The Rancher's Hired Fiancée

Chapter Two

At a few minutes before noon, Ray stood in front of Caroline’s Diner, waiting for his hired fiancée to arrive. The plan had been for Catherine to borrow Eva’s minivan, then to meet him in town.

To his surprise, he was actually looking forward to seeing her again—and not just because she was the solution to one of his many problems.

Even when she’d been wearing sweatpants and an oversize T-shirt, the tall, leggy blonde with bed-head curls had been a lovely sight. Her blue-green eyes—almost a turquoise shade, really—and an expressive smile only added to the overall effect.

Of course, those little heart and flower stickers that the younger Walker twins had stuck on her face while she’d slept had been an interesting touch.

When Ray had pointed them out, she’d made a joke of it without missing a beat. And that meant she would probably be able to handle anything the townspeople might throw at her. If anyone quizzed her about their past or their plans for the future, she’d be quick on her feet.

They hadn’t talked much after dinner last night, since Dan and Eva had returned to the table once they’d gotten the kids in bed. But they’d managed to concoct a believable past for their imaginary romance.

Fortunately, she wasn’t a well-known Broadway actress, so they’d agreed to tell people they’d met in Houston six months ago and that they’d been dating ever since.

The day Ray’s divorce had been final—after two long years in legal limbo—he’d proposed over a glass of champagne during a candlelit dinner in the city. She’d accepted, although they’d decided not to make an official announcement of their engagement until she could take some vacation time and come to Brighton Valley.

So now here he was, standing outside Caroline’s Diner, ready to reveal their phony engagement to the locals who’d already begun to file into the small restaurant and fill the tables.

Ray glanced at his wristwatch again, knowing that he’d arrived a few minutes early and realizing that Catherine really wasn’t late. Rather, he was a little nervous. Could they pull it off?

“Hello, Mayor,” a woman called out in a chipper voice.

Ray glanced up to see Melanie Robertson approaching the diner wearing a smile.

Aw, man. This was just the kind of thing he’d been trying to avoid. Where was his “fiancée” when he needed her?

“Are you waiting for someone?” Melanie asked. “Or would you like to join Carla Guerrero and me for lunch?”

“Thanks for the offer, but I am meeting someone.”

“Is it business or pleasure?” she asked, her lashes fluttering in a flirtatious manner.

“It’s definitely pleasure.” Out of the corner of his eye he spotted Catherine walking down the street. At least, that tall, blonde stranger striding toward him appeared to be the woman he’d met last night.

She’d told him that she hadn’t brought anything fancy to Texas, but… hot damn. She hadn’t needed a shopping trip for their lunch today. A pair of tight jeans, a little makeup and a dab of lipstick had made a stunning transformation from attractive girl next door to dazzling.

“Hi, honey.” Catherine burst into a smile as she reached him. “I’m sorry I’m late.”

Then she leaned forward and brushed her lips across his, giving him a brief hint of peppermint breath mints.

Her fragrance—something light and exotic—snaked around him, squeezing the air out of his lungs and making it nearly impossible to speak.

Then she turned to Melanie, offered a confident, bright-eyed smile and reached out her hand in greeting. “Hi, I’m Catherine Loza.”

The same pesky cat that seemed to have gotten Ray’s tongue appeared to have captured Melanie’s, as well. He could understand her surprised reaction to Catherine’s arrival and greeting, but not his own. Not when he’d been the one to set up the whole fake fiancée thing in the first place.

So why had Catherine’s performance set him off balance?

Because she was so damn good at what she was doing, he supposed.

Shaking off the real effects of the pretend kiss, he introduced the women, adding, “Melanie’s family owns the ice cream shop down the street.”

“It’s nice to meet you,” Catherine said.

Melanie, whose eyes kept bouncing from Ray to his “date” and back again, said, “Same here. I… uh…” She nodded toward the entrance of Caroline’s Diner. “I came to have lunch with a coworker, so I guess I’ll see you two inside.” Then she reached for the door and let herself in.

Well, what do you know? Catherine had been on the job only a minute or two, and the ploy was already working like a charm.

When they were alone, she asked, “So how did I do?”

“You were great.” In fact, she was better than great. She both looked and acted the part of a loving fiancée, and even Ray found himself believing the romantic story they’d concocted was true.

“Now what?” she asked. “Did you want to go inside?”

“Yes, but I’ve got something to give you first. Come with me.” Ray led her to the street corner, then turned to the left. When they reached the alley, he made a second left.

Once they were out of plain sight, he reached into the lapel pocket of his leather jacket and removed a small, velvet-covered box. Then he lifted the lid and revealed an engagement ring.

“Will this work?” he asked.

Catherine’s breath caught as she peered at what appeared to be an antique, which had been cleaned and polished. The diamond, while fairly small, glistened in the sunlight.

“It was my grandmother’s,” he said.

“It’s beautiful.” She doubted the ring was costly, but she imagined that the sentimental value was priceless. “I’ve never had an heirloom, so I’ll take good care of it.”

Then she removed the ring from the box and slipped it on the ring finger of her left hand, surprised that it actually fit.

For a moment, she wondered about the woman who’d worn it before her, about the relationship she’d had with her husband—and with her grandson. She suspected they’d been close.

When she looked at Ray, when their eyes met and their gazes locked, she asked, “What was her name?”

The question seemed to sideswipe him. “Who?”

“Your grandmother.”

He paused, as if the reminder had surprised him as much as the question had, then said, “Her name was Elena.”

Catherine lifted her hand and studied the setting a bit longer. It was an old-fashioned piece of jewelry, yet it had been polished to a pretty shine.

When she looked up again, he was watching her intently.

“What’s the matter?” she asked.

He didn’t respond right away, and when she thought that he might not, he said, “I know that ring isn’t anything most people would consider impressive, but it meant a lot to my grandmother.”

Catherine’s mother had worn a single gold band, although she wasn’t sure it had meant much to her. And when she’d passed away, the family had buried her with it still on her finger. As far as Catherine knew, not one of her siblings had mentioned wanting to inherit it.

But Ray’s ring was different—special.

“It’s actually an honor to wear this.” She studied the setting a moment longer, then turned to Ray, whose gaze nearly set her heart on end.

So she repeated what she’d told him before, “I’ll take good care of it while it’s in my possession.”

“Thanks. I’m glad you can appreciate the sentiment attached to it. Not all women can.”

He’d mentioned being recently divorced, so she couldn’t help wondering if he was talking about his ex-wife.

Had she worn it? Had she given it back to him when they’d split?

Not that it mattered, she supposed.

“So,” he said, “are you ready to have lunch now?”

When she nodded, he took her hand and led her back to the diner, where they would begin their performance. They were a team, she supposed. Costars in a sense.

They also had something else in common—hearts on the mend.

Ray opened the glass door, allowing Catherine to enter first. While waiting for him to choose a table, she scanned the quaint interior of the small-town eatery, with its white café-style curtains on the front windows, as well as the yellow walls that were adorned by a trellis of daisies on the wallpaper border.

To the right of an old-fashioned cash register stood a refrigerated display case filled with pies and cakes—each one clearly homemade.

She glanced at a blackboard that advertised a full meal for only $7.99.

In bright yellow chalk, someone had written, What the Sheriff Ate, followed by, Chicken-Fried Steak, Buttered Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Country Gravy and Apple Pie.

The advertised special sounded delicious, but she’d have to watch what she ate today. When she’d gotten dressed back at the ranch, she’d struggled to zip her jeans and found them so snug in the waist that she’d been tempted to leave the top button undone or to wear something else.

If she didn’t start cutting out all the fat and the carbs she’d been consuming since arriving in Brighton Valley, she was going to return to New York twenty pounds heavier. And where would that leave her when it came time to audition for her next part?

Of course, after that stunt Erik Carmichael had pulled, she’d be lucky if other producers didn’t blackball her by association alone.

How could she have been so gullible, so blind? The one person she’d trusted completely had pulled the cashmere over her eyes. And while she feared that she’d been hard-pressed to trust another man again, it was her own gullibility that frightened her the most.

As Ray placed his hand on her lower back, claiming her in an intimate way, she shook off the bad memories and focused on the here and now.

“There’s a place for us to sit.” With his hand still warming her back, he ushered her to a table for two in the center of the restaurant, then pulled out her chair.

It was the perfect spot, she supposed. Everyone in the diner would see them together, which was what Ray had planned—and what he was paying for. So as soon as he’d taken the seat across from hers, she leaned forward, placed her hand over the top of his and put on her happiest smile. “I’ve missed you, Ray. It’s so good to be together again.”

His lips quirked into a crooked grin, and his green eyes sparked. “It’s been rough, hasn’t it?”

When she nodded, he tilted his hand to the side, wrapped his fingers around hers and gave them a gentle, affectionate squeeze. “I’m glad to have you with me for a change.”

Before Catherine could manage a response, a salt-and-pepper-haired waitress stopped by their table and smiled. “Hello, Mayor. Can I get you and your friend something to drink?”

“You sure can, Margie. I’d like a glass of iced tea.” Ray gave Catherine’s hand another little squeeze. “What would you like, honey?”

“Water will be fine.”

At the term of endearment, Margie’s head tilted to the side. Then her gaze zeroed in on their clasped hands. Instead of heading for the kitchen, she paused, her eyes widening and her lips parting.

“We’ll need a few minutes to look over the menu,” Ray told the stunned waitress.

Margie lingered a moment, as if she’d lost track of what she was doing. Then she addressed Catherine. “I haven’t seen you in town before. Are you new or just passing through?”

Catherine offered her a friendly smile. “I’m visiting for the next couple of weeks, but I’m not really passing through. I plan to move here before the end of summer.”

“Well, now. Isn’t that nice.” Margie shifted her weight to one hip, clearly intrigued by Catherine. “Where are you staying?”

“With me,” Ray said. “You’re the first one outside the Walker family to meet my fiancée, Margie.”

“Well, now. Imagine that.” The waitress beamed, her cheeks growing rosy. “What a nice surprise. Of course, there’s going to be a lot of heartbroken young women in town when they learn that our handsome young mayor is… already taken.”

“I doubt that anyone will shed a tear over that,” Ray said, turning to Catherine and giving her a wink. “But I’m definitely taken. And I was from the very first moment I laid eyes on her in Houston.”

Catherine reached for the menu with her left hand, taking care to flash the diamond on her finger. Then she stole a peek at Margie to see if the older woman had noticed—and she had.

When the waitress finally left the table, Ray said, “Margie is a great gal, but she’s a real talker. By nightfall, the news of our engagement will be all over town.”

As Catherine scanned the diner, which had filled with the lunch crowd, she realized that Margie might not have to say much at all, since everyone else seemed to be focusing their attention on her and coming to their own conclusions.

“So what are you going to have?” she asked as she opened the menu and tried to get back into character.

“If I hadn’t already eaten a good breakfast at the Rotary Club meeting this morning, I’d have the daily special. But Caroline’s helpings are usually more than filling, so I’ll probably get a sandwich instead.”

Moments later, Margie returned with her pad and pencil, ready to take their orders. “So what’ll you have?”

“I’d like the cottage cheese and fruit,” Catherine said.

Ray asked for a BLT with fries.

After jotting down their requests, Margie remained at the table, her eyes on Catherine. “So what do you think of Brighton Valley so far?”

“It’s a lovely town. I’m going to like living here.”

“I’m sure you will.” Margie smiled wistfully. “My husband and I came here to visit his sister one summer, and we were so impressed with the people and the small-town atmosphere that we went back to Austin, sold our house and moved out here for good. In fact, it was the single best thing we ever did for our family. Brighton Valley has got to be the greatest place in the world to raise kids.”

“That’s what I’ve been telling her,” Ray said. “So I’m glad you’re backing me up.”

“Well, let me be the first to congratulate you on your engagement,” Margie said, “and to welcome you to the best little town in all of Texas.”

“Thank you.”

Margie nodded toward the kitchen. “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’d better turn in your orders before you die of hunger.”

When the waitress left them alone again, Ray reached into his pocket, pulled out a single key, as well as a business card, and handed it to Catherine. “This will get you into the apartment I keep in town, which is just down the street. I’ll point it out to you later.”

She placed the key into the pocket on the inside of her purse, then fingered the card with his contact information at both the Broken M Ranch and City Hall.

“After you go shopping at The Boutique,” he added, “you can hang out and wait for me at my place. I should be home by five or five-thirty.”

“All right. I’ll be dressed and ready to go by the time you get there.”

“Good. I’ve got some snacks in the pantry and drinks in the fridge. But if there’s anything else you need, give me a call and I’ll pick it up for you.”

Anything she needed?

For the hospital benefit? Or was he talking about the duration of her acting gig?

She recalled the day Erik Carmichael had given her the key to his place, pretty much telling her the same thing, so she wasn’t sure.

“Did you bring an overnight bag?” he asked.

No, only her makeup pouch. He hadn’t said anything about spending the night.

Where are you staying? Margie had asked Ray just moments ago. And without batting an eye, he’d said, With me.

Was he expecting Catherine to actually move into his apartment while they pretended to be lovers? He hadn’t mentioned anything about that when they’d discussed the job and his expectations last night.

“We’ll probably be out late this evening,” he added, then he bent forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. “It’ll be easier that way.”

She supposed it would be. And if they wanted everyone in town to assume they were lovers, staying together would make the whole idea a lot more believable.

They could, she supposed, talk about the sleeping arrangements later, but she assumed that she’d be using the sofa.

Of course, she wasn’t sure what he had in mind, but she’d have to deal with that when the time came. Right now, she had a job to do.

She had to convince everyone in town that she was Ray Mendez’s fiancée.

After Ray had paid the bill and left Margie a generous tip, he opened the door for Catherine and waited for her to exit. Once he’d followed her outside, they would be the talk of the diner, and that was just what he’d wanted.

Catherine had done all he’d asked of her. She’d looked at him a little starry-eyed, and she’d also used her hands when she’d talked, which had shown off the diamond his grandfather had placed upon his grandmother’s finger more than seventy-five years ago.

She’d seemed to be genuinely impressed by the ring, although he supposed that could have been part of the act. But something told him that wasn’t the case, which was more than a little surprising.

Before offering the ring to Heather, he’d had it cleaned and polished. But she’d turned up her nose at wearing something that wasn’t brand-new and expensive. So, like a fool, he’d gone into Houston and purchased her a two-carat diamond, which she’d taken with her when she’d told him she wanted a divorce and moved out of the ranch house.

He supposed he’d have to be thankful for Heather’s greed in that respect. Otherwise, he would have lost his grandmother’s ring completely—or paid through the nose to get it back, since Heather had known how much it had meant to him. And if she’d had one more thing to hold over him, they might still be in the midst of divorce negotiations.

On the other hand, Catherine seemed to have a lot more respect for the family heirloom. When she’d studied the diamond in the sunlight, she’d even asked his grandmother’s name, although Ray had been so caught up in the memory of Heather scrunching up her face at the ring that Catherine’s question had completely sideswiped him.

Now, as they stood outside the diner, in the mottled shade of one of the many elm trees that lined Main Street, Ray pointed to his right. “The Boutique is located right next to the ice cream shop. And several doors down, you’ll see the drugstore. There’s a little red door to the left of it, which is the stairway that leads to my apartment.”

“Thanks. After I buy the dress, I’ll probably do some window shopping while I’m here. If anyone asks me who I am, I’ll tell them I’m your fiancée. And that I’m staying with you.”

“That’s a good idea.” He probably ought to start the walk back to City Hall, but for some reason, he couldn’t quite tear himself away.

Outside, even in the dappled sunlight, the platinum strands of her hair glistened like white gold. And when she looked at him like that, smiling as though they were both involved in some kind of romantic secret, he noticed the green flecks in her irises that made her eyes appear to be a turquoise shade. It was an amazing color.

And she was an amazing… actress.

In fact, she was so good at what she did that he’d have to be careful not to confuse what was real and what wasn’t.

“Thanks for helping me out,” he said.

“You’re welcome.” She didn’t budge either, which meant she was waiting for him to make the first move. But there were people seated near the windows of Caroline’s Diner, people who were watching the two phony lovers through the glass.

“Well, I’d better go,” he said. “I’ve got to get back to City Hall before it gets much later. Do you have enough money to cover the dress and any incidentals you might need?”