After last night, my body was singing, and I was half terrified that he might consume me again. He’d onlyused his tongue and a finger. When he got his whole body involved, I might not survive. But also, no. I wasn’t okay. I had a husband I didn’t really know. I had a sham marriage that I wanted to be real. And I had a family that didn’t buy that a guy like Gideon would hopelessly fall for me. All I had were my fantasies.
Junie was probably sold on it the most because she wasn’t around to see the odd couple Gideon and I made. The casino CEO and the schoolteacher.
I turned the question around on her. “Are you okay?”
“Hmmm. How about we both tell each other we’re fine and keep lying to ourselves?”
My sister wasn’t one to admit when she was struggling. That she’d said this? “Junie.”
“I’m fine. Glor-i-ous!Mm-wha.” She made a kissing noise. “Keep me posted on the baby drama.”
I’d get no more out of her. She could close down harder than my brothers. “Love ya, June.”
“I love you so much I’ll write you into a song.”
“You write heartbreak songs.”
She was laughing when I hung up. I considered Summer’s message again. She probably wanted to get me alone, and after the turmoil of the last several days, I could use some sister time. I called Gideon. This was the first time I’d ever called or messaged him. We’d been married for five days, and this was a first.
“Gideon.” He sounded out of breath and a rush of wind came over the line.
“Hi.” Where was he? I didn’t have much of a yard, but maybe he was enjoying the weather on my lawn. “I have to do books at Copper Summit before I bartend, and Summer said she could pick me up on her way there. Do you mind?”
“No.” A grunt sounded, but it wasn’t his. “Hank, I said I got it.”
“You ain’t done this in a bit, Giddy.” His dad’s voice filtered through the line.
“Don’t call me Giddy, Hank.” His response was more automatic than hostile, like the last time they’d had the same interaction.
I had to get back inside, but I couldn’t cut the conversation short yet. “You’re with your dad?”
“Fixing fence. Can I pick you up at Copper Summit when we’re done?”
Did I want to see a dirty, sweaty Gideon? “Of course. I’d better get back in, but hey, have fun.”
“It’s a blast,” he said grimly before he hung up.
I typed Summer a quickSureand then rushed inside. I’d get some sister time and then see my husband. I just hoped the month I got with Gideon wouldn’t be cut short over some fence.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Gideon
It’d be a beautiful fucking day if I weren’t so annoyed. Only a few fluffy white clouds littered the sky. The light wind blowing over the rolling brown hills kept me from getting too hot, but it was too cool to strip down to my recently purchased shirt. I kept the new army-green hoodie on. I’d already gotten a hole at the bottom from some rogue wire.
I was fighting heartburn from the sloppy joes and cherry Kool-Aid Dad had packed. My taste buds had been delighted with the nostalgia, but my gut had gone into panic mode.
“It’s fence,” I said through gritted teeth. We’d been at this for hours. “The method of fixing couldn’t have changed in twenty-five years.”
Sweat trickled between my shoulder blades. My new ball cap was already dirty. So was the rest of me. We were working on a two-hundred-yard stretch of metalfence posts that hadn’t been touched since I’d probably been the last one to stretch wire. But no, Dad wanted new posts swapped out.
I shouldn’t complain. He’d at least bought more metal posts and hadn’t decided to upgrade to thick wooden posts to impress the Baileys. I still didn’t understand why the hell we were doing this anyway. Dad could sign the papers and leave everything as is.
“I’m not sayin’ the method’s changed.” To give Dad credit, he looked heartier than he had all day. The cool temperature pinkened his cheeks, his hat shaded his eyes, and the wrinkles that had formed since I’d left town gave him a rugged air instead of a tired one.
I ignored the stark relief in my chest that he was looking better each time I saw him.
He shrugged. “I’m just saying that we don’t have to rush.”
