched up almost comically. “Isn’t he already doing that? What makes him think he’s got any leverage at this point?”

“No idea, except he’s probably just being difficult for the fun of it.”

“What did Sammie say?”

Caleb cast his brother a glance that couldn’t make it any more clear, but he said it, anyway. “I deleted the message.” When Mack rose his brows, Caleb waved him off. “Relax, she saw me do it. I figured it wouldn’t do her any good to read it, and it would only stir up drama, anyway.”

“Yeah, you probably did her a favor… so what now? Just sticking to the plan? A few more months, and then you get a divorce?”

There must have been something in Caleb’s eyes that gave him away. His brother’s expression turned into something more judgmental.

“Caleb…” he warned, “please tell me you’re not making this complicated.”

“It’s already complicated!” Caleb muttered with exasperation. “Agghhh. I’m in too deep. There’s nothing I can do but sit back and wait to see if she might feel the same way I do about her.”

At his brother’s silence, Caleb frowned. “You don’t think we might be able to make it work, do you?”

Mack shrugged. “I don’t think you should have done any of this in the first place. You didn’t care then, why would you care about my opinion now?”

“Thanks for nothing, bro,” Caleb muttered dryly.

Silence grew between them. Caleb knew his brother didn’t approve. But he’d been right about not needing his opinion, either. Caleb probably shouldn’t have asked.

“You coming to the rodeo this weekend?” Thankfully, Mack changed the subject.

“Are you in this one?” Caleb’s eyes shifted when someone walking near him caught his attention. It wasn’t Sammie.

“Yeah. Bronc riding.”

Caleb nodded absentmindedly. “Yeah, I’ll come.”

“Gonna bring Sammie?”

Caleb glanced toward his brother again. “You think she’d like to go?”

“Heck if I know. She’s your wife, so you should know if she’d like a rodeo or not.

” Mack studied Caleb for a few moments longer.

He could have said so many things—chastised Caleb for getting himself into this mess to begin with.

But he didn’t. “If you like her that much, then you might as well do something about it,” he muttered.

They stared each other down, and Caleb sighed. “Like what?”

“ Date her, dude. Just because you’re married doesn’t mean you can’t take a shot. Treat her like your girlfriend.”

Caleb tossed his brother a wry look. “And not like my wife ?”

Mack snorted. “All I’m saying is that you have some time. Use it wisely.”

“I’ve never been to a rodeo before.”

Caleb slipped his hand into Sammie’s as they moved toward the entrance to the fairgrounds.

He couldn’t deny the thrill it gave him when she didn’t immediately pull away.

Granted, she might be distracted, but he was going to take the win wherever he could.

“I never took you to a rodeo when you used to visit for the summer?”

She shook her head, tossing him a smile. “We usually just hung out at your house, remember?”

He cocked his head, trying to recall. Those summers were more of a blur than he liked to admit. “Maybe you’re right.”

She elbowed him in the ribs, drawing a yelp from his lips. “Of course I’m right. I would remember if I came to something like this.” Her eyes scanned the area immediately after they passed through the security check.

Food trucks lined the dirt pathways that snaked through what probably used to be a large field. There were only two permanent structures on these fairgrounds. One large brick building with a metal roof, and the stadium.

Caleb had been here only a few times while growing up. His parents weren’t heavy into ranching, but they’d spent a lot of time with his cousins during the summers. That was where Mack had gotten a taste for it.

Sammie leaned into him while they walked along the dirt paths. A stage had been set up several yards away to their right, and a country music group already had a decent audience. She glanced in that direction but made no sign of interest in moving that way.

His grasp on her hand tightened, drawing her focus from their surroundings for only a moment.

In that second, he caught a glimpse of the girl he’d gotten to know while at college.

The bright and happy Sammie who could draw him in and make him forget himself.

She could make him laugh or blush with a single sentence.

She let out a laugh. “What?” That one word had the ability to make him forget all his worries—it gave him permission to simply enjoy himself.

“Nothing,” he murmured. He could have told her he thought she was beautiful, but he didn’t.

Mack’s advice hung around his shoulders.

He needed to court Sammie—make her feel special in a way that wasn’t just because they were friends.

He needed her to know that he cared for her beyond what they’d started out with.

He needed her to see they could have a future together.

She blushed, turning away from him. Her fingers trapped her hair behind her ear, and she laughed again. “What are we going to do first?”

“Well, Mack isn’t scheduled to compete for a few hours, so I thought we’d have some fun.”

Her eyes sparkled. “What kind of fun?”

“How good are you at the ring toss?”

She smirked. “Carnival games? Do you really think you’re going to be better than me?”

“Oh, I never would dream of suggesting such a thing.” He winked at her. “I fully intend on you winning me a prize. Not the other way around.”

Sammie laughed again. It was so genuine, so full of life, that he knew he’d made the right decision in coming tonight.

Crowds of cowboys flocked from event to event. They played games, mingled by the food trucks, and filled the stands of the stadium whenever a new event started. Sammie remained by his side the whole time.

She pulled him to a game where he had to shoot at a stack of bottles with a rifle. He watched her pick up the toy weapon and bring it to her shoulder awkwardly. She let off her three shots and missed every single time. To her credit, she laughed then asked for another chance.

Stifling a laugh, he moved behind her this time.

“You need to hold it this way.” With sure hands, he positioned it at her shoulder properly.

His mouth hovered near her ear, and he whispered.

“Keep both eyes open when you look through the sights. Then squeeze the trigger slowly and exhale.” His finger pressed over hers.

Sammie’s back rested against his chest. He heard her sharp intake of breath followed by a long, low exhale. Then they pulled the trigger together.

The blast knocked two of the six bottles to the ground.

Sammie smiled, turning her head so her face was inches from his own. Their eyes locked, and time slipped away. He could have sworn he heard her heart beating, ticking faster and faster—matching his own. Her eyes lowered to his mouth, and he froze.

Their stare was only interrupted when the guy behind the counter muttered, “Get a room.”

Sammie let out a nervous laugh, and Caleb stepped back.

He nodded for her to try this time on her own.

Her gaze lingered on him, then she nodded.

This time, when she exhaled and pulled the trigger, she knocked down a single bottle.

A squeal of delight escaped her lips, and her bright eyes found his once more.

“Again,” he murmured, pride filling his chest. Gone was any sign of the rich girl she’d been while in college.

Standing before him was a girl who completely fit in with their rancher’s lifestyle.

Today, she wore a pair of overalls and a thin, long-sleeved shirt.

Her hair had been braided, and she had finished the look with a pair of worn boots.

She looked no different than most of the other women at the rodeo save for the fact that she wasn’t wearing short shorts.

She’d claimed it was too cold, but what did he expect from a southern girl who was used to a warmer climate?

“I’ve never handled a gun before,” she murmured, turning her eyes back to the bottles.

“I can tell,” he chuckled, earning himself one of those trademark Sammie looks. “Maybe we’ll have to let you practice with the ones we have back home. Though I have to warn you, it’s not the same as this one by a long shot.”

She smiled. “I’d like that.”

In the end, she’d knocked five of the six bottles from the stand and earned herself a stuffed horse. She hugged the animal to her chest gleefully as they made their way to another game.

His hand lingered at her waist. He told himself it was to keep her close, but if he were honest with himself, he might have admitted that he was doing it solely because he craved her touch.

Sammie stopped first. She pointed to a game that required the players to lasso a bull’s head. It seemed simple, but there was technique involved. Swinging the rope, keeping the loop open, and having the perfect aim are imperative to success. It takes practice and training to get good at lassoing.

A young cowboy trying to impress his date paid and got his rope. He positioned himself just as buzzer rang out and the platform where five bulls’ heads sat started rotating. A bright timer with red numbers counted down. He had ninety seconds to rope a steer, or he lost.

While Sammie watched the cowboy, Caleb watched her. The way she stared with that enthralled look almost made him jealous.

Almost.

He moved to the person in charge and paid to go next. He’d show Sammie how it was done.

The cowboy had three shots. And each time, the rope bounced off a piece of the bust he was attempting to lasso. Caleb chuckled to himself when the man walked away, an embarrassed grin on his face. Then Caleb moved forward.

Sammie stared at him with surprise then grinned broadly. “Are you any good? I don’t think I’ve seen you ever lasso anything at home.”

He shrugged. Truth was, he’d been a natural. He’d mastered the task when he was a kid. It was one of the only things that made him want to go into ranching—and a big reason he’d gotten his degree in Animal Science.

Holding the rope loosely in his hand, he fingered the rough texture to get a feel for how it would behave. Then he nodded to the guy in charge, and the buzzer went off. Slowly at first, he swiveled the rope around and around. Then, when he had the momentum he wanted, he tossed the rope.

It pinged off the nose of one bull and fell to the ground.

Sammie bit back a smile.

“I might be a little rusty,” he admitted.

“Uh-huh, sure.” She moved closer and leaned forward. “You get this next one, and maybe you’ll get a kiss.”

He froze. The blatant flirtatious statement had him absolutely reeling.

His heart thundered, and he stared at her with wide eyes.

Was she being serious? Had he missed some clue as to her feelings?

Throat dry, Caleb set his sights on the bulls again.

The buzzer sounded, and he tossed the rope.

This time, it landed around a horn but slipped off as the platform continued its rotation.

Sammie smirked, and he could feel the beads of sweat on his brow.

He did his own version of breathing exercises. He exhaled much like he’d told her to do at the shooting game, then set his focus on the bull he wanted to wrangle. The second he released the rope, he held his breath, then watched with pure excitement as the rope landed around the bull’s neck.

A couple of people around him clapped. Sammie let out a whoop. But he still couldn’t breathe. He still stared at the bull for a moment before dragging his eyes to Sammie. She flung one arm around his neck and pressed a loud kiss to his cheek.

“Good to see that you haven’t lost your talent,” Noah nudged him.

Caleb whirled to see his youngest brother standing close. How had he missed him? His eyes slid to Sammie, and a thought wriggled its way into his mind.

Had she been flirting with him for his brother’s benefit?

He could still feel her kiss, hot against his cheek. She’d bestowed it so suddenly, he hadn’t had a chance to turn his head to capture her lips with his own.

Disappointment was just as hot and uncomfortable in his chest, but he offered his brother a smirk in hopes of dispelling it. “I’d like to see you do any better.”

Noah snorted. “I know better than to play that game. It’s rigged.”

“Obviously not,” Sammie gushed. “Caleb proved it can be done.” She’d moved beside him, her arm around his back, fingers pressed against his shirt. Her closeness, the way she’d whispered her promise to him, all of it had his teeth on edge.

The line between what was real and what wasn’t quickly blurred and morphed into something he didn’t recognize.

Mack was probably right. He needed to tell Sammie how he felt before this went on too long. If he didn’t, then she might hold it against him—accusing him of leading her on in some way.

The problem was, Caleb was terrified of what would happen if she were to turn him down.

Could his heart take it?

He returned the rope to the guy in charge and swallowed down all those doubts. “We were just about to go wait for Mack to compete. You want to join us?”

Noah nodded. He shoved his thumbs into his belt loops and surveyed Sammie with her prize. “Did Caleb win that for you?”

She shook her head, beaming with pride. “This was all me.”

“Don’t forget your prize,” the game operator reminded them. He held out a pink cowboy hat.

Sammie snickered as she glanced toward Caleb.

He accepted the hat and nodded his thanks to the man before he placed the hat unceremoniously on Sammie’s head. “Come on,” he murmured, draping his arm around her shoulder. “Let’s see if we can find any decent seats for the show.”

She didn’t duck away from him, nor did she stiffen. Her body relaxed into him as they walked, and for the first time, he allowed himself to believe there might be a chance.