Cowboy Underneath It All by Delores Fossen

air again. “And you didn’t put a stop to it then and there?” But she didn’t give him a chance to answer. “You should have told me. Not while I was drunk, either,” she quickly added to Eliza.
    Eliza gently took hold of her sister’s arm and led her to the sofa. Judging from her stiff posture, the last thing Violet wanted to do was sit down, but she did when Eliza sat.
    â€œKane didn’t have any part in this. Not before the fact,” Eliza explained. “He wanted to tell the truth while you were at your bachelorette party, but I talked him out of it.”
    Again, she was defending him, and it was certainly something Kane didn’t deserve. “I had plenty of chances to tell Dax that night, and I didn’t,” he admitted.
    â€œWell, he knows now, and he’s not any happier about this than I am,” Violet informed them. “Neither are Mom and Dad.”
    Eliza groaned. “Mercy. They know?”
    â€œOf course. I couldn’t let them go on believing this sham of a relationship. Heck, I think Mom was ready to start picking out your china pattern. She believed it was serious between you two.”
    Kane didn’t know if it was serious or not. In fact, he wasn’t sure where he stood with Eliza now that the cat was out of the bag. More to the point, he didn’t know where he wanted to stand with her.
    Obviously, Kane owed several people apologies. Eliza’s parents, Dax, Violet and anyone else who was upset by this. One person who didn’t fall into that upset category was Charlene, and Kane thought maybe now he knew the reason for Charlene’s phone call.
    â€œJust how many people did you tell about this?” Kane asked Violet.
    â€œIt’s early, so not that many. But I did tell Dax’s sister, Veronica.”
    Hell’s Texas bells. It was all over town by now, and yes, Veronica would have definitely called Charlene. Heck, it was possible that every single person in Spring Hill already knew.
    â€œMom and Dad want to see you right away,” Violet added to Eliza.
    He could have sworn that the color bleached from Eliza’s face. “Did Mom get really upset?”
    Kane knew the reason for the color loss and Eliza’s frantic tone. He doubted this would set back her recovery, but it wasn’t a good thing for her mother to have an emotional upheaval.
    â€œMom’s not any happier about this than I am,” Violet answered. She glanced at Kane, then Eliza. Specifically, at their clothes.
    Which were a little askew in places.
    The right strap of Eliza’s dress was dangling off her shoulder, and Kane realized his jeans were unzipped. He fixed that. Eliza smoothed her hand through her hair. Added to the fact that it was early morning and they were together, Violet must have put her anger aside long enough to figure out what had gone on.
    Violet huffed. “This is all part of the sham,” she declared. “You were going to show up home looking like this so Mom and Dad would think Kane and you were lovers.”
    Kane wasn’t sure if he should confirm that Eliza and he had achieved the label of lovers. Not through a ruse, either. But through good old-fashioned sex. But it didn’t feel right coming from him, and if Eliza planned on saying anything, she didn’t get a chance to do that before Violet continued.
    â€œWell, a fake night with Kane won’t work because Mom and Dad know.” Violet stood. “Let’s go.”
    Violet didn’t wait for Eliza to agree before she headed for the door. Eliza followed her but looked back at Kane.
    â€œI’ll call you as soon as I’ve talked to my parents,” Eliza said.
    Kane hated to try to guess what she was thinking, but there was enough doom and gloom in her voice for him to know that she was dreading this. Maybe even regretting it. Not just the lies that’d started this, but regretting, too, that the lies had led to