The Rancher's Hired Fiancée

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.”