Make-Believe Marriage

by Pamela M. Kelley

  Cameron hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said, “Yes, I really like the condos by the lake. It’s a new development, not far from the hospital.”

  “That’s impressive to think of a young woman like you buying her own home. Women just didn’t do that in my day,” his mother said.

  “Are you liking living at the ranch?” she added.

  “Oh, I am. It’s lovely. I will miss it.”

  Ethan wondered if she’d miss him at all when their time together ended. He was getting used to seeing her there at the end of the day, sharing dinner together and talking. She was good company and even though he knew it wasn’t going to last, he knew he would miss her.

  “Ethan, what do you think?” his father asked.

  “Sorry, I missed the question. Think about what?”

  “We were just talking about Blake Connors and wondering what he’ll do. Do you think he’ll possibly stay in Riston? Or end up going to one of those TV jobs or something?”

  “I have no idea.” But he hoped that Blake Connors, with his blond hair and his charming smile, would go very far away.

  “How was fishing today? Did you have any luck?” his father asked.

  “We did, actually. I hope Cameron likes striped bass because it’s probably what’s for dinner tomorrow.”

  “Oh, I love it,” she assured him.

  “Did Tyler get you anything interesting?” She looked at Cameron. “He always gives Ethan something fun.”

  Ethan laughed. “He did, actually. He’s taking me skydiving next Sunday.”

  “Skydiving? That doesn’t sound fun to me. I’m terrified of heights,” Cameron admitted.

  “I’m with you, honey. I prefer to keep my feet firmly on the ground.”

  “Well, I think it sounds like fun. If I was a lot younger, I might want to try it myself.

  After dinner, his mother made a pot of coffee, and put out a birthday cake and several beautifully wrapped gifts. Based on the boxes, he guessed it was clothes. And he was right. One box held two nice dress shirts, the other, two silk ties.

  “You can never have too many ties,” his father said.

  “Thank you both. I needed some new shirts and ties.”

  “Check your card, too. There’s one more gift in there,” his mother said.

  He slid the envelope open, read the card and saw the gift certificate to Mamma Mia’s, his favorite Italian restaurant in town.

  He smiled. “Thank you.”

  An hour later, they arrived back home, and he carried his gifts inside. He was ready to change into something more comfortable and maybe watch a little TV before bed. Cameron was on the same wavelength.

  “I can’t wait to get out of this dress and into my sweats. You up for a movie?” she asked.

  “You read my mind.”

  Ten minutes later they were both in t-shirts and sweats and Cameron was holding a gift bag.

  “I have a little something for you, too. It’s nothing big.” She handed him the bag, and he reached inside. It was a book—Time Bandit.

  “Since you like to fish so much, I thought you might find it interesting. Have you ever seen the show The Deadliest Catch?”

  “I have. Those guys are crazy.”

  “That book is their story, that the show is based on.” She bit her lower lip and looked worried that he might not like it.

  “I love it. Thank you.” He was touched that she’d picked out such a thoughtful gift, trying to find something that he would really like.

  “I’m so glad you like it.” She sounded relieved.

  He put his arms around her. “Of course I like it. And now I need to thank you properly.” He leaned in and touched his lips to hers. It was a quick kiss, but it was firmly on the lips and he was curious how she’d react. He held his breath for a moment and then relaxed when a slow smile spread across her face. She didn’t mind that he’d kissed her. That was an important first. He was tempted to do it again, but he didn’t want to push his luck.

  Ethan had just kissed her, and on the lips too! Cameron was pleasantly surprised. She remembered the first time he’d accidentally kissed her on the cheek and how she’d reacted. And the look on his face when she’d said “Eww”. He’d turned beet red, and it had happened so fast that she’d just reacted without realizing she was being rude. No wonder he’d kissed her forehead instead of her lips when they got married. She didn’t blame him, actually. So kissing her on the lips—well, that seemed big to her. Unless it wasn’t. Maybe he was just caught up in the moment and it was just a simple thank you kiss on his birthday.

  “You still up for a movie?” he asked as he sat on the sofa and put his legs up on the coffee table.

  “Sure.” She sat next to him and they found a suspense film that had them on the edge of their seats. Cameron jumped at one point and Ethan reached out and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze. She leaned into him then, and rested her head on his shoulder and he put his arm behind her. She liked the feeling of his arms around her. Ethan was all muscle from being so active all day and she felt safe with him.

  She hoped for another kiss but sensed that the moment had passed for the night when Ethan started to yawn. When the movie ended, they were both ready to head upstairs and as she lay in her bed trying to fall asleep, she kept thinking about Ethan and wondering where this relationship was going. They were halfway through the month. In two weeks, their time together would be up and they would both be free to move on. When she’d agreed to this arrangement, she was anxious for the weeks to fly by. Now she found herself wishing they’d slow down instead and wondering how Ethan was feeling.

  Chapter 10

  Cameron spent the next week in a state of happy bliss. She worked all day shifts and every night she looked forward to coming home and having dinner with Ethan, talking about their day and relaxing after work. They went riding a few times, but usually watched TV in the family room and what Cameron loved more than anything was sitting with Ethan’s arm around her, and snuggling close as they watched a movie.

  There were no more kisses that week but there were a few near miss moments. It was almost as if they were both afraid of possibly screwing up whatever it was that had developed between them. It was a really close, sweet friendship, maybe more, but neither was ready to call it a relationship.

  Cameron was nervous all week for Sunday, the day that Ethan was going to go skydiving with Tyler. He invited her to go up in the plane with them and teasingly invited her to join them in the jump.

  “You just turned as white as a ghost,” he laughed. “I wasn’t serious about jumping. I know you don’t want to do that, but it might be fun to come up in the plane with us.” But Cameron’s fear of heights extended to flying.

  And she wasn’t sure which was worse, watching him jump out of the plane from the air or being on the ground and seeing him fall toward her. She finally decided to stay on the ground so that she could be there when he landed.

  It was a beautiful, sunny day when Sunday rolled around—perfect conditions for diving, At least that’s what Tyler and Ethan said when they both gave her a hug and then climbed onto the small plane.

  Cameron was glad that Tyler was wearing a yellow jacket and Ethan had on a dark green one. It would make it easier for her to know who was who as they came down.

  She watched as the plane taxied down the runway and the knot in her stomach grew. The plane took off and lifted into the air and kept going up and up. She could see it almost disappear in the distance and then grow bigger as it came back toward her, doing a big loop around the area.

  When it was almost above her, she could see the opening in the plane and two tiny figures. A moment later, they were in the air—two people floating in space. As they drifted down, she could just make out the colors of their jackets and her eyes focused on the figure in green.

  It seemed like they were coming down awfully fast and their parachutes still hadn’t opened. It was terrifying to watch. But finally, Tyler’s parachute opened and a
moment later, just as she was starting to panic, Ethan’s did, too.

  They drifted down more slowly, now that their parachutes were open and Cameron finally relaxed a little. A few minutes later, they hit the ground seconds apart. She ran over to them and as soon as she got there, saw that they were sitting up and high-fiving each other.

  As they got to their feet and looked around, Ethan smiled when he saw Cameron. And she was relieved that he seemed to be unhurt.

  “How was it?” she asked.

  “It was amazing. Exhilarating. There’s nothing like it. You should really try it.” She’d never seen him so excited and laughed.

  “I’ll take your word on that.”

  Tyler headed off to see his family for Sunday dinner ,and Ethan and Cameron went to Mamma Mia’s for Italian. Over delicious pasta, bread and red wine, they talked and laughed for hours. Cameron was amused to see that Ethan seemed to be on such a high from skydiving still. He’d loved it and was already talking about going again. She shuddered at the thought, but was also glad that he’d enjoyed it so much.

  “What’s your schedule like this week?” Ethan asked as he broke off a piece of bread and reached for the butter.

  “It’s all over the place. Late shift tomorrow and Tuesday, nine-to-five the next two days and back on the late shift for Friday. I’m off all weekend, though.”

  “I liked your schedule last week. Do you think you could ever get a permanent schedule where you don’t have to work nights?”

  “It’s possible. I’ve always liked the combination, but last week was really nice, being home at the same time every day. Though it means only sleeping in on the weekends,” she said with a laugh.

  He smiled. “You get up early, anyway.”

  That’s true. She’d also grown to look forward to her morning chats with Mrs. Crosby in the kitchen, sipping coffee while the older woman cooked. She was going to miss that when her month was up.

  “I can’t believe we only have a week left,” she said as she twirled her pasta before taking a bite.

  Ethan’s mood dimmed a little. “I know. It went by faster than I’d imagined. Are you anxious to buy your house?”

  Was she? When the month started, she couldn’t wait to get it over with, and was eager to get the check and go make an offer. She and Rachel had looked at a few of the vacant units and she knew which one she wanted. It was an end unit, facing the water. It had two bedrooms, and a small deck so she could sit outside and watch the water ripple in the breeze. It was what she’d dreamed of for so long.

  “I am excited to be settled and in a place I can call home. I’m tired of renting.”

  He nodded and looked pensive as he took a sip of his wine.

  “It’s been really nice having you here,” he finally said. “It’s gone better than I expected, to be honest.”

  “It has, hasn’t it? I’ll miss it, especially Mrs. Crosby. She’s become a good friend. You’re lucky to have her.”

  “I am. I know. I’m sure she’s going to miss you, too.”

  After dinner, they went home and the mood between them was strange, almost distant. Ethan went into his office and when he was still there an hour later, Cameron turned off the TV, grabbed her Kindle and went upstairs to read in bed. It had been a somewhat strange day, and it seemed to be unsettling to both of them that their time together was coming to an end.

  Chapter 11

  The next morning when Cameron came downstairs, Ethan and Mrs. Crosby were laughing in the kitchen. Ethan’s face was animated as he told her all about his skydiving adventure. Cameron helped herself to coffee and settled in an empty chair at the island. Ethan was next to her and Mrs. Crosby was across the island from them, peeling carrots and smiling at Ethan’s story.

  Ethan smiled at Cameron and it immediately felt like the strange distance from the night before had disappeared and things were back to normal between them. She hoped so.

  “I invited Cameron to come in the plane with us, but she was too scared,” he teased her.

  She shivered at the thought. “He’s completely right. I was terrified to go up there even if I wasn’t jumping. Heights, small planes, it’s all the same to me.”

  “I’m not crazy about heights myself,” Mrs. Crosby admitted. “And you should go. Didn’t you say you are meeting the guys out in the field at eight thirty?”

  Ethan glanced at his watch. “You’re right. I didn’t realize it was so late. I’m off.” As he walked off, Mrs. Crosby topped off Cameron’s mug. She didn’t ask anymore, just automatically did it when she topped off her own. Since Cameron drank her coffee black, she was always happy to have a little more.

  “Are you hungry? I made a frittata.”

  But Cameron wasn’t ready for a big meal. “I think I’ll just have some toast.”

  A few minutes later, she was nibbling hot buttered toast along with her coffee.

  “You’re working later today, I take it?” Mrs. Crosby finished peeling the carrots and moved on to dicing celery.

  Cameron nodded. “The night shift today and tomorrow.”

  “Do you like all that switching around with different schedules?”

  “I’ve never minded it before. Though I have to admit, last week was nice having every night off and coming home to your cooking every night.”

  Mrs. Crosby looked pleased with the compliment.

  “I’m glad you like it. I’m making a hearty chicken stew, and some fresh baked bread to go with it.”

  “That sounds wonderful. I really am going to miss it here.”

  Mrs. Crosby stopped dicing for a moment. “I bet Ethan wouldn’t mind if you stayed a bit longer.”

  Cameron had no response for that. And she really had no idea how Ethan felt. Maybe he was looking forward to having the place to himself.

  “So, what are your plans for the day?” Mrs. Crosby asked as she resumed her chopping.

  “I think I’m going to go to one of Barbie’s yoga classes this morning and maybe have a late lunch before I head to the hospital at three.”

  “If you’re hungry when you get home tonight, there will be plenty of stew, so just help yourself.”

  “I will. Thanks.”

  Cameron felt great after going to Barbie’s class. She loved her studio which was on the first floor of the old home that she and her husband, Ryan, owned. Barbie used to work as a waitress at the restaurant at River’s End Ranch and always waited on them on trivia night, until her yoga business grew big enough that she could do it full-time. Yoga helped to stretch both her body and her mind. It was a great de-stresser.

  She showered and read for a bit while doing a load of laundry. It was a beautiful day and after her laundry was done, she decided to go for a walk and set out toward the peaceful lake that Ethan had showed her. She found it easily enough after about ten minutes of walking and sat by the water’s edge, soaking up the warmth of the sun and enjoying the soft breezes as they blew over her. It was a beautiful spot. She loved everything about the property, actually, and was going to miss it. Ethan was very fortunate to live there.

  She was just about to head back to the house when she heard a rustling noise and saw Ethan coming her way, on Midnight. She caught her breath when she saw him. He looked so rugged and sweet at the same time, with his smiling eyes and looking like a cowboy from head to toe.

  “Cameron? Is everything okay?” His voice held a mixture of confusion and concern.

  She stood up and brushed a few wayward leaves off her pants.

  “I’m fine. I had some time to kill and I guess I was feeling nostalgic. I wanted to see this pretty pond again before I leave here.”

  A muscle flickered in Ethan’s jaw before he glanced down at his watch and frowned.

  “What time do you have to be in to work?”

  “Not until three.”

  “Oh, okay. It’s just a little after one. You should be fine.”

  “Is it that late? I’ll have to hurry then. I was planning to grab a late lunch at Kels
ey’s Kafe on my way in.”

  “Why don’t you hop on behind me, then and I can run you back to the house? Midnight will get us there quickly.”

  She hesitated as she’d never ridden behind anyone on a horse before.

  “Give me your hand. I’ll help you up.”

  She did and a moment later she was sitting behind Ethan with her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

  “Okay, hold on.” And they were off, racing across the fields. Cameron’s hair flew out behind her as they rode, and she rested her chin against his back and breathed in the scent that was uniquely his. It was better than any cologne. The ride was over almost as quickly as it began. Ethan helped her slide off Midnight, and then tipped his hat and rode off. She watched him go for a minute before heading into the house to change into her nurse’s scrubs.

  Cameron arrived at Kelsey’s Kafe at a quarter to two, which was plenty of time to have lunch before work. The lunch rush was over and there were just a few customers left, including two familiar faces at the counter. Jaclyn and Simon both waved her over.

  Jaclyn was still nibbling on what looked to be a turkey club sandwich while Simon’s plate just contained few small pieces of broccoli. The daily newspaper was spread out in front of him and he was working on the crossword puzzle.

  Cameron sat on an empty stool next to Jaclyn, who seemed delighted to see her.

  “It’s nice to see you both. I thought you were usually the first ones here for breakfast?”

  “We still come for breakfast, but a few times a week now we come for a late lunch instead and then we don’t need dinner or we just eat very lightly. But enough about us. How are you doing, dear? And how’s Ethan? Are you both coming to trivia this week?” The questions came fast and furious and Cameron smiled, trying to keep up. Meanwhile, an older waitress, one Cameron hadn’t seen before, came by and held a full pot of coffee over Cameron’s empty cup. She had very short hair, a roly poly figure, and looked to be in her late fifties. Cameron nodded, and the waitress filled it to the brim when Cameron said she didn’t need any cream or sugar.