face across the barn corridor now, Merry felt exactly the way she had when she’d left that pink-and-red-striped dressing room with four bras bunched up under her shirt.
But this was different, she reminded herself forcefully. She wasn’t doing anything wrong here—she wasn’t acting out like a petulant brat, hoping down deep that the pinch-mouthed, disapproving saleslady would call her father and tell him exactly what Merry had done, and force him to come pick her up.
He’d been working that day, of course. It was long-suffering Ella who’d ridden the bus out to the mall and collected her delinquent baby sister from the bored security guard.
This time, Merry was prepared to stand on her own and defend her choices. But as Ben turned, too, and put his arm around her, Merry got that same shiver that had thrilled her earlier.
She wasn’t on her own in this.
“I’ve asked Merry to be my wife, and she agreed,” Ben announced. “Now, can we get back to the business at hand?”
“What? No,” Jo sputtered, her jaw going loose with shock. “Merry, is this true?”
The way her mother was looking at Ben’s enfolding arm made Merry hyperaware of the way it was draped over her shoulders like a warm, protective shield. Suddenly uncomfortable with the implied intimacy—this wasn’t exactly the way to keep Ben from getting any funny ideas about their wedding night!—Merry shrugged it off.
Ben frowned down at her, but she shook her head. “I don’t want to start this thing under any false pretenses. That’s no way to begin a marriage.”
Some unnamed emotion tightened the corners of his eyes, but he shrugged and went back to his notebook as if the outcome of this conversation couldn’t matter less to him. “Suit yourself. I’ve got work to do.”
Sam Brennan, who’d been watching this whole exchange with every evidence of interest, jammed his hands in his jeans pockets and sauntered over to lean against the barn wall by the tack box. “I swear, y’all are better than a soap opera. I’m waiting to find out you’re actually brother and sister or something.”
Still feeling guilty about the way she popped off on him earlier, Merry gave the big guy a smile. “Nothing quite so dramatic. But I obviously do need to have a quick conversation with my mother, if you guys will excuse us.”
Sam tipped his head in one of those gentlemanly nods they must teach Southern boys in school. “Nice to meet you, Merry.”
Her gaze slid to Ben, who’d clearly skipped class the day they were handing out manners.
Merry’s brand spanking new fiancé had his head down and his hands buried in his beat-up canvas medical bag—he didn’t appear to notice or care that she was about to have what promised to be, at best, a super awkward conversation with her mother.
She sighed and rubbed at her neck, feeling the aftereffects of emotional whiplash. But then, she’d dealt out some mixed signals of her own, she realized. Gathering herself, she laid a careful hand on her fiancé’s shoulder. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Come to the office and say hi to Alex—he’ll cry if he misses you.”
Ben grunted, refusing to look up at her. “Do me a favor—if your mother talks some sense into you and you decide not to marry me after all, just text me or something.”
Stung, Merry backed off, tucking both hands under her arms against the sudden chill in the air. Her cheeks felt hot with embarrassment, and when she snuck a glance at Sam Brennan, he gave her a sympathetic grimace.
Great, even strangers could see how weird and strained things were between Merry and this man she’d agreed to marry.
Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
As if she’d said the words aloud, Ben’s head snapped up like a stallion scenting danger on the wind. His sharp gaze pierced her heart. “Hey. I’m sorry. Give Alex a squeeze for me, and tell him I’ll see him soon. Okay?”
And just like that, Merry felt the cold knot at the center of her
But this was different, she reminded herself forcefully. She wasn’t doing anything wrong here—she wasn’t acting out like a petulant brat, hoping down deep that the pinch-mouthed, disapproving saleslady would call her father and tell him exactly what Merry had done, and force him to come pick her up.
He’d been working that day, of course. It was long-suffering Ella who’d ridden the bus out to the mall and collected her delinquent baby sister from the bored security guard.
This time, Merry was prepared to stand on her own and defend her choices. But as Ben turned, too, and put his arm around her, Merry got that same shiver that had thrilled her earlier.
She wasn’t on her own in this.
“I’ve asked Merry to be my wife, and she agreed,” Ben announced. “Now, can we get back to the business at hand?”
“What? No,” Jo sputtered, her jaw going loose with shock. “Merry, is this true?”
The way her mother was looking at Ben’s enfolding arm made Merry hyperaware of the way it was draped over her shoulders like a warm, protective shield. Suddenly uncomfortable with the implied intimacy—this wasn’t exactly the way to keep Ben from getting any funny ideas about their wedding night!—Merry shrugged it off.
Ben frowned down at her, but she shook her head. “I don’t want to start this thing under any false pretenses. That’s no way to begin a marriage.”
Some unnamed emotion tightened the corners of his eyes, but he shrugged and went back to his notebook as if the outcome of this conversation couldn’t matter less to him. “Suit yourself. I’ve got work to do.”
Sam Brennan, who’d been watching this whole exchange with every evidence of interest, jammed his hands in his jeans pockets and sauntered over to lean against the barn wall by the tack box. “I swear, y’all are better than a soap opera. I’m waiting to find out you’re actually brother and sister or something.”
Still feeling guilty about the way she popped off on him earlier, Merry gave the big guy a smile. “Nothing quite so dramatic. But I obviously do need to have a quick conversation with my mother, if you guys will excuse us.”
Sam tipped his head in one of those gentlemanly nods they must teach Southern boys in school. “Nice to meet you, Merry.”
Her gaze slid to Ben, who’d clearly skipped class the day they were handing out manners.
Merry’s brand spanking new fiancé had his head down and his hands buried in his beat-up canvas medical bag—he didn’t appear to notice or care that she was about to have what promised to be, at best, a super awkward conversation with her mother.
She sighed and rubbed at her neck, feeling the aftereffects of emotional whiplash. But then, she’d dealt out some mixed signals of her own, she realized. Gathering herself, she laid a careful hand on her fiancé’s shoulder. “I’ll see you in a few minutes. Come to the office and say hi to Alex—he’ll cry if he misses you.”
Ben grunted, refusing to look up at her. “Do me a favor—if your mother talks some sense into you and you decide not to marry me after all, just text me or something.”
Stung, Merry backed off, tucking both hands under her arms against the sudden chill in the air. Her cheeks felt hot with embarrassment, and when she snuck a glance at Sam Brennan, he gave her a sympathetic grimace.
Great, even strangers could see how weird and strained things were between Merry and this man she’d agreed to marry.
Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
As if she’d said the words aloud, Ben’s head snapped up like a stallion scenting danger on the wind. His sharp gaze pierced her heart. “Hey. I’m sorry. Give Alex a squeeze for me, and tell him I’ll see him soon. Okay?”
And just like that, Merry felt the cold knot at the center of her
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