Page 12 of Just (Fake) Married (Calloways vs. McGraws #1)

SEVEN

HARMONY

We stepped into the gigantic living room with the big fireplace and the deep, wide couches.

It seemed like the McGraws put a premium on sitting down.

I took my time looking around. There were a lot of dead animals on the walls and it felt like they were watching me. Judging me. On the shelf over the fire, there were a ton of family photos. My eye found Ethan’s picture immediately and I picked it off the mantle.

“That won’t fit in your bag,” he said, and I ignored him.

“You look miserable,” I said, holding up the picture.

Ethan and his brothers and father were decked out in camo and holding rifles. In front of them was a bobcat and a twelve-point stag.

An ode to toxic masculinity.

Except for Ethan, who was not smiling and was not carrying a gun.

“I was,” he said, and grabbed the picture and put it back on the mantle. “We agree this can’t fall to Carter,” he began.

“Which is why I said we had to call Seth.”

“Harmony-”

“Anyone but you.” I snapped.

“Why not me?” he asked. “This is all fake anyway. We pretend to be happy for a couple of months, we have the big festival, get the blue ribbon back, and then it all ends. Why does it matter which brother it is?”

“I don’t want to marry you because you are an asshole,” I said. “You’ve always been an asshole. Especially to me.”

“Oh, and you’ve been nothing but sweet and gracious to me, Pantry Puncher.”

I gasped like he’d insulted my mother.

“If you would just tell me what I fucking did to you in that closet, I can apologize and we can move on from this.”

Except I couldn’t tell him. How he kissed me like his life depended on it. How he showed me what kissing was supposed to be. The way he pushed me up against those shelves and rubbed that big dick of his against me.

Stop thinking about his big dick.

“Forget the past. Look at us now,” I told him. “Anytime we’re in each other’s space, there is tension. Because we don’t like each other.”

“Is that a requirement for a fake marriage?” he asked. “Look, I can put down my weapons if you put down yours. I don’t give a shit about this feud, but I want my family to be able to stay on the land. If for no other reason than Carter’s kids.”

“Don’t use children to guilt me into this,” I said, pointing a finger in his face. Except he looked at it like he wanted to suck it into his mouth.

“Fine, what do you want?”

“I just want to save the town. It’s not just your family’s legacy. This is our home. Our livelihood is at risk. All of ours.”

“Then a truce,” he said. “We’ve only ever known each other as kids. As an adult, you’ll see I’m a nice guy. I’m sure you’re a nice woman…”

“ I’m sure… That’s not very truce like,” I said. “We’re not even fake married and you’re blowing it.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry. A truce. For our families.”

“Maybe,” I said. It was my nature to believe in people, to want to make things better for everyone around me, but him? I didn’t trust him. I wanted some fallback insurance. “But if it’s going to be you, then I have some conditions.”

“Great,” he said. “Let’s hear them.”

“I’m not sure what they are yet. I’ll get back to you.”

He gaped at me for a second and then burst out laughing. “You know,” he said, “if it wasn’t for the fact that your last name is Calloway and mine is McGraw, I think we could be friends.”

“Friends,” I said, like I’d never heard the word before.

“Why not?” he said. “We’ve been enemies for years, let’s try being friends.”

I studied him. His fine features and blue eyes. I’d always imagined myself married to a guy who smiled. A big warm teddy bear of a guy, and here I was about to marry the living, breathing personification of a scalpel. One that had already sliced me.

I wasn’t losing this town. I loved my home. I’d do anything for it.

Including marrying Ethan McGraw. Unfuckingbelievable.

“But what about making it look real?” I said. “That’s part of the deal, right? We have to sell an epic love story for the locals.”

“So?” he said, like that was no big deal.

“So?” My voice squeaked.

“You don’t think we can sell that we love each other?”

“No!” I laughed.

“That we like each other.”

“Really doubtful.”

He took a step forward, right up into my space. I had to hold my breath or my breasts would touch his chest.

“That we want each other?” he asked, his voice a low murmur that disoriented me. I was angry a second ago, adamant about something. Now I just wanted him to keep talking to me like that. That low whisper. The deep murmur. I wanted him to call me a good girl and…

Oh my God. STOP.

He took another step forward and now it didn’t matter if I was breathing or not, my breasts brushed his chest and I could smell him – soap and cedar fire, and something spicy beneath it all, that my body remembered from that fucking closet.

I wanted to say something mean, to put him in his place, but his thumb touched my jaw line. A feather light touch and all the air left my body. Every thought deserted my brain. I didn’t know what I was going to say. I didn’t know words.

“It wouldn’t be hard to believe. You grew up to be a beautiful woman, Harmony,” he said.

His other hand touched my jaw, his hands cupped my neck and I knew he could feel my heart pounding against his palms.

“You’re…definitely not ugly,” I breathed. I could feel my eyelids fluttering, wanting to close. My body leaning towards him. I licked my lips like I could already…taste him.

“I think we’ll be fine,” he said. Then stepped back so fast I had to catch myself before I stumbled forward.

He rubbed his hands against his pants like he was rubbing off the feel of my skin, but his face gave me nothing. Was this a joke? Was he affected? Unaffected? Did I dream that whole thing?

“So?” he said, and held out his hand. “Will you fake marry me and save Last Hope Gulch?”

I put my hand in his and tried very hard not to feel anything about it. Not the strength or the callouses. The warmth. The size. But despite my efforts, I felt all of it.

All of him.

The pantry rushed back and my skin contracted with this strange longing I couldn’t control.

There went my New Year’s Resolution, because there would be no kissing in this marriage. None, whatsoever. I couldn’t risk it.

“No kissing,” I blurted out.

“Pardon?”

“That’s my first rule. No kissing on the lips. In public.” I added, because why would he think I wanted him to kiss me in private?

“No kissing?”

“Safe kisses only.”

“What are you talking about?” He looked confused.

“You can do the forehead kiss,” I said, counting out the types of innocent kisses on my fingers. “The cheek kiss, but it’s got to be up here,” I said, pointing to my cheekbone right under my eye.

“That’s pretty high. Why would people think I want to kiss your eye?”

I ignored his question and laid down another finger. “You can do the cute nose kiss, right at the tip. Little boop .”

“I’ve never been a nose kisser. Always afraid of catching boogers,” he mused.

“You’re not licking my nose. I get that we have to pretend to be in love, or whatever, but we’re not kissing on the lips.”

He nodded like that was a ground rule that made sense. “Okay.”

I coughed and pulled my other hand, the one that was still holding his, free. I was so painfully off balance, so completely upside down, I would have to reorganize the entire store just to get myself together.

“You okay?” he asked, and this new version of him, polite and interested, was making everything worse.

“Are you really on a sabbatical?” I said, lifting my eyebrow.

“Sort of,” he said, giving me nothing.

“What does that mean?”

“It means, I’ve got some time. You let me worry about my schedule.”

“I don’t think that’s how marriages work,” I said.

“I wouldn’t know how marriages work,” he said honestly. “I haven’t been married and my parents’ marriage was…” he stopped.

I leaned forward, eager to hear his answer, because truthfully, I’ve always wondered. I had vague memories of Sasha McGraw. I remember she’d been a character. From Texas, and the daughter of an oil guy. She had not liked this town. Or the cold winters. But she liked spending Mr. McGraw’s money.

It had always seemed like she’d been imported, just for Leroy.

“Tell me. I’m curious. What was their marriage like?” I asked him.

“Theirs was more like a merger than a marriage. A business agreement from the start. And maybe…well, if my dad really was in love with your mom all those years ago, maybe it was doomed from the start.”

“Together they had the five of you, so there had to be something there.”

“That was Leroy. I think he had this idea that the more sons he had, the more chances they’d become cowboys. What about your parents? You think your mom was pining for my dad the whole time?”

“No,” I said, without really thinking about it. “My parents were lovely together. My dad worshiped my mom. But my mom is a worrier. She worries about everything like it’s her job. She’s probably worried about what we’re talking about right now.”

“I promise,” he said. “I will try not to give you anything to worry about.”

I laughed and ran my hand along the windowsill, catching the old indigo velvet curtains and letting them trail out of my grip very slowly.

“Let’s go tell our families the good news,” he said.

We walked back into a room full of wide eyes and curious faces.

“Everyone, we’ve got some exciting news. Turns out, Ethan and I are in love and we’re getting married!”

I squealed and threw my arms in the air like I was actually announcing my engagement.

When everyone stilled looked like they were at a funeral, I turned to Ethan. “I don’t think they bought it. I’m going to need to be a better actress.”

“We’ll go get the license tomorrow,” Ethan said to Mr. Prescott.

Bliss and Amity took one look at each other and stood up. My gorgeous sisters, I would do anything for them, including fake marrying Ethan McGraw.

My mom, though. It looked like she was still lost in the past. I couldn’t blame her. This was some heavy shit Leroy McGraw had dumped on all of us.

“Well, if we’re going to convince the town you two are a legit couple,” Bliss announced, “We’re going to need to do this right.”

“You know what that means,” Amity said, reaching for my hand.

“I don’t have any idea what that means.”

“Bachelorette party,” Bliss said. “Tonight. At The Last Stand. Ethan, you wait the appropriate amount of time until everyone’s drunk, and then make an appearance to claim your fiancé.”

“How would I possibly know when that is?”

Carter clapped him on the shoulder. “Mac and I will take you out to eat. Make it all look intentional.”

I shrugged. “Well, here we go.”

Ethan sighed. “Here we go, indeed.”