by Seton, Cora
Ninety thousand dollars.
Gone.
"Mother of the bride, sisters, join us, please." Claire moved stiffly to stand by Ethan's side, with Teresa and Lily Leeds taking their places next to Autumn. "Smile."
She tried her best, but knew her attempt was a dismal failure, as memories of Daniel's desertion swirled in her mind. She hadn't reported the crime to the police. She had no proof. When she brought up signing a contract, Daniel had blown her off. “It’s just for a couple of days. By the time we get the paperwork drawn up and signed, I’ll have the money back to you. Plus interest, and maybe something else.” He smiled at her and took her hand. “Something sparkly to put on your finger.”
Marriage. She’d actually thought Daniel wanted to marry her. Like any man cared about her that much.
There wouldn’t be any justice for her – just the humiliation of the whole world knowing how gullible she was if word got out. Bad enough the whole office was talking about how she’d been dating Daniel when he ran off with Edie. At least they didn’t know she thought he was about to propose to her.
"Groomsmen and bridesmaids, come on up." It took several minutes for the photographer to arrange everyone this time. Jamie grinned at her as he took his place and she scowled back.
The day she realized she was back to square one – less than $5,000 in her bank account, betrayed by the man she thought would be her fiance – was devastating, but she didn’t shed a tear. Nor did she high-tail it back home, although if she had she would have gotten to see her parents one last time before they died. No, she’d dealt with the police as a representative of Ledstrom Designs since Daniel had cleaned out the business accounts, too. She'd handled their clients and her coworkers in a calm and professional manner, and she hadn’t missed a single day of work. When one of the other designers suggested that Claire should take over all the open accounts and keep the business running, that’s exactly what she did.
To her surprise, it worked – barely. She used her multiple credit cards to fund the supplies she needed for the current contracts, and when those jobs were finished and paid for she had earned enough money to do it all over again with new ones. She was managing to get by – just.
"Smile for the camera. Big smiles." The photographer's flash went off again and again. The more Claire smiled, the more she wanted to cry.
Then came Ethan’s phone call in August, telling her their parents died in a car accident, followed soon after by the news of the ranch’s debt.
She couldn’t help Ethan even if she wanted to, since she was barely scraping enough cash together each month to make payroll and rent. She thought he would have to sell the ranch. There was no other way, or he’d end up in the same situation she was – running, running, running as fast as she could and still barely getting by.
But he found another way. Who would guess Jamie Lassiter, hired hand, would save the day? Together, Ethan and Jamie remortgaged the ranch and bought out her share – to the tune of six hundred thousand dollars.
She was rich.
Her ordeal was over.
"All right – I want a few more photos of the bride and groom. The rest of you can go."
Thank God. Claire walked to the house as fast as she could, shrugging Jamie off when he came to take her arm. "Not now, okay?"
To her surprise he actually let her go. Five minutes in the bathroom was time enough to splash water on her face and get her emotions under control again. She wouldn't think about the past anymore. Time for a new start.
Just as she walked out of the front door, a cheer went up from the crowd as the happy couple rejoined them on the lawn, and people rushed to offer their congratulations. Jamie joined her and nudged her toward them, too, and she let herself be led over, playing with the ring on her finger once again. Get married to Jamie on Labor Day? A sudden image entered her mind of the two of them boarding an airplane, flying off to their honeymoon on an island shore where they could make love for days…
For heaven's sake – what was wrong with her? If she was ever so stupid as to marry Jamie, she'd just find herself single again a week or two later when another woman turned his head.
She forced another smile to her face as she hugged first Autumn, then Ethan. She was happy for them – really. It was just that all of this – the wedding, the guests, even the ranch itself – made her feel as lonely as the sole survivor of a shipwreck trapped on a desert isle. She would never trust a man enough to marry him. Certainly not Jamie.
“Let’s get on with the eating so we can get the band going,” Ethan said.
“You got it,” Claire said, hoping her voice sounded normal.
Ethan tugged her closer. “Stop it – you’ll hurt someone with that fake smile. Why didn't you just say yes to Jamie? You could be as happy as I am. Wait a minute – are you wearing his ring? Did you say yes?”
Claire gaped at him, her eyes stinging once more. She couldn't believe Ethan was in on this joke and would carry it to such an extreme – on his wedding day. She and her brother had their spats over the years, but he'd never been cruel. She opened her mouth to tell him so, but he pulled Jamie into a man-hug, pounding him on the shoulder.
"Congratulations! When's the happy day?"
He was in on the joke, wasn't he? But he was doing an incredible job acting like it was real. She couldn't remember ever seeing Ethan this happy – especially not since their parents' deaths.
"Labor Day," Jamie said emphatically and grinned at her, daring her to deny it.
She looked from one to the other, at a total loss for what to do.
"You're getting married?" Autumn shrieked, grabbing her hand and pulling it close to see her ring. "Oh my gosh, Claire – it's beautiful. I'm so happy for you!" She threw her arms around Claire and gave her a stifling hug.
This can't be happening, Claire thought, waiting for Jamie to tell them it was all a joke – waiting for Ethan at least to let Autumn in on it. Her stomach twisted when she realized both of them were going to play it straight. Ethan was beaming, and Jamie…he looked like the cat who'd swallowed the canary.
Damn it, she wasn't a helpless bird.
But as she turned to set Autumn straight, her new sister-in-law cupped her hands to her mouth and called out, "Everybody! Everyone – can I have your attention? Yoo-hoo!"
The crowd immediately quieted, all eyes turned to the bride.
"I just have to share the happy news – I'm so excited!" Autumn's face was flushed and her eyes shining. She pointed to Claire.
"Wait…" Claire began, but Autumn rushed on.
"Claire and Jamie have just gotten engaged – they're getting married on Labor Day, so everybody better save the date! We'll all be right back here in a couple of months to do this all over again."
As the crowd cheered and clapped, Claire turned to Jamie, begging him silently for help. He just threaded an arm around her waist and kissed the top of her head. As people surged in to offer their congratulations, she once more pasted a happy expression on her face.
She would be a laughing-stock when September rolled around and no wedding took place.
If she survived this day she would never speak to any of them again.
* * * * *
“Can I get you a drink?” Jamie asked a few minutes later, touching Claire again – just because he could. Hell, he was having a hard time keeping his hands to himself. When Ethan kissed his bride, it was all he could do not to stride across the lawn, pull Claire close and kiss her just as long and hard. Now that Autumn had announced their nuptials to all and sundry he didn't have to hold back. He knew Claire; she wouldn't spoil her brother's wedding day, and that gave him time to recover from his earlier tactical error. Why, oh why had he blurted out that proposal this morning? Given a chance, she'd bolt from the wedding early, get a jeweler to cut the ring off her finger and he'd never see her again.
“Whatever.”
Uh oh. That didn't sound good. It didn't sound good at all.
“Something wron
g?” He stopped and turned her to face him, ignoring the throngs of guests around them all heading for the buffet where trays of appetizers had been laid out by some of the local ladies who’d volunteered their help.
“Of course something's wrong.” Her eyes blazed up at him and he knew that if they weren't in the middle of a crowd, she'd be tearing him a new one.
"Relax. Enjoy yourself."
"Like that's possible now that everyone thinks we're engaged. With this on my finger." She waggled her hand and the ring sparkled in the sun.
"Okay. I get it – I blew it. I should have spent a lot more time with you before I proposed. Maybe taken you on a date once or twice. I'm sorry – the romance of the occasion turned my head."
"You shouldn't have proposed at all. It's mean, Jamie. I'm not part of your little…gang," she waved a hand at where Cab and Rob stood next to Ethan. "I don't play practical jokes and I don't like it when you do."
Jamie swallowed the urge to march over to Rob and knock him upside the head. His stupid joke this morning had done some serious damage to his chances with Claire. "Hold on. This isn't a joke."
"Of course it is. What else would it be?"
Jamie hesitated. He had one chance here to turn things around. If he tried to explain and kept apologizing, she'd walk away from him, disgusted. If he kept up the caveman act, she'd probably punch him. Time to get those competitive juices flowing. He hoped the brainstorm he'd had during the wedding ceremony worked.
"It's not a joke. It's a bet."
He could have laughed out loud at her expression. Frustration, anger, and something that looked an awful lot like desire crossed her face in swift succession. Maybe he was getting to her. He sure hoped so. Maybe he'd finally found the key to her heart.
All-out competition.
"Would you stop saying that word?"
No, he didn't think he would. "The foundation for my house is being laid this week. Pretty soon it'll be framed up and ready to finish."
"So what?" His change of topic had her voice rising.
"I also need help with the horses when the guest ranch gets going."
"And?" She looked ready to explode, crowd or no crowd.
"Here's the bet. You put off your round-the-world trip for six weeks. Design the interior for my new house and then help me out with the first batch of guests that come to stay."
"That's not a bet. That's a request. And the answer is…"
He cut her off. "At the end of six weeks of us living and working on the ranch together, you tell the truth – which do you want; city life and world travel or marriage to me? I bet you choose to be my wife."
* * * * *
Claire opened her mouth to tell him he could shove his bet where the sun didn't shine, but before she could say anything, Becka approached with a wide smile. "Hey, congratulations, guys," she said. "Wasn't the ceremony beautiful? I wanted to thank you, Claire, for all you've done for Autumn."
“I’ve hardly done anything,” Claire said automatically. “You helped out far more. Without you and Autumn’s mom and sister, there wouldn’t be a wedding.”
“I guess everyone helped out,” Becka said happily. “I’m having such a good time here. Who knew Montana was so beautiful?”
“We did,” Jamie said. He smiled at Becka and the young woman noticeably brightened.
There he went again, Claire thought. Flirting – even now.
Becka moved closer to him. “Yeah. Well, you have certainly done a great job keeping it a secret. I had no idea what to expect when I got on the plane. But as soon as I got here I understood why Autumn fell in love with the place.”
“Fell in love with Ethan, you mean.” Jamie laughed, a sound that tugged at Claire's heart despite her fury. From Becka's expression, the girl was entranced.
“Well, you know – no one can resist a cowboy, right?” Becka said.
Claire frowned. Suddenly she didn't like Becka so much; the girl was flirting with Jamie right in front of her eyes – and they were supposed to be engaged. An emotion she couldn't identify had her moving closer to him, putting her hand on his arm so the ring caught the light. “Good thing there’s lots of them here at the wedding. You should be able to find one of your own if you look hard enough.”
A smile lit Becka’s face and Claire felt her own cheeks heat. No doubt about it, Becka heard her message loud and clear, and thought it was hilarious.
“I guess I better get started on my hunt since this cowboy's taken already,” she said. "Congratulations, again!" She headed off toward Autumn's sister.
Jamie chuckled and slid an arm around her waist again, resting his hand on her hip. “Damn, Claire – glad you changed your mind. I thought you said you wouldn't marry me if I was the last man on earth. Now I know you can't wait to be my bride.”
“Yes, I can.” What the hell had she just done? Was she losing her mind? She pulled away and hastened toward the buffet, grabbing a plate and filling it with appetizers.
She hoped he would take the hint and leave her to her mortification, but he didn't. As he took the plate from her and loaded it with more food than she could ever eat, she wondered how this day had gone so far afield. She wanted to climb on top of one of the flimsy rental tables and shout to everyone that the engagement was a fake, but instead she allowed Jamie to take her hand and lead her back up the lawn to the porch, where a sturdy swing hung in the shade. He sat down and patted the slatted seat beside him. “So how about it? Are you on board for my friendly wager?
Friendly wager?
"Let me get this straight. You want me to put off the trip of a lifetime to stay here and design your interior and run trail rides for Ethan and Autumn? All because you think that's going to convince me to marry you?”
"Yep."
"Give it up – the joke's over, for crying out loud."
Mary Needlebaum, entering the house with her young niece, looked over at her raised voice. Claire smiled and waved, then scowled at Jamie again. "I'll play along for this one day because I don't want to spoil things for Autumn. But as soon as the last guest goes home, this ring comes off and goes in the trash. You got that?"
"No – I don't get it. I know you want me – we've got chemistry, Claire. You can't deny it."
Chemistry? Hell, yeah. They had that in spades. And now she understood perfectly what this was all about – Jamie's desperate attempt to get in her pants. He was mad about last weekend. He did want her notch on his bedpost. And he'd go through all this rigamarole to get it.
Sonofabitch.
She sat back and stared at him. "You really think that spending six weeks with you will make you irresistable?"
"I hope so." He grinned his lazy, knockout grin. "You spend six weeks here with me, working at all the things you used to love and then you tell me you'd rather travel the world than get married. If you still turn me down, I'll pay for your cruise around the world and I'll never propose again."
He was unbelievable. They all were. It was high time someone showed Jamie, Ethan, Rob and Cab just what they could do with their practical jokes. “Okay,” she heard herself say slowly, a desire to turn the tables on Jamie and the rest of them growing within her. They weren't the only ones who could play games. She'd take the opportunity Jamie was handing her to make his life miserable. And if she could figure out a way to get back at the other men, she'd do that, too. When her six weeks were up, she'd hop on that boat – free of charge. Not like she'd planned to leave tomorrow, anyway. “I'll take that bet. Under one condition,” she added when he began to smile.
“Anything,” he said.
She fixed him with a triumphant gaze. “You can’t touch me during those six weeks – not one touch,” she said. His smile disappeared. “And you can’t flirt with or touch any of the women guests who come to the ranch, either – or I automatically win.”
* * * * *
“I don’t flirt,” Jamie said, indignation sending him to his feet.
“Are you kidding me? You flirt with everythi
ng that moves,” Claire said. She speared a mini quiche with her fork and cut it in two. Judging by the smirk on her face, she thought she had him by the short hairs.
Actually, she did.
“It doesn’t mean anything,” he tried again. She had to know that. Flirting was like breathing to him – people expected him to act that way.
“Whatever. Those are my terms.”
“But…there’s bound to be women among the guests. How do I talk to them?”
She put down her fork and raised an eyebrow. “Really? You don’t know how to talk to women without flirting with them? No, why am I even surprised? Of course you don’t.” She shook her head. “Just talk to them. Pretend they’re men."
Jamie turned away. Hell, she had him this time. He didn’t mean to do it, but flirting came as naturally as the beating of his heart and it made life a hell of a lot easier. A smile and a look, and women just took care of your needs. It wasn’t his fault God gave him a handsome face. He wasn’t stuck up about it, either. He knew what he had and he used it to make other people happy, and if that meant flirting with a pretty girl at the local takeout place or an older woman manning the desk at some office in town, why not? It didn’t hurt anyone.
And if he'd slept with women from time to time during the years, so what? He wasn't a monk. He'd always known the minute he got Claire's attention all that would stop. And so it had. Except she'd instantly gone off with that Daniel guy.
Claire watched him, her sharp blue eyes taking in all the arguments he wasn’t speaking out loud. If he couldn’t touch her, then how was he supposed to convince her during their six weeks’ time together that she belonged with him back on the Cruz ranch?
By letting her figure it out all by herself.
He considered that notion and nodded. She couldn’t tell him that she didn’t itch to be back among the Cruz horses, training them, riding them, living and breathing those magnificent beasts. Claire rode like the wind and understood animals better than she did people – just like him. Five weeks on the ranch while she designed his interior, and one week helping him run the trail rides and she’d be hooked all over again.