by Seton, Cora
“Thank you for talking to him,” she said to Colt, who leaned against the kitchen island, watching her every move with a hunger she couldn’t mistake.
“He’s acting this way because of my mistake, right?” Colt straightened. “I’d better get back to my chores, too.”
“See you at dinner.” She went back to her work, stiffening when Colt came up behind her and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. She turned a questioning look his way. He shrugged and left out the back door, but the desire in his eyes lingered with her long after he was gone, making it even harder to accept the way things had turned out.
Chapter Fifteen
‡
Storm and Regan must have made some phone calls because neither Darren nor Belinda batted an eye at the extra fiancée at the table, and Cheyenne, Henry, and her girls greeted Melanie as if they’d known her for years. The Turners were cheerfully oblivious to the undercurrents swirling around the large dining room table and helped diffuse the tension that otherwise might have overwhelmed the rest of them. Violet and Daisy immediately piled onto Richard and managed to coax a grudging smile out of him with their silliness. Zoe, who was twelve, chatted with him over their heads and soon Colt was convinced that Richard would be able to relax for the evening, at least.
“How are you feeling?” Cheyenne asked Storm across the table. “You’re not showing much.”
“I’m showing enough for both of us,” Regan said, placing a hand on the rounded curve of her belly.
“You look terrific. So does Ella,” Maya assured her. “Isn’t that right, Eli?” Colt had met the Turners at Mason’s wedding last spring and he enjoyed the whole boisterous family. Maya’s teasing of her brother reminded him of the way he and his brothers used to interact. He hoped that someday they’d be able to relax and enjoy each other’s company again.
Eli, looking embarrassed, mumbled, “Sure is.”
“You look beautiful, too, Storm,” Noah chimed in gallantly, raising a glass and toasting her.
“I may not be showing, but all my clothes are getting tight,” Storm said. “It’s lucky I own a clothing store.”
“Do you still enjoy working at the store, Belinda?” Henry asked.
Belinda, who’d just taken a bite of spaghetti, nodded vigorously. When she’d managed to swallow, she added, “It’s getting busy, though. Melanie’s going to help us out for a while.”
“Just for a while? Do you have something else planned, Melanie?” Cheyenne asked.
“I want to open a spa,” Melanie said. “Someday.” She toyed with her noodles and Colt wondered if she was thinking that enduring the next few months wouldn’t be worth the payoff.
“Chance Creek desperately needs a spa,” Stella said from down at the other end of the table.
“Oh, I don’t think I’ll open one in Chance Creek.” Melanie shut her mouth with a snap and blushed when the Turners focused on her with interest.
Zoe had been following the conversation, too. “Where, then?”
Melanie bit her lip, as if unsure how to answer the dangerous question. Colt wondered how much Storm’s younger sisters knew about the situation. “I haven’t worked that out yet. Cheyenne, did you find it easy to move from California to Chance Creek?”
Colt relaxed as the conversation turned. He felt like he’d been negotiating a field full of landmines all day and it would only be worse tomorrow night when Heloise came for dinner. He’d spoken to his old Air Force buddy, Eric Rutherfield, who lived in Missoula, and Eric had agreed to play Heather’s fiancé in exchange for a case of beer. “Nah, sounds like fun,” he’d said when Colt offered him cash. “My life is way too boring these days. I guess I should have dodged that bullet.” Colt knew he meant the one that had torn through his shoulder and messed up the rotation of his right arm just enough he had to leave the military. Eric worked for his family’s sporting goods store now, and Colt understood why the man would be eager for a change of pace.
He and Heather were to meet Eric at Camila’s place the following afternoon so they could synchronize their stories and practice acting like an engaged couple. He figured Heloise might barge in at the Hall, but she’d never think to look for them here. He trusted Eric to do the job right, but he was afraid Heather’s patience had already been stretched to the breaking point. He hoped she could hold it together long enough to pull this off. Eric would stay for a couple of days and said he could come back if that become necessary, but Colt hoped that meeting George once would be enough for Heloise.
After Cheyenne opened her presents and they all ate cake, Richard and the girls left the table and raced upstairs to the third floor. The Turners excused themselves, too. “Sorry to eat and run,” Eli said. “Got a heifer that isn’t doing so well. We need to keep an eye on her.”
“No problem,” Mason said. “We know exactly how that goes.”
“Come back soon,” Regan said. “We don’t see enough of you these days.”
“I know.” Stella gave her a hug. “We’ll host next time.”
Everyone chimed in with their good-byes, and Mason showed them out. Once the coast was clear and the rest of them were settled in the living room with coffee and tea, Darren spoke up. “So Heloise has you all in a bind again I hear.”
“That’s about the size of it,” Colt said.
“You’re really going to marry Melanie?” Belinda asked. “When Storm told me you were back with Heather I was so happy for you two. No offense,” she added to Melanie.
“None taken,” Melanie said. “If I could go back and change things, I would. I never meant to cause all these problems.”
“Heloise saw Melanie when she first got here. What else could we do?” Colt shrugged. “She said if it turns out we’re playing tricks on her, she’d sell the ranch to bunch of developers.”
“Well, that’s a new one.” Darren leaned back on the couch.
“She’d do anything to get her way.”
“Isn’t that the truth?” Belinda sighed. “That woman would try a saint.”
“You haven’t heard the worst of it,” Storm said. “Heloise cornered these three and made them invite her for dinner tomorrow.”
“There was no inviting,” Colt broke in.
“And not only that. She’s forcing Heather to bring her fiancé!”
“Hold up,” Cheyenne said. “You have a fiancé?”
“I do now.” Heather tucked her feet under her on the sofa. “Colt found him for me. I get to meet him tomorrow. Maybe it’ll be love at first sight!” Her quip pierced straight through Colt and an uncomfortable silence settled around the room. “I’m joking,” she said, her exasperation clear. “For God’s sake, if we lose our sense of humor, we’re not going to make it through this.”
“I’m with Heather. To a sense of humor.” Melanie raised her cup.
“To a sense of humor,” the rest of them intoned. Colt drained the rest of his beer.
They were going to need it.
“Can I ask you a personal question?” Melanie said later that night when she and Heather met in the third-floor hallway. Heather had said good-night to Colt downstairs and had just closed the door to Richard’s bedroom. The boy was in a better humor after a few hours with all the other kids, but he’d been gruff when she tried to kiss him good-night.
“Sure. Why not?” Heather said. “We’re just about sister-wives, after all.”
Melanie chuckled. “You’re taking this well.”
“Not much else I can do.” Inside she still ached at the injustice of it all and she knew she’d probably cry herself to sleep tonight. All she could do until then was cling to the remnants of her self-esteem.
“Anyway, my question is, why are you sleeping up here?” She indicated the room Regan had set up when Heather asked her to.
“Because Colt has a new fiancée.” Heather leaned against the wall.
“A new fake fiancée, and everyone knows it except Heloise. You were obviously sharing a room with him before I came. I don’t se
e why you’d change that now.”
“You know, you’re being awfully good about this, too. You stepped into a hornet’s nest. Not to mention Colt’s pretty handsome,” Heather added. “I’m glad you haven’t fallen for him.”
“He made it really clear in his ad he only wanted a temporary wife. The last thing I needed was to set myself up for more heartbreak. Besides, he’s not my type.”
Heather considered her. “Has anyone even asked you why you answered the ad in the first place?”
“Sure they have. I’ll tell you what I told them. For the money. I want to start a spa.”
“What’s the real story?”
Melanie made a face. “I needed somewhere to go. For a long time I’d gotten stuck in a rut that was just comfortable enough to keep me there. I worked at someone else’s spa, my boyfriend paid me just enough attention to keep me happy and I saw my friends often enough that I thought they cared about me. Then in one week my boss folded the business without telling anyone and I discovered my boyfriend was cheating with one of my friends. It woke me right up. I realized I’d been living on auto-pilot. I needed a big change—and some money to start fresh. I don’t know if I’ll be able to open a spa with what I earn from doing this, but it will be a step in the right direction. And I’ve gotten out of Oklahoma. That’s a plus.”
“I guess it is.”
“Anyway, enough about me. Go sleep with the man you love.” Melanie waved her along and disappeared into her own room.
Heather hesitated, wondering if Melanie was right and she was being silly for not spending the night with Colt.
Then an image flashed through her mind of him standing in front of Reverend Halpern and pledging his love to Melanie. Fake or not, she wasn’t in the mood to sleep with anyone tonight.
“George Buckley, huh? Not much of a ring to it,” Eric said when Colt and Melanie met up with him outside Camila’s cabin the following afternoon. The Flying W was a ranch similar to Colt’s family’s spread, with a sprawling old house and numerous outbuildings, including Camila’s small home. He wished he was here on a social call; not on a mission to fool Heloise. Heather was due to arrive any minute, but she’d texted that she’d gotten hung up at work. Melanie had come along because Heloise would assume she’d met George before with Heather living at the Hall.
“You’re lucky it isn’t worse. Heather thought it up on the fly.” Colt nodded at Camila when she opened the door and invited them in. He was well aware Heather’s friend didn’t think much of him right now. However, she exchanged a smile with Melanie, which relieved him a little.
“Think you can pull this off?” she asked Eric when they were settled in the living room. A woodstove in one corner kept the room cozy, and it was obvious to Colt someone had updated the cabin to make it airtight and comfortable.
“Absolutely. I managed to infiltrate a terrorist organization once. I doubt Aunt Heloise will pose that much of a challenge.”
Colt chuckled. “You don’t know Heloise. Don’t underestimate the enemy.”
“She’s crafty,” Camila agreed.
“Nice place you got here,” Eric said to her. “Quite a spread.” He indicated the view out of the large window.
“None of it’s mine—I only rent this cabin. The Turners own the Flying W.” She looked wistful and Colt wondered if country life was growing on Camila. From what he’d heard she’d only been in town about a year. He’d have thought the Montana winter would scare away a southern transplant, but Camila rarely mentioned Texas and bitterness was evident in her voice when she did.
“I love these ranches,” Melanie said. “Where I come from everything is flat. Your scenery is lovely.”
“This is Melanie Munroe, by the way,” Colt told Eric. “She’s my fake fiancée.”
“You always were a trouble magnet, but you’ve outdone yourself this time, Colt. Of course your trouble is as pretty as ever.” He smiled at Melanie and she smiled back.
“Here comes Heather.” Colt gestured toward the truck trundling up the lane, and his spirits lifted as they always did when he caught sight of her. As Heather parked the truck, Colt went to open the door for her.
“Hi, sorry I’m late.” She entered the cabin and shrugged off her coat. Dressed in her work clothes, she wasn’t quite the carefree young woman he used to know, but she was still beautiful enough to take his breath away. Today she wore a form fitting tunic with leggings that showed off her shapely legs. Her boots were practical given the snow outside, but they were stylish, too. He felt a surge of pride that this complicated, sexy woman was the mother of his child. One day soon she’d be his wife, too—no matter how hard Heloise tried to keep them apart.
“No problem,” Colt said. He led her to the living room. “This is Eric. Otherwise known as George Buckley.”
Eric stuck out his hand and shook Heather’s vigorously. “Good to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Heather looked him up and down, taking the measure of her new fiancé, but Colt noticed that Eric’s gaze had slid back to Melanie.
“We’d better get started,” Colt said.
“I’ll leave you to it,” Camila said. “I have to get back to the restaurant. Lock up when you leave.”
It took the better part of an hour to establish back stories for each of them and to take turns quizzing each other until they knew all the details of those stories.
Colt glanced at his watch. “I’m due back at the ranch soon. Heather, you and Eric better take some more time to get to know each other.”
Heather nodded.
“Can you drive me to Willow’s, Colt?” Melanie asked. “I told Storm I’d come in and help her today.”
“You’re leaving?” Eric seemed disappointed.
“I’m sure we’ll meet up again soon.” A becoming blush spread over her cheeks and a dimple Colt hadn’t noticed before flashed in her smile.
“Come on, Melanie.” Colt shot his friend a disgusted look over his shoulder as he led Melanie away. “Try to focus, you two.”
“We will,” Heather called after them.
“As for you,” Colt said as he and Melanie got back into his truck. “No flirting with my fiancee’s fiancé.”
She laughed. “I’ll do my best.”
Heather found Eric to be a charming companion and partner in crime as they swapped backgrounds and concocted a storyline for their fake romance. He was nothing but friendly toward her. Still, she cringed when he brought up the question of public displays of affection.
“I’ll hold your hand whenever I can,” he said, doing just that. Heather felt none of the thrill she got when Colt touched her. Eric’s palms were dry and there was nothing objectionable about him, but there wasn’t anything exciting about him either. She supposed that was a good thing overall.
“What about kissing?”
He smiled. “This is pretty awkward, huh? I didn’t have to kiss any terrorists.” He leaned in and brushed his lips over her cheek. It was nice enough, but again, no fireworks went off. Nuzzling her neck, he kissed her softly behind the ear and this time she shivered, but more from being ticklish than from any attraction to him.
“I think we can fool the old girl,” he said. “You’ll have to stop undressing Colt with your eyes, though.”
“I don’t do that.”
He swooped in for a quick kiss on the mouth.
“What was that for?” Heather asked, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
“To get it over with, just in case the situation calls for it. Next time try not to rub me off so quickly.” He nodded toward her hand and Heather covered it with her other one.
“Sorry.”
“That’s okay. So, what’s the story with Melanie? What will she do when this is over?”
“When Colt divorces her?” She hated to think about either the marriage or the divorce. “I don’t know. I guess she’ll go back to Oklahoma.”
“She has someone waiting for her there?” He did a good job feigning noncha
lance, but Heather thought he had more than a passing interest in the answer. She didn’t blame him; Melanie was beautiful. In fact, it had pleased her a little to see the way Melanie looked at Eric. She’d never looked at Colt like that.
“I don’t think so. She mentioned that her boyfriend cheated on her and she wanted to get away.”
“Ah, I see.”
“Let’s go over everything one more time.” She made herself touch Eric’s wrist lightly—to get it over with, like he said. She leaned in and swiped a quick kiss on his cheek. She could do this.
She hoped.
Chapter Sixteen
‡
“Where’s Mom?” Richard asked as he reluctantly got into Colt’s truck later that afternoon.
“She’s meeting with a friend of ours. I wanted to talk to you a bit.” Colt took his place behind the wheel and pulled out cautiously from the parking lot of Chance Creek Junior High.
“What if I don’t want to talk to you?”
“Too bad. You’re stuck with me.” He turned the truck toward Crescent Hall and was struck again by how strange it was that he was the father now and Richard his son. He could remember many a ride like this in Aaron’s truck. During some of them he’d been as sullen as Richard was now. “You know we’re in a tricky situation with Heloise.”
“I know you’re lying to Aunt Heloise. Is that what you mean?”
“Yeah, that’s exactly what I mean.” Colt worked to control his temper. Richard had every right to be mad at him. “Heloise thinks your mom is engaged to a man named George Buckley.”
“That’s a stupid name.”
“Well, anyhow, a friend of mine has come to town to act the part. He’ll stick around at the Hall for a day or two and then cut out again. I expect you to be civil to him and if anyone outside the family asks, I expect you to go along with the story.”
“You want me to say my mom’s engaged to George Buckley?”
“Yes, I do.”
“This sucks.”
“Yeah, it does.”
Richard shifted in his seat to get a better look at him. “You know what? I have a better idea. Maybe you should just go back.”