Page 28 of A Montana Fake Marriage (Sagebrush Ranch Sweethearts #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

What had she done?

The second Caleb left the stall, the air whooshed right out of her chest. Sammie’s legs shook, and she had to lean against the wall to prevent herself from falling to the ground. She hadn’t wanted Caleb to break things off.

And yet she hadn’t tried hard enough to stop him.

What did that say about her?

That she was a coward?

That she couldn’t believe a guy as good as Caleb would want someone like her without the incentive of her money?

Sammie felt sick to her stomach. Caleb had never shown any evidence that money mattered to that extent.

There were little signs—that she could admit.

The way he was so secretive about the money he owned was the biggest one.

Then there was his interest in what she wanted to do with said inheritance. He’d been borderline pushy.

What choice did she have but to believe her father?

And yet she still hadn’t wanted to end anything. All she’d wanted was for Caleb to demonstrate he cared for her enough to keep her financially safe from everyone—including himself.

Alone and suddenly very cold, Sammie let out a whimper, and the first tear fell down her cheek. She had wanted to go after him, but his words had stopped her in her tracks.

Dang it.

He’d finally realized that what they had wasn’t real love. He hadn’t said he didn’t harbor some affection for her, but that was different than love.

Based on the way her heart was breaking, she’d been deep in the throes of the former. She’d loved him. She’d wanted to spend her life with him. She just couldn’t risk losing everything on the off chance her father was more right than she wanted him to be.

The rest of the day’s chores were completed in a fog.

Sammie didn’t have anyone she could talk to here.

She couldn’t exactly get into the nitty gritty with Caleb’s cousins.

It had been a risk to talk to them in the first place.

Hallie seemed to be on her side to a degree, but Sammie wasn’t sure she could trust giving out more information than she already had.

Caleb didn’t find her for lunch, and when dinner rolled around, she wasn’t certain she could show her face. For all her family knew, her relationship with Caleb was going strong. This would be the second dinner she missed with them, so perhaps that view was changing.

By the end of the day, Sammie had found herself sitting at the bar area of the Steer House.

She’d been here a handful of times over the last year, always with Caleb. It had been a fun place where they could celebrate those little triumphs. There was no real reason for her being here. The place shouldn’t have drawn her—and yet here she was.

She glanced around at the familiar place that hadn’t changed one bit since her first visit.

A large bucking bronco clock hung on the wall nearby.

Several paintings of rodeo cowboys adorned much of the free space, broken up only by deer heads.

The atmosphere was darker here, with wooden accents and concrete flooring.

But the country music made up for it, making it feel cozier than it should.

Sammie heaved a sigh as she brought the glass of water to her lips.

She fully intended on tipping the bartender, even though she wasn’t sure she could get anything more than the glass in her hand.

Her appetite had left her since yesterday.

Eating held no appeal to her—not that she was prepared to pay for anything here, either.

Waitresses hurried from table to table, smiling at their customers who grinned right back. The smell of steak and potatoes permeated the air, but not even that could tempt her into ordering anything.

“You doing okay, hon?”

Sammie lifted her gaze to a waitress who had slipped behind the bar. She wasn’t the usual bartender, but she was fixing a cocktail all the same. The blonde offered a concerned smile, expectation in her eyes. Sammie nodded. “I’m fine.”

The woman’s perfectly shaped brow lifted, and she popped out a hip as she topped the drink with an orange wedge. “No, you’re not.”

Sammie stiffened. “Yes, I am,” she blurted. “You don’t know anything.”

The waitress had the gall to smile.

Smile!

It was like she knew something Sammie didn’t. She was familiar. Sammie was sure she’d seen this woman before, though she’d never served her when Caleb had brought them here. Sammie’s eyes darted down to the nametag the woman wore.

Lacey.

Well, if Lacey didn’t leave her alone, she was going to get reported to management.

The waitress continued staring, and Sammie was tempted to throw her water at the woman before storming out. Instead, she met the woman’s stare with narrowed eyes. For a moment, she didn’t know if Lacey would take the hint and leave. They were in a standoff, Lacey grinning and Sammie scowling.

Then Lacey picked up the cocktail and winked at Sammie before striding away.

That wasn’t weird at all.

In a matter of seconds, she’d returned, and Sammie let out a groan.

Lacey leaned forward, her elbows on the bar. She tilted her head, and that smile grew. “You’re married to Caleb, right?”

Sammie stiffened. How did she know? Where they friends? Exes?

Her stomach soured as she continued to gape at the woman.

Lacey laughed. It was the kind of laugh that was almost infectious.

If Sammie had been in a better mood, she might have laughed with her.

Lacey waved her hand through the air. “I know what you’re thinking, and no.

Doesn’t stop people from spreading rumors, though.

Flirting is always a great way to get better tips.

” She winked again. “I’m just really good at faces, and I can remember names without much effort. Makes me a good waitress.”

What was she supposed to say to this woman—the woman who had interjected herself in Sammie’s miserable evening without being invited?

Nothing. She should say nothing. The last thing Sammie wanted was for this woman to get any ideas about her or her fake relationship.

Heck, Sammie didn’t know what she was going to do about her fake relationship.

“You’re clearly having a bad day. Wanna talk about it?” Lacey’s gaze didn’t waver. “Tad isn’t back from his break yet, and since we’re slow, he asked me to keep an eye on things back here.”

Tad must have been the bartender that had given Sammie her water. Still, Sammie refused to spill anything about her life to this woman—or anyone, for that matter.

“It might help if you talk about it. You don’t have to give me any details or anything—but seriously, talking things out seems to get us through the worst of it.”

Again, Sammie shook her head. “I’m fine.”

Lacey lifted that brow again, her lips curling to one side in a knowing smirk.

“If I had to guess, I’d say it’s guy trouble.

Seeing as you’re married… my bet would be that the honeymoon stage is over, and now you have to enter the real world.

” She straightened and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

A soft sigh slipped from her lips. “That’s no fun.

It can definitely make or break you. Let me guess, you’re pregnant? ”

Sammie’s eyes widened. “What? No.”

Lacey didn’t balk at her response. She merely tapped her finger to her chin. “Financial stuff then.”

Blood chilling, Sammie shivered. There was no use denying it. She was sure the answer was written all over her face. Lacey nodded more to herself than anything else.

“Well, if you want to talk about it, I’m here. Bartenders are notoriously good listeners.”

“You’re not a bartender,” Sammie pointed out with a mutter.

“I am today.” Lacey winked and flitted off to check on one of her tables.

Sammie followed her with her eyes, hating that she was right about the financial stuff.

Must be a common thing to fight about in a marriage.

She hadn’t seen much of that going on with her parents, but then again, her father might have set a precedence for how they were going to handle their family’s wealth.

At this point, Sammie just felt cold. Maybe she was in shock.

Her heart felt dull and heavy like a stone dug up from the earth. No longer was she bright and excited for the future. No longer could she tell herself that her life was going to be something dreams were made of.

And she only had herself to blame.

She lost track of time sitting at that bar.

The evening crowd came and went. Sammie was surprised that no one sent her away for not buying anything.

She threw down a twenty when she finally forced herself to leave.

Tonight, she wouldn’t hide away at Hallie’s.

She could only hope that Caleb was asleep when she arrived.

At least then he couldn’t get mad at her—or be worried for her.

The house was quiet and dark when she arrived. She slipped off her shoes by the front entrance and, quietly as she could, locked the front door. It appeared that everyone who lived here was already asleep. There was a faint smell of supper—a meal she’d skipped for a second time.

What had Caleb told his family when they inevitably asked where she was? Would he tell them the truth? Or would he lie to cover for her? At this point, it probably didn’t matter. The rift between them was strong enough, his family probably already knew that they weren’t going to last.

Her stomach roiled at the thought of facing them for breakfast in the morning. She’d never disappointed anyone but her father. What would it be like to stand before the Reese family and tell them that she simply couldn’t hack being married to the best man she’d ever met?

Sammie reached the top of the stairs. There was only one light on up here, and it was coming from the room she shared with Caleb. The door was open a crack with that golden hue slipping through.

Thunderous beats of her heart rocked her, nearly knocking her off her feet. He’d waited for her. Did that mean he wanted more? Was he waiting to tell her he was wrong, and he would do anything to keep her?

Would Caleb fight for what they had?

She couldn’t dare hope, and yet that was exactly what she was doing.

If Caleb asked her to stay—if he asked her to work things through so they could both find happiness, she’d do it. She didn’t know what that would entail, but she thought she loved him enough to make that promise to herself.

She pushed the door open to find Caleb seated on the edge of the bed. His body was hunched forward, his elbows on his knees and his hands in his disheveled hair. Already clad in pajamas, Caleb looked every bit as exhausted as she felt.

A floorboard beneath her foot creaked, startling him from his position. His head snapped up, and all at once the world fell away from her.

He didn’t have to utter a word for her to know what was about to happen. Caleb’s eyes were dark, empty. No longer did they hold that ember of hope she’d fed off of for so many months. Never had he looked so guarded.

Had she truly done that to him?

Caleb got to his feet. He smiled at her as he pulled a pillow and a blanket from his side.

Her eyes darted to the offensive items before lifting once more to his face.

That smile was hollow. Caleb looked like a ghost of his former self.

It was near impossible to relate the man she knew with the man who stood before her.

He reached for her when he got close—as if he planned on touching her face, but then his hand dropped to his side, and a muscle in his jaw feathered. “I think I realized where we went wrong.”

That roaring pulse in her ears made it difficult to hear what he was saying. The way her heart screamed at her to throw herself into his arms and apologize only made this whole situation worse. But she remained frozen, waiting.

“We should have never stayed in the same room. It was asking for trouble to believe we could spend this much time together and not get attached.”

She wanted to call him a liar. She wanted to scream at him that he was wrong—because they’d spent a lot of time together in college. Sure, they hadn’t been roommates, but that shouldn’t make much of a difference.

But she couldn’t find the strength to say a single word.

All she could do was stare at him as he tore her heart to pieces.

“I’m going to sleep in Mack’s room. I already moved the cot in there. He’s aware that we’re dealing with some stuff…” His voice trailed off, and he looked away—probably because a tear had escaped down her cheek.

She brushed at it with a sharp movement and nodded. “Okay.” The word was barely a whisper.

“The lawyer handling the inheritance has agreed to draft a post nuptial agreement. He said he can have it to us by Monday.”

Again, she nodded, not trusting her voice. This was actually happening. He hadn’t been bluffing. Tell him! the desperate voice in her head screamed. Tell him you love him and you don’t want the money.

But the words didn’t come.

“I called a divorce attorney. He’s not the same guy dealing with your inheritance.

Looks like we can get some paperwork drawn up, and you can sign it after your money is released to you.

” He lifted his eyes to meet hers after avoiding her gaze for that statement.

“Then you can do whatever you want to. You don’t have to keep being a ranch hand.

” The wry smile made her heart break even more. How was that even possible?

The dams burst at that moment.

Tears streamed down her face, and a sob escaped her body.

She didn’t even have the strength to push Caleb away when he pulled her into his strong arms. His hand traced down her back, warm, comforting, and familiar. Her whole body shook with sobs, though she wouldn’t be able to confess why this decision was so heartbreaking to her.

Not to Caleb, at least.

How would that look?

To have accused him of something only to wish she could have taken it back so soon? He deserved so much better than she had to offer.

“I’ll aways be here for you, Sammie. I want you to know that.” His voice was quiet, but he managed to lodge his words in her heart and her head.

Sammie pulled away from him then, pushing past him as she wiped at her face, unwilling to look at him. “Yeah, I know. You always have.” Even to her, that voice sounded void of feeling. “Goodnight, Caleb.”