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.