Page 28 of The Forever Cowboy (Noble Ranch #1)

Her hand flittered to her neck then her lips. Her eyes were wide and filled with wonder…and desire.

His heart leaped with hope. He could continue to woo and win her after their wedding, and maybe someday—maybe even soon—she would be ready for more between them than a marriage of convenience.

As it was, he needed to send one of the hired hands after the reverend and get him out to the ranch as soon as possible.

The footsteps in the hallway thudded purposefully and with a slight scuff that told him Beckett had come in, likely to find out the plans for the morning.

Sterling took another step away from Violet, hoping that would prevent his foreman from knowing he’d just kissed Violet again—although Sterling had the feeling it wouldn’t work and that Beckett would be able to tell right away.

“Boss?” came Beckett’s voice from the doorway behind him. “I’ll watch the women while you go get some shut-eye.”

Violet was grasping the back of one of the wingback chairs and seemed to be trying to compose herself in front of Beckett.

Sterling met her pretty, wide-eyed gaze. Did she really want to go through with the wedding this morning?

She nodded as though hearing his silent question.

“No sleep for me this morning, Beckett.” He held Violet’s gaze. “At least, not until after the wedding.”

Beckett didn’t respond, didn’t even move. Regardless, Sterling could feel the foreman’s displeasure as if it had walked into the room and taken a seat.

Violet’s attention shifted to Beckett, and her brow rose. Hyacinth stood behind the foreman in the hallway, attired in a lovely gown and with her dark hair pulled up stylishly too. Sterling liked that she was so loyal and concerned about Violet, even if she sometimes was overly direct.

Beckett’s eyes had narrowed. “So you’re going through with marriage even though it’s a foolish idea?”

Sterling bristled. “It’s the best way forward.” He leveled his words and a glare at Beckett.

Beckett glared back. “A wedding only takes care of half the problem. We still have the sister to worry about when Claude sends his men again.”

“The sister has a name,” Hyacinth muttered.

“The sister ,” Beckett said more distinctly, “is probably even more than half the problem.”

Hyacinth released a scoffing sound.

Sterling had been thinking about Hyacinth during the long hours of standing watch. And there was only one man he trusted her with. “You’re going to marry Hyacinth,” he said to Beckett.

The man’s dark brows shot up, disappearing under the brim of his cowboy hat. “No how, no way—”

“It’ll be temporary.”

“I’ve got a bride lined up.”

“She’s not coming until the spring.”

“It doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna risk it.”

Sterling had suspected Beckett might say that, because the ranch foreman was a man of honor and wouldn’t want to cause problems or disrespect his future bride. “Then you’ll get engaged to Hyacinth.”

“That’s not gonna happen either.”

Behind Beckett, Hyacinth was shaking her head. She didn’t like the plan any more than he did. But it would help keep her safe, and that was really what mattered most.

“You pretend she’s your woman until this blows over.”

“And you think an engagement will stop Claude?”

“If he knows she’s under your protection, you’ll make it clear she’s off-limits.”

Beckett’s mouth stalled around his next response.

“I’m not advocating going over to the Red Cap Saloon and beating up Claude or any of his men.” Sterling needed to emphasize again his position on the violence. “But I trust you’ll find a lawful way to let them know Hyacinth is your fiancée and that they can’t touch her.”

This time Beckett didn’t protest.

Sterling knew he was dangling the proverbial carrot in front of his foreman—a carrot in the form of intimidating a bully who needed to be put in his place. Beckett wouldn’t be able to resist the bait. And how could Sterling oppose Beckett’s doing a little intimidating?

“No,” came Hyacinth’s firm voice from the hallway. “I won’t pretend such a thing.”

“Please, Hyacinth.” Violet crossed to her sister. “It will be better than nothing.”

“I’m not lying about being engaged to someone.” Hyacinth pressed her lips together in that stubborn way she had.

Beckett stepped back into the hallway and was now facing Hyacinth. He was taking her in slowly, probably deciding if she was worth the hassle. Of course, Hyacinth didn’t have Violet’s delicate beauty, but she was definitely a fine-looking woman.

With her more serious outlook on life, Hyacinth was jaded and sarcastic and too much like Beckett. The two would never make a good match in real life. But for a couple of months, until after the new year, they could pretend to have a relationship. What harm could come of that?

“Beckett’s a nice man,” Violet said.

“No, he’s not.” Hyacinth raised her freckled nose at Beckett, her green eyes flashing with disdain.

“Now, hold on.” Sterling needed to steer the conversation in a different direction before Beckett took offense and stalked off without agreeing to the plan.

Before Sterling could formulate something positive to say, Beckett, who was still staring at Hyacinth, leaned against the doorframe, his lips curling up on one side into a crooked grin.

Sterling paused. Why was Beckett smiling?

Hyacinth narrowed her eyes on him, probably wondering the same thing.

“Fine. I’ll do it.” Beckett didn’t take his gaze from Hyacinth. “Reckon it might be fun.”

Hyacinth lifted her chin. “Fun? It will be the furthest thing from fun.”

“Oh, darlin’,” Beckett drawled. “Don’t you worry your pretty little head. I’ll make sure it’s plenty of fun.” Then he winked.

Sterling almost snorted, but then he caught Violet’s gaze, filled with worry.

Before he could figure out what to say, Hyacinth was already responding. “I refuse to be connected to this—this—buffoon for any length of time.”

“Buffoon?” Beckett lifted his hat, revealing more of the humor in his face. “What, are we back in the Middle Ages?”

“You go farther back than that to the barbaric Dark Ages.” Hyacinth had a sharp tongue. Sterling had already known that. But she was proving to be even sharper than he’d realized.

Beckett didn’t seem to mind her jabs. If anything, he was enjoying them, even gaining momentum from them. “Most women like how tough I am.” He flexed one of his arms, showing off the ripples of his muscles against the tight fabric of his coat.

“I’m not like most women.”

“That’s for sure.”

She sniffed, her eyes turning cold. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means you’re a one-of-a-kind peacock.”

“Peacock? I doubt you even know what a peacock is.”

Beckett’s grin had only widened over the course of the conversation. Was that the sign he was willing to go for the plan?

Sterling glanced between the two. “So you’ll pretend to be a couple?”

“No,” Hyacinth said.

“Yes.” Beckett answered at the same time. “Course we will.”

“We won’t.”

“Hyacinth.” Violet reached for her sister’s hands. “Please. Sometimes we have to do things we don’t like in order to make ourselves stronger in the process.”

Something sharp pricked Sterling’s heart. What was Violet saying? That she’d agreed to marry him even though she didn’t want to in order to make herself stronger?

The two sisters were quiet for a long moment, and Violet seemed to be silently pleading with Hyacinth to cooperate the same way she was. Was that all the marriage was for Violet? Cooperating with the plans in order to save them both from an uncertain future?

Sterling could feel the thrill from their recent kiss draining from him. Had he been the foolish one to allow himself to think Violet could want more from their relationship? What if the kiss had been more about convincing herself to marry him than being attracted to him?

“How long will I need to pretend to be engaged to…” Hyacinth paused, tossed a dark look at Beckett, then focused back on Violet. “To him.”

Violet pressed her hand against her sister’s cheek. “Just as long as it takes for us to figure things out and not a day longer.”

Was that true for Violet too? Was she planning to stay married to him only for as long as it took to figure things out and not a day longer?

Sterling wanted to shake his head in protest and shout out that he couldn’t do it, that it wouldn’t be fair, that he wasn’t strong enough to have her and then let her go.

But he bit back the words. As hard as it might be—maybe even the hardest thing he’d ever done—he intended to keep his word to Violet. Their marriage would only be temporary. When the time came to let her go, he would force himself to be brave enough to release her.

He had to follow through with his promise, even if it killed him to do so. Stiffening his shoulders, he crossed to the door. He had to leave now before either one of them changed their minds.