The Rancher's Hired Fiancée

“It’s a little unorthodox,” he admitted, “but it’s only part-time, and the money’s good.”

“Who would I be working for? And what would I be doing?”

“You’d be working for me. I need an actress, and you’d be perfect for the part.”

“I don’t understand.” Catherine lifted her cup and took another sip.

“I need a fiancée,” Ray said.

Catherine choked on her coffee. “Excuse me?”

“I want people in town to think that I’m in a committed relationship. And Dan thinks you have the acting skills to pull it off.”

“Why in the world would a man like you need to hire a girlfriend?” Once the words were off her tongue, she wanted to take them back. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

“Okay, let me explain. I need a temporary escort to attend various community functions with me, and it would be best if people had the idea that we were serious about each other.”

Did he think that was an explanation? He’d merely reworded the job description.

“There are a lot of single women in town who’ve been making my life difficult,” he added. “And for some reason, they seem to think I’m actively looking for another wife.”

“But you’re not?”

“No. At least, not for the foreseeable future. My divorce became final a month ago, although my ex-wife moved out nearly two years ago. So I’m not in any hurry to jump into another relationship. I’ve tried to explain that to people, but apparently they don’t believe me.”

“Maybe you should be more direct.”

“I thought I was. And I’d rather not alienate or anger any of my constituents.”

Constituents? Oh, yes. Eva had mentioned he was also the mayor of Brighton Valley. So that meant he was dealing with small-town politics.

Either way Catherine thought the whole idea was a little weird—if not a bit laughable. But then again, she could use the work—and she was an actress.

“How long do you need my help?” she asked.

“Until my interim position as mayor is over—or for as long as you’re in town. Whichever comes first.”

He seemed to have it all planned out.

“I’ll pay you a thousand dollars a week,” he added.

Catherine was still trying to wrap her mind around his job offer, which was crazy. But the money he would pay spoke louder than the craziness, and against her better judgment, she found herself leaning toward an agreement.

“What would your fiancée have to do?” she asked.

Ray sketched an appreciative gaze over her that sent her senses reeling and had her wondering just how far he’d want her to go in playing the part.

“I have to attend a lot of events and fundraisers, so it would be nice to have you go with me whenever possible. I even have a ring for you to wear on your left hand, which you can return when the job is over.”

He was including the props?

This was wild. Pretending to be engaged to Ray Mendez was probably the craziest job offer she’d ever had, but she supposed it really didn’t matter. If he was willing to pay for her acting skills, then why not go along with it?

“All right,” she finally said. “You’ve got yourself a deal. When do I start?”

“Why don’t you meet me for lunch at Caroline’s tomorrow? A lot of the locals will be there, so it’ll be a good way to send out the message that I’m already taken.”

“And then…?”

“I don’t know.” He stroked his square-cut jaw. “Maybe I could greet you with a kiss, then we’ll play it by ear. Hopefully, the rumor mill will kick into gear right away.”

“What if it doesn’t?”

He gave a half shrug. “I guess we’ll have to take things day by day.”

“So you just want me to have lunch with you tomorrow?”

“Actually, later that evening, I also have a charity event to attend at the Brighton Valley Medical Center. It’s a benefit for the new neonatal intensive care unit, and it would probably be a good idea if we walked in together, holding hands. Maybe, if you looked at me a little starry-eyed, people would get the message.”

“You want me to look at you starry-eyed?”

“Hell, I don’t know how to explain it. You’re a woman—and an actress. Just do whatever you’d do if we were actually engaged or at least committed to each other. I want people to think we’re a real couple.”

“Okay. I can do that. But what’s the dress code tomorrow night?”

“I’ll be wearing a sport jacket.”

She bit down on her bottom lip, then glanced down at the simple blouse and black jeans she was wearing now. If truth be told, it was the fanciest outfit she’d brought with her.

“What’s the matter?” he asked.

“If we were in New York, it wouldn’t be a problem for me to find the right thing to wear. But I’m afraid I didn’t plan to do anything other than kick back on the ranch and play with the kids while I’m here, so I only packed casual outfits.”

“That’s not a problem.” He scooted back his chair and reached into the pocket of his jeans. He pulled out a money clip with a wad of bills, peeled off three hundred dollars and handed it to her. “After lunch tomorrow you can walk down the street to The Boutique. It’s a shop located a few doors down from the diner.”

Catherine couldn’t imagine what type of clothing she’d find in Brighton Valley, but then again, she’d chosen to come to Texas because it was light-years from Manhattan and her memories there. She supposed she would have to adjust her tastes to the styles small-town women found appealing—or at least affordable.

She stole another glance at the handsome rancher seated across the table from her to find that he was studying her, too. Sexual awareness fluttered through her like a swarm of lovesick butterflies.

But that shouldn’t surprise her. Ray Mendez was a handsome man. No wonder every woman in town was after him.

Of course, he was paying her to keep the other women at bay.

It would be an easy job, she decided—and one she might actually enjoy. Her biggest Broadway role had been the mistress of a 1920s Chicago mobster. The actor who’d played her lover had been twenty years older than she and about forty pounds overweight. His ruddy appearance had suited the character he’d played, although it had taken some real skills on her part to pretend she was sexually attracted to him.

Ray Mendez was going to make a much better costar, though—especially if her role was going to require a few starry-eyed gazes, some hand-holding and maybe a kiss or two.

For the first time since leaving Manhattan, she was actually looking forward to getting on stage again.