Take the Reins (A Cowboy's Promise Book 2)

by Megan Squires

“What if it hasn’t? What about starting out as a vet tech to see if it’s something you’d even enjoy. It would be a great way to get your feet wet before committing to vet school for the long haul.”

  “That’s the thing. I know I would enjoy it. It’s just not my path. Not right now, at least.”

  “So what is your path, Seth? Is it waiting around to see if your parents will give you a bigger piece of the family business? Because that doesn’t really sound like a path to me. It sounds like a road block.”

  Josie spoke bluntly, but Seth respected that because the truth of the matter was, she was entirely right. He didn’t have a future at the ranch. At least not one that would ever end with his name on the deed.

  “I’m sorry.” She must have sensed the doubt swirling in his eyes. “It’s not my place to talk like that.”

  “Sure, it is. You’re my pretend wife, remember? You should get some say in my pretend future.”

  “If all of this were real and I actually did have a say, I would tell you that you’re worthy of chasing after your own dreams, Seth. Just as worthy as anyone else.”

  “And I would tell you that you’re worthy of love, forgiveness, and happiness. More than worthy, even.”

  Josie’s eyes had been fixed on the calf, but at those words, they flicked up to meet Seth’s. Without thinking, he leaned over and took her lips in a soft kiss, a move that was only vaguely familiar after their night together. In answer, she pressed closer, her full mouth against his. Seth chucked the calf bottle to the side of the stall and reached out to grasp the back of Josie’s slender neck to beckon her toward him, his heart ratcheting up to a drum line chorus pace. She met him move for move, her lips both frantic and firm as she crawled over to straddle his lap. She cupped his jaw in her hands and deepened the kiss in such a way that Seth had to repress the low noise that rumbled in his chest.

  Kissing Josie was an exploration of his heart and hers, seeing how they responded to the other with their mouths and their movements. They were in sync in so many ways that weren’t just physical. Seth wondered if he had ever met anyone that did that to him before. Or if he’d ever meet anyone like that again once she was back on her feet financially and didn’t need to park on their land. Once she left the ranch—and Seth—for good.

  That thought pulled him up to a full stop. His hands dropped from Josie’s waist.

  Reading his hesitation, she slunk off his lap. “I’m sorry.”

  “No. Please don’t be sorry. I started it. It’s just—I’m realizing the more I kiss you, the more I don’t want to stop.”

  The calf wobbled over to Josie’s side and flopped down, and he let out a small moo when he draped his sweet head across her lap. She scratched the baby animal right behind its ears. “If it’s any consolation, I feel the same.”

  “Yeah. I guess it is.” Seth jammed his fingers through his hair and raked his scalp. “I just don’t know what’s real and what’s not anymore, Josie.”

  She took up his hand and placed it right above her heart. “I’m real.” She said, then moved their hands to the same spot on Seth’s chest. “And you’re real. That can only mean that all of this must be real, too.”

  “And is that okay with you if it is? If it’s not all fake feelings and playing the part?”

  “Yeah, Seth. It actually is.”

  He kissed her cheek and dropped his head to her shoulder while his fingers unwound from hers and moved to pet the calf, stroking along its adorable little face. “I think I’m falling for you, Josie Friar.” His heart lodged in his throat with the brave admission.

  “I go by Josie Ford now, remember?” she teased, never missing a beat.

  Wouldn’t that be something?, was all Seth could think but this time, he kept that confession to himself.

  20

  Josie

  Josie used the rasp against the thoroughbred’s hoof to smooth out the last bit of uneven surface. She placed the gauge to measure the angle, pleased that it was spot on and balanced like always.

  It was good to be back. She hadn’t missed a beat and that was a relief she let puff up her chest with justified pride.

  Over the next hour, she molded, fit and nailed a full set of shoes on the newest rescue at Bridgette’s sanctuary. Her muscles ached, but in a good way, and her healed arm didn’t give her any trouble. It was the best case scenario all the way around.

  “How much do I owe you for today?” Bridgette had her checkbook out and pen in hand. She leaned up against Seth’s truck that housed all of Josie’s farrier tools in a big, metal storage bin stowed in the bed.

  “Seventy-five.” With her teeth, Josie gripped the leather edge of her glove and tugged it off. Immediately, Bridgette’s eyes went to the sparkling cubic zirconia on her left hand that had been concealed until that moment.

  “I see you two are really playing this whole charade all the way out.” Her eyes hung on the ring before they lifted to Josie’s.

  “It’s not entirely a charade.” Josie turned the stone around with her thumb, insecurity sweeping through her belly. She jammed her hand into her pocket. “I mean, the marriage is, but we aren’t.”

  “You’re telling me you and Seth actually have a thing going on?”

  “We do. In a way. It’s complicated.”

  Bridgette’s head twitched a little as she scribbled out the check, tore it off, and held it out for Josie to take. The small piece of paper fluttered between her fingers. “Isn’t it always?” she said cryptically. “Just be careful, Josie. Seth is a good man. He doesn’t deserve to get hurt.”

  “That’s good, because I don’t plan on hurting him.”

  Bridgette leveled Josie with a look that embodied a heavy dose of disbelief in that statement. “I’m serious here, Josie. I care about Seth. Maybe not in a romantic way like I used to, but part of me will always love him. You don’t know him the way I do.”

  “That’s fair. I don’t.” It was true. They hadn’t known each other long at all, but sometimes a soul recognized something in another’s and that’s all it took. The connection was faster than a head horse out of the gate.

  Bridgette’s arms bound across her chest and she pushed off the truck with her backside. “I’ve agreed to keep your little secret, but that all goes out the window if I think there’s any chance you’re doing this for the wrong reasons.”

  “I’m not,” Josie said firmly, but her voice didn’t reflect the worry unfurling deep in her stomach.

  It was one thing to play house at the ranch, but wearing the ring around town and keeping up appearances in Riverburn—a place she had lived her entire life—was a different story.

  Josie ruminated on that the whole drive to the diner and when she pulled up next to Seth who had driven Marcie’s smelly station wagon to meet her there, that churning turned into a full-on swarm of butterflies. He was typing something out on his phone, but he caught her out of his eye and shoved the cell into his coat pocket, then popped open the car door. Before she could place her fingers on the handle, Seth was at her side of the truck to help her down.

  “How’d it go?” He took her hand into his as Josie’s foot found the running board. “Your arm’s not sore at all, is it?”

  “Actually, no. It feels really good to be using it again. I didn’t realize how much I missed shoeing horses, Seth. It was just like riding a bike.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Happy for you, Josie.”

  Seth didn’t release her hand when they walked into the diner, and even when they were guided to their seat by the teenage hostess, he waited until the last minute to let go. Josie slid into the vinyl booth and picked up the flimsy menu, but she had it practically memorized. She didn’t need to look at it. She always ordered the meat loaf with mashed potatoes, no matter the time of year. But today’s crisp, fall weather definitely called for comfort food.

  Seth didn’t pick up his menu, either.

  “You already know what you want?” she asked, nudging her chin toward the untouched menu.r />
  “Burger and fries will do. You?”

  “I always get the meatloaf. It’s so good. Better than homemade.”

  “Is this a favorite spot of yours?” Seth thanked the waitress that left ice waters at their table and brought his glass up to his lips.

  “My half-sister used to work here, back before she had my nephew. And I came here a lot growing up, but haven’t been lately. It’s been instant noodles and canned chili for me while I tried to scrimp by on savings. Now that the cast is off and I can start making money again, looks like I’ll be able to afford such fine dining establishments as this one.” She made an exaggerated sweeping motion to encompass the dingy restaurant and laughed.

  “Not necessary. You’re on my tab.”

  “I can pay for my own food, Seth.”

  “I know you can,” is all he replied.

  Josie chewed on her lip. “You know, married people often share their finances. That means you gotta let me chip in, too.”

  He grumbled a little at the obvious loophole. “Okay, you got me there. But today is my treat. We’re celebrating.”

  “What are we celebrating?”

  “That you just shod your first horse in months. Not to mention—if my eyes weren’t deceiving me this morning—you not only got a wild stallion haltered, but it also looked like he joined up with you, too. That’s a big win.”

  Josie’s skin went hot. She didn’t think anyone was there when she set out for the horse paddocks at the break of day. Bruiser was in an uncharacteristically social mood, following her around like a puppy dog as she watered and fed the others their morning ration of grain. She figured it was as good a time as any to try her luck with the halter and lead rope. She hadn’t counted on his easy compliance, but was undoubtedly grateful for it.

  “We did have some success this morning. But how did you know that?”

  “I had the early morning shift with Hank.”

  “Hank?”

  “Yep. The baby cow. I named him. He looks like a Hank, doesn’t he? I mean, if a cow can look like a name other than Tri-Tip or T-Bone,” Seth rambled. “Anyway, I saw you on my way out to the barn to bottle feed and had to stop to watch you at work.”

  “That’s not creepy at all,” Josie said warily, but teasing still.

  “It’s not like I was spying on you or anything. Just admiring you. There’s a difference.”

  “Not sure there’s much to admire.” She shrugged. “I’ve got a long way to go with those mustangs.”

  “I bet you get there sooner than you think.”

  The waitress came back to take their orders and Josie and Seth made small talk about their days while they waited for their food. Seth was easy company. Being around him felt like wearing a favorite sweater. Warm. Comfortable. Familiar. In a week, she’d slipped right into very real feelings for him. She could only imagine what another week, month, or even year might hold.

  “So the cook tells me we’re celebrating,” their waitress declared fifteen minutes later when she came back with their meals balanced in her hands. She set each plate down and then placed her palms on her hips, a mischievous smile working at her mouth.

  “It’s just a cast…” Josie started to say.

  “Congrats, newlyweds!” The woman shouted boisterously. Every head in the establishment swiveled their way, every eyeball fastened onto their corner of the restaurant.

  If diving under the table to hide was an acceptable thing to do, Josie would have hit the floor. She slunk lower in the booth.

  “I didn’t even know you were dating anyone, much less ready to settle down and get yourself married, Josephine.” While the waitress looked only vaguely familiar, she wasn’t someone Josie would expect to be privy to this sort of information. The woman caught Josie’s blank, uncomprehending stare. “I’m good friends with your mama, sweetheart. I’ll have to tell her I got to see you in person to congratulate you on your big news. This is wonderful. So happy for you.”

  “No!” The word flew out of Josie’s mouth like a slap. “I mean, no, that’s not necessary. I’m seeing her this afternoon and I’ll be happy to pass along that I ran into you.”

  “Well, okay. I guess that’s fine, too. Anyhoo, you two lovebirds enjoy your lunch. I promise to stay out of your hair and let you eat in peace. Just holler if you need anything.”

  The jolly waitress sashayed back to the diner’s long counter, leaving Josie and Seth to their lunch but Josie no longer had an appetite for it.

  “You’re seeing your mother today?” Seth mumbled around a huge bite of hamburger.

  “Looks like I am now.”

  Josie’s toes tapped the ground like a nervous, uncontrolled tick. Each time the boot met the dusty earth, Cowboy would swat at her foot, claws bared. She didn’t even have the mental energy to shoo him away. Her brain was coiled up and wrapped around the thought of her mother coming out to the ranch for dinner. For dinner with Seth’s parents, of all things.

  The day had started off on the right foot with the horses, then slowly deteriorated into this cluster-mess of emotions and now, a sinking feeling of inevitable dread. She had called her mom that afternoon to arrange for her to join them for dinner, not even thinking that it was Thursday. Thursdays were Ford family dinner nights, a routine that had yet to become a part of Josie’s new normal.

  “That’s no problem,” Donna had assured Josie at the mailbox that afternoon when she declined the invitation which really wasn’t an invitation at all. Nothing ever was with that woman. “We’ll have plenty of food. Tell your mother to be here at six. Can’t wait to meet my newest in-law.”

  Josie sat waiting on a rusted folding chair in front of her trailer for over an hour, hoping to intercept her mother before she pulled all the way into the drive and up to the Ford’s sprawling farmhouse. There was a whole load of explaining to do and she still didn’t quite know how to broach the topic of her fake marriage, her real feelings, and her new overbearing, pretend family waiting in the wings to welcome Peg Friar to the farm.

  Chest burning with anxiety, Josie’s eyes lifted at the sound of rubber tires rolling over pocked gravel. Her mother’s sedan crept slowly beneath the arbor arc, the motor humming like a cat’s purr. Not that Josie was all too familiar with that. Cowboy wasn’t typically the purring sort of cat.

  Pushing up from her chair, Josie waved frantically to flag her mother down. The car turned away from the Ford house and redirected its path toward the trailer, Peg’s smile wide and beaming through the dirt-speckled windshield.

  “Sure nice to see you out of that cast,” Peg said upon exiting the vehicle. She placed her purse on the cooling hood of the car and then wrapped Josie in an embrace so tight it nearly made her yelp. Peg took her by the shoulders and pushed her out at arm’s length to give her a motherly assessment. “I’m so happy you called today, Jo. I’ve been thinking about you a lot and have been trying to get in touch with you.”

  “I’ve got some news, Mom.”

  Peg’s eyes twinkled. “I do, too.” If she had been trying to conceal her enthusiasm, she failed miserably. Peg’s entire face lit up with a massive, unabashed grin. “Me first.” Then she thrust her hand into the gap between them, wriggling her fingers to showcase the modest ring adorning her previously empty fourth finger. “I’m engaged!” She squealed and stomped her feet like a dance.

  If someone had swiftly socked Josie in the gut, the reaction wouldn’t have been any different. It took everything in her to keep from doubling at the waist. “Engaged? You’re serious?”

  “Yes! Isn’t it exciting? Darrell just asked me a couple weeks ago. We’re planning a spring wedding. Nothing too fancy, but I’m hoping you and your sisters will be my bridesmaids. I’ve been looking at dresses, but don’t know that we’ll be able to find one you can all agree on. Maybe you could each pick out your own style. I hear they are doing that more and more these days. Choosing dresses that are the same color, but not necessarily the same cut.”

  Josie shook her hea
d, not to indicate any sort of answer, but to help clear it. “You’re getting married.” Saying it as a statement rather than a question didn’t make it any more believable.

  “I am. Oh, Josie. He makes me so happy and takes such good care of me. I know you didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him before you moved out, but he’s a wonderful man. You will love him. I’m certain of it.” Peg’s hands found Josie’s and squeezed. When her thumb brushed over the matching ring on Josie’s finger, Peg pulled up short. “What’s this?”

  Josie recoiled and shoved her hand behind her back. “Nothing.”

  Peg reached around and grabbed her daughter’s arm. “Josie. Are you engaged?” Her eyes fell open in shock.

  “No.” It wasn’t a lie. But the next statement most certainly was. “I’m married.”

  Peg didn’t fall over dead, which was a better reaction than Josie anticipated. Her jaw unhinged, mouth popping open and then closed like a fish. “You’re married?”

  “Yep.” The lie tasted like poison on Josie’s lips. It hadn’t been that way when she told it to others. To people she didn’t know or care about. But lying to her mother was like getting caught with her hand in the world’s largest cookie jar. Guilt flooded her veins and made her sweat. “I’m married to Seth Ford. This is his ranch, actually, and we’re having dinner with his family tonight. I wanted to introduce you all. It’s why I asked you to come over.”

  “Josie.” Understanding had yet to register on Peg’s face. The space between her brows pinched. “You just went off and got married? Without telling any of us?”

  “Let’s not pretend I’m the only one in this family to do something without telling anyone first.” It was a below the belt move, but all she had in her arsenal.

  “If you’re talking about your father and his infidelity—”

  “Geez, no, Mom! I meant when Maren jetted off to San Francisco for college without consulting with any of us first.”

  “We knew she always wanted to live in the city,” Peg corrected, eyes slits. “And college is just four years. Marriage is a lifetime.”