Cowboy's Fake Marriage: The Hot Cowboys, #3

By Lexi Banks

It was just supposed to be a joke. Everyone who knows me will tell you, "Houston loves a good joke." But now it's too real.

Cassidy the Tomboy, the tough cowgirl with no boyfriend, needed a man to accompany her to her cousin's wedding. I had nothing better to do, so we went. I'm not a man to pass up free booze.

I didn't think it'd be a big deal, but seeing Cassidy in a dress changed everything. I always thought of her as one of the guys, but now I can't stop thinking of her as a sexy woman.

Oh, then there was the little joke where she lied about us being married. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the lie spread, and now we're having to pretend to be husband and wife.

Maybe we should have just told the truth right away, but now, spending time around her, I don't want the lie to end. I'll pretend to be her husband until the truth or lie wins.

• Language: English
• Publisher: DM
• Release date: Jul 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781393604303

Book preview

Chapter 1

Cassidy

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Iplayed with the small horse pendant around my neck and chuckled. I was openly horse crazy, and it was clear just by looking at me that I was a cowgirl. I stood in front of the mirror now, assessing myself. I wondered what other people saw when they looked at me. I supposed they saw a girl who probably wished she was a boy, but that wasn’t true. I had never wanted to be anyone other than myself. I just so happened not to care about the same things that some of the other girls my age cared about.

It wasn’t like I hadn’t tried before, because I had, but there was simply no point in dressing up when I spent all my time outdoors. There was nothing more ridiculous than a woman trying to climb up onto a horse in heels. Today I was wearing some old overalls that had probably seen better days, but they were so comfortable that I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. I wasn’t going to win any fashion awards wearing them, but my horses didn’t care what I looked like. The only thing that mattered to them was that I fed them and kept them clean.

The one thing I had going for me was that underneath the old overalls was a body fit from outdoor work. I had always been both petite and curvy, but I was also toned. I didn’t need to spend hours at the gym trying to get myself looking this way. I simply worked hard, and my body did it all by itself. It was just a pity that nobody would ever get to see me that way. Right now all they saw was a woman who could probably pass as a boy if you saw her from a distance.

I chuckled and walked away from the mirror. I wasn’t too bothered. I wasn’t even sure why I was assessing myself so much. I hated to admit it, but every now and again I couldn’t help but wonder if anyone was ever going to look at me and be attracted to me. The other day someone had made a comment about the fact that I was almost 30, and I could tell from the look in their eyes that they thought I should make more of an effort. But what was I supposed to do? Just walk around in my pretty clothes in the hope that some handsome young man is suddenly going to come by and sweep me off my feet? I honestly couldn’t be bothered. If someone didn’t like me for who I was, then I wasn’t sure I wanted to be with them anyway. I reached for my horse pendant and gave it a kiss. I had my horses; what else did I need?

I was ready to start my day when I saw some mail sticking out from the mailbox. I went to retrieve it, figuring it was just a bunch of junk as it usually was, when I noticed that one of the envelopes looked different from all the others. For one, it was a lot fancier. This was not junk. It had my name written in calligraphy on the front, and I was just about to open it when I turned it around and saw who it was from. I groaned. If I was getting a letter from my cousin Rick, then it could only be one thing, and right now I wasn’t in the mood to open it. Out of all the similar letters I had received in the past two years, this was the one I was looking forward to the least, and the one I had really hoped wouldn’t ever arrive. I took all the mail inside, dumping everything that wasn’t relevant into the trash, and putting the newspaper and the letter from Rick onto the table.

That should bring the number up to 11. Eleven in two years? That’s too much. Simply too much, I muttered as I paced around the house. Another event. Another reminder that everyone else seemed to be getting ahead in life except for me. I’m a former champion barrel racer, for goodness’ sake, I said to the empty room. Isn’t that enough? I’ve done pretty well with my life. Thank you very much.

I stared at the envelope and shook my head. I wasn’t sure why I was talking out loud, or what I was trying to prove. There was nobody around  to hear me grumble, so the only person I was trying to convince was myself. There was something quite sad about that thought. With a heavy sigh, I decided it was time to go out and feed the horses. If there was one thing I was very good at in life, it was procrastination. That was the one good thing about working on a horse farm; there was always something to be done, and finding ways to keep myself busy was always easy. I liked being busy. I couldn’t stand sitting around and doing nothing. When I took time to drink my coffee, or read my book, it was usually because I had worked hard to deserve some time off.

I headed out and made my way to the stables. I liked owning my own horse farm, and I thought that was a pretty big deal for someone my age. But for some reason, people only thought you were doing well in life if you were married and had a litter of kids running behind you. I knew that I would only gain the respect I deserved when a man asked me to marry him. Apparently, nothing else really mattered in this world. I patted the mane of one of my oldest horses and smiled at him. He seemed impressed by what I had done, although I was probably making that up just to make me feel better about myself.

You love me, don’t you? I asked him. Then I laughed. Was I really trying to get a horse to tell me that it loved me? I was clearly losing my mind. First, there was the conversation with myself, and now I was talking to the horses. This was not a good sign at all. Maybe I was getting old.

After I fed the horses, I walked around the ranch doing some work, but it was clear that I was just avoiding the inevitable. Eventually, I decided to go in and open it. If I didn’t, it would simply stay on my mind. I washed my hands, downed a tall glass of water, then picked up the envelope with trepidation. I opened it up and pulled out the glossy pearl page from inside. My fears were confirmed: Rick was getting married, and this was yet another wedding invitation addressed to me. I wasn’t sure what was in the water lately, but everyone seemed to be getting married around me. The wedding was to be held at Rick’s family ranch in Wyoming, and I wondered briefly if I would be able to get out of it. After all, I had a valid excuse. Wyoming wasn’t around the corner, and I didn’t have much extra money lying around to splurge on hotels. The more I thought about the excuse, the better it seemed to get for me.

Yes, I would just tell him that I didn’t have the money for it, and hopefully, he would understand. He’d be upset, but surely he couldn’t hold that against me. I could tell him that all my extra money went toward maintaining my horse farm, which wasn’t entirely a lie. I was sure I could afford the wedding, but he didn’t need to know that. Anyway, I could think of far better things I could do with the money.

I was just about to call him when I noticed writing on the other side of the card. My heart sank when I saw the words that were written there. Rick had left a note saying that there were spare rooms available for close family, and that I was welcome to stay there free of charge. I would love to have you there, Cassidy. I stared at the words. I wasn’t even sure if he meant them, but I knew now that I couldn’t say no. I had to go.

Also, I couldn’t risk offending my cousin. If I did, I would end up offending the whole family. That was simply how weddings went. If one person didn’t go, it would reverberate across the entire extended family, and instead of upsetting one person, it would end up upsetting everyone. It probably wasn’t worth that. A wedding was the most important day in the lives of the brides and grooms, but it was always the worst day for the guests.

It was just such a pity that he was getting married to the one woman I couldn’t stand. At least if I liked his fiancée, it would’ve been okay, but the thought of fake smiling around the annoying Lara already made me feel exhausted. It wasn’t really the wedding itself that I hated so much, but rather the idea of having to give fake smiles to someone I didn’t like at all. And someone who had never liked me.

Lara had never been my favorite person in the world. I’d grown up with her around me, and she’d bullied me in high school. I didn’t like her at all, and I had no idea what my cousin saw in her. Although she’d always been a ridiculous flirt who preferred men over women. The only way I could’ve gotten her to like me was to become a man, and that was never going to happen. The bullying had happened a very long time ago, but it was not something that I could easily forget. Something like that just never leaves you. In fact, it seems to stay with you forever, hiding under layers of insecurity that keep on growing because of it.

I was simply going to have to go and hope that the whole thing went by at lightning speed. I would give everyone fake smiles, and I would make the most of all the free booze and food offered. If anything, that was the one thing that would make it all okay. I had a feeling that Rick and Lara were going to go all out to impress their guests, so hopefully, that was reflected in the food. I noticed that my invitation wasn’t just addressed to me. I was allowed a plus-one this time. But who would I bring? One of my horses? I pictured myself arriving on the back of a horse and chuckled. Lara would never forgive me for outshining her. Of course, I would never do this, but the thought amused me.

If I wasn’t going to bring a horse, then who would I bring? I realized then that I didn’t want to go alone. This would be the 11th wedding that I had attended in two years, and for the first time, I wanted to go with someone. It didn’t have to be romantically, but the idea of having someone to talk to did make the whole thing feel better. Also, I was tired of arriving alone and having everyone look at me with such a pitiful look in their eyes. There was nothing worse than being pitied by your own family. Lara was probably expecting me to come alone too, and I simply couldn’t give her that sort of satisfaction. No, this time I would bring someone. I just had to figure out who would want to come with me. It wasn’t like I had a bevy of men lining up to date me.

With a heavy heartt, I realized that I had not had a boyfriend for a very long time. Perhaps too long. Was I going to be alone forever? I just hoped that this was the last wedding invitation I would get for a while. Weddings were always a constant reminder that I had never been in love.

Chapter 2

Houston

Ijumped onto Marvin , one of my favorite horses, and went for a ride. I loved Marvin. I’d named him as such because when we’d first gotten him he was a weird-looking thing. He’d been neglected by his previous owner, and he was so skinny that it made his eyes look too big and alien-like. Marvin the Martian was the nickname I’d had for him, and it just stuck. He looked nothing like the horse he was a year ago. He was a big fellow now, fitter and stronger than most and on a mission to prove himself. He was also very gentle with me, and I had a feeling that he simply felt thankful to me for saving him. I had such a soft spot for him and tried to take him for rides as often as possible.

It was a beautiful morning to go out, still too early for the heat to settle, and so still. I loved mornings like this, although I wished I had gone out a little bit earlier. There was something about going out for a ride in the dark and watching the sun rise. That was what I had planned to do, but my bed had simply been too comfortable, and I’d slept in for an extra hour.

I was on the edge of town now, not too far from my house, when I spotted someone else on a horse. I trotted closer and smiled when I saw who it was. Cassidy and I had grown up in the same area, and I knew that she loved horse riding as much as I did. She looked so lost in thought today that she didn’t seem to see me coming. When I got nearer to her, she seemed startled by my presence.

Houston? Hi. I didn’t see you there.

I smiled. Hey, Cassidy. Yeah, you were lost in thought. How are you? Out for an early ride like me, I see.

While the rest of the world sleeps, she said. Although, it’s not that early. I should’ve started at least an hour ago.

I was thinking the same thing. I prefer going when the sun has just started to rise. There’s something special about being out at that time of the morning.

Yeah, she said with a smile. It’s like we’re privy to a secret world that nobody else knows about.

That’s a nice way of putting it. Hey, you want to ride out together? I’m probably still going to ride for another hour, at least.

Yeah, sounds good, she said.

We rode out for a bit, and I noticed that Cassidy wasn’t her usual chatty self. I had always gotten along well with her. To me, she had always been like one of the guys. But she seemed different today, as if she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. I wondered if it had anything to do with her decision to stop barrel racing. It had definitely taken me by surprise when she announced that she was quitting. She had been one of the best barrel racers out there, taking home the championship title each year. She seemed unstoppable.

Then, out of the blue, she quit and decided to focus on her horse ranch. I hadn’t seen her for a while, so I had no idea what was going on in her life, but I got the sense that something was bugging her.

All okay? I asked her.

She frowned. Yeah. Why do you ask?

You seem upset about something. You just don’t seem like your normal happy self, that’s all.

You think I’m normally happy? she asked.

Yeah, you’re always in a good mood. You’re always pretty upbeat. But now...you seem upset.

She sighed. I’m not upset. I’m just a bit contemplative. That’s all. Good to know that I normally come across happy, though.

Has it got to do with the barrel racing? I asked.

Barrel racing? What do you mean?

I shrugged. I don’t know. I just thought that maybe you wished you hadn’t given it up. Sorry, I know it’s none of my business. I was just curious. I had no idea why I was asking her such personal questions, but Cassidy had always fascinated me. She was just so different than all the other women I knew. Sometimes I even forgot that she was a woman at all. She was just one of the girls. The sort of girl I could relax around and be myself. I always found it quite refreshing, and every time I saw her, I wondered why I didn’t spend more time with her.

Oh no, it has nothing to do with that. I definitely don’t regret giving it up. Not for one minute.

"Why did you give it up, by the way? I asked. I mean, if you don’t mind saying."

She chuckled. You’re nosy, she said. I was just about to apologize when she carried on. Of course I don’t mind saying. To be honest, barrel racing was something I sort of fell into. I had never planned on making that my career at all. It was one of those things that just happened, and I found out that I was actually quite good at it.

Very good at it! I said.

She smiled modestly. She had never been one to brag. It was another thing I liked about her. One of my previous girlfriends had ended up being so full of herself that it eventually turned me off her. A bit of humility went a long way. "Thank you. I always told myself that I would quit when I was on top. So that’s what I did. I knew I didn’t want to do it for the rest of my life, so I figured it would be best to quit while I was ahead. It was a good way to go. I am super proud of my achievements in the event, and I will always look fondly on that time.

Of course, I was a bit nervous about leaving. There was always the chance that I would regret it, but I actually don’t really miss it as much as I thought I would. I’m happy with my decision. I love working on the horse farm. I was good at barrel racing, but it wasn’t my passion."

"Well, good for you, then. I don’t think many people in your position would’ve done the same. It must’ve been hard to leave. It’s always easy to leave when you’re not doing well. But you’re right; it’s better to go out on top. At least people will always remember you for that. Okay, so if you’re not worried about the farm or the barrel racing, then what are you worried about? And yes, I am nosy."

She laughed, then sighed heavily. Oh, I have to go to another stupid wedding. That’s all. Sorry, I don’t mean to sound bitter like that. I just really wasn’t looking forward to getting this invitation. I almost hoped it wouldn’t arrive, but it did, and I can’t escape it.

You have to go to a wedding? Anybody I know? I was definitely not expecting her to say that. I thought something a lot more serious was going on. A wedding was just an excuse for a party, wasn’t it?

Yeah, it’s Rick’s wedding.

Rick? Oh, your cousin. Wow, he’s getting married, huh? To whom? I hadn’t hung in the same circles as Cassidy, but I knew some of her family and friends.

To Lara. I’m not sure if you knew her. Although, maybe you do. She was pretty popular.

Hmm, doesn’t ring a bell, but by the way you just said her name I get the impression you don’t really like her.

Cassidy shook her head. Not at all. She went to school with me. She was well-known in my school.

Cassidy and I had attended different high schools. We’d lived in the same area, but I had attended a private Christian school, and she had gone to a public school. Sometimes our paths had crossed, but the schools were very different, and I only knew a handful of the students. I tried to think back on the name Lara, but it didn’t sound familiar to me.

So, what makes her so bad? I asked her.

She sighed. She used to bully me all the time. I guess you just don’t forget things like that, and I have a feeling that she hasn’t changed in the slightest. And now my idiotic cousin is marrying her. He clearly has no brains.

I chuckled. Clearly not. I glanced at Cassidy in surprise. She seemed very upset by this whole thing, and I couldn’t help but feel confused by it. I would’ve figured that should someone attempt to bully Cassidy she would bully them right back. I had never heard her talk with this much bitterness about someone before. You know, I really never took you as the type to get bullied. Or the type to care so much. You’re one of the toughest chicks I know. Hell, you’re tougher than most men that I know.

I guess that was part of the issue that Lara had with me. She tried to make my life hell because I was so different from her. She hated people like me. Then again, she hated most girls. I guess I was just easy pickings for her. Although, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear that she had bullied other girls, too.

What did she do? I asked.

Oh, she did a lot of things. She told a boy that I liked that I was a lesbian. The boy liked me too, but she was very convincing. She made up some story about how she had caught me with another girl at the school, which was obviously a complete lie. Then she flirted with the guy until he eventually asked her out. She would hold his hand and walk past me when I was sitting all alone. She loved the fact that she managed to get the guy, even though I was sure she didn’t even like him.

I groaned. Seriously? What a loser. Why did the guy believe her, though?

Well, I was actually going out with him at the time, but the two of us hadn’t had sex. I didn’t want to have sex while I was still in school, and I told him that I was going to wait until I finished. Lara told him that I wasn’t trying to save myself, but that I actually didn’t want to sleep with him because I wasn’t attracted to boys. Ah, the whole thing was so ridiculous. She stole him in front of me. I guess at the end of the day he cared more about the thought of having sex with someone than he did about having a relationship with me.

That’s ridiculously mean. Although, she probably did you a favor. Any guy that would believe a girl like that is obviously not someone you want to go out with.

Cassidy nodded. I guess you’re right. But Lara had a way about her that the boys loved. She would always be nice to the boys, but she did a lot of horrible things to me. Like I said, it’s hard to forget about these things. They stay with you. I hated the way people used to fall at her perfectly manicured feet when it was so obvious to me that she was using them. The worst part was that she just dumped the guy a few days after getting him. She didn’t actually like him or want to be with him. She just wanted to screw with me. Which is funny really, because she didn’t screw him at all.

And now she’s marrying your cousin, I said sadly. No wonder poor Cassidy was so upset. I would also be upset if my high school bully was going to become a member of my family. That was the stuff nightmares were made