Perfect Enough

Chapter Seven – Josh

Chapter Seven

JOSH

“Let me get this straight. She asked you to a wedding here in Hamilton, and you have to pretend to be her boyfriend for her mother’s sake?”

I straightened the tie. “That’s about it.”

“And then she plans on telling her mother she broke up with you?”

Nodding, I said, “That’s right.”

“Why can’t she tell her mother to stay out of her business?”

I turned and looked at Nathan. One brow rose. “Would you tell your mother to stay out of your business?”

He thought about it for a moment, then said, “No. I wouldn’t.”

I laughed. “I didn’t think so.”

“Josh, you can’t tell me you’re not attracted to her. You’ve been texting her for weeks now. She’s pretty—very pretty—you seem to like her, so why are you not…I don’t know…making arrangements to have this girl pop your cherry?”

I shot him a dirty look. “I’m going to regret telling you that for the rest of my life.”

He shrugged. “Yeah. You are. And I still can’t believe you’re a virgin, with all the women who have thrown themselves at you.”

“And how many women have you slept with, Nate?”

He met my gaze in the mirror but failed to answer my question.

“Let me guess, it’s none of my business?”

A crooked smile appeared on his face. “Something like that.” He sat in the chair in the corner of my bedroom. “So, where are you meeting?”

“Here.”

He shot up. “Here? At your house ? Do you think that’s wise?”

After adjusting the damn tie for the last time, I grabbed my suit jacket and put it on. “Why not? It only makes sense we would go to the wedding together.”

“Josh,” he said, giving me a look that said I was out of my mind. “She’s going to take one look at your house and think you’ve got money.”

I glanced around my bedroom. It was big, with a king-size bed and nightstands on either side. Large French doors opened to a patio. The other side of the room was a small sitting area. A love seat and oversized chair sat opposite the fireplace, above which hung the TV I rarely watched. There was a bumped-out area of the room, where I had a treadmill, some weights, and an antique table that my grandmother gave me. It had been her mother’s, and she wanted me to have it since I’d played on it when I was younger.

“I do have money, Nate. As do you.”

He rolled his eyes. We all had trust funds that our grandparents had set up, and they were given to us when we each turned eighteen. According to them, they wanted to be alive to see us enjoy the money, instead of waiting for them to pass away.

Nathan and I came from an exceedingly wealthy family in Hamilton. They started with cattle, but my father and uncles had invested in other ventures. My father and his brother Brock had been professional bull riders, so that added to their wealth. I was blessed; there was no doubt about it. And frugal. The only thing I’d used my trust for was the house I’d built and the land that had become available next to our family ranch. A small fifty-acre ranch—well, small compared to the family’s. I could have built on the Shaw Ranch, but I wanted my own property.

“And she’s going to look at this house and see dollar signs.”

“She is not, and that’s not fair of you to say that. Do you think all women are only out for money?”

He shrugged. “The ones I talk to are.”

“That’s because you date the ones who throw themselves at you. If you would just admit your feelings for…” I let my words drift away when my cousin shot me a warning look.

Nathan pointed a finger at me. “Do not bring up Haven.”

Sighing, I said, “Why are you so against her?”

He gave me a look. “Why? Because she’s been infuriating me since we were in middle school. She’s a snob.”

“She’s not a snob, and you know it.”

“Then she’s judgy.”

“Are you talking about the comments she made about your womanizing?”

“Yes. Why is it any of her business?”

I adjusted my jacket sleeves, started out of my bedroom, and headed toward the kitchen. “I’m just throwing this out here, but could your problem with her really be that one time in the barn when things got heated and you freaked?”

He laughed. “I did not freak.”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Are you really going to stick with that story? Remember, I was the one you came running to after it happened.”

When he said nothing, I opened the refrigerator and grabbed two beers. Handing him one, I raised a brow.

He closed his eyes and scrubbed a hand down his face. “It’s complicated, Josh.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really, smart ass. I freaked out. Happy now?”

“So you got spooked. Does that mean you have to keep pushing her away?”

He suddenly looked torn. “She’s too good for me.”

“Wow, that’s being honest.”

Nathan took a long drink of his beer and set it on the counter. He shook his head and said, “Things just happened that night, and if I could do it over again, I would. But I freaked out.”

“You regret not sleeping with her then?”

His eyes met mine, and when he said, “Not at all,” I knew he was lying. The truth was, Nathan felt something big for Haven—and that scared him.

“My mom said she’s doing great with her new business.”

He nodded, then took another drink. “Good for her. Still think it’s ridiculous, but she always did love animals.”

“Pretty damn smart of her to start that business, if you ask me. Heard she brought on someone to help her.”

Nathan glanced up. “She did?”

I forced myself not to smile. “That’s what Mom said.”

“Do you know who it is?”

“No clue.”

I watched as Nathan finished off the beer. I wasn’t sure why he ignored his feelings for Haven. All I knew was they were at the barn one time alone. Something about Haven trying to save a kitten and they found themselves on the bed in the office of Nathan’s parents’ barn. The only thing he’d told me was they had almost slept together but he stopped it. Since that night, something had changed with Nathan. He went out of his way to avoid Haven like the plague, when before, he’d always enjoyed their sparring matches.

“I should get going before your date gets here,” Nathan said as he tossed his beer bottle into the recycling bin. He smiled, and suddenly my carefree, easygoing cousin was back. “Have fun tonight.”

“I will. What are your plans?”

He shrugged. “Probably head to The Blue Moose with a few friends.”

Nodding, I said, “Well, don’t drink and drive.”

Laughing, he hit me on the side of the arm. “Thanks for that piece of advice, Mom .”

I walked him out and noticed another car heading down the driveway.

“Perfect timing on my part!” Nathan called out as he climbed into his truck and waited for Sophia to drive up. He honked, and I waved, stepping down to meet her at the car. I tried to ignore the way my heart raced in my chest. Hearing her voice the other day only intensified the anticipation of meeting her in person.

I opened the car door, and Sophia stepped out, looking even more beautiful in person.

“Wow,” I said as I took her in. Slowly shaking my head, I struggled to form a thought.

Clearing her throat, she said softly, “You look very handsome.”

“Thank you,” I said, trying not to let my eyes roam her body a second time. Her dark blue dress was satin, and the way it crossed over in the front showed off her… assets in the most jaw-dropping way. She turned, and I nearly groaned when I saw the back. It plunged nearly to her ass, and I had to force myself to swallow. The slit on one side stopped at mid-thigh, and it took everything I had not to adjust my growing erection.

Leaning into her car, she grabbed a clutch and a small shawl. “The temperature is going to drop tonight, and while the reception is inside, they have a patio with a dance floor and some tables set up…or so I’ve been told.”

All I could do was nod.

Sophia raised her brows, and I shook my head again. “I’m sorry, it’s just…you look stunning, Soph, and I was caught off guard, and if I move…well.”

Her eyes lowered—and then widened. A breathy “oh” slipped free before she looked away. “Your house is…it’s big. I mean—it’s beautiful .”

I smiled. “Thank you. Do we have time for a tour?”

Glancing at her watch, she nodded. “I’d love a tour.”

I motioned for her to start toward the house while I closed my eyes and mentally kicked myself for basically telling her I was hard from looking at her. She was going to think I was a total jerk.

Glancing over her shoulder, she smiled. “Still can’t move?”

I quickly caught up to her, inhaling the cinnamon vanilla scent she’d left in her wake. The smell of her wasn’t helping matters.