Who Wants to Marry a Cowboy? by Abigail Sharpe Read Free Book Online Page B

as she opened the cabin door. “I thought I should take a break from it and clear my mind, but I feel like I left part of myself back in Savannah.”
    “I know what you mean.”
    Meagan sat on the sofa to take off her shoes. “You really traded places with your sister?”
    “How could she say no to the cruise when true love was on the line?” Ainsley said. She made her way to her room, anxious to escape and avoid any more questions. “I’m going to get some rest. See you in the morning.”
    She closed the door behind her and leaned against it, reveling in the silence. Her apartment in Charleston always had some sort of noise—a car driving by, a neighbor getting home after a long night. The stillness outside was a nice change. She unpacked some clothes and pulled on her favorite cotton pajama pants and a tank top, eager to talk to Cecelia and hear how Edward handled the switch. She snuggled under the covers and dialed. Her sister answered immediately, music blaring from the phone.
    “Ainsley! I was going to call you tonight.” Cecelia sounded happy and Ainsley gave a mental shout of celebration that it seemed to be going well.
    “What happened? What did Edward say?”
    Her sister giggled and some of the tension in Ainsley’s shoulders eased. “Mom booked a two-bedroom suite, so I was able to avoid him until the ship left port. He was a little angry when he saw me.”
    “How could you tell?”
    Cecelia snorted. “You know that vein near his eyebrow? It was throbbing like a frightened rabbit. You know how he hates changes in a schedule.” Her voice was rich with amusement. “Anyway, he took out his phone to call Mom and tell on us, so I grabbed it and made it look like I tossed it overboard.”
    Ainsley gasped, but couldn’t stop the laughter that escaped her. Edward considered his phone his lifeline. “You didn’t!”
    “I did. I palmed it and tucked it behind my back when he looked for it over the railing. So now he can’t call anyone unless he wants to spend tons of money using the ship’s phone, and I can make sure he focuses all his attention on me.”
    “Smooth.” Ainsley shifted on her side, getting more comfortable.
    “I thought so. I hadn’t planned that, but definitely took the opportunity when he gave it to me. He broke into a cold sweat about it, but he knows he can get a new one and synch it with his computer when he gets back. The world’s not going to end if he misses a phone call. He probably sleeps with it tucked under his pillow.” Cecelia took a deep breath. “He made a pro and con list. Seriously. I figured I should let him go at it, so I parked my butt on a barstool and had a piña colada while I waited for him to finish.”
    “I’m sure he decided the pro list was better.”
    “Of course!”
     “Well, good.” Ainsley relaxed into the pillows, her muscles releasing their tension for the first time since the plan was hatched. Cecelia sounded deliriously happy. Edward would be okay, and her mother would never know the difference. At least not for a week or so. “Is he with you now?”
    “We were about to go into dinner. The phone won’t work in there so he’s sitting down while we talk. Oh, and I’m wearing that tight red dress, the one Daddy made me cover up with his jacket the last time.”
    “Oh, poor Edward.” A twinge of guilt passed through Ainsley as she listened to the joy in her sister’s voice. “Ceca, if I knew you had feelings for him…”
    “I know, Aims. Don’t worry about it. Really, before I started school I took pleasure in doing things to upset Sophia and Daddy. Now I’m doing things that make me happy. I wasn’t ready before to even consider a serious relationship. And now I am.”
    Ainsley said good night and lay down with a sigh of pleasure, stretching on the soft bed. She never would have imagined her sister and Edward together, but now it made perfect sense. They’d be good for each other, Cecelia’s rebellious streak neutralizing his