The Cowboy Takes A Wife

Devon laced her fingers together atop the table, and for a moment he thought she might not answer.

“Unfortunately, yes. Not always about whom I should date, but there was always something.”

He realized this was a bit of a heavy conversation for a first date, even if it was all an act. Still, it didn’t seem forced at all.

“Why did you stay here?”

“In Blue Falls?”

He nodded.

“I’ve asked myself that I don’t know how many times, but the short answer is that I love it here, always have, and I hated the idea of leaving my friends.”

He thought she must really like the town and her friends to put up with her mother trying to run her life, but he didn’t say it.

“I always thought you’d go off to a big city somewhere and do something like cure cancer or become a bestselling writer.”

She looked at him as if he’d lost his mind.

“What would make you think I’d do either of those things?”

“You were so good at school, in every subject. Blowing the curves for everyone.”

When Devon lowered her gaze to the tabletop, he realized how that must have sounded.

“Which wasn’t your fault. The rest of us just should have studied more.”

“It’s okay. I don’t mind that I was a bookworm. I still am. Being a nerd is cool now, don’t you know?”

She said the words, but he wasn’t sure there wasn’t some hurt there anyway.

“Did your mom make you study a lot?”

“She expected good grades, but...let’s just say that kids who aren’t popular often retreat into books. It’s our happy place.”

It was a strange thought, her being unpopular while also being probably the wealthiest kid at their school. He guessed it shouldn’t be so surprising. Some of the happiest people he’d ever met probably hadn’t had ten bucks in their pocket. Still, the faded memories of her from high school—shy, withdrawn, bookish—made him wonder if she’d been unhappy. If books were her happy place, did that mean the real world was the opposite?

“I’m sorry if I was ever a jerk to you in school.”

She looked up at him and shook her head. “You weren’t. Can’t say the same for your girlfriend, though.”

As soon as the words left her mouth, Devon’s eyes widened and her lips parted in surprise, as if she hadn’t intended to voice her thoughts out loud.

“I’m sorry,” she said. “That was rude.”

“Not at all. In fact, I agree with you. I was just too stupid to realize it until about a year into our marriage. I stuck it out another year, hoping in vain I hadn’t been so wrong about her.”

“What happened?”

“You mean besides the fact that once we left high school and she was no longer the center of attention, she couldn’t handle it and blamed me?”

“Oh, ouch.”

He shrugged. “We were young and dumb.”

“Where is she now?”

“Last I heard, she was in California. Every time I see her mom in town, I do my best to steer clear.”

“She’s mad at you?”

“I’d rather not find out.”

“Sounds like we both have locals we need to put GPS trackers on.”

Cole laughed. “Not a bad idea. Maybe I’ll put one on my mom while we’re at it.”

“But your mom is so sweet.”

“And just as determined to find me a wife. Been down that road twice, not going to try for a third.”

Devon nodded but didn’t say anything. What was there to say? It was just nice to talk to a woman who actually understood where he was coming from. This whole fake-dating thing might be just what he needed. Who better to convince his mom that he was done with matrimony than a woman she liked and respected? One she obviously hoped he might make wife number three.

* * *

THERE WAS NO doubt in Cole’s voice whatsoever when he said he was done with marriage. Despite the fact that this date wasn’t real and Devon knew there was no future with someone like Cole, she couldn’t help the feeling of sadness that filled her at his proclamation. Cole Davis seemed like a good guy, a hard worker, someone who took a hit to his life plan and forged a different path, not to mention he was as sexy as the summer solstice was long. The fact that he’d sworn off a chance at happily ever after at such a young age was a damn shame.

“So, what happened with your second wife?”

“It didn’t work out.”

The tightening of Cole’s features and the way he looked away from her and across the restaurant told her this was one topic he wasn’t interested in pursuing. Which of course made her intensely curious. But if he didn’t want to talk about it, she’d respect that. There were certainly things in her life that she’d rather leave in the past, as well.

Their pizza arrived, momentarily interrupting their conversation. It distracted Cole long enough for her to hide any thoughts she might have had regarding him, her and a walk down the aisle. That was crazy anyway. Helping each other out was one thing. Letting herself imagine it turning into something deep and meaningful was quite another.

“What about you?” Cole asked as he pulled a large slice of pizza onto his plate. “You want to get married and have kids someday?”

“I’m not opposed to it, but Mr. Right hasn’t come along yet.” She would not wonder if Cole could turn into that Mr. Right. Hard to achieve a happily-ever-after when one of the parties didn’t believe those existed. Not that he’d want to be with her even if he hadn’t sworn off marriage.

“You believe in that kind of thing, that there’s a Mr. Right out there for you?”

She shrugged. “Maybe, maybe not. At the moment, I’m more interested in this pizza and making sure my mom thinks our little farce is the beginning of a long and beautiful romance.”

Devon made sure to smile and add some dramatic effect to her words so Cole wouldn’t guess that at least part of her wouldn’t mind seeing where a real relationship might take them.

The conversation veered away from their respective views on holy matrimony and into a discussion about what he was working on.

“It’s amazing,” she said, thinking of the look she’d gotten at the horse statue in progress. “My brain just isn’t wired that way, to be able to see something beautiful and artistic made out of something that is neither. Ella Garcia has the same ability you do.”

“Everybody’s good at something different. Most people can’t do what you do.”

“But they could if they tried. If you gave me ten pieces of scrap metal, you know what I’d do with them?”

“Take them to the dump?”

“Recycling, and probably cut myself and get tetanus in the process.”

By the time they’d finished eating all the pizza they wanted and she’d convinced him to take the leftovers home with him, Devon had relaxed from her initial nervousness. Cole was oddly easy to talk to. She knew plenty of guys, and would consider several friends, but none would fall into the category of close friends, not like her and Mandy. She wondered if maybe their charade would lead to a true friendship between her and Cole. Despite being attracted to him, she found she liked the idea.

She instinctively started to pull her wallet from her purse.

“Put that back,” Cole said. “We’re supposed to be on a date, remember?”

“Plenty of people go Dutch on dates.”

“You think that will convince your mom we’re a couple?”

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