His Convenient Virgin Bride by Barbara Dunlop

Author:Barbara Dunlop
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Silhouette
Published: 2010-10-05T04:00:00+00:00

The reporter’s question had startled Stephanie, so she’d pretended not to hear it. Word that she’d scratched from the competition had obviously not yet leaked out. But it would be common knowledge by Friday at the latest, and there would be questions, although she had no idea how she was going to answer them.

Wesley turned Rosie-Jo into her appointed stall at the Brighton grounds. His shoulders were tense, and he’d barely said a word since they boarded the plane in Montana.

She’d been waiting since the wedding for his sullen mood to lift. She kept thinking another day, another week, and he’d stop acting like she’d kicked his dog.

He unclipped Rosie’s lead rope, and the horse startled.

“Wesley,” Stephanie sighed, knowing time was up. He needed to focus completely on jumping, and that meant she had to confront the situation head-on.

“Yeah?” He concentrated on coiling the lead rope in his callused hands.

“You can’t ride like this.”

He didn’t look up. “Ride like what?”

“You know what I’m talking about.”

He crossed to the stall gate and slipped the catch. “I’m fine.”

“You’re not fine.”

He set his lips in a thin line, opening the gate.

She followed him out. “We need to talk—”

“It’s none of your business.”

“I’m your coach.”

He glared at her, obviously struggling to mask the hurt with anger. “And I guess that’s all you ever were.”

Guilt tightened her chest. “Wesley, I never—”

“Never what? Never said we had a future? Never said you liked me? Never rushed off to marry that—”

“Wesley,” she warned.

“Why did you lie?” The pain was naked in his eyes now. “All that stuff about us talking about it later. Why didn’t you just tell me up-front it was him?”

Wesley was in worse shape than she’d realized, and she knew she had to talk him down. Riding Rosie-Jo at Brighton was a once in a lifetime chance for him to make a splash in front of a huge, national class audience.

“I didn’t lie,” she told him sincerely. “I do like you.”

His lips thinned, and he turned to walk away.

She rushed after him, pushing her hesitation to a far corner of her mind. It was time to be completely honest. “I married Alec because I’m pregnant.”

Wesley’s head jerked back.

“We got married because of the baby.”

He stopped and blinked at her in stunned silence.

“I don’t know where it’s going, or what will happen in the long-term. But I didn’t lie to you, Wesley.”

He glanced reflexively at her stomach. “That’s why you’re not riding.”

“Yes.”

“You mean…” His brain was obviously ticking through the math, going back to Alec’s first visit to the ranch.

“Don’t even go there,” Stephanie warned, already regretting her impulse. Her behavior was none of Wesley’s business.

“Right.” He squared his shoulders. “So it’s a marriage of convenience. You’re not in love with him.”

She didn’t answer.

After a beat of silence, the pain and anger cleared from Wesley’s eyes. Then he smiled. “So, afterward…”

In an instant, Stephanie realized her error. His hopes were up all over again.

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