Chapter 7
Chapter Seven
Maisey
Istill can’t believe I agreed to this.
Thirty days married to a cowboy.
But it’s not like I really have a choice, especially if we’re also going to have to pay them back for the hotel. I hardly have enough in my bank account to pay for rent, let alone a luxury suite in Vegas.
Besides, I can’t deny that the idea of spending my nights with a gorgeous cowboy making me come so hard that I can’t see straight all night, every night, while I spend my days painting, sounds like an opportunity that is unlikely to come around again.
Plus, staying on the ranch with him will give me a chance to look for a real job without all the pressure.
With the decision made, we’ve left our honeymoon suite behind so I can collect my things from the room I’ve been sharing with Patty. When I turned my phone on about twenty minutes ago, it practically blew up with messages from my stepsister.
Where are you?
You better be at the pool party tomorrow!
MAISEY!
It’s our last day. Don’t forget the pool party. I NEED my whole bridal party there.
Get down here!
I’m going to kill you if you ruin this for me!
Not one message asking me if I’m okay.
I disappeared from the nightclub with a strange man whom I’d just married because of her, and the selfish bitch can’t even be bothered to ask if I’m okay.
Not that I should expect anything different.
But it does confirm my decision to leave with Travis. It’s not like she’s going to miss me at her wedding in a few weeks. Well, except for making the photos unbalanced.
Why does the idea of her losing her mind over her wedding pictures fill me with glee?
Of course, I hate the idea that my dad is going to be upset with me. But for some reason, the weight of trying to please him right now, on top of everything else, exhausts me. Maybe I’ve just finally hit my limit.
I’m going to have to explain that I married a stranger in a nightclub. Obviously, he’s going to freak out. But that’s going to have to be a problem for a different day.
Right now, I have a plane to catch. We were able to change my flight at the last minute so I can go with Travis and fly into Calgary before we make the drive through the mountains to Rock Creek.
Living in Toronto my whole life, I’ve never been out west, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t excited to see the mountains.
Knowing that Patty and her cronies are occupied at the pool, I leave Travis in the lobby and hurry up to our shared room to grab my things. It doesn’t take long to shove everything into my duffel bag and head downstairs again.
The moment I step off the elevator, I see him across the lobby. He’s leaning against the wall, his legs crossed casually, looking at his phone and looking hot as hell.
A shiver rips through me, and I grin. That is my husband.
It’s not until I’m walking toward him and he looks up, a sexy smile spreading across his handsome face at the sight of me, that I realize...
I don’t even know his last name.
Travis
Rex:
Where are you?
Travis:
Lobby. Waiting for my wife. Headed to the airport.
Seriously?
Deadly.
I send the last text and look up just in time to see my sexy little wife walking toward me. She’s changed into a different cute sundress and pulled her hair back into a clip, but a few strands have managed to escape. Wild. I like it.
I like her.
A smile crosses my face, lighting up my entire body, my cock already twitching to life in my jeans.
“Ready to—”
“What’s your last name?”
I laugh. “I guess we didn’t get to the details last night.”
“We sure didn’t.” Her smile is shy as I take her bag from her. It’s noticeably light. I’ll order whatever she needs. She won’t go without.
“My last name is Dean,” I tell her. “I guess that means it’s your last name, too.”
“My last name is Brooks,” she says with a laugh. “You assume I’m taking your name.”
“You’re not?” I pretend to be shocked as we walk outside, where the limo is waiting to take us to the airport.
She shakes her head and laughs. She doesn’t need to remind me that even though the timeline has increased, it’s still very much a temporary arrangement.
For now.
“What’s this?” She stares at the limo I ordered for us and then back at me with concern. I know she’s worried about the cost.
“It’s another prize.” The lie rolls off my tongue, but it’s worth it to see her relax.
“Well, we might as well enjoy all the perks of this marriage, right, hubby?”
“I’m surprised there isn’t a bottle of Bodacious Bubbles in here, too.”
“There are four cases being shipped to the ranch as we speak,” I tell her. “I hope it’s okay. I had it all sent there.”
“Absolutely.” She laughs. “No point having it sent to my place. I’ll probably be evicted by the time I get back. And we’re definitely not sending it to Patty’s wedding.”
I’d almost forgotten about her shitty stepsister. “When is the big day?”
“Two weeks?” Maisey shrugs.
“And you’re going to miss it?”
“You know what? I think I am.” She nods and gives me a mischievous little smile. “After all, I have my own marriage to tend to.” She laughs at herself, but I’m not laughing. I like the sound of that. A lot. Definitely more than I should let on.
“What did she say when you told her?” The look on Maisey’s face tells me she hasn’t let Patty know anything yet. “You should at least text her so she doesn’t think I abducted you.”
She blows out a sigh but pulls her phone out and dutifully taps out a text while reading it out to me: “Patty, I’m leaving early with Travis. Sorry I’ll miss your wedding. Thanks for asking, I’m fine. More than fine. My new husband is amazing in bed.” She looks at me and cocks a brow. “Good?”
“Perfect, sweetheart.” I chuckle and pull her in close for a cuddle.
Rex is waiting for us at the airport, so I do a proper introduction this time.
He’s only coming back to the ranch for a week or two before heading out to a different rodeo.
Unlike me, he prefers to keep moving. As much as I love rodeo, I love ranch life more.
And I’m looking forward to staying put for a little while, especially now that I’ll be staying put with Maisey.
When our flight is called, I lead her to the gate and present our tickets. It’s not until we’re actually boarding that she notices we’re sitting in first class. “What is…” I give her a shrug, and she laughs. “The contest, right? Wow, the perks just keep coming.”
She has no idea I upgraded her seat and doesn’t question it when Rex slides into the row across from us. He raises a brow when Maisey’s not looking, but I shut him down with a pointed look.
He’s my brother. It doesn’t matter that we’re not blood-related. Even if he doesn’t understand why I’m keeping my net worth from her, he won’t give me away. He’s got my back.
Truthfully, I do feel a bit like an asshole for not telling her that, despite the fact that I’m only a ranch hand, I’m actually a millionaire thanks to my successful rodeo career combined with some very smart investments along the way.
More and more lately, I’ve been thinking about finding the right time to quit the rodeo circuit, retire, and buy my own little piece of land somewhere to raise a family. Maybe that time is coming along a lot faster than I’d thought.
We spend the flight talking nonstop. I fill her in on the details of ranch life, including the other Thorne brothers, and Kali and Anna, who have both recently married into the family.
It’s seeing the two of them and the genuine joy they bring their husbands that has helped me realize what I’ve been missing my whole life by indulging in meaningless flings with women whose names I can never remember in the morning.
I slide my hand onto Maisey’s thigh, letting my fingers slip under the hem of her dress. She sighs and lets her thighs fall open a little with a sexy little smile as I trail my fingers further up.
By the time the plane circles to make its final descent into Calgary, her head is resting on my shoulder, her eyes having just closed for a much-needed nap, and I could swear I’m already falling in love.
Maybe my sweet little wife might turn out to be my very own happy ending after all.