The Rancher's Hired Fiancée

Each time he saw Catherine, she morphed into a woman who was even more beautiful than the last.

Is that what dating an actress would be like? Having a different woman each time they went out?

If so, the part of him that enjoyed an occasional male fantasy sat up and took notice.

“I even found a pair of heels and an evening bag,” she said, striding for the lamp table to show him a small beaded purse.

“You found all of that at The Boutique?” He’d expected her to complain about the out-of-date inventory at Brighton Valley’s only ladies dress shop. Heather, who wasn’t even from a place as style conscious as New York, certainly had.

“No,” Catherine said, “I had to go to Zapatos, the shoe store across the street, for the heels and bag.

What do you think? Will this do?”

Would it do?

“Absolutely.” She looked like a million bucks, which had him thinking he’d better reach for his wallet. “I couldn’t have given you enough money to pay for all of that.”

“Oh, yes, you did.” She smiled, lighting those blue-green eyes and revealing two of the prettiest dimples he’d ever seen. “I even have a few dollars change for you.”

Again, the compulsion to compare her to his ex-wife struck him hard, but he shook it off. Heather was long gone—thank goodness. And now, thanks to Catherine, Ray wouldn’t need to weed out the gold diggers from the dating pool until he was ready to.

“I’ll take a quick shower,” he said. “Just give me a couple of minutes.”

After snatching his clothes from the bedroom, he headed for the bathroom. Then, once inside, he turned on the spigot and waited for the water to heat.

Surprisingly, he was actually looking forward to attending the hospital benefit tonight, especially since he would walk in with Catherine on his arm. A man could get used to looking at a woman like her—and talking to her, too.

Of course, he was paying her to be pleasant and agreeable. If they’d met on different terms, it might be another story altogether.

He had to admit that he’d gone out on a limb by hiring a fake fiancée, but after all he’d been through with Heather, after all their divorce had cost him, he wasn’t ready to date again. And even when he was ready to give it another go, he didn’t think he’d ever want to get married again.

What a nightmare his marriage had turned out to be.

Of course, if he wanted to have a child, he’d have to reconsider. After all, as the only son of an only son, Ray had no one to leave his ranch and holdings to unless he had an heir. But he was still young—thirty-six on his next birthday—so he had plenty of time to think about having children.

He reached into the shower stall and felt the water growing warm, so he peeled off his clothes and stepped under the steady stream of water. As he reached for the bar of soap, he found Catherine’s lavender-colored razor resting next to it, along with her yellow bath gel.

It was weird to see feminine toiletries in his bathroom again. He’d been living without a woman under his roof for nearly two years, so he’d gotten used to having the place to himself.

Still, he reached for the plastic bottle, popped open the lid and took a whiff of Catherine’s soap. The exotic floral fragrance reminded him of her.

Again he realized that he could get used to coming home to a beautiful blonde like Catherine, to having her ask how his day went, to stepping into her embrace and breathing in her scent. But the Catherine who’d spent the lunch hour with him earlier today wasn’t real.

He’d employed her to be the perfect fiancée, and she was merely doing her job.

Even if he got caught up in the act, if he let down his guard, believing Catherine was different and allowing himself to see her in a romantic light, he’d be making another big mistake.

After all, he’d made up his mind to steer clear of big-city women from here on out—and cities didn’t get much bigger than Manhattan.

Besides, he now realized that he needed someone with both of her feet firmly planted on Brighton Valley soil.

And Catherine was only passing through.

Ray snatched one of the brown fluffy towels from the rack on the wall and dried off. After shaving and splashing on a bit of cologne, he put on his clothes—black slacks and a white dress shirt, which he left open at the collar.

After he’d combed his hair, he removed his black, Western-cut jacket from the hanger and slipped it on. Then he returned to the living room where Catherine waited for him.

She wasn’t watching television this time. She was standing near the window, looking out onto Main Street. She turned when she heard his footsteps, gave him a once-over and smiled. “You look great.”

He didn’t know about that, but he figured people were going to think that they’d planned coordinating outfits.

“Thanks,” he said. “So do you. You’re going to knock the socks off every man at the benefit—married or not.”

“Well, you’re no slouch, Mayor. Especially when you get all dressed up. So maybe I ought to worry about running into a few jealous women tonight.” A slow smile stretched across her face. “I might have to charge hazard pay.”

He chuckled. “There might be a few who’ll be sorry to learn I’m taken, but they’ll be polite about it.” He nodded toward the bedroom door. “I need to get my boots. I’ll be right back.”

Minutes later, he returned to the living room, ready to go.

“So tell me,” Catherine said, as she reached for her small, beaded evening bag. “What made you decide to run for mayor of Brighton Valley?”

“I didn’t actually run for mayor. Six months ago, after a couple of beers down at the Stagecoach Inn, I had a weak moment and agreed to run for a vacant city council seat. I’d never really wanted to get involved in politics, so I almost backed out the next day. But then I realized I might be able to make a difference in the community, so I went through with it.”

“Apparently the citizens of Brighton Valley agreed with you.”

“I guess you’re right, because I won hands down. Then, a few weeks ago, Jim Cornwall, the elected mayor, was trimming a tree in his backyard and fell off the ladder. He suffered a skull fracture, as well as several other serious injuries. He’ll be laid up for some time, so I was asked to fill the position until he returns.”

“That’s quite the compliment,” she said.

“You’re right, which is why I reluctantly agreed. Trouble was, I had enough on my plate already, with a land deal I’m in the midst of negotiating and a new horse-breeding operation that’s just getting under way.”

Then, on top of that, his life had been further complicated by all the single women coming out of the woodwork, now that he was single again. And if there was anything he didn’t need in his life right now, it was more complications—especially of the female variety.

“Something tells me you’ll be able to handle it.”

She was right, of course. Ray Mendez was no quitter. He was also an idea man who could think himself out of most any dilemma.

So here he was, preparing to go to a charity event at the Brighton Valley Medical Center with a hired fiancée, albeit a lovely woman who was sure to make a splash when they walked into the hospital side by side.

Ray had never been one to want center stage, yet he didn’t really mind it tonight, since he knew he’d be in good hands with an accomplished actress. So, with their employment agreement binding them, they were about to make their evening debut.

Now, as he opened the door of his apartment, the curtain was going up and the show was on. He probably ought to have a little stage fright, but he wasn’t the least bit apprehensive.

Catherine, as he’d found out at their matinee performance earlier today, just outside Caroline’s Diner, was one heck of an actress. All he had to do was to follow her lead.

In fact, he was looking forward to being with her tonight, to watching their act unfold.

When it was over, they’d head back to his place. He wasn’t sure what would happen after that. They’d have a debriefing, he supposed. And maybe they’d kick back and watch a little TV.