Friday morning, she drove into Marietta to work, her stomach in knots. She parked on the street a block from the pink house with the white picket fence, always careful not to take one of the spaces in front of the salon as the senior customers might need a close spot.
The wind whipped her long hair and tugged at her coat as she walked to the salon, but the fresh air felt good. Bracing. Sophie was glad to be away from the ranch working today. She needed the distraction. She didn’t want to think about the wedding, or hear about the RSVPs starting to come in. She just wanted some time with Joe, and maybe it was selfish, but she wanted to feel like a couple, and have fun, and not worry so much about everyone else.
She knew Joe wanted her, but she worried his feelings were different than hers. She was becoming deeply attached to Joe, but what did he feel for her? He desired her, but was that all it was? Physical desire didn’t last forever. Would what he felt be enough for the long term?
Falling in love wasn’t part of the plan, and Sophie hadn’t planned on developing real feelings. Yes, she’d liked his photo and his profile, finding his blunt Wife Wanted ad appealing after the heartbreak with Leo, but she hadn’t thought she’d fall in love with Joe… at least, not so fast.
She’d thought it might take years for them to come together, years for them to form a bond, and yet here she was, three weeks into her stay in Montana and he was all she thought of, and all she wanted. And that was what was getting her down… she wanted more time with Joe, not less, and when she was with him, she wanted more of them, and less of his family.
Just admitting that made her feel guilty because she’d known when she arrived in Montana that Joe lived on the ranch with his mother and grandfather. She knew the ranch was isolated. She knew Joe would spend long days outside on the property. But she’d thought they’d have the evenings to themselves. She’d thought they’d have more… what? Romance?
Joe, however, seemed oblivious to her tension, happy to bury himself every evening in market prices and calculations while Sophie inwardly stewed, wanting more, and not knowing how to be content without more.
Fortunately, it was a busy morning at the salon and Sophie kept her smile firmly in place as she welcomed customers and answered the phone and booked appointments. She was beginning to recognize the weekly customers, the older women who came in for a shampoo and style, as well as the young women who liked a regular blowout.
Sophie thought she’d done a good job of hiding her pensive mood until Amanda joined her at the little table in the kitchen everyone used during break.
“You seem to smile a little less every day,” Amanda said, removing the lid from her salad. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong,” Sophie answered, forcing a smile and sitting taller. “Why?”
“Hmmm, I don’t know exactly what it is. But you seem a little less glowy today. Is the wedding prep getting to you?”
“Maybe, just a bit, although I feel bad even saying that as Mrs. Wyatt is doing most of the work.”
“Weddings can become all consuming.”
“Exactly.” Sophie frowned as she thought about her life since moving into the Wyatt’s ranch house. “It seems like all we talk about right now is the wedding.”
“Tyler and I fought the most just before our wedding. It’ll get easier, I promise.”
“I hope so.” Sophie nudged her turkey sandwich, no longer hungry. She did feel sad. Sad and teary. “I might be a little homesick, too,” she admitted. “The thing is, I don’t want to be home, but I’m struggling a little here. Everything is so new and different and I don’t want to fight with Joe, but he doesn’t really understand how isolated I feel at the ranch. Our relationship is new, and the wedding is getting bigger and bigger, and there’s no time for us just to be together. We both work, and then when we’re free, we’re always with his family. I like his family too, but I need more time with Joe. I need…” Her voice faded, and Sophie reached up to knock away a tear before it fell. “This is silly. There’s no reason for me to cry. There’s nothing wrong.”
“Moving is hard. Starting a new life in a completely different place is hard. My sister, Charity, has found it tough in Seattle, and misses Marietta a lot.” Amanda wrinkled her nose. “But I don’t suppose you want to hear about Charity.”
“I have no problem with your sister.”
“You’d like her if you met her. Charity is really sweet, and fun.”
“You’re close.”
“Very close. BFFs.”
Sophie picked at her sandwich. She and Sarah had once been really close, too. Her chest burned, and her stomach cramped. She put her sandwich down, as a lump filled her throat. She missed Sarah. She missed her family. But at the same time, she didn’t want any of them here. They wouldn’t be okay with her marrying Joe, someone who had been a stranger just a month ago. They’d be upset she was ‘rushing’ into something with him, would try to convince her to return to California.
Her feelings for Joe had become complicated, too. She had feelings for him—very strong feelings—thus the tears and the anger and the increasing frustration. She didn’t want a paper relationship. She wanted the real thing. She wanted Joe to have real feelings for her.
“By the way,” Amanda added more brightly, “I just got the invite to your wedding. Tyler and I are definitely coming.”
“Oh, good,” Sophie said, smiling brightly to hide the sheen in her eyes. “I’ll know someone.”
“Are you really not inviting anyone from your family?”
Sophie shook her head. “It’s just so far. Two flights, and then the drive from Bozeman, which means everyone would need a rental car plus hotel.” She glanced up and saw the arch of Amanda’s eyebrows. “Okay, it’s not just the time or expense. I’m uncomfortable inviting my family. They’ll all have something to say about Joe’s and my relationship and I don’t really feel like hearing it.”
“Haven’t they met him?”
Sophie shook her head. “They don’t even know him.”
“What?”
“They know I’ve come to Montana for a fresh start. They think it’s a job opportunity.” Sophie grimaced as she tore the crust off a slice of bread. “So there is that to explain.”
Amanda blinked. “Wait, what? Why? What’s going on?”
Sophie pushed her lunch away and propped her elbows on the table. For a moment she just felt fear, and anxiety, and then she looked at Amanda and her concerned expression and had to fight fresh tears. “Can I trust you?”
“Of course.”
“You won’t say anything to anyone?”
“No.”
Sophie hesitated then blurted, “I met Joe online.”
“Right. And…”
“He’d placed an ad for a wife.” Sophie gauged Amanda’s reaction and when none was coming, added, “I answered his ad for a wife. And here I am.”
“You’re kidding.”
Sophie pursed her lips and shook her head. “Nope.”
“Wow. I had no idea.”
“Yeah, no one does, and I guess that’s a good thing?” She smiled weakly and toyed with the plastic around her sandwich. “I’d just come out of a bad breakup and I thought Joe’s ad sounded perfect. He sounded perfect. And, actually, he is. I’m falling for him, and yet that’s not part of our deal. We’re not supposed to fall in love; we’re supposed to be practical.”