The Cowboy's Marriage Mistake

by Jessie Gussman

  Cord blinked. He blinked again, mostly because his brain couldn’t think of anything to say in answer to that. Was the man talking about Rosalin? Of course, he was; he used her name. Double-booked? What did that mean?

  Cord really wanted to make some lame comment about the weather, but conversation seemed to have progressed well beyond that with just one sentence.

  Then the door opened, and Rosalin stood on the other side. The outfit she was wearing, some kind of shimmery dress that dipped low in front and was slit up the side along with high heels, seemed to match the man’s suit better than Cord’s jeans and plaid shirt.

  The big smile that was on her face faded, although her mouth hung open as she looked at him. “Cord?”

  Her eyes skimmed past Cord and landed on the suit guy. Cord would never say he was an expert at reading people’s expressions, but it sure looked like panic that spread across her face before she contained it.

  “You didn’t answer my text or my call, but I needed to talk to you.” Suddenly, the little feeling that had been in his gut telling him maybe this wasn’t such a great idea was screaming at the top of its lungs that he had been a fool.

  He hadn’t quite figured out what was going on, but obviously it wasn’t something that Rosalin wanted him to know about.

  “Rosalin, we’re going to be late if you keep standing here staring.” The man in the suit spoke from over Cord’s shoulder.

  Rosalin’s eyes flicked to him. “I’m sorry, Quinn.” Her lips flattened, and her eyes shifted like she wasn’t quite sure what to do. It wasn’t often that Cord saw Rosalin unsure. “How about you both come in.”

  Quinn started to speak, maybe in protest, then Rosalin held her hand up. “I don’t think this will take long.”

  Cord stepped out of the way and allowed Quinn to walk in first. He didn’t make any move to follow.

  “I don’t really want to talk to you in the hall,” Rosalin said.

  “I’m not sure we have much to talk about.” Cord wasn’t even sure he was curious about what was going on. Obviously, she was planning on going out. Obviously, it was with Quinn. She was engaged to Cord. Yeah, he kinda felt like their relationship was unconventional. But he didn’t feel like it was...open.

  Rosalin’s lips flattened again, and she threw a look over her shoulder before she stepped out, closing the door behind her.

  “This isn’t what it seems,” she said.

  “Then what is it?” he asked, surprised he had those words.

  She spread her hands out. “I just needed some extra money. All I do is agree to be a date for a guy who doesn’t have one. That’s basically it.”

  Cord stared at her steadily. Her eyes flickered to the side. He kinda thought she was lying, and it bothered him. Being a date maybe, maybe, wouldn’t be horribly bad. Maybe. Especially since they’d never professed to love each other.

  But lying? Yeah. He didn’t want to be married to somebody he couldn’t trust. It was the biggest hurdle he had to get over with Rosie. Only he knew Rosie had done what she did because she loved her sister. It was a little bit different than lying for money.

  Still unsure where the words came from, more tumbled out of his mouth. “Thinking you’re more than a date.”

  “You can’t tell me you care.” Her look said she was exasperated, and she shifted. “We both know why you wanted to marry me in the first place.”

  Just the way she said that made Cord narrow his eyes. Did she know about the letter?

  He searched back through his memories, trying to figure out if Rosalin had been in his house and might’ve seen the letter. He realized there were at least two or three times when she had been there with Joseph or when Cord had been outside, feeding. Not many. But once was enough.

  His jaw hardened, although he had no right to get angry. Rosalin knowing, and marrying him for his money, was no different than him knowing and not telling her.

  But Rosalin must’ve seen something in his expression that she didn’t like, because she moved closer, putting her hand on his arm.

  “Cord, listen to me, please.” The tone of her voice had dropped, more sultry, and she looked up into his eyes, her own pleading.

  Cord wanted to shift back. Whatever she was going to say, he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like it.

  “I didn’t want to say anything, because I knew you would think less of me. But I...” Her voice trailed off, and tears seemed to pool in her eyes.

  Cord hated to see anyone cry.

  Rosalin took a shaky breath. “Promise that you won’t be upset. Please?”

  Cord thought of Rosie and how Rosalin had asked Rosie to pretend to be her. If what she was about to confess was anything like that, he was going to be upset.

  “Can’t make that promise.” He softened his tone to ease the sting of his words, but he wouldn’t promise what he couldn’t keep.

  Her lashes fluttered. “I don’t want you to hate me.” Her brows drew together, and some of the pleading went out of her tone. “I also don’t want you to tell my family what I’ve done. Especially Rosie.”

  “Don’t ask me to make promises that shut Rosie out. There aren’t too many things over the years that I haven’t talked to her about. And as far as I knew, I thought you and Rosie shared everything.”

  Rosalin shook her head slowly. “Not this.”

  Cord didn’t want to be inconsiderate, but there was no way he could make the promise she wanted.

  “All I can say is I’ll do my best,” he said.

  Rosalin looked up at him from under her lashes. When she acted like this, he didn’t have any trouble knowing he was talking to Rosalin. Rosie was much more forthright. She didn’t bat her eyes and judge his mood to figure out the best way to get what she wanted.

  “I got into a little trouble. Money trouble.” Rosalin’s fingers tightened on his arm. “When I first got here, I started hanging with the wrong crowd.”

  “What kind of trouble?” Cord was very much afraid he didn’t want to hear the answer.

  There was a long pause. Cord began to wonder if she was even going to answer him as she bit her lip and fingered his shirt sleeve.

  “I didn’t realize at first, and I don’t expect you to understand. Just say it had to do with the wrong crowd, alcohol, and some drugs. Before I knew it, I was in over my head, and I had to take a second job in order to pay my bills.” She swallowed, the pleading look gone from her eyes.

  “This... This being a ‘date’ for someone is your new job?” He was jumping to some conclusions, but they seemed to be the right ones.

  His hunch was confirmed when she nodded.

  Now, he was going to pry, but he had been engaged to this woman. Technically, they still were engaged. He felt he had the right. Especially since she’d been his friend from before kindergarten. “You’re not a date, are you?”

  Her head snapped up. “Yes! I really am a date.”

  “And?” He let the word hang there suspended between them.

  Her lips pursed. Would she tell him the truth?

  After waiting for what felt like a very long time, he finally shrugged his shoulders. “You know, you’re right. If we were truly engaged because we were madly in love with each other, whatever you’re doing tonight would really bother me. I feel like maybe you’re making mistakes. But it doesn’t hurt my heart like it should.” He looked down, trying to meet her eyes. She finally looked back up at him. “Obviously, you can do what you want.” A thought occurred to him, and his brows lowered. “You were going to stop this when we got married, correct?”

  “Yes. Of course.”

  Her eyes were wide, sincere. But he didn’t believe her. Maybe, since he was really looking at her, he saw the slight shifting of her eyes and the way her shoulders twisted just a little.

  But he couldn’t prove that she was lying, and it didn’t really matter anyway.

  “How much do you owe?”

  She shook her head. “A lot.”

  The door rattle
d behind them.

  She turned and said in a slightly louder voice, “Hang on a second, Quinn. I’ll be in in a minute.”

  “We’re going to be late.” Quinn’s voice came through the door.

  “Just a minute.” Rosalin’s fingers twisted in front of her. “You can stay here tonight if you want. I’ll be back tomorrow morning.”

  Tomorrow morning? That confirmed his suspicions.

  “What you just told me has nothing to do with what I came to tell you.” He shoved a hand in his pocket and hooked the other one behind his neck. “I was pretty content with our agreement. Because you’re right, I inherit money and want to get married. It seemed like a good idea. But come on, Rosalin. You and I both know we don’t love each other. Not the way a husband and wife could.” Or maybe should. He didn’t want to bring in the fact that he was starting to feel that way about her twin sister. He couldn’t see how that would help anything. Although eventually Rosalin would find out if he and Rosie got together.

  She had pulled both lips into her teeth and bit down on them. “I really don’t think it matters. We like each other well enough. And I really was going to move to Sweet Water.”

  “I’m sorry. I thought it would be enough for me, but I’ve realized over the last few weeks that it won’t be. It wouldn’t be fair to marry someone when I’ve been thinking about someone else.” There, he said it. He admitted it. Man, he hoped she didn’t ask who.

  “Who?”

  Yeah, he should’ve known. “You didn’t answer all my questions tonight.” He lifted his brows. His point was valid.

  She nodded, conceding that he had a point. Her fingers shook a little as she reached up and tucked a stray hair behind her ear. She looked so much like Rosie, so he found it almost odd that Rosalin didn’t elicit the same emotions in him that Rosie did.

  Although he’d been fooled by Rosie.

  He did know what he was going to do. If it hadn’t been for the new feelings that he’d been dealing with, he would probably still be okay with marrying Rosalin. Would the rent-a-date thing bother him? Not as long as it was in her past.

  But it didn’t matter, because he wasn’t okay with anything anymore.

  Watching Rosalin’s facial expressions, he got the feeling that Rosalin was more upset about the loss of the money than she was about the loss of him. If she were in some kind of debt, it made sense that she’d want the money.

  She gave her head a little shake. “I need to go tonight, but I’d like the chance to change your mind.”

  With her eyes, that looked so much like Rosie’s, blinking up at him, it was hard to tell her no flat out.

  But he shook his head. He couldn’t pretend that there was a future for them. “It was a dumb thing for us to do to begin with.”

  “It was smart. We made a decision with our brain, not our hearts. That’s where everyone gets into trouble.”

  He huffed a laugh. “You could be right about that.” He dropped his hand from his neck and almost ruffled her hair. But they weren’t kids anymore. As much as he might like for things to stay the same, things changed. People chose different paths. Maybe he didn’t agree with her choices, but God gave everyone free choice. Cord had to as well.

  His hand slipped down against his side instead.

  A shadow of a smile lifted her lips.

  He couldn’t keep from trying. “Come back to Sweet Water. You know we’ll help you out.”

  She shook her head, like that wasn’t even an option. When she spoke, she had changed the subject. “I talked to Mom, and she said Rosie was doing well although Rosie’s not answering her phone. Have you talked to her? She doing okay?”

  Her concern for her twin was sincere, no doubt.

  “She’s gonna land on her feet. She’s pretty resilient.” He grinned at her. “Just as you are.”

  If Rosalin’s laugh lacked humor, maybe that was his imagination.

  Her hand dropped from his arm. “If you change your mind, you know where to find me.”

  “And if you change yours, ditto.”

  Her smile had the ghost of the old Rosalin in it. It made him realize how much she had changed. The realization made his heart beat slow and heavy, and an uncomfortable feeling shifted through his stomach. He was gonna walk away tonight, and his relationship with Rosalin would never be the same. Actually, she’d probably hate him when she found out what he didn’t tell her.

  For some reason, Max came to his mine. Another soul that seemed a little tortured. Maybe Rosalin and Max could help each other out. He wasn’t a matchmaker, but he’d text Rosalin Max’s number. Tomorrow. She could decide if she were interested.

  “Take care, kid.”

  Her eyes narrowed just a little, then she lifted her chin. “You too.”

  Chapter 14

  ROSIE HAD JUST PULLED into Cord’s house from dropping Joseph off at school when Mrs. Stryker, probably representing the Town Council, pulled in beside her. Rosie had known this was coming. Mrs. Stryker had called the evening before and asked to meet. Pretty sure it wasn’t going to be good news, Rosie didn’t know how to get out of it.

  She felt kind of worthless, to be honest, not having a job or anything to do other than feeding Cord’s horses. And this would just make the feeling fact.

  Mrs. Stryker was a lady who almost always had a smile. She had a somewhat matronly figure, although thinner rather than larger. Her hair was shoulder length and curled around her head, and her cheeks were pink.

  If Rosie could’ve picked her mother, she would’ve picked one just like Mrs. Stryker. She reminded her of pictures of Mrs. Claus.

  Picking Mrs. Stryker as a mother, though, would have meant growing up without a father, since Mrs. Stryker’s husband had died almost 20 years ago.

  It might’ve made someone else bitter or angry, but Mrs. Stryker was one of those salt of the earth people who did what needed to be done, and she did it without complaining.

  They met at the base of the short path to the house. “Come on in, Mrs. Stryker. I made some lemon bars for us.”

  “In all my years, I’ve never turned down lemon bars,” Mrs. Stryker said with her trademark smile.

  They walked up the path, and Rosie opened the door, holding it as Mrs. Stryker walked in.

  “I have to say this is the first time I’ve walked into Cord’s house and it smelled like baking and looked like it had been cleaned.” Mrs. Stryker removed her coat, hanging it on the hook by the door.

  “Guilty on all counts.” Rosie had been baking. And she had been cleaning too. Cord had been gone a week, and he was supposed to get home sometime today. She’d messaged him a little last night, but she hadn’t talked to him since he had left.

  “Cord can take care of himself. I raised all my boys to know how. But it sure warms my heart to know that someone is looking after him.” Mrs. Stryker gave her another cinnamon-sweet smile.

  “It’s just temporary.” Rosie felt like she needed to make sure that Mrs. Stryker knew she wasn’t staying with Cord. They weren’t living together. “He just offered to let me stay here until I figured out what to do.”

  She led the way into the kitchen and indicated a chair at the small table where Mrs. Stryker could sit down.

  “And have you figured out what that is?” Mrs. Stryker asked.

  “I have some ideas.” She set the plate of lemon bars down and filled two glasses with water. She hoped that wasn’t an exaggeration; she did have an idea. Only one.

  “Maybe that was an unfair question. I should tell you first that the Sweet Water Council had an emergency meeting last night because of the library fire.” Mrs. Stryker set the lemon bar on her plate. “I think you probably knew we don’t have the money to rebuild. We spent a lot of time lamenting that fact. We also spent some time talking about ways to raise money. But we had some people who pointed out that it was foolish to raise money for a library when there were so many other things that Sweet Water needed. Things that we really should be spending money on.”


  There weren’t a lot of times in her life that she’d seen Mrs. Stryker with no smile, the night of the fire maybe being the first one. She wasn’t smiling now either.

  Rosie waited. She had known the news was going to be bad, and she had prepared herself for that. She wasn’t going to cry, and she wasn’t going to throw a fit. She didn’t know how to make this any easier for Mrs. Stryker though.

  “I’m sure it won’t come as a shock to you that the Council decided to pay to have the debris cleaned up and leave the lot empty. Everyone on the Council would be willing to continue to pay the small amount that we were paying if we could somehow figure out how to get the library rebuilt. We talked about grants and loans and several other ideas, but again it came down to what Sweet Water really needs versus what we want. The library seems to be a want, not a need.” Mrs. Stryker fiddled with her fork. “I disagree, of course. I feel like a library is a necessity, not a luxury. But my opinion was in the minority.”

  Rosie thought she’d been prepared for the news. But it still made her heart shrink and her stomach wobble. She looked down at her plate, needing to blink a few times to push the tears back where they belonged.

  Mrs. Stryker’s work-roughened hand patted her own, younger-looking hand. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I did fight for you.”

  “No, it’s okay.” She didn’t blame Mrs. Stryker at all. The Council came to the most logical conclusion. “I really appreciate you sticking up for the library. But I kind of knew that was the conclusion that they would come to.”

  “Okay, I’m taking off my councilwoman’s hat and putting on my nosy neighbor/surrogate mother’s hat.” Mrs. Stryker gave an engaging smile. “I don’t want you to feel pressured, but I want to help you if I can. I admired your willingness to sacrifice what some other people feel are necessities in life, in order to provide a place for the community to gather. You are truly a blessing to this town. Let me know what I can do for you. How can I help?”

  Rosie tried hard not to act overwhelmed, but tears pricked her eyes anyway at Mrs. Stryker’s kindness. She hadn’t done it for the accolades or because people wanted it. Certainly no one expected her to. She just believed it was something that needed to be done, and she was willing to do whatever it took to do it.