"This is my fiancé, Willow. Willow, this is Jasper. He's the one that I was telling you about." Bennett introduces us.
"Why don't you come inside, and we'll talk," Jasper says we follow him into the house.
After making sure that we don't want anything to eat or drink, he sits down in the recliner next to the couch and he and Bennett start talking about their agreement.
Looking around I check out the house which seems to be what I would expect a typical ranch house to look like. But then I notice a woman standing in the doorway shooting daggers at me.
"Emma, why don't you come in and join us instead of hanging out by the door," Jasper says as the woman steps into the room.
"Willow, this is my sister Emma, Emma this is Bennett's fiancé Willow," Jasper introduces us.
At the mention of the word fiancé, the look on her face couldn't get any more disgusted, but it's quickly gone when she glances over at Bennett. Then she attempts a flirtatious smile aimed at him.
I have to admit I get a certain satisfaction out of the fact that he seems to completely ignore her. Instead, Bennett focuses on either Jasper or myself which appears to irritate her even more.
As her flirting attempts fail, she tries to take it out on me with what I'm assuming she thinks are scary looks. It does make me wonder what kind of history she and Bennett have.
"But did Jasper tell you about the new colt that we have? she interrupts. “I'd be happy to show it to you in the barn," she says while playing with her hair and pushing out her breasts. The fact that she doesn't even try to hide that she's flirting with him makes her look overly desperate at least in my opinion. But maybe that's what Bennett likes. I don't know.
"No thanks. Emma. Maybe Willow would like to see it while we finish up our meeting." Bennett turns his smile to me, but I'm not stupid enough to take him up on that offer of going into the barn alone with Emma. That would pretty much be suicide.
"I'm good right here," I say with a smile and take Bennett's hand which earns me another smile from him and another glare from Emma. As he talks to Jasper, he grips my hand and rubs his thumb over the back of my hand. It is not much longer before they wrap up their conversation.
"You ready to head home, sweetheart?" Bennett asks when they're done.
"I'm ready if you are."
We say our goodbyes and as always Bennett is a perfect gentleman opening my truck door and making sure I'm inside before getting in himself. Once we're on the road and going towards home, I decide to ask the question that's been floating around in my head.
"What's the deal with you and Emma?" I ask bluntly.
"There's nothing there. She's more like the annoying little kid sister. When Jasper and I first started working together, she was always around and I've learned to ignore her. Why?"
He glances over at me for just a second before his eyes land back on the road.
"I was just wondering because she was trying awfully hard to get your attention the entire time we were there."
"Well, you completely had my attention and made it very hard for me to concentrate on Jasper. Actually, I didn't even notice her other than when she asked about the colt and the barn," he says, squeezing my hand.
"Well, that was a blatant attempt to try to get you away from me and alone with her." I don't know where this sassy part of me came from, feeling like I own him and have the right to be upset about the way that Emma acted. For all I know, they could have a history and one he isn't wanting to admit to having.
"Didn't I turn that down really quick? I understand with us moving so quickly and women like her can give you pause, but you'll learn to trust me. At some point, you'll learn I'm a man of my word.
Deciding to give him the benefit of the doubt, I drop the subject. He deserves at least that, and besides, the truth always comes out one way or another.
Chapter 10
Bennett
Eversincewevisitedthe ranch, Willow seems to have been off the past few days. Even though I can't put my finger on why, I do know one thing for sure, we're getting married tomorrow. There's absolutely no way I want her to have any doubts or cold feet. But at the same time, I want to marry her more than my next breath.
It would crush me if she decided she didn't want to get married, but I'm also not going to force her into this either I don't want her to feel like she has to get married just to have protection from whatever it is she's running from. No matter what, I'll protect her.
Once again we’re in the living room. She’s working on the quilt and I’m making some of the arrows for the bow. Without giving it too much thought, I decide it's time to breach the subject.
"You aren't having cold feet, are you?" I ask.
Immediately, she stops dead and looks up at me. "No, are you?"