Dearest Cowboys Box Set

by Mia Brown

  “That was a nice surprise.”

  She smiled back. “Just doing my wifely duties.” She kissed me once more and then hopped out of bed, and before I knew it her gown was back on and she was out the door. I lay back and groaned, my body aching from her touch. What a way to start the morning.

  I got up and jumped straight into the shower, allowing the warm water to cascade over my now very relaxed body. When I came out, Cassidy was nowhere to be seen, but a note was waiting for me in the kitchen.

  Out for the morning. See you later.

  I got myself a cup of coffee and some toast and headed to the dining room table to eat. There was a newspaper waiting on the table, which I assumed Cassidy had brought in, and I settled down to read it. I was about to make myself another cup when I heard a knock at the door.

  Cassidy wouldn’t be knocking on her own door, and I wondered who it could be. I hoped I wasn’t going to be confronted with Jake again. It had been awkward the last time, but it would be even worse now that he thought I was in a relationship with the woman he liked.

  “Oh, hi Nicole. Great to see you again,” I said when I saw that it was Cassidy’s sister at the door. Nicole was very different from Cassidy. She was only 24 and had a very feminine way about her. I could see the similarities between the two of them, but Cassidy had an extra layer of grit and determination that made her stand out. I didn’t know Nicole very well, but I knew that Cassidy thought a great deal of her. “You’ve missed Cassidy, though. She went out to shop.”

  “Yeah, I know. I saw her there. That’s why I came here. I want to talk to you alone.”

  “Alone?”

  “Yeah, can I come in?” she asked.

  “Uh, sure. Of course,” I said, and let her in. “Uh, coffee?”

  “No thanks, I won’t be long,” she said. She took a seat in the living room, and I followed suit.

  “Is everything okay?” I asked. It was pretty obvious by the look on her face that she was not in a good mood.

  She sighed. “Not really. Look, Houston, I know about this fake marriage. Cassidy has told me everything. And, at the start, I thought the whole thing was pretty amusing. I know that you helped her out at the wedding and that you supported her, and I really do appreciate that.”

  “You don’t exactly sound like you appreciate it,” I pointed out.

  “I do. I really do. You have no idea how bad Lara was to her growing up. I know I was young, but I clearly remember what it was like for her. Lara is a bitch, and she made Cassidy’s life hell for no reason.”

  “I don’t call her Lara. I call her witch,” I said.

  Nicole laughed, then shook her head. “You see, this is what I’m talking about. You’re supportive, and my sister needs that. Not that she would ever admit to needing anyone. Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that the two of you need to be careful.”

  “Careful?”

  “When are you going to admit that this whole thing is a sham? Why are you actually doing this? Actually, yes, that is a better question: why are you doing this?”

  “It’s a long story,” I said. “My father believes that the two of us are together, and he’s so happy for us. And I haven’t seen him like this for a long time. And…”

  “And it’s so good to see him happy again after all this time,” she finished for me. “Yes, I know all this. Trust me, Cassidy tried to explain it to me. I think it’s sweet of you, but also a little ridiculous. Come on, Houston, how does that even make sense? The happier your dad is about this whole thing, the more you’re going to upset him. You’re an intelligent guy. I’m sure you know this.”

  “Well, yes, but…there’s more to it than that,” I said. I tried to think of something else to say, but I stopped. I actually didn’t know how to explain myself.

  “You see,” she said. “Point proven. You don’t even know yourself. Who are you trying to fool? Yourself?”

  “Uh…I…”

  She chuckled. “Houston, why can’t you just admit that you’ve fallen for my sister?”

  “What? No, I haven’t. I helped her out when she needed me, and she helped me out when I needed her. That’s all.”

  She smiled. “Here’s the thing, Houston…you do realize that the two of you could’ve just pretended to be living together, don’t you? How many times has your dad visited you throughout this pretend marriage?”

  “Well, none, but that’s not the point,” I said. “He was away on business for a bit of that time, and he’s been busy. Anyway, I’m planning on going to talk to him at the end of this week. I’m going to tell him that the two of us couldn’t make it work. I swear.”

  “So, you lived together for what? For nothing? Your father hasn’t even been here. I know that this situation is a bit awkward. I am very aware that the two of you didn’t mean for this to happen. It started off as a joke. I know that. But it’s also very obvious that the two of you feel something for each other. I would go as far as saying that you have fallen for each other.”

  “Fallen for each other?” I shook my head. “You’re definitely looking into this way too much, Nicole. There’s nothing going on. You’ll see. It will all be over soon.”

  “And then what happens after that?”

  “We carry on with our own lives. We continue being friends. That’s all.”

  She nodded. “And my sister can finally get together with Jake,” she said.

  “Jake?” I said, a little too loudly. “What do you mean?”

  “Don’t you know? Jake is in love with her, and Cassidy is simply waiting for this relationship with you to be over so that she can get together with him.”

  “She wants to be with him?” I asked softly. I couldn’t believe it. Cassidy wanted to be with Jake? But why? I was so sure that she didn’t have any feelings toward him. When had this changed? Had they been secretly meeting up when I wasn’t around? Was she with him right now?

  I felt strange at the thought of her with another guy. I knew how much Jake liked her too, so maybe he had just managed to convince her. It wasn’t like she was cheating on me, either. We weren’t really a couple. A million questions flashed through my mind, and I was just about to ask Nicole about it when she began to laugh.

  “What’s so funny?” I asked her.

  “Oh, Houston. You’re hilarious. You should see the look on your face. I just made that up. Jake might be in love with her, but she’s not interested in him at all.”

  I frowned. “So why would you say that to me?”

  “I just wanted to see what your reaction would be if I told you that she was interested in another guy. I’m pleased to see that you were utterly devastated by it. Come on, it’s time to admit the truth to yourself, you’ve fallen for my sister, and you want to be with her for good.”

  I shook my head. “No, that’s not true,” I said, even though I knew that on some level what Nicole was saying was right. Why had I been so upset about her and Jake, then? I just didn’t want to admit to it out loud. “It’s not true,” I said again, as if saying it twice would make me believe it.

  She smiled. “If you really wanted things to be over then you would’ve told everyone the truth a long time ago.” She stood up then to signal that she was through with the conversation, and began walking to the door. I got up and followed her, my mind hazy from the talk.

  “For what it’s worth, Houston, I think you’re a great guy. Cassidy is a wonderful person, though. The best in the world. So, please be careful with her. If you’re in love with her, then pursue it. If you’re not, or think you never will be, then end this whole thing now before she gets hurt. She also hasn’t admitted to falling for you, but it’s so obvious. Just don’t hurt her, okay?”

  “I won’t,” I said.

  Nicole left, and I made my way back inside. I thought back to that day of the wedding, and how one little lie had caused all of this. I shook my head. Was Nicole right? Was I falling in love with Cassidy? And if I was, then what were we supposed to do about it?


  Twenty-Three

  Cassidy

  I was sitting at The Grilled Duck with Houston again, but this time felt different from all the other times. This time didn’t feel like we were pretending anymore, and my emotions were starting to worry me. I should never have allowed this to happen. I was, without a doubt, falling in love with Houston. I didn’t want to be in love with him though, because I knew that it would only complicate matters. I wanted to go back to the way things were before when it didn’t feel like my heart was hanging on by a string. I was going to get hurt. I knew it.

  “Everything okay?” Houston asked me.

  I smiled. “Yeah, everything is fine.”

  He took my hand and smiled. “Good.”

  Things between us were so intimate now. At home, we didn’t do much flirting, except at night or in the early mornings when we would creep into each other’s rooms. But at the restaurant we flirted openly, touching as often as possible. Houston was always very sensual with me, and very complimentary, and it was sometimes hard not to get swept up by it.

  I wondered if this was what it would be like if we were really married to one another. My sister had warned me that I was getting too close, but I had pushed the thought aside. He’d be leaving soon, and all of this would be over. I wanted to ask Houston if the two of us would be able to go back to being friends after this, but I didn’t want the night to get too serious. I wanted to keep things as fun as they always had been with him.

  “So, what would you say is your favorite genre of music?” I asked him instead. I planned on keeping things as light as possible so that when we got home, we could fall back into bed with one another without either one of us thinking that it was wrong. If we got too serious, we would have to discuss the fact that what we were doing was probably not the smartest thing in the world. Under the table, I ran my fingers up his leg to keep things flirtatious.

  “Hmm…” he said. He grinned at me. “It’s hard to concentrate with your hand there.” I took it away, and he shook his head. “No, put it back.” So I did. “Uh, what was the question?”

  I chuckled. Then I saw a look of horror cross his face, and I was about to ask him what was wrong when I saw who he was looking at. Stanton, his father, had just walked into the restaurant and was heading our way. Following just behind him were Rick and Lara.

  The trio headed over to our table, and I suddenly had no idea what to do with myself. Do I continue acting like a couple? These people all believed that we were married, so I simply plastered a big smile on my face and hoped that my nerves didn’t show.

  “Dad? What are you doing here?”

  Stanton smiled. “Well, I have a dinner arrangement tonight, and I just so happened to spot Rick and Lara. Funny seeing you here, too. You have good taste in restaurants. Cassidy, it’s a pleasure to see you. You look beautiful tonight.”

  I gulped. I wanted the earth to swallow me whole. “It’s a pleasure to see you too,” I said. “Uh, and you, Rick and Lara. What are you guys doing in town?”

  “We just got back from our honeymoon in Hawaii,” Rick said. “We’re staying with friends nearby for a few nights, and we thought it would be nice to have dinner here. We’ve heard so much about it. Do you two come here often?”

  “Uh, yeah, we come here every now and again. Did you have a good honeymoon?”

  “It was great. Hawaii is amazing,” Rick said.

  “You know, the two of you should go to Hawaii, too. I mean, you’re married now. When were you planning on going on away for your honeymoon? If you need some ideas, just ask away. I know some amazing places that you could visit.” Lara was exceptionally giddy that night, almost as if she’d had too much to drink. I could tell by the way she was standing and the clarity in her eyes that she was completely sober, though. I had a feeling that she was up to something, but I had no idea what it could be. Rick was standing next to her looking exceptionally sheepish, and I got the impression that he also knew that Lara was up to something. He refused to make eye contact with me, which was only making it worse.

  “You know,” Stanton said. “That’s a fabulous idea. After the wedding reception, the two of you should go away for your honeymoon. Lara is right; you need to celebrate.”

  I squeezed Houston’s leg under the table. I didn’t know what to do. We were supposed to tell his father that things between us hadn’t worked out, and now we were looking all loved up in a romantic restaurant discussing our honeymoon. The whole thing was messed up, and I didn’t know what to do about it. Houston had gone still beside me, so I knew that he was just as much of a loss for words as I was.

  “Oh, I can’t hold it in anymore,” Lara suddenly said.

  “What do you mean?” Houston asked.

  “Lara, don’t,” Rick said, and the moment he said that I remembered that I had told him that the marriage was a sham. Up until that moment I had completely forgotten that he knew the truth. After one too many glasses of champagne, the truth had come out, and even though I had begged him not to tell anyone, he had obviously told Lara. I couldn’t blame him, either. Lara was his wife, so why wouldn’t he tell her. I felt sick to my stomach when I realized what was about to happen.

  “Yes, don’t,” I said. “Please.” I realized how pitiful I sounded.

  “What’s going on?” Stanton asked. “Is there something going on that we should all know about?”

  “Do you want to tell him or should I?” Lara asked.

  I groaned. “There’s nothing to tell,” I said through gritted teeth.

  “What are you all talking about?” Stanton asked again. He looked at his son. “Houston?”

  Houston shrugged. “I have no idea what she’s going on about, either,” he said. Which, to be fair, was probably true. He had no idea that I had told Rick that night and that he had told Lara. I had messed everything up for him.

  “Oh, I can’t keep it in. If you’re not going to tell him, then I will. Stanton, your son over here is not really married to Cassidy. The whole thing is a complete sham, and they are pulling one over on you. It’s an absolute joke and a complete disgrace. Marriage is supposed to be sacred, but they’re making a mockery of it.”

  Stanton frowned. “Is this true?”

  “No, it’s not true,” I said. I took Houston’s hand. “We’re married, and we’re in love. Lara has just never liked me, and she is trying to make trouble for me. That’s all.”

  “What would you do something like that?” Stanton said to Lara.

  Lara smiled. “I’m not the one who is telling the lie. Your son is. And so is Cassidy. She had nobody to bring our wedding, so she asked your son along. When I questioned the whole thing, she blurted out that they were married. She just didn’t expect me to tell the whole wedding party. After that, they obviously just went along with it for fun. Ridiculous. And trust me, it’s a lie. Cassidy here was so drunk that she actually told Rick the truth that night. Go on, Rick, tell Stanton the truth.”

  “Well, uh…” Rick mumbled as he looked at the floor.

  “Spit it out,” Stanton said.

  “Yeah, Rick, come on. Be a man about it. Tell them the truth,” Lara said, and I recoiled at the way she spoke to him. They were the ones giving marriage a bad name, not us.

  Rick sighed. “It’s true. Cassidy told me at the wedding,” he looked up at me then. “I’m sorry, Cass.”

  “So it’s true? You’re really not married? Why on earth would you make up something like this? That’s not even funny at all. Here I was planning your wedding reception, picking out your gift, telling everyone that I met how my son was in love. And the whole thing is a complete joke. A complete and utter joke. How could you?”

  “Dad, I can understand,” Houston said. “Lara is turning this into something a lot bigger than it really is.”

  “Yeah,” I said. “We can explain.”

  “I want to know the truth once and for all. Are you or are you not married to one another?” he asked.

  “Dad, we can explain. Pleas
e just let us explain,” Houston said.

  “Just answer the question, Houston.”

  “We’re not married,” he said.

  His father looked at us both and shook his head. I had never seen that look on his face before. There was so much sadness and bitter disappointment that I felt myself immediately start crying.

  “Your mother would be so ashamed of you,” he said, and he stormed out of the restaurant.

  Houston ran out of the restaurant to go after his father. We’d made quite a scene now, so many people were staring at us. I turned away from them and focused my attention on Rick and Lara. They were both standing there watching me. Rick looked mortified by what had happened, but Lara just looked delighted. I was immediately transported back to when we were younger and how she had embarrassed me in front of the boy that I liked. It was like it was happening all over again, only this time it was so much worse.

  “How could you do this to us?” I said to them.

  “Cass, I’m so sorry,” Rick started, but Lara told him to keep quiet.

  “I’m not sorry,” she said. Then she took Rick’s hand and led him from the restaurant. I could hear them laughing the whole way out.

  I called the waiter over and told him that I wanted to pay the bill and leave.

  “Are you going to be okay?” he said to me.

  I looked at him and smiled. “I’ll be fine,” I said, even though I didn’t believe it at all. I paid the bill, and as I walked out, I tried to ignore all the whispering that was headed my way. I wished people would just mind their own business.

  When I got out, I saw Houston standing there, but his father was nowhere to be seen.

  “Hey,” I said. “Did you speak to him?”

  “No,” he said sadly. “He left. He wouldn’t hear me out.”

  “I’m sorry, Houston. I’m sorry I told Rick. I’m an idiot.”