A Cowboy's Fake Fiancée

by Savannah McCarthy

  Nash nodded. “Yes. I need your help. To save my public image, to save the ranch, to save your job... not that you’ll need it anymore after you’ve received payment for your help.”

  Heather sat up in her chair. “Payment?”

  “A million dollars,” Nash said, flatly.

  Heather’s eyes nearly popped out of her head. She wasn’t sure she was understanding him right. “You want to give me a million dollars!? To do what!?”

  Nash gazed over at Frenchie quickly, Heather could see the thin man in the sleek suit nod out of the corner of her eye. Nash turned his attention back to Heather.

  “To be my girlfriend.”

  Chapter 9

  Nash

  Nash’s heart was nearly beating out of his chest.

  The silence that had followed his big proposition was more nerve wracking than any booing in any football game he’d ever played in. He waited for a little while longer before it became too much for him to handle. He took it upon himself to break the stalemate.

  “I’ve heard of your financial troubles,” he started, “and I would like to help you solve them. It would only be a bonus to you that our little arrangement might also save not just this ranch, but every Winthrow ranch across the country, and thus thousands of jobs as well.”

  Heather scrunched her nose. “How would me being your girlfriend help with any of that?” she asked, directly. Her voice was shaky but full of fire. She reached for her half-empty glass of water.

  “I need a down-to-earth, hometown girl like you by my side,” Nash spieled. “I need people to look past my, um, past, and see that I’m not some big bad guy. I’m a good-hearted man, I swear to you, and I don’t want a single person to lose their job because I decided to take up a football career where I pulverised people for a living. If people see that someone like you has given me a chance, then maybe they’ll rethink their own prejudices. They don’t have to think I’m some saint, but as long as they don’t think they’re supporting a villain, they’ll start to come to my family’s ranches again, and we won’t have to close down a single location.”

  Nash sighed and took a sip of his own glass of water. He watched Heather carefully as she considered his words. He tried not to think about how she looked even prettier in the light of the day than she had last night in the dim glow of the dive bar.

  “I’m not sure I completely understand what you’re asking of me,” Heather finally said. Her voice had cooled but she was still more icy than Nash would have hoped. “How long do I have to be your girlfriend for? Do I have to, like, be seen with you out in public? Have my picture taken by paparazzi? Have profiles written about me in the tabloids? What?”

  Nash nodded towards the folder that lay in front of Heather. “There’s a contract with all the details in that folder... but the basics are this. At first, you’ll be my girlfriend. We’ll say we met how we actually met, like two old rivals in a dusty saloon, biting at the nails to give each other a piece of their mind. But, as we cooled off, we realized that there was something more than hate there. We’ll go on a few ‘secret’ dates, places where no one will bother us, where we can actually get to know each other and talk over are next steps, but other than that, you don’t have to spend any other time with me. In the next step, though...”

  “Wait, there’s another step?” Heather asked. Her nose was scrunched in the cutest possible way. “I don’t like the sound of that...”

  Nash sighed. He had lowballed the plan to her just a little... “Next step is that we get engaged.”

  Heather’s gasp echoed around the office. “You’ve got to be kidding me...”

  Nash just shook his head. “... There’s more.”

  Heather smacked her hands against the arms of her chair. “Oh, what next? We actually get married?” she said, with great exaggeration.

  Nash looked her straight in the eyes and nodded.

  Heather jumped out of her chair. “No,” she belted out. “No way. No how. You want to have a wedding!? You’re going to spend all this money and draw all this attention to me!? And for what, just to change your public image?” Heather turned her back to him and crossed her arms, but she didn’t leave. “I’m not some escort.”

  “I know,” Nash said. He walked around his desk and sat on the ledge, closer to Heather. “Listen, if it were just my livelihood at stake here, I wouldn’t be asking for any of this. The fact is, though, it’s not just my livelihood, or my family’s legacy that’s in trouble. It’s thousands of people, just like you, who will lose their jobs. Most of our ranches support entire small towns. I know it’s a lot to ask, but I have to ask it of you.”

  Slowly, Heather turned back around to face him. Her lips were pursed but her eyes betrayed a sliver of sympathy. “Why me?” she asked.

  “Because you’re perfect,” Nash blurted out, before stumbling over himself to clarify “... For the plan, that is.”

  “You’re also his type,” Frenchie chimed in from back at the bar.

  Nash shot his friend a stern look. Now was not the time for that. Still, he could have sworn he saw the tips of Heather’s lips curve upwards, ever so slightly.

  “And you’ll pay me a million dollars, when?” Heather asked.

  Nash gestured back to the folder on the desk. “It’s all in there. But the contract will be for 6 months. If we haven’t seen a marked improvement in my image or in business at our ranches, then you’ll still get the money, but we’ll be able to call it off, or negotiate for more time.”

  Heather’s pupils raced back and forth. Nash admired the deep, caramel color of them. “You’ll have to leave your job at ‘The Horseshoe’, obviously, but we’ll also pay you a generous stipend during the time up to the official engagement, then you’ll have to stay on the ranch, just for optics.”

  “I’ll be staying with you?” Heather asked. Her voice was softer still than it had been before, but Nash wasn’t going to take any chances.

  “You don’t have to if you don’t want to. I hope that we’ll be able to come to a respectable working relationship in the time we spend together before the official announcement of our engagement, but this isn’t a romantic thing we’re getting into. As long as we keep it discreet, you can easily stay at one of the high-end cabins on the ranch, even all the way up to the wedding.”

  Heather mulled it over. “When do I have to quit my job at The Horseshoe?”

  “You can wait a couple of weeks,” Nash answered. “Unless you want to quit right away? You’ll be getting your stipend regardless...”

  “Then I’ll keep working until I have to stop,” declared Heather.

  Nash’s heart stopped at the implication. “... Does that mean you’ll do it?”

  He gazed at the fiery woman with bated breath. Frenchie was right. Heather was exactly his type, almost to the dot. The only difference between her and the women who he’d found heartbreak with in the past, was that Heather clearly didn’t care about his status, in fact, she obviously loathed it. She was more wholesome than any of his previous girlfriends and also clearly far more ready to call him out.

  He was up for it, even if just for a business relationship. He’d have to be careful to not seriously fall for her, though.

  Heather bit her lip and gazed over to the contract sitting on the desk. “Can I take that with me?” she asked.

  Nash’s gut clenched. The last thing he wanted was for her to take all this to press. That would truly be the end of him. He looked over to Frenchie for reassurance. The agent just nodded. Nash trusted him.

  “Feel free,” he said. “Look over it all you want, but we need an answer sooner than later.”

  Heather stepped forward and put her hand on the folder. “Let me sleep on it,” she replied.

  Nash drew in a deep breath and studied the woman’s eyes, their gazes met and he felt his heart skip a beat. It was enough to make him look away.

  “Let me give you my number,” he said, searching his pockets for a business card. He was wearing his c
owboy outfit though, and there were none to be found. Heather didn’t seem to mind, she just pulled out her phone and handed it over to him.

  A blank contact field was opened up for him. He plugged in his information, but hesitated at what to put in for the ‘name’ section. If Heather was going to screw him over, she already had more than enough ammunition to bury him forever. There was just something about her, though, that made Nash confident that she wouldn’t. Despite her fiery coldness towards him, he already trusted her. She was special, and the exact kind of person he needed right now.

  He typed ‘Nash’ into the contact field and handed Heather back her phone. “I look forward to hearing back from you,” he said, as she took it.

  Heather swiped her phone closed and put it back in her pocket. “And if I reject your offer? Then will you still be glad to hear back from me?”

  Truth was, Nash was already catching feelings, but he couldn’t let her know it. He turned his back to her and walked back behind his desk.

  “You do what you think is right,” he said. “It’s all I can ask.”

  Heather paused for a moment at his words, then scooped the folder off the desk and turned to Frenchie. “Can I go now?” she asked him.

  Frenchie looked at Nash for guidance. Nash nodded.

  “Right this way, my dear,” Frenchie smiled, leading the way out.

  Nash sat down in his big king’s chair and watched the two of them go. It didn’t take long for the doors of his office to clink shut and leave him alone again. He leaned back and his gaze landed on Heather’s glass of water. It looked half-full.

  This could work, he thought to himself.

  He hadn’t misspoken earlier; he knew it was true.

  She was perfect.

  Chapter 10

  Heather

  Unbeknownst to her, Heather had lied when she’d said she’d ‘sleep on’ Nash’s proposal.

  She didn’t sleep a wink that night. Her mind was restless and she tossed and turned like a leaf at sea until suddenly it was morning.

  Sunlight streamed through her half-closed blinds as she turned over in bed one last time to check her clock. She had 15 minutes left before her alarm would go off. Usually, she’d have tucked herself in and savored those last 15 minutes with all of her heart, but she wasn’t tired and she couldn’t shut her eyes again—whenever she did, she saw Nash.

  She still couldn’t tell if she hated or loved his stupid, low guttural voice, or his big, brawny body, or his cowboy style, or the way he’d looked at her. Did he think she was some peasant that he could control with money, or did he truly believe that Heather was ‘good’ enough to help him seem less bad, and thus save the ranch, and thousands of jobs at the same time?

  The pressure was too much. She didn’t envy a man with so much power. She could barely pull her nerve-racked body out of bed.

  “You’re up earlier,” her mother noted, when Heather came downstairs 10 minutes before she would have otherwise.

  “Couldn’t sleep,” Heather mumbled. She opened the fridge and poured herself a glass of orange juice.

  “Job getting to you?” Constance asked, understandably oblivious.

  “Something like that,” Heather responded, before taking a big swig from her glass.

  “Well, being a manager is a lot of responsibility. I’m sure it’s hard, but I’m also sure you’re up to the task. Just keep plugging, baby girl,” Constance turned her gaze up from her daily newspaper. Heather could feel her mother’s eyes studying her. “I’m proud of you,” Constance added.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Heather sighed. She felt nauseous. This massive decision wouldn’t just affect her, or even just those she worked with, it wouldn’t even just affect those that worked on Winthrow ranches all across the country, it would affect her mother as well—Heather didn’t know how she’d ever break the news to her.

  Constance hated Nash Winthrow, and not entirely without her own reasons.

  Heather didn’t want to think about it right now though, she’d been up all night doing just that. She just wanted to get to work and get her hands dirty and then make a decision at the end of the day. If she didn’t take Nash up on his offer, she’d never have to tell Constance... but if she did, she didn’t know how she’d break it to her. It was maybe the biggest obstacle holding her back from just saying, screw it, and jumping head first into a million dollars.

  A million dollars...

  That would solve all of her problems. Debt, paid off. Bills, no problem. Savings, replenished. What would Heather even have to worry about after her 6-month stint as Nash’s fake fiancée? There’d never been a time in her adult life where she hadn’t had to worry about money to some extent, and the idea that it wouldn’t really be an issue anymore almost seemed too good to be true.

  What was the catch? Sure, she had to spend all that time with the most hated sports figure in the country, but then she could be done with him forever and still have the money.

  Heather ate a quick breakfast of jam on toast, finished her juice, kissed her mother goodbye and then headed off for work.

  If I played it right, I’d never have to work again... she thought as she blazed down the highway. I could even go back to Boulder...

  She pulled into The Horseshoe’s parking lot and tried to put her racing thoughts on the back burner. It didn’t help when she saw Stacey and Lola were already at work. But then I’d have to leave them...

  Heather didn’t even know if she could survive without working. She’d always been a busy body, and the recent stretch of time when she’d been looking for work was like a living hell. It crossed her mind that with the money she’d get from going along with Nash’s plan, she’d be able to go back to school. Her dream had always been to work with underprivileged children in some capacity, but every job in that field that paid above poverty levels required extensive education, or, at least, more education than she could afford.

  With a million dollars, though, Heather could either go back to school and get her required certifications, or just be financially comfortable enough to take a lower paying job. She wanted to be able to help, but first, she had to be able to help herself. Eden Prairie was small, but it had a wrong side of the tracks just like every other town. She’d seen so much potential there when she was younger, but life hadn’t given her any opportunities to make the changes she’d dreamed of... until now.

  Heather nodded to Stacey and Lola and quickly raced to her backroom office. She wondered what they’d think of this whole thing. How would everyone think of this whole thing? Heather opened her laptop and decided that, with the money she’d make, it didn’t really matter if her reputation took a hit from being with a man like Nash. Plus, he didn’t seem so bad. Maybe, everyone really was wrong about him...

  “Not in a ‘hello’ mood this morning?” came a friendly voice from her little office’s doorway.

  Heather turned to see Stacey leaning against the wall. She smiled. “Hello!”

  “Hello!” Stacey responded, with an exaggerated wave.

  Suddenly, Lola was in the doorway too.

  “Where’d you go yesterday?” asked the youngest waitress. “Caroline came in to fill for you, but she wasn’t clear on what had happened. Is everything alright?”

  Heather smiled and nodded. She was lucky to have these two girls to ground her. “I’m fine. Everything’s fine. I was just called away to a surprise meeting, that’s all.”

  “With who?” Stacey prodded, fidgeting with her apron.

  “That’s classified,” Heather smiled, pointing a stern finger at her co-worker.

  Stacey rolled her eyes.

  “It didn’t have anything to do with, um, what happened at the bar the other night, huh?” Lola asked innocently. “I was worried they might...”

  Heather assuaged the young woman’s fears. “Trust me. It’s fine. Everything’s fine. I’ll tell you all about it one day.”

  “Scandalous,” Stacey teased. She looked over at Lola. “Heather’s a tough
nut to crack, but maybe if we bug Caroline enough, she’ll spill the beans.”

  Heather’s heart suddenly skipped a beat as she realized she’d forgotten to call Caroline after the meeting yesterday. Frenchie had assured her that it was alright to go home and study the contract, as he’d already spoken to Caroline for her, but if Caroline was worried about getting caught breaching her own contract, then she’d have no reason to be put at ease with a call from one of Nash’s own men.

  Luckily, the bell at the front door chimed and both girls were pulled away from their interrogation of Heather.

  Heather sighed and looked over at the landline by the doorway. What would she even tell Caroline? If she was too vague, her boss might think she’d ratted her out to the head honcho. She liked the kindly older lady; she didn’t want to be the cause of any stress in her life, and she didn’t blame her for looking for outside opportunities in case the ranch went kaput.

  Heather didn’t have long to think up an excuse before the phone rang for her. She watched it rattle with mistrusting eyes before finally gathering the courage to answer.

  “Hey,” she spoke into the receiver.

  “Hey, Heather. You didn’t call yesterday. Is everything all right?” It was Caroline.

  “Yeah, everything’s fine,” Heather answered, her mind still desperately trying to come up with an excuse.

  “What did they want with you?”

  Heather sighed. She didn’t like to lie, but what she was being forced to deal with was a little bigger than what Caroline was worried about. It’d be best to calm her down.

  “I can’t really talk about it,” she told her boss. “But trust me when I say you didn’t come up.”

  “Stacey and Lola told me about your ‘incident’ at Chacho’s the other night... did it have anything to do with that? You can tell me; I have tight lips.”

  Heather pinched her nose. She really didn’t want to try and come up with a convoluted lie, so she just went with a simple and brunt one. “Listen, Caroline. You know I’d tell you if I could, but there was paperwork involved...” she trailed off, trying to hint at a possible NDA.