Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

Cassidy

  The whole idea was absurd. The moment Houston left, I sat wondering why I had agreed to something so crazy. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to change my mind. But I kept thinking about the way he had asked me, as well as the reasons he had given me. How could I say no to him? I picked up my phone and called him.

  “Changed your mind, I’m guessing,” he said.

  “No. I haven’t. Although I still think it’s crazy.”

  “I agree. It is.”

  “I’m calling to tell you that I think you should move in here, rather. I’m not sure how comfortable I am with being at your house. Also, I have a horse farm to run and I like to be here as much as possible. It just wouldn’t work if I was spending all my time at your house.”

  “You’ve got a deal.”

  “Oh. I thought you were going to argue with me on this,” I said.

  He laughed. “Are you kidding me? You’re doing me a huge favor. I totally agree that it should be at your house.”

  “Well, okay then, it’s a deal. Uh, when are you moving in?”

  “Tomorrow okay?”

  I laughed. The whole thing was so ridiculous that I couldn’t help but laugh at it. “Tomorrow. Sure, why not? The afternoon okay?”

  “Perfect.”

  The following morning, my sister came over laden with another box of cookies that she had baked. I made us coffee, and we sat in the kitchen together.

  “Okay, something is going on,” she said. “Tell me.”

  “What? Nothing is going on,” I lied.

  She laughed. “Cass, I’m your sister. I know you want to talk to me about something. You called me last night and invited me over. You told me to bring cookies. Then I arrive and you act all quiet. Also, the house is ridiculously clean, and I don’t for one minute believe that you cleaned it for me.”

  I laughed. “You’re very astute. Have you ever considered starting up your own detective agency?”

  “I’ll call it, ‘The number one sister’s detective agency.’ Yes, I like that. So, go on, then. Tell me what’s happening. I’m assuming it has to do with Houston.”

  I chuckled. “You assumed right. Well…uh…he’s moving in.”

  Nicole burst out laughing. “You know, this story gets crazier by the second. Are you being serious? It’s not April Fools’ or something, is it?”

  “It’s the truth. It’s nothing permanent. He’s just, well, sort of moving in for a week or two.”

  “He’s sort of moving in?”

  “He is moving in. Just not for long.”

  “Oh dear. I feel like I need something stronger than coffee for this. Okay, go on, tell me everything.”

  I told Nicole everything that Houston had told me and how he had asked me for a favor. She once again seemed very amused by the whole thing and seemed to be enjoying herself. She kept teasing me, and part of me regretted telling her. Although it was probably better than her being angry with me, which is what I almost expected her to be.

  “And you just agreed to it? Just like that?”

  “Well, he asked me to please do him a favor. I know it sounds insane, but I’m the one who did this to him in the first place. He’s the one who did a favor for me. He really helped me out at the wedding. I feel like I owe him. I told him that it was crazy and that I didn’t think he was doing the right thing, but he still wants to do this.”

  “Are you sure that he doesn’t just want to jump in bed with you again?”

  I blushed. “I’m sure! He’s getting the guest room.”

  “Then why are you blushing?”

  “I always blush when I talk about things like this,” I pointed out. “You know that.”

  “Oh big sis, what am I going to do with you?”

  “I called you over here to talk with me, not so that you could tease me,” I said.

  “I know. You just make it very difficult for me. That’s all. You do realize that moving in with Houston is the complete opposite of fixing the misconception that the two of you are married, don’t you?”

  I nodded. “I am aware of that. Anyway, we’ll just get divorced or something, and then everyone can shut up about it.”

  Nicole giggled. “A fake divorce, too? Oh, this is too much.”

  “Well, it’s either that or he is going to have to tell his father the truth. I’ll leave that part up to him.”

  “You better do it soon. You don’t want the entire town talking about it.”

  “Oh, I don’t care anymore. Let them talk.”

  “Are sure about that? What about Mom and Dad? What if they found out?”

  I gasped. I hadn’t thought about that. “They won’t find out,” I said.

  “Are you sure?”

  “They won’t,” I said with determination, but now I wasn’t so sure about that. “Not everyone knows. Jake didn’t even know.”

  “Jake is back?”

  “Oh, I forgot to tell you,” I said. With everything that was going on, I was having a hard time keeping track of who I had told what these days. “Yeah, he’s back in town for good. He said he enjoyed France but he really missed home. He just knocked on my door without warning.”

  “Oh, wow. That’s a surprise. I haven’t thought about him in a long time. How long has he been away for?”

  “Two years.”

  “Two years. That went quickly. What was it like seeing him again?”

  I shrugged. “It was nice. I’ve always gotten along well with him. He came back the following morning and we went for a horse ride.”

  “Romantic. Does he know you’re a married woman now?”

  I groaned. “First, it wasn’t romantic. And second, he doesn’t seem to know anything about Houston and me. And third, I’m not a married woman.”

  “I love the way you say, ‘Houston and I’ like you’re an item.”

  “You don’t give up, do you?” I said to her.

  “Oh, I never give up. You should know that by now. So, you didn’t like Jake, then? Does he still like you?” she asked.

  I sighed. It had been pretty embarrassing when he had asked me out, and even more embarrassing when I had told him that I wasn’t interested. “Uh, I think so. He seemed pretty excited for the two of us to get together again. I turned him down. I feel even less for him the second time around. He’s a great guy, don’t get me wrong. There’s just no spark between us. No chemistry. He even gave me a hug and I felt absolutely nothing.”

  “Poor guy.”

  I laughed. “He can do much better than me.”

  “Stop saying things like that,” Nicole reprimanded me. “When will you start realizing that you’re quite the catch?”

  “Oh, I’m not,” I said. I wasn’t trying to get more compliments from her, but I had never really believed that I was anything more than just a farm girl. I didn’t feel sorry for myself, but at the same time, I didn’t want to live with false delusions of myself.

  “You’re absolutely gorgeous. In fact, will you let me take you shopping again? You look so good in the clothes I picked out for you. But you need more.”

  “Sure, how about we go after coffee?” I suggested.

  “What? You’re not even putting up a fight?”

  I laughed. “I’m not putting up a fight. You were right. I should make more of an effort with myself. I like the clothes that you got for me. They were still comfortable and plain, but they fit me better than my old stuff.”

  She chuckled and shook her head in surprise. “Will wonders never cease,” she said. “You know, you sure have changed since the wedding,” she pointed out.

  “This has nothing to do with the wedding. I just think the clothes you got me were nice,” I said. “You obviously know what you’re doing.”

  “Well, yes I do,” she said with a chuckle. “But I’m starting to think that you and Houston should just go ahead and get married anyway. You keep pretending, so why not just make it official. That way his dad never has to get upset.”

  “Are you crazy? I
don’t want to marry Houston. We’re not even a couple.”

  “Keep telling yourself that, sis. Keep telling yourself that.”

  “I don’t even like him in that way,” I said.

  “Who are you trying to fool? Of course you do. Your face lights up when you talk about him. You should’ve seen the dull expression on your face when you were talking about poor old Jake. No excitement whatsoever in those eyes.”

  I shook my head at her. I wasn’t sure if she was being serious or if she was just teasing me, but I wasn’t about to give in and tell her that I liked the guy. I barely wanted to admit it to myself. If I did it was only going to lead to heartache for me. “Well, I don’t like him,” I said. “And anyway, he most definitely doesn’t like me. Now, finish your coffee and let’s go shopping before I change my mind.”

  Eighteen

  Houston

  “You’re doing what?” Joe asked me.

  He’d come over to my house that morning and caught me packing my bags. I hadn’t been sure when I was planning on telling him, but I had no choice but to tell him now that he had seen me with my bags.

  “Don’t tell anyone,” I said to him.

  “Dude, I’m your best friend. I won’t say anything. But you have to explain this madness to me. Or are you just moving in together because you want to see if you can make this whole thing work?”

  “No, I’m moving in with her to placate my father. He wants us to move in together now that we are married.”

  Joe frowned. “You do realize that you’re not married though, don’t you? Or is there something that you’re not telling me? You better not tell me that you were lying before and that you really went ahead with this whole marriage thing.”

  I chuckled. “Oh, this whole thing is a complete mess. Lies upon lies upon lies. What am I doing?” I said as I looked around my room as if for the first time.

  “You’re asking the wrong person,” Joe said. “I have no idea what you’re doing or why you’re doing it.”

  “Neither do I.”

  “So, let me get this straight. You’re moving in with Cassidy, and you’re going to carry on with this lie just to keep your father happy?”

  “Uh, something like that. It’s not a permanent thing, though. I’ve managed to get my father to postpone the wedding reception. But he insisted that I move in with Cassidy now that we are married. He can be a bit old-school sometimes.”

  “Are you on drugs?”

  I laughed. “I know. It’s crazy. I get that. I’m insane. Cassidy is going along with it because I helped her out at the wedding. But we’re both crazy. I have no idea what I’m doing. Maybe I’m just stalling. Maybe I just don’t want to let my father down. Maybe I’m just trying to find a way out of this. I have no idea. I figured we could tell my dad we have moved in together, and then we can say it didn’t work out. That’s all. Nobody needs to get hurt then. I’ll tell my father how much I learned from this whole experience and how excited I am to find true love now. And how I will never elope again, but how I’ll do it properly the first time around.”

  Joe looked at me in amazement. “Wow, you’ve really thought this one through, haven’t you?”

  “You think I’m nuts, don’t you?”

  “Oh, absolutely. I think you’re bonkers. But, I’ll support you. I always will. As long as I get to be the best man at your actual wedding one day.”

  I laughed. “It’s a deal.”

  “So, do you and Cassidy plan on pretending as if you are husband and wife while you live together?” he asked with a wink.

  I chuckled. “Nah, I’m going to get the guest room. We’ll keep it civil.”

  “How boring.”

  “I know, but sex would only mess things up.”

  “Let’s be honest here, it’s already messed up. And you’ve had sex before. You might as well do it again. And again. And again.”

  “I have a feeling Cassidy won’t agree with you,” I said.

  “Hmm…worth a short though, isn’t it?”

  I laughed. “You have a dirty mind, Joe.”

  “Hey, at least I’m honest. If you tell me that you haven’t thought about sleeping with her again then you’re lying. I saw her the other day, by the way. She didn’t see me, but she was at the store buying food. I didn’t realize how hot she was until now. I’ve never seen her in a dress before.”

  “She was in a dress?”

  “Yeah, and she looked good in it. No wonder you want to marry the girl.”

  I groaned. “I don’t want to marry her.”

  Later that day I showed up at Cassidy’s with my suitcases in tow. At first, it was a little awkward and, as usual, the two of us made jokes throughout. Especially me. I couldn’t seem to stop myself. She helped me take my bags to the guest room, and I cracked some joke about how boring our honeymoon had been and how sad it was that we were already in separate rooms after only being married for a few weeks. She laughed, but I could tell that she didn’t find me funny at all. If anything, she seemed a little reserved, and I wondered if she was regretting saying yes to me.

  She left me to unpack. I finished in no time, as I hadn’t actually brought that much stuff with me. As promised, I wasn’t planning on staying forever. But I stayed in the room for a while longer, not quite knowing what to do with myself. We got along so well, I almost expected things to go a lot more smoothly. Finally, I came out of the room and smiled when I found her outside reading a book. She had two glasses of wine on the table. I resisted the urge to tell her that it was alcohol that had gotten us in trouble in the first place.

  “Thank you,” I said as I took a seat beside her and picked up my glass of wine.

  “That’s not for you,” she said. “I like two glasses in the evening.”

  I put the glass down. “Oh. Uh, sorry. I’m an idiot. I just assumed…”

  She burst out laughing. “I’m kidding.”

  I felt relief wash over me. If she was happy to make jokes like that then maybe things wouldn’t be so bad after all. “Oh, thank goodness. I totally believed you.”

  She chuckled. “Good. Well, this is weird. I’m sorry if I was a bit strange when you first came in. This whole thing is a little confusing. I’m still not entirely too sure why we are doing this, to be honest.”

  I sighed. “Yeah, same here. I mean, I have my reasons, but at the same time, I’m wondering if I’m doing the right thing. We should’ve come clean right away at the wedding.”

  “I shouldn’t have made up the lie in the first place,” she said.

  “Who knew we were such liars?” I said.

  She laughed. “We’re the worst people ever.”

  “But we do have incredible dance moves.”

  “Only the best.”

  I smiled at her. “Thanks for agreeing to this, Cassidy. I know how insane this is. I promise you that it’s all going to work out in the end. I told my dad that I moved in and he’s very happy.”

  “It’s nice that you want to make your dad happy like that,” she said. “I do admire that. I’m just worried about what’s going to happen when he finds out the truth.”

  “I know…but…maybe we can somehow avoid the whole thing.”

  “By fake divorcing,” she said. “I know. But won’t that make it worse?”

  I shrugged. “Maybe. I don’t know. This is a mess. But I promise that I won’t get in the way here. In fact, I was thinking that I could help out with the animals while I’m here. You don’t have much help around here, do you?”

  “Not really. I have some light seasonal help, and I have some guys I can call up when I need them. For the most part, though, I try to do as much as I can myself to save money.”

  “Well, that’s where I can come in, then. I know a lot about all of this. After all, I grew up on a ranch. I am comfortable with horses, and I’m more than happy to help. We actually have a lot in common considering our backgrounds and how we were raised. You might as well put me to good use while I’m here.”


  She smiled. “That’s not a bad idea. Thank you, that would be great. So, are you hungry? I’m starving. I wasn’t sure what sort of food you liked so I figured I’d wait until you got here to see what you wanted for dinner.”

  “Oh, I eat practically anything,” I said. “And you shouldn’t have worried. I have an idea, actually. Why don’t I call for pizza? That way nobody has to worry about cooking. We can figure out a routine from tomorrow. Or we can just do our own thing.”

  “Pizza actually sounds like a great idea.”

  “Great. What would you like?” I asked.

  “If you’re calling Massimo’s, then the Chicken Supreme. Extra hot.”

  I stared at her. “Really?”

  “Yeah, why? You think I can’t handle the heat?” she said defensively.

  I laughed. “No, it’s not that. It’s the same pizza I always have.” This was quite something considering the extensive menu that Massimo’s had to offer. I had tried so many different pizzas over the years, but in the end the Chicken Supreme was simply the best.

  “Great minds,” she said.

  I called for the pizza, which arrived less than an hour after I had placed the call, and the two of us sat outside eating and drinking our wine. If anyone were to have walked in on us they would probably assume that we were having a romantic night together. We were only candles and music away from it looking like we on a date. I decided not to point that out to her. I had already made too many jokes, and I didn’t want to push her too far.

  Also, she seemed to have finally relaxed, and the two of us were having a good evening together. I was surprised at how comfortable I was with Cassidy. I had always been very popular, and I had a lot of friends and girlfriends over the years. But I had never felt too comfortable within myself. Nobody would know that, of course. I was adept at hiding it from everyone. Even though I didn’t show it, I was actually incredibly insecure.

  But it felt different with Cassidy. She seemed to get me in a way that other people didn’t. I wondered if it was because she didn’t like me in a romantic way. Maybe that was why I was so relaxed around her, but I wasn’t sure. I’d felt relaxed with her at the wedding too, and we’d been very romantic that night. Whatever it was, it was nice.