LITMIR.BIZ

      “We need to make some ground rules,” Jenn said firmly, as she showed Johnny to his room. “Since you’ve decided to play this little game.” Her tone was both defensive and accusatory.

      “You started it,” he reminded her, then clamped his jaw shut as he realized he sounded like a five-year-old bantering with a sibling.

      Jenn Washington was most definitely not his sibling. His grip on his saddle pack increased with every step. Maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all.

      “It’s true. I did,” she admitted quietly after a moment’s pause.

      At least she had the maturity to own up to her part in this charade. Johnny respected her for that.

      “What I don’t understand is why you decided not to call my bluff,” she said, gesturing him into a small corner bedroom.

      Johnny quickly scanned the room. There was a neatly made twin bed with a colorful quilt folded at the bottom, a writing table which faced one of two windows, and a clothes rack in lieu of a closet.

      There wasn’t space for a closet, or anything else, for that matter. Johnny had to duck his head to get through the doorway.

      He set his saddle pack against the foot of the bed and then sat down, feeling less awkward sitting than standing. He looked at Jenn expectantly, wondering if she was going to keep on about the subject of why he hadn’t called her bluff, or if she would move on to something else.

      Thankfully, it was something else. “I apologize for the cramped quarters. This is the only spare guest room we have left.”

      “Not a problem,” Johnny assured her.

      “You’re positive you won’t be claustrophobic? You’re used to sleeping under the stars, I’m sure.”

      He didn’t think now was the time to mention he’d shared a dorm room smaller than this in college. “Like I said, I’ll be fine. If I get the hankering, I have my bedroll. I can always go out by the barn and sleep under the stars.” He winked at her.

      “Yes, I suppose you can,” she agreed with a smile. “And then come back inside for a hot shower in the morning. What a novel idea for a cowboy.”

      Actually, he was looking forward to sleeping inside again, on a real bed, and most especially taking a hot shower every morning, but he didn’t tell her that. He just grinned.

      “Now, back to my original statement. Ground rules,” she reminded him. “And I still want to know why you decided to masquerade as my Johnny.”

      “That’s a simple answer,” he replied, opening the frilly blue gingham curtains to let in what was left of the sunshine. Since the window above the authentic pinewood writing desk faced east, he knew he’d see a lot more of the sun come morning.

      He grinned. “I’ve never had a family. You’ve just given me two weeks with one. It’ll be a new experience for me.”

      He was surprised when she didn’t smile back, but rather frowned at him. “Are you serious? You want to be a part of my family? You’ve spent more than five minutes in their combined company. Are you nuts?”

      “You don’t know what you have.”

      Jenn went silent. He was serious. And she felt sorry for him. She might not see them often, but she had family, and as curious as they were, she knew she could count on them, no matter what.

      Johnny, on the other hand, had no one.

      He returned to his saddle bag and flipped open the top, taking out a well-used leather-bound bible and placing it on the writing desk, his hand lingering over the cover.

      “You’re a Christian?” she asked, more alarmed than surprised.

      He looked her straight in the eye. “Yes, ma’am. Does that bother you?”

      Jenn looked away from his soul-piercing gaze. “No, not at all,” she said with forced enthusiasm.

      “You’re in good company here. My family is all outspoken believers.”

      She expected he would naturally include her in the statement, but he continued to watch her, assessing her with eyes that gleamed almost black in the twilight of the bedroom.

      To her relief, he didn’t press the point. Instead, he shifted back to their original quandary.

      “You said something about ground rules.” That low, soft-spoken voice went straight to her heart. “What did you have in mind?”

      “It’s not that I don’t trust you,” she began, and realized to her own surprise that she meant it. “But I think we’d both be more comfortable—and believable—if we simply devise and agree to abide by a game plan. That way there won’t be as many opportunities for mistakes, faux pas, if you will.”

      “Okay,” he said straightaway, sitting on the corner of the bed and gesturing her to the pinewood chair. “Should I shut the door, do you think, so others can’t hear our conversation?”

      “No!” Jenn felt a blush rising to her cheeks—again. “That’s exactly what I’m talking about. My family is old-fashioned. I’m old-fashioned, at least in that respect. This is exactly the sort of behavior I don’t want—”

      She stopped speaking dead in the middle of her statement when she looked at Johnny, who’d crossed his arms and was grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

      She suddenly realized he was teasing her, which only made her blush all the more.

      “Seriously, now,” he said. “What is it you think we should—or should not—do to make our grand charade a success?”

      Jenn had no idea where to start. Her mind was jumbled with thoughts, and not all were about the pretense they were initiating. He was looking at her with an intensity and amusement that sent her mind and heart completely off-kilter.

      Johnny merely cocked an eyebrow, waiting.

      “Well, I don’t think we should spend too much time together alone,” she started, and then realized that was exactly what they were doing now. “Of course, my family will expect us to hang out with each other, but let’s try to do that when everyone’s around.”

      He nodded, his lips quirking in that adorable smile of his.

      “My family doesn’t really believe in private time—individual or otherwise—especially during these reunions. They usually have every spare second filled with some amusement or another.”

      “Sounds good to me.”

      “It’ll drive you crazy by the end of your first week here.”

      He laughed. “You like your private time, huh?”

      “Oh, yes,” she agreed instantly. “I have to have some downtime just to recover from all the noise my family makes. Trust me, you will, too.”

      “Naw.” He shook his head. “Other than devotional time, which I usually take early in the morning before anyone else rises, I think I’m good.”

      “We’ll see.” This man was far too agreeable, which would normally set her nerves on edge, but for some reason, she liked him all the more for his positive attitude.

      “What else?” he asked, leaning back on his hands.

      She wondered if his curly black hair was always as ruffled as it was now, or whether it was the result of wearing his cowboy hat all day.

      “I would prefer that you not try to delve into my personal business—my private life. I’ll respect yours, as well. Naturally, I’ll fill you in on the basics, the things you need to know to be my Johnny. But at the end of the day, I’m a very private person, and I’d like it to stay that way.”

      “Of course,”

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