The Cowgirl’s Chosen Love: The Colemans of Heart Falls: Book 3 Read online

  “Dammit, Julia.” Karen stood on the other side, peering in through the slight crack she’d managed to open. Julia dragged the trunk aside and found herself caught up in an ironclad hug a moment later. “Hey, kiddo. You’re having one hell of a weekend.”

  The concern in her sister’s voice just about did Julia in. “Oh, it’s been exciting, all right.”

  “Coming through. Box delivery.” Lisa arrived, a stack of cardboard in her arms as she pushed into the bachelor suite. Her nose wrinkled. “Okay, I can finally admit how much I hate this place. Let’s get you packed.”

  “Only if you can pack and talk at the same time,” Karen said, letting Julia go with a final squeeze.

  “I’ll do the kitchen. Karen will do the living room. Julia, start with your clothes. And yes, talk while you pack.” Lisa handed out boxes along with the orders.

  “She likes to run everybody’s life,” Julia said dryly.

  “I still hope to break her of that habit,” Karen offered. “Of course, now that she’s got Josiah to boss around, we should get less of it.”

  Lisa stuck out her tongue before turning to the tiny kitchen and opening the cupboard doors. “What’s the news, Julia?”

  Maybe with a little more practice it wouldn’t feel so weird to say. “Zach and I are married.”

  “We heard that part already,” Karen scolded.

  “We’re married and staying that way for one year. There’re complications with the estate-slash-inheritance Zach was given. Us getting married without a prenup messes him up financially. So, I don’t know exactly how everything’s going to work, but I agreed I would stick around for the year.”

  She’d been placing clothing out of her chest of drawers into a box, straightening the edges of each article carefully as she spoke.

  The room went quiet.

  She glanced up to discover both her sisters blinking hard.

  “You’re staying married.” Karen frowned. “This is something to do with their mentor and the whole inheritance business?”

  “Yeah. If I leave, Zach loses everything.”

  Karen cursed. “I know the guys think the world of Bruce, but the man is a bit of an asshole at times. Was an asshole? Apologies for speaking ill of the dead.”

  “Oh, I agree,” Julia offered. “Was one, is one—and I don’t like their lawyer very much, either.”

  “You two have the weirdest lives.” Lisa shook her head and folded her arms over her chest. “Are you sure you want to do this, Julia?”

  Julia shrugged. “It’s not that bad. Zach and I were already going to pretend to be together for the next couple of months.”

  “Two months and twelve months are slightly different, in case you’re not mathematically inclined,” Karen pointed out.

  “We’ll figure it out.” Jeez. Now she sounded like Zach. She gave both of them her best pitch. “We set down some ground rules, and I believe we’ll get along quite comfortably. I think by the time we’re done, we’ll be good friends.” She held a finger in the air. “But since I won’t be leaving town, we need the rumours about me and Brad to die fast. People need to believe that Zach and I are really a couple.”

  Lisa was staring at the ceiling, thinking hard. “I wonder…”

  “Whatever you decide to tell people, I think the less elaborate, the better.” Karen swirled a finger around the room. “You’re moving in with him, yes?”

  Nodding felt strange. “Well, not moving in, but sharing a place. Yes. Which isn’t a hardship, considering this place isn’t very homey and he’s got a cabin with two rooms.”

  “You’ll need rings,” Karen said.

  A sharp zap ripped through Julia’s gut. “Okay, I’ll mention it to him. Something simple.”

  “Simple is fine,” Karen assured her.

  “Karen’s right.” Lisa’s expression had turned downright gleeful. “Not just about the ring. I think the simpler and the closer to the truth you keep this, the better. No one will believe you two are so madly in love you spontaneously decided to get married. People will believe you went on a bender and, while under the influence, did something you secretly wanted to do. And now you’ve decided there’s no reason to get a divorce since you were dating anyway.”

  “That’s absurd.”

  “Yep.” Lisa’s grin grew wider. “Everybody everywhere will be talking about you and Zach, two wild and impulsive kids, accidentally tying themselves down and now being too stubborn, or too cheap, to bother getting a divorce.”

  Karen’s eyes lit up. “Oh, that’s good.”

  It was brilliant. “Everybody will be talking about me and Zach.”

  Which was exactly what Julia wanted. Exactly what was needed—because frankly, who cared what people said about her and Zach? As long as it was the two of them in the rumour mill.

  Only one question remained. “You guys know the truth, and Zach will tell Finn and Josiah. But what do I tell Tamara?”

  Confusion spilled into Karen’s eyes. “That’s up to you.”

  “I’m asking what you think is best,” Julia insisted. “The three of you have been a unit for years. I don’t want one of the first major things I do to be tossing a secret between you.”

  At that, Lisa marched across the room, grabbed her by the wrist and hauled her to her feet. The next moment a finger was shaking in her face. “Julia Blushing, not even sisters tell each other everything. This isn’t some kind of a sorority we’ll kick you out of because you didn’t do the secret handshake right.”

  “If you want to tell Tamara that you’re okay, and you’ll come to her if you need advice, that’s more than enough.” Karen’s shoulders rose then fell in a soft shrug. “It’s all you need to tell any of us. Your secrets are your own. We just want you to be happy. Honestly.”

  She must’ve hesitated too long because the next thing she knew, Julia was wrapped in a two-person hug.

  The tightness inside eased, and her voice came out muffled against Karen’s shoulder. “You guys are good people.”

  “Oh, hey, a group hug.”

  “Can I get in on this?”

  Two familiar masculine voices broke apart the impulsive support hug, but not before Lisa gave Julia’s arm a final squeeze.

  “Too late,” Karen responded to Finn’s question airily. “But I do see some furniture that’s calling your name. Desperate to be cradled in your arms.”

  Zach snickered. “Desperate wood. That’s depressing to hear from a newlywed.”

  “I thought that was the name of your new rock band, Zach,” Julia quipped.

  An amused hiss rose from Lisa and Karen, and then everybody headed back to their tasks, heaviness pushed aside, worry as well.

  Julia folded the top of the nearest box and handed it to Zach the next time he entered the room. He hesitated for long enough that she caught his full-on smile. “You okay?” he asked.

  “I’ll explain the details later. I have very smart sisters,” she informed him.

  “Smart runs in your gene pool.” He winked and slipped from the room.

  It didn’t take that long to empty her apartment, but by the time they were done, a crowd of interested onlookers had gathered. A few pretended to rest on the bench across the street. More peered out the windows of Connie’s restaurant as Julia’s belongings were stacked in the back of the trucks.

  “I need to get my car from the fire hall,” she told Zach after the final boxes were removed.

  “I’ll drop you off before I head back to the ranch.” He made a face. “It’ll take me a bit to get my things out of your way.”

  “Just stack my stuff on the porch or in one of the empty cabins for now,” Julia suggested. “I have what I need for tonight in my suitcase. And I have some work clothes stashed in my car I’ll grab for tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good.”

  A second later all the air shot from her lungs. He’d stepped in close. So close their torsos touched. But that didn’t seem to be enough because suddenly his hand slipped around her
, pressed to her lower back. Contact between them increased as he dipped his head.

  Julia pressed her palms against his chest to pause his forward motion. “What are you doing?” she whispered.

  “We have an audience,” he whispered back. “Sorry.”

  His lips brushed hers. Whisper-soft. Barely there. Just enough of a tease to set her heart pounding.

  Her fingers curled involuntarily, caught in the soft brushed cotton of his T-shirt. The hard planes of his muscular chest rose under her palms. His breath ghosted over her skin.

  Zach swept in again, his tongue teasing her lips. Tracing their outline until she opened, and he took total advantage. Between them, heat rose, a fire unfurling in her belly. His taste slid in, overwhelming her senses and filling her head.

  He adjusted position, easing their bodies until they clicked like two pieces of Lego lined up just right. His hardness pressed against her, and she was shocked to discover her hands had moved of their own accord. Fingers now gliding through his hair as she leaned in and hungrily participated in the kiss. In the contact.

  In the…very public display of affection that was even now bringing the catcalls and whistles from their rapt audience.

  Zach eased the pressure between them, but he didn’t stop. Not right away. He took his damn time. So slow, in fact, that before his lips left hers, she felt them curl into a smile.

  His pupils were dark and mesmerizing as he stared down, breathing heavily. “You good?”

  “You’re bad,” she whispered.

  “So are you,” he teased. “But since the point is that we’re supposed to be bad together, mission accomplished.” He let her go only long enough to link their hands as he led her to the passenger door of the truck. “Come on. Let’s get you home.”

  10

  Zach didn’t push it when they both finally made it back to the ranch. In fact, he made sure to stay as out of the way as possible after helping move in the boxes Julia needed to organize her room.

  She caught him up on the idea her sisters had shared regarding being too stubborn to get a divorce, which made it easier to share their news. It also meant he had a guaranteed one-year timeframe to work within, which all things considered, he wasn’t going to complain about.

  After she mentioned their need for rings and he promised to take care of it, it seemed appropriate to give her a little space to adjust to everything that had shaken down over the past forty-eight plus hours.

  “Got some chores I need to do,” he informed her. “There’s leftover pizza in the freezer we can have for supper if that sounds okay.”

  She didn’t pause her task of putting sheets on the bed. “I’ve got a bunch of stuff I rescued out of my fridge to make a salad. What time do you want to eat?”

  “Six-thirty sound okay? I mean, I’ll be back so I can get things started. We can eat a bit later.”

  “Okay. I might be organized by then, as well.” She waved him off and dove into a stack of pillows.

  He walked away slowly, the whole ordinariness of the situation striking him as extremely bizarre.

  Outside, the air had grown cooler, the fall wind sliding in from the mountains to the west. Still, he didn’t have much to complain about as he headed to the barn to track down Finn.

  He found their foreman first. Cody Gabrielle did a double take, dropping the hoof he was cleaning to the ground before patting the mare on the back side and closing the pen door after himself. “Hey.”

  Zach offered a quick smile. “Have you seen Finn?”

  Cody pointed farther into the barn. “I hear congratulations are in order.”

  News had spread fast. Zach decided to play dumb, just to see which particular part Cody was the most interested in. “For what?”

  “Oh, come on, now.” Cody’s chin dipped disapprovingly. “If nothing else, you should have warned me off. I was considering making my own move on Julia,” he confessed.

  The flare of possessiveness that struck Zach—it wasn’t good.

  She’s my wife…

  Zach stopped in his tracks and let the actual words sweep over him. He had a wife. Julia was his wife.

  Dear Lord, he was married, to Julia. Which made him a—

  “Your face is priceless,” Cody said dryly. “I don’t know if I should hose you down or punch you in the gut for gloating.”

  Zach flashed a grin and pulled his act together. “Save the gut jabs. You should offer me a toast.”

  Cody nodded, but a trace of concern snuck in. “Cheers. But, damn, man. That’s one hell of a dating method.”

  The casual shrug came easy. “When it’s right, no use in waiting.”

  “Please.” The man snorted. “Don’t try to pretend you’ve fallen in love this fast. I mean, you two might fit like oil and vinegar, but it’s still ridiculous. You’re up to something.”

  Curiosity struck. Cody wasn’t giving him grief over the “married in Vegas” deal. “Yeah? You figure out our deep, dark secret?”

  Cody flashed him a grin. “Got to be money on the line, somehow.”

  That was an understatement. However, the least said, the better. “Weather’s looking decent over the next few days.”

  That earned him a soft snicker and a wink. “In the meantime, you’ve got Julia in your bed—not a punishment, man. Not in the least.”

  Except for the damn No Sex rule. Zach kept his smile in place. “Watch how you talk about my woman,” he warned.

  The foreman laughed. “Anyway, we’ve got things to discuss. Come on. Work first, then you can get back to the honeymoon.”

  Didn’t Zach just wish that were the truth?

  Still, the hour spent with Cody going over the list of tasks to be completed on the dude ranch gave Zach a good chance to rest his brain.

  He had a year. No use pushing too hard and fast and getting Julia’s hackles up. Although he liked her when she was feisty just as much as he liked her sense of humour.

  The only mood he didn’t like was when fear rose in her eyes.

  After saying goodbye to Cody a few minutes before six-thirty, Zach paced back toward the cabin, concern rising.

  She’d mentioned the kidnapping business so casually, and yet it had to have been hell. Maybe still was. Crowding her was definitely off the agenda.

  Luckily, he had all sorts of other options when it came to edging the fake into real.

  He marched up the front steps of their cabin, noting with interest the small stack of boxes and random furniture gathered in a neat pile. One step farther, and he pushed through the door.

  “Hi, honey, I’m home,” he called cheekily.

  The living room-slash-kitchen area was empty. Voices sounded from the back of the cabin, and he followed the noise, curiosity rising as Julia’s laugh drifted over a deep masculine tone.

  “You’re probably right,” Julia said as Zach cautiously poked his head through the open doorway to the guest room.

  “Of course, I’m right.” The voice seemed to rise out of nowhere before Zach noticed her phone propped up against a stack of books. “Oh, hello. You must be Zach.”

  Julia twisted on the edge of the bed, gesturing him closer. “Hey. I thought I’d be done by now. Come and meet Tony.”

  Zach settled beside her as ordered, hoping for a clue as to if this was a person to outright lie to or what. Should he kiss her? Ignore her?

  He stuck with simple for now. “Hi, Tony.”

  Thank God, Julia offered a grin and put Zach out of his misery. “Tony’s my therapist. He knows everything. Sorry, I should have asked first, but he called unexpectedly.”

  “It’s both our secret. Also, therapists get a lot of slack,” Zach offered even as he examined her face. She seemed a little calmer than usual. “You okay?”

  She nodded, gesturing toward her phone. “With the weekend excitement, I forgot to reschedule my next appointment. Tony called to see what was up.”

  On the teeny screen, the man was eyeing him hard. Decent-looking fellow, maybe late fort
ies. “Hell of a situation, you two,” Tony drawled.

  “It is,” Zach admitted readily. “But Julia’s got lots of family here keeping an eye out for her, and I’m going to help her get through this as easily as possible.”

  “Good to know,” Tony said. “She said you’re trustworthy. Like to hear that. I’m also willing to chat with you anytime. Or the two of you. You know, as you deal with this setup over the next year.”

  Zach opened his mouth to deny he would ever be interested then hesitated. In terms of the whole doing whatever it took to make this work, why not? “If Julia wants, sure.”

  The man nodded approvingly, but his gaze stayed sharp and assessing before he turned back to Julia. His expression softened.

  “I should go,” Tony said. “Give me a shout in a week, and we’ll catch up, okay?”

  “Definitely,” Julia said.

  Tony raised a finger to stop her from slipping away. “Oh, and think about what I suggested.”

  For some reason, the comment made her cheeks flush red. “Goodbye, Tony.”

  “Bye, J.”

  She retrieved her phone, gaze skipping away from Zach’s face a lot less comfortably than a moment earlier. “Sorry about that.”

  “No problem. Glad I got to meet him.” Zach turned away to give her space, heading to the kitchen. “Shall I get supper started, or do you need help with anything first?”

  Julia beat him to the fridge and began hauling out vegetables. “Supper first. I’m starving already.” They worked in silence for all of thirty seconds before she spoke again. “Tony is pretty cool.”

  It was the biggest opening Zach was likely to get. “Seemed the easygoing type.”

  She paused in the middle of unwrapping a head of lettuce. “Yes and no. When he’s trying to make a point, he’s like a rat terrier with its teeth set. I started seeing him after the kidnapping mess with Dwayne. Talking to Tony helped.”

  “Good for you,” Zach said sincerely as he laid frozen pizza slices on cookie sheets. “Nothing better than getting help to put our heads on straight.”

  Julia eyed him for a moment. “True, but that’s not what everyone believes. I mean, some people think you should just suck it up and deal. Or that talking with a buddy should be enough.”