If someone had swiftly socked Josie in the gut, the reaction wouldn’t have been any different. It took everything in her to keep from doubling at the waist. “Engaged? You’re serious?”
“Yes! Isn’t it exciting? Darrell just asked me a couple weeks ago. We’re planning a spring wedding. Nothing too fancy, but I’m hoping you and your sisters will be my bridesmaids. I’ve been looking at dresses, but don’t know that we’ll be able to find one you can all agree on. Maybe you could each pick out your own style. I hear they are doing that more and more these days. Choosing dresses that are the same color, but not necessarily the same cut.”
Josie shook her head, not to indicate any sort of answer, but to help clear it. “You’re getting married.” Saying it as a statement rather than a question didn’t make it any more believable.
“I am. Oh, Josie. He makes me so happy and takes such good care of me. I know you didn’t have much of a chance to get to know him before you moved out, but he’s a wonderful man. You will love him. I’m certain of it.” Peg’s hands found Josie’s and squeezed. When her thumb brushed over the matching ring on Josie’s finger, Peg pulled up short. “What’s this?”
Josie recoiled and shoved her hand behind her back. “Nothing.”
Peg reached around and grabbed her daughter’s arm. “Josie. Are you engaged?” Her eyes fell open in shock.
“No.” It wasn’t a lie. But the next statement most certainly was. “I’m married.”
Peg didn’t fall over dead, which was a better reaction than Josie anticipated. Her jaw unhinged, mouth popping open and then closed like a fish. “You’re married?”
“Yep.” The lie tasted like poison on Josie’s lips. It hadn’t been that way when she told it to others. To people she didn’t know or care about. But lying to her mother was like getting caught with her hand in the world’s largest cookie jar. Guilt flooded her veins and made her sweat. “I’m married to Seth Ford. This is his ranch, actually, and we’re having dinner with his family tonight. I wanted to introduce you all. It’s why I asked you to come over.”
“Josie.” Understanding had yet to register on Peg’s face. The space between her brows pinched. “You just went off and got married? Without telling any of us?”
“Let’s not pretend I’m the only one in this family to do something without telling anyone first.” It was a below the belt move, but all she had in her arsenal.
“If you’re talking about your father and his infidelity—”
“Geez, no, Mom! I meant when Maren jetted off to San Francisco for college without consulting with any of us first.”
“We knew she always wanted to live in the city,” Peg corrected, eyes slits. “And college is just four years. Marriage is a lifetime.”
The truth in that felt like a sack of potatoes heaved into Josie’s lap. Marriage was meant for a lifetime. It was something sacred, and yet here she was, playing with it—teasing it—like some cat playing with a dead mouse.
There was a long pause where Josie could hear her own heartbeat in her ears, and then her mother finally asked, “Does he make you happy?”
That was an easy answer. “Happier than I’ve ever been.”
“And he takes good care of you?”
“He does.” It was a relief that these answers didn’t need to be lies, too.
“Then I’m happy for you, Josie.”
“You are?”
“Of course, I am.” Peg wrapped her arms around her daughter and held her there and when Josie tugged back, she just held on tighter. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you, you know. To love and be loved just as you are.”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted, too.” Josie had to swallow around the emotional lump clogging her throat.
“Let’s go meet this mystery husband of yours, shall we?” Peg propped out an elbow for Josie to slip her arm into. “I have a feeling I’m just going to love him.”
Josie had a feeling, too. When it came to Seth Ford, it was nearly impossible not to.
21
Seth
Josie was different tonight. Relaxed. Comfortable. Less like a dog with its hackles up, readied for a fight. Seth figured Peg had a little something to do with that.
Peg Friar was wonderfully gracious, thanking his parents repeatedly for having her out to the ranch. She spent some time in the house with Donna prepping the dining table, at the barbecue with Mitch discussing why medium rare was the only suitable temperature to cook a steak, and she even tossed a football around with his nephews after all of the plates had been licked clean, washed, and put away.
“How are you holding up?” Seth came over to the deck railing where Josie rested her elbows, her eyes fixed on the hills that had recently tucked the sun behind their rolling peaks.
“Better than I thought I would. Having my mom here is almost…I don’t know…It’s almost nice. Like a security blanket, I guess.”
“She’s definitely kept my mom in check and on her best behavior. Nothing like trying to impress your peers to ensure that outcome.”
Josie laughed softly. “I didn’t realize how hard it would be to lie to her, though. Or how easily she would believe me.”
“I’m sorry you had to do that, Josie.” He pressed his shoulder to hers. “I’m fine with ending all of this right now if you think it’s best. Just say the word.”
“The damage is done, Seth. If we were to come clean now, can you even begin to imagine what that would do?” She spun around and slumped against the rail. “I mean, just look at this. It’s almost like one big, happy family. If we tell them it’s all a lie, everything will blow up. I don’t think either of us can afford a mess like that right now.”
He agreed, but that was neither here nor there. If Josie wanted to call it quits, he would do so in a heartbeat. He could easily end their made-up marriage, take off his own ring he’d purchased the day before from Wal-Mart, and stop it all in its tracks. All of those motions would be easy to execute. But the part where he had to tell his heart to stop beating for Josie? That wouldn’t be quite so effortless.
“I think my parents are wrapping up here, but if you don’t mind, I was going to ask your mom to come over to my place for dessert and drinks. I’d love to get to know her a little better. But only if that’s alright with you.”
Josie’s shoulders dropped by several inches. “That sounds great, actually. Let me say my goodbyes and grab my coat. Meet you back out here in five?”
“I’ll be right here.”
Seth studied Josie as she moved from group to group out on the redwood deck. She gave Amy’s shoulders a little squeeze and then snagged a marshmallow from the bag next the fire pit to pop into her mouth. She waved at Tanner who had a gooey mess roasting over the flickering blazes. High fives for the nephews and a cordial, somewhat forced hug with Seth’s mother. When Mitch hooked his arm around Josie’s shoulder and yanked her close, Seth noticed the authenticity in the gesture and his heart tripped up a little.