Free Some Girls Do (Outback Heat Book 1) by Amy Andrews Page A

drawn together. “What?”
    “If I take the pregnancy out of the mix it leaves me right back at the beginning, Coop, and I’m not having the college slash deathbed–promise-to-Mum fight again. I’m where I want to be now and I’m not giving that up. I know it’s dishonest but I just don’t care.”
    “Lacey …” Coop shook his head. “This is crazy. You think they’re pissed at you now? How much worse is it going to be when they find out the truth? How long do you think you can fake it for?”
    “Not for long, obviously. And I will tell them … in a bit. I just want to find myself a job and somewhere to live. Prove to them that I can look after myself and don’t need their permission to run my own life.”
    “And how long’s that going to take?”
    She shrugged. Jumbuck Springs was a small town with the same kind of youth unemployment rates as a lot of small towns. But she was a Weston and that opened doors. “Maybe a month or so?”
    He put his mug on the nearby ancient wooden coffee table. He didn’t bang it but the controlled way he did it spoke volumes about his state. “A month?” He shook his head “That’s not fair to them, Lacey. And it’s not fair to me. I’m already having to put my life on hold for two weeks to fill in for Alec Campbell because of this crazy situation and now you want me to hang around for another two?”
    Lacey frowned. What the ? “I’m not asking you to do that.”
    “Don’t be naïve. You know your brothers have certain expectations.”
    “My brothers are being Neanderthals . This isn’t Victorian England. We don’t duel anymore or have women being sold into marriage by their male relatives. I’m perfectly capable of handling this debacle by myself. You’ve already done enough.”
    He shook his head a look of indignation crossing his features. “To hell with that. While you’re carrying my fake baby I’m doing the honourable thing and standing by you. I’ve already disappointed your brothers enough by knocking you up in the first place. I can’t just leave you here to deal with it on your own because as far as they’re concerned this is real and they’ll see it as me shirking my responsibilities. And I am not a shirker.”
    No. Coop was definitely not a shirker. “We’ll work it out somehow,” Lacey assured. “I’ll tell them that you’re really busy at work so you’ll travel back and forth when you can and that you’re … paying money into my account and … have already started a college fund. Or something.”
    He shook his head. “No. It’s all or nothing, Lacey. It’s what your family expects. Damn it, it’s what I would expect of myself if this whole fucked-up situation was actually real. ”
    “Yes, but it isn’t real, is it?”
    “As long as your family thinks it’s real then you better believe it is real. Very real.”
    “Well then I guess you’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, aren’t you?”
    If Coop thought she was going to cave in because of this then he clearly didn’t know anything about her. She wasn’t backing down—not now she’d come this far.
    “And what if I tell them the truth?” he asked.
    Lacey’s breath hitched. “You wouldn’t.”
    Coop stood and stalked to the other side of the room. “You have no idea what I’m capable of right now.” He shoved his hands on his hips as he looked down at her, his brooding face on again. Was he thinking about dobbing on her?
    Or was he thinking spank or kiss?
    “I just need a little time to establish myself back here again, that’s all.”
    He pursed his lips and Lacey thought he was going to refuse. “You have two weeks. Until Alec gets back.”
    Cool relief flushed through her system. She’d like longer but considering he was offering to be her fake baby daddy for any length of time, she’d be wise to quit while she was ahead. She stood, wanting to fling herself into his arms but he didn’t look in the mood to celebrate. She ground her feet into