“Oh, but I do. I’m asked the same question by my family. Okay if I tell them I’ve finally found the woman of my dreams and plan to tie the knot?” He took out his cell phone. “Here, let me take your picture so I can show them.”
“No!” Marley held her hand in front of her face.
“All these weeks you’ve barely given me the time of day, and now we’re engaged.” He grasped her hand.
Marley pulled free and pushed past him.
“We’re not having a spat now, are we, love?” he said, returning to that accent. “Our engagement is only minutes old, and you’re already breaking it off. What will your family think? That you prefer to remain a singleton?”
Marley halted. Every nerve in her body fired. Feeling queasy, she faced him. “I’m not in the mood, Brant, and one more word in that phony accent and I’ll—”
“It doesn’t sound genuine?” He raised his eyebrows and stared in disbelief.
“I haven’t the slightest idea if it is or not. I just know it’s not you, the Willie Nelson cowboy I see every day.” She walked past him and continued to their condo building.
“Oh, so you have noticed me.” Slipping back into his usual voice, he pushed the door open for her. “But Willie Nelson? I look that old? I always considered myself more of a young Tim McGraw.”
Once in the elevator, Marley removed her shoes and leaned against the metal wall. The coolness seeped into her skin, a delight after the warmth outside. She closed her eyes. When she heard Brant drop his backpack to the floor, she opened them. He had one hand on the wall above her head and was bending over, getting way too close.
“Hmm. Brown. Aren’t redheads supposed to have green eyes?”
She placed her palms against his chest and pushed him away.
He grinned—that smile that thoroughly unnerved her. “Why pick me? We’ve never even been on a date.”
“I didn’t pick you. My girlfriend Dede did when your picture passed by on a bus.”
“Not that I haven’t tried. I asked you out for coffee and a walk in the rain. Both times you refused. Really did a number on my self-confidence.”
Marley stared down at her feet and wiggled her toes. She remembered. Only someone who lived in Phoenix would consider a walk in the rain a fun thing to do. “You’ve obviously recovered.”
“What is it? You’ve got a thing against actors?”
“No.” She looked up into very dark eyes only inches from her own. “I don’t like dime-store cowboys.”
“What’s that supposed to mean? You think I’m not for real?”
Oh, he was for real, all right. And promised nothing but trouble on a grand scale.
He backed off but still kept eye contact. “I’ll have you know that unlike most of the residents in this fair state, I’m a native Arizonan. I own my own ranch and raise horses.”
They got off the elevator on the seventh floor, and Marley put her key in her door. “Sure you do.” Before opening the door and walking into her living room, she faced him. “I can smell the horse manure emanating from your condo every time the wind shifts.”
Laughing, he stood in her doorway, his hand braced against the doorjamb.
“This engagement will be over by the time I get back.”
He pulled his hand away before she could close the door on his fingers.
Brant stayed in her thoughts for some time while she packed for her trip. As long as the engagement was in her imagination, why not stick with him as her fiancé? He did have some qualities she found attractive. That smile, for instance. Yes, she could definitely wrap a fake engagement around that.
Marley glanced at her watch and decided Dede should be home by now. When she answered, Marley said, “You’ll never guess what. I met Brant coming into our building.” She choked back laughter. “I can’t believe he caught me taking his picture and...” She paused to gain control of her voice. “I told him I needed a fiancé, and he’s it.”
Marley would need a ring, she suddenly realized, something concrete to show her family so they’d believe she’d finally found her man.
“Meet me tomorrow, Dede, before I catch my plane, and help me pick out an engagement ring.”
CHAPTER TWO
BRANT HARDLY SLEPT. When he did Marley Roman appeared in his dreams with the guitar he’d heard her play on occasion. In fact, he was quite sure he’d heard her playing the previous evening. Maybe it was his imagination. The condo was pretty soundproof, and he’d only heard her the few times she’d gone out onto the balcony they shared. And she had been good, progressing through chords he’d struggled with for years. Not to mention her riffs. She could certainly teach him how to improve his technique.
His sister Elaina, oddly still dressed in the fancy outfit she’d worn the previous night, had coffee ready when he came into the kitchen. She used one of his guest rooms whenever she came into Phoenix. “Morning,” he said as he took a seat on the stool in front of the bar, deciding not to ask her why she hadn’t changed clothes. “How was the concert?”
“Perfect. It was a duo with a cello and guitar. Got to meet both the man and woman after and thought I might take up the cello again.” She pushed a full cup of black coffee over to him.
“I remember you playing back when I was in grammar school. You sure you want to put my poor nieces and nephews through that torture?” He moved away from her attempt to swat him. “Usually you’re out of here before the rush hour. Who’s minding the ranch while you’re away?” Elaina managed their father’s ranch a good 50 miles northwest of Phoenix. His two other sisters were also involved in the family’s large holdings. Something he’d managed to avoid.
“I delegate.” Elaina took the stool next to him and watched over the brim of her mug. “Dad wants to talk to you.”
Brant swiveled around so that he faced a window. “You know what about?”
“No, but I think you do. He expected to see you when you finished that last picture. You’re on hiatus now, aren’t you?”
Brant got up and walked over to the sink. “Yeah. I have a few things to take care of and then I’ll come up.” Brant had dreaded the day when he’d have to give in to his father’s wishes and take over the responsibilities at the ranch. If only he could delay the inevitable. He excused himself and headed to the vestibule.
Brant had every intention of meeting Marley again this morning, and this time it wouldn’t be by accident. After opening his door, he picked up his tablet and a book, the former to read and the latter to keep the door ajar so he wouldn’t miss her. Then he sat in his foyer, facing the door.
“What are you doing?”
“Waiting to see my neighbor.”
Elaina laughed. “Why not ring her doorbell?”
“It’s awkward. We got engaged last night and—”
“You what?”
Brant held up his hand when he heard Marley’s door open and placed his finger against his lips. He stood, tossed the tablet onto the chair, pulled open his door, and kicked the chair with the tablet aside before entering the hall.
“Well, what have we got here?” In a Texas twang, another accent he’d perfected for the detective book he had to read for his next gig, Brant added, “My lovely fiancée. Aren’t you just the morning sunshine.”
That elicited a dirty look from Marley. Maybe he was being too obnoxious. “Sleep well?” She didn’t answer as he walked her to the elevator.
Reverting to his normal voice, he asked, “Care to join me for that cup of coffee?”
“No, thank you.” Finally a response. “I’m meeting someone.”
“It better not be a male acquaintance. I can be ferocious if another man shows my fiancée any attention.”
“I’m meeting my friend Dede to pick out a ring for my false engagement.”
“Well,
then I have to come, too. How else would you know what I’d choose for you?”
As they got off the elevator, he put on his straw cowboy hat, hoping it would offer some concealment. He still hadn’t shaved, and his beard was starting to itch, but it did help hide his face.
For what felt like the hundredth time, he wished his face wasn’t plastered all over Phoenix.
* * *
SHE’D SPOTTED HER before the door closed. A woman in Brant’s condo. Brant the player, with beautiful women at his beck and call. No matter how much Marley tried to focus on something else, she couldn’t. An attractive woman had closed Brant’s door, and it wasn’t the maid. Marley had glimpsed chiffon and glitter, dressy for a Saturday morning.
What did she care? As a bachelor, Brant could have a dozen girlfriends. Since his return from Australia, Marley had noticed him with at least two.
Brant stayed right next to her every step of the way to meet Dede. Still unshaven, he wore another chambray shirt, this one with long sleeves rolled up to the elbow. The shirt had its breast pocket ripped off, the stitching visible around the square of unfaded blue. The jeans must have been new, though, since they didn’t have any observable holes. Marley herself was dressed in black pants and a white shirt for comfort on the plane.
Any thought of losing Brant disappeared when they reached the restaurant where she and Dede planned to meet.
“Hi, there,” Dede said to Brant. “I’m Dede Sanchez and you must be Marley’s fiancé.”
Brant stuck out his hand. “That I am. Glad to meet you, Dede. Shall we get some coffee before buying the ring?” He put his hand on Marley’s shoulder, aiming her toward the entrance of the restaurant.
She stopped. “We don’t have the time. Need to get that ring before I catch my plane.”
Brant pointed down the street. “There’s a great pawnshop a block from here with a large selection. I know the owner, and I’m sure he’ll give us a deal.”
Why did he include himself in everything as though they really had a relationship? Annoyed, Marley said, “I’m buying the ring, Brant. This engagement is fake, remember?”
“Precisely, love.” Again with that British accent. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Once inside the store, Brant shook hands with a man who was clearly the owner. “Gee,” the guy said, “I haven’t seen you since two seconds ago when you sailed down the street on that bus.” Amused at his own joke, he turned to Marley and Dede. “Going to introduce us?”
Brant placed an arm around each of them. “Gus, this is Dede and my fiancée, Marley.”
Marley shuddered. How can he do that, tell someone he obviously knows well that we’re engaged?
“We’re looking for rings. Have you got anything suitable?”
“Inexpensive,” Marley interjected.
“Isn’t she wonderful?” Brant removed his arm from Dede but continued to hold Marley. “Won’t let me spend a dime on her.”
“Over here.”
Marley managed to slip from Brant’s grasp as they followed Gus to a display case with jewelry. Brant leaned over and pointed to an elaborate ring. “What about that one?”
“Excellent taste.” Gus reached under the glass, took out the ring and placed it in Brant’s hand.
Brant eyed the tiny tag that dangled from the ring and his eyebrows went up before he reached for Marley’s hand. “Try it on for size, love.”
Marley grabbed the ring and put it on herself. It fit. And it was gorgeous. Something any potential bride would want. White gold, with a large diamond surrounded by several smaller ones. And a price of over five thousand dollars! Marley managed to pull it off and place it on the counter before it scalded her finger. “I want a ring as fake as our engagement.”
With a sigh, Brant turned to Dede. “You talk to her. I can’t deal with this constant change of heart. The engagement’s on—the engagement’s off.” He motioned to Gus. “I’ll let her decide what she wants. You have any new instruments to show me?”
Gus directed another salesclerk over to help Marley while he and Brant headed to where various musical instruments hung on the wall.
In a rush, Marley settled for a similar ring costing less than fifty dollars and was out of the store before Brant had a chance to involve himself again. Left with barely enough time to catch her plane, she shouted a thank-you to Dede and raced home.
Quickly, Marley slipped into sandals that would be easy to take off at airport security. Thank goodness she’d had the foresight to pack the night before.
How was she going to manage transporting everything? She left the guitar and pushed the two pieces of luggage into the hall, planning to return for it once she parked her gear at the front entrance. She was locking her door when Brant stepped off the elevator.
“Let me help you.”
“I can handle it,” she said as he reached for one of her suitcases.
“Darlin’.” He took off his battered cowboy hat and placed it against his chest. “I know you can, but my ancestors would rise from their graves if I permitted my fiancée to do any manual labor.”
While putting his hat back on, he placed his hand over hers, trapping her fingers around the handle. “I’m catching a plane, Brant. Let go of my hand.”
“Just protecting that gorgeous ring I gave you. So, may I help you with your luggage?”
Again Brant interfered with her thought process, jumbling her concentration. She drew a deep breath and let it out slowly. Realizing he wasn’t about to let her alone, she yanked her hand free and said, “Take it.”
He grabbed her two bags and rolled them to the elevator, leaving her with a small carry-on and an extra-large purse. Afraid he might run off with her belongings, she decided to stay glued to him every step of the way.
“Why so much luggage? Dede said you were going for a week. I didn’t have this much when I spent three months in Australia.” Probably because he wore the same rags Marley saw him in every day.
The doors opened and he greeted a man leaving the elevator and finagled the luggage inside. “You got a dead body in here? This weighs a ton. Want me to come to the airport? I could fly out with you to...Where we going?”
Totally frustrated, Marley pressed her hand against her aching forehead. At some point, all the tension had turned into a headache. She said authoritatively, “I am flying—alone—to Pennsylvania.”
Brant leaned against the wall, studying her. “I see pain in those beautiful brown eyes. Headache?”
She nodded but didn’t go into detail.
When the elevator stopped on the fifth floor, he moved to give the woman entering some space. “You’re breaking my heart. You know that, right? How can I exist a whole week by myself?” He smiled at the newcomer and waved offhandedly at Marley. “We’re newly engaged, and she’s taking off without me. After I gave her that gorgeous ring.”
Marley compressed her lips and tried her best to ignore Brant. She would not talk to him. She would not acknowledge his remarks. The elevator stopped at the fourth floor and the woman got out. The doors were closing when he raised his voice and said, “She’ll probably hock it as soon as she gets to Transylvania.”
Marley finally shook her head and turned to stare at him directly. “You’re a real nutcase,” she said before the door opened on the first floor.
“So when are we going on a date? Engaged for twelve hours, and we haven’t even shared chopsticks.” The door started to close, and Brant pushed one of the suitcases forward to stop it. He rolled the other bag into the lobby, pushed both out the front door and down the ramp into the parking area.
“Where are you going with those?” Was he about to make off with her luggage? Marley gripped her purse and carry-on even tighter as she started after him. “I have a taxi coming.”
“I’ll drive you. I’
ve got my truck parked right here.”
“Stop.” She grabbed one of his arms, accidentally whacking his chest with her purse. “I mean it, Brant.” She backed away to put some distance between them. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to hit you.”
He leaned against the white truck, hooked one scuffed boot over the other and folded his arms across his chest. “May I have a serious word with you?”
“Are you capable of being serious?”
He stared her down. If she missed her plane...
“What do you want to say?”
“I’m between gigs right now.” He paused. “No work for maybe a couple of weeks.”
Defeated, she let out a sigh. Given the panhandler outfits he wore, he had to be broke. Probably hadn’t had work since they’d first met and wouldn’t get more till that convention, which was still weeks away. She wasn’t about to start lending him money. But...if he was desperate. “How much do you need? I don’t have a lot with me but...”
Brant frowned, lines puckering his forehead. “I don’t need money. Let me finish what I have to say, okay? I have work coming up later this month, and I’d like to get away from my picture posted on every free space in Phoenix while I wait for the assignment.” He looked away. “And I have personal reasons to disappear for a while.”
He put his index finger to his lips when she tried to interject a comment.
After another pause he said, “You need a fiancé, and it could be fun to act the part. My upcoming job is in New York, so if I stop off in Pennsylvania, I’ll be more than halfway there.”
Marley’s heart raced. No way could she ever have him show up in front of all her relatives and embarrass her. She held her breath and hoped the panic she felt wasn’t visible. “My turn?”
He tossed a hand in the air.
“I don’t want to hurt your feelings, Brant.” He straightened slightly. “But you’re not the type of person I want to present to my family as my fiancé.”
He edged away from the truck, and she backed off so he couldn’t get too close. Since last night when they’d become “engaged,” he had begun to take up too much of her space. And that casual touching of his when he got near her played havoc with her sense of well-being.
An Act of Love Page 2