“You’re also a husband.”
Chase grins like he’s found his new favorite topic, and he and Coop waste no time telling me how awesome Mia is.
“She’s got a great sense of humor,” Chase says. “She’s cool.”
“She is,” Coop says. “We took care of her for you while you were gone, don’t worry.”
They take one look at my face and crack up.
“How long are you going to deny the fact that you want her?” Chase asks me.
“I’m not getting into this shit with you,” I say. “Mia and I both need something out of this marriage. And once we both get it, our marriage will be dissolved.”
“Just like that, huh?” Cooper asks.
“Just like that,” I grind out through clenched teeth.
“Shame,” Cooper says casually. “You two could fit. And Mia’s going to find someone else once she’s single again. Hell, maybe even someone on Wild Ranch.”
I take one look at the gleam in his eye and shove him against the barn wall.
He just laughs. “What are you gonna do, Dec—beat me up? This isn’t a hockey game, cousin. There are no refs around to break up the fight. And believe me, every cowboy worth his salt knows how to win with his fists.”
I’ve still got him and his grinning face pinned against the wall when—
“Everything all right?” Mia walks into the barn. She’s wearing leggings and her big parka.
I drop my death grip on Cooper’s flannel and step back. “Fine.”
She looks between the three of us. “I don’t want to know, do I?”
Cooper smirks. “That depends.”
I glare at him, and then I step forward and take Mia’s arm. “What are you doing outside? I thought you were going to bed after your bath.”
“I stepped out to look at the stars, and I heard voices from the barn.” She smiles at me. “Do you want to go home? You must be exhausted.”
All the tension in my body dissolves as I look at her concerned face. I’m not used to having anyone worry over how much sleep I’m getting or how well-fed I am. I like it way more than I should, considering this whole thing is short-term.
But I’m enjoying this whole fake marriage thing.
So, the question is, how do I get closer to my wife and still keep her at arm’s length physically?
* * *
Mia
The rest of the week is like this.
We eat with the cousins every night. If Declan has a game, Luke, Chase, Cooper, and I eat without him and hang out until he arrives home for his leftovers.
When he is there, without fail, at some point in the evening, Dec disappears with Luke into the den.
“What do they talk about?” I ask Chase as we do the dishes one night.
“Women,” he says. “Whiskey. I don’t know—boring shit.”
Women? What does that mean? Does Declan wish that…
