A Cowboy's Fake Fiancée

by Savannah McCarthy

  “I need to see Heather,” Nash told her.

  “What’s going on with you two?” Caroline asked, concern drawn on her face. “Frenchie called me the other day to tell me that she was going to quit, but when I asked her about it, she said there’d been a change of plans.”

  Nash’s blood ran cold. He had no idea what had gotten into Heather. “Would you mine calling her back here, please? For me?”

  Caroline sighed and looked down on the mess they had just caused. “I don’t have time to clean this up right now,” she said, standing back up. “I can’t really afford to lose Heather’s extra hands either... but if you can deal with these shattered plates while I finish a round of orders, then I’ll call her back to you.”

  Nash didn’t hesitate. He’d do what he needed to do. “Do you have a broom or something?”

  “There’s a dust pan and brush in Heather’s office. Do you know where that is?”

  Nash nodded.

  “Go grab it. Clean this up and I’ll go talk to Heather. Do you want her to know that you’re here?”

  Nash could hear the suspicion in Caroline’s voice. The older lady obviously felt protective of Heather to some extent; she must have thought that Nash had hurt her in some way.

  “She hasn’t been answering my calls,” Nash sighed. “I don’t know why. I swear I don’t know why. Nothing bad has happened as far as I know, but it’s probably best that you don’t tell her I’m here. Just send her back to the office to grab something.”

  Caroline studied Nash, and for a moment, he felt like he was being pigeonholed right back to the villainous image that he was desperately trying to escape. Caroline clearly didn’t trust him, but after a moment of consideration, she finally agreed.

  “First, clean,” she said, pointing down to the mess. “Then talk.”

  Caroline brushed by him and disappeared into the kitchen. Nash immediately headed to Heather’s office, where he grabbed the dust and pan, as well as a few plastic bags, and then he headed back out to the tight hallway where he had run into Caroline.

  He tried to clean up as quickly as possible. His business with Heather felt far more urgent than the business at The Horseshoe. If Caroline only knew what was truly at risk, then she might have fetched Heather faster. Still, Nash saw that they needed help, and he also knew how much this place meant to Heather, so he made sure to do a thorough job before finding a trash can to throw out the swept-up shards in.

  When that was dealt with, he immediately marched to the back office. He flung the door open and was instantly stopped in his tracks when he saw who was there waiting for him.

  Heather was at her desk, desperately searching up something on the work computer. She looked up when he entered, and her face went white in the glow of the screen.

  “What are you doing here!?” she snapped, when the initially shock had worn off. She stood up and took a step back, crossing her arms in the process.

  Nash stepped towards her. She looked hurt. What had he done to deserve this?

  “Heather, what’s the matter?” he asked, trying to choose his words as carefully as possible.

  “Nothing’s the matter. I’m working. What’s the matter with you? Don’t you have something you should be doing?” Heather shot back.

  “You’re more important than anything else. I could have a million things to do right now and I’d put them all aside for you,” Nash declared. Heather looked so worn out, he just wanted to wrap her up in his arms.

  Heather wasn’t having any of him though. She rolled her eyes and took another step back. “You don’t care about me. All you care about is your public image. You may be doing a good job of tricking all those people out there. But I know better now.”

  Nash’s mind was reeling. He had no idea what she was talking about. “What do you mean?” he asked, desperately. “I love you, Heather Hoover.”

  That caused Heather to take a moment to herself. Her arms fell to her side and she neglected to take another step back. Nash could see tears starting to well up in her eyes. “That’s what I thought...” she whispered.

  “What have I done?” Nash pleaded. “I swear I didn’t mean it. Let me fix this.”

  “You’ve been using me,” Heather mumbled. She clasped her hands together and let her arms sway down by her waist. “You made me feel like an idiot.”

  “How?” Nash asked, feeling completely drained all of a sudden. “I told you at the barn how I really feel. This whole fake fiancée thing can go down the drain for all I care.”

  Heather raised her eyebrow. “You’d throw away your family’s ranch empire for me?”

  Nash hesitated. He knew that now was no time for empty words. Something had upset Heather so much that it had made their special night at the barn meaningless to her. His heart hurt, but he knew the true answer. “All I care about is you. It’s crazy, but it’s the truth.”

  Heather rocked back and forth; her tears were still being held at bay. “What you said at the barn that night. You weren’t lying?”

  Nash shook his head and took a step forward. “Of course not. I’m not that good of a liar,” he chuckled. His throat was dry, but he couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know why you believe that? What happened?”

  Heather hung back. “... I ran into your secretary, Amanda,” she finally said. Nash could feel her eyes studying his reaction.

  “Is it because we were using her as a backup?” he asked, his heart aching. “That’s just how the business side of our relationship had to go. Same in sports. People in important spots have backups, but I never really wanted to use her. The only reason I even hired her in the first place was because I was falling for you like crazy. I thought I might do something stupid like fall in love with you for real, and ruin the whole plan myself. Well, looks like I’m as dumb as I thought, because I love you and I could care less about this ranch or any other ranch.”

  Nash gazed deep into Heather’s eyes. He could see an operatic conflict raging in her soul.

  “How do I know you’re not lying?” she finally asked him. Her voice was far softer and meeker than he was comfortable with. He hated that her fire was flickering because she didn’t trust him.

  “I’ll do whatever you want, with whatever the consequences,” Nash exclaimed.

  Suddenly, a loud knock came at the office door. “Back to work. We’re swamped!” came Caroline’s voice from the other side.

  Nash watched as Heather shifted in place. She nodded towards the door. “You’d go out there with me?” she asked, but Nash wasn’t sure what she meant. He looked towards the door and then back at Heather.

  “Just tell me what to do.”

  Heather pursed her lips and unclasped her hands. “Call off the whole fake fiancée thing,” she said. “Come out on the restaurant floor and help me take orders. We need all the extra hands on deck that we can get.”

  Nash felt a shiver work its way up his spine. Heather was asking him to confront two of his biggest fears for her. If he called off their whole fake relationship, then he could possibly lose his family’s entire ranch franchise, and if he went out onto the floor and helped her take orders, then he would be swarmed with attention, and he was sure not all of it would be good.

  Still, he knew what he wanted. “I’ll do it.”

  Nash ripped his phone out of his pocket and texted Frenchie. No more press releases, no more ‘leaks’, no more relationship news. This is over.

  He turned his phone screen around so that Heather could see, and she stepped forward to get a closer look. “How’s that for now?” he asked.

  She hesitated for a moment, before nodding. Nash hit the send button. He then turned off his phone and stuffed it back in his pocket. Suddenly, he remembered what else he had in there. He pulled out the little black box and ran his fingers over the soft material. Then, without a second thought, he opened up the box, took the ring out and marched over to the office bathroom. He kicked the door open and tossed the ring into the toilet and then went t
o flush it. Before he could push down, though, Heather was at his side, tugging at his arm.

  “No!” she shouted. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m proving to you that all this deceitfulness is really over. I don’t care about the fake part of our relationship; I just want to be here for what’s real.”

  Heather’s tight grip on his sleeve relaxed as they both looked at the ring shimmer under the water. “It’s so beautiful, though,” Heather whispered.

  “If we ever decide to get hitched for real, then I’ll buy you a new one. You wouldn’t want this one anymore anyway. It’s covered in toilet water!”

  Heather let out a hoarse laugh, and Nash couldn’t help but chuckle alongside of her. Before she could get any closer, he flushed the toilet, and the ring disappeared into the sewer system below.

  “You still have to prove yourself!” Heather said, after the ring was gone from view.

  “I know,” Nash replied. “I’m going to work my butt off until I can make you my real fiancée.”

  Chapter 24

  Heather

  Their first date as a real couple was far less glamorous than any they’d had under contract.

  Nash helped take orders and serve tables in a grand gesture of his love for Heather. Sure enough, he was swarmed by fans from the moment he stepped out onto the floor to well after closing time. People just didn’t want to leave and Nash wouldn’t send them off. He continued to sign autographs until everyone had had their time with him; only then did Heather lock The Horseshoe’s front doors and finally take her work shoes off.

  Nash collapsed into one of the booths and laid down on the old cushions. “That was exhausting!” he exclaimed.

  “You’re not done yet!” Heather shot back at him, half-playfully. She was also half-serious though. Even if her doubts about their relationship had only been self-inflicted, she wasn’t going to give herself over to ignorance again. She had to know everything if Nash and her were going to work out.

  “I must have made $500 in tips!” Lola shouted, to no one in particular. Stacey and her were sitting at the counter going through their hauls for the day.

  “Hey, even I came out alright,” Caroline joked, pulling her wad of cash out. The older woman didn’t keep it though. “Here,” she said, tossing it on the counter between Lola and Stacey. “You split it. The restaurant made more than enough to keep me satisfied for the day.”

  Heather would have done the same, if she had been given any tips. Instead, she was treated more like a celebrity than an ordinary waitress. People wanted pictures and even autographs. It had all been just as surreal as it had been exhausting.

  “You oughtta work here every day!” Lola joked to Nash.

  “I don’t think I’d survive. You girls are way tougher than me.” Nash stirred up from his makeshift bed.

  “Okay, maybe just once a week. I got more in tips today than I sometimes make in two weeks!” Lola giggled.

  Nash stood up and stretched. He reached down to his phone. Heather hadn’t seen him turn it back on since he’d turned it off back in her office. Her stomach was in knots for him. Had she been too hasty in her demands? No... she thought. I need to know he actually loves me.

  She did want to talk to him in private, though. She looked out of the diner’s window and spotted his truck in the quickly emptying parking lot. “You want to go for a ride?” she asked.

  He just nodded.

  Heather carried her work shoes in her hands.

  “It was nice finally meeting everyone!” Nash shouted, as he held the door open for her.

  “Thanks for the help!” Caroline shouted back.

  “Thanks for the tips!” Lola laughed, waving her wad of cash towards him.

  “See you around,” Stacey added, without looking up. Heather knew she was probably texting her boyfriend about the craziness of today. Heather knew that the young couple was in love and moving at their own pace; she could only hope for as much from her own love life.

  Nash opened the passenger door for her, and Heather pulled herself up into the familiar seat, slippers in hand like Cinderella.

  “Where do you want to go?” Nash asked, as he stuck his keys into the ignition.

  Heather looked out of the windshield and onto the horizon. The sun was beginning to set and the purple and orange and yellow sky was calling to her like a beacon. “How about we go somewhere we can finally have a peaceful walk.”

  “I know just the place,” Nash smiled. He pulled out of the parking lot and headed straight towards the evening glow on the horizon. Heather didn’t ask him where they were going. She wanted to trust that he knew what was right for her.

  A few minutes later, and Nash was pulling onto a very thin gravel path. He slowed down and steered carefully until they came to another opening, then he parked alongside some tall wild grass and hopped over the hood of his truck to help Heather out of the passenger’s seat.

  She let him take her hand and lead her to a small hidden path that led through the golden prairie fields. There wasn’t a single person in sight.

  “No one’s going to bother you out here, huh?” Heather said, as they walked along the sandy trail.

  “No one’s going to bother us,” Nash smiled. “Remember, you’re a celebrity in your own right now. You saw how people reacted to you back at the restaurant. You’re a beloved figure.”

  “That’s nice and all,” Heather sighed. Truth was, she wasn’t sure how much she enjoyed the prospect of fame, no matter how small her slice was. “But I only really care about one person’s opinion.”

  “What a funny coincidence,” Nash said, raising his eyebrow. “So do I.”

  Though she had just worked the busiest shift of her life, Heather was somehow feeling as light as air. Maybe it was just the hope that Nash was provided her with his attention, but she suddenly felt playful. “On the count of three, tell me who that one person is. One, two, three!”

  “You!” they both exclaimed, at the exact same time.

  “So cheesy,” Heather shook her head.

  Nash chuckled and swayed beside her, just close enough so that their arms grazed. “This way,” he said, pointing to the left path on a fork in the trail. Heather looked down their new direction and spotted foothills rising in the distance. Behind them, she could catch just the faintest glimpse of the Rocky Mountains. Even from so far away, they were magnificent.

  “You going to take me for a hike?” she joked.

  The back of Nash’s hand rubbed against hers. “Isn’t it just nice to finally have a peaceful stroll?” he asked.

  “It really is,” Heather sighed, contemplating whether or not she should lean her head against his broad shoulders. She desperately wanted more of his touch, but she knew she had to pace herself. “You’re phone’s still off,” she noted at the exact same moment that the thought crossed her mind. “Don’t you want to check up with Frenchie?”

  Nash shook his head. “I love Frenchie, but I’m in love with you. He can wait, you can’t.”

  Heather finally let her heavy head fall against his shoulder. The ground beneath their feet started to incline ever so slightly, until they were suddenly above the prairie grass. Nash led her to a clearing on a foothill, where an old flat rock was perched like a couch overlooking the land. They sat down.

  “This is nice,” Heather sighed, rubbing her cheek against Nash’s shoulder. The bottom tip of the sun would be falling behind the horizon any moment now. The colors that exploded from the scene were brilliantly breathtaking.

  “It’s more than just nice,” Nash said. He pointed off in the distance. “Can you make out the ranch?” he asked.

  Heather followed his finger. Sure enough, she could see the tips of the tallest buildings on the Winthrow property. “Is that your building?” she asked.

  Nash nodded. “Yep. You know, almost every day since my retirement, I’ve looked out from my office window and wished that I could be out here. I just wanted to forget everything and take a nice w
alk in nature, but I told myself I couldn’t until I fixed everything.”

  Heather pried her head off his shoulder. “But you haven’t fixed everything, not yet. Sure, the ranch is doing well right now, but how do we know it will last? Why are we taking our nice walk in nature now? We still have so much work to do.”

  “We, huh?” Nash smiled.

  “I haven’t given up on you or the ranch just yet,” Heather sheepishly confessed. “I just need to know that it’s different now than it was before. I can’t stand mixing business and love. Can you promise me that it’ll be different this time?”

  Nash took Heather’s hand. “I don’t need to promise you that it’ll be different, because it already is different. The ranch and the business side of it is so far in my rear-view mirror that I can barely even see it. I’ll still work on it—we can still work on it—but our main focus needs to be working on each other, and I think we both know it. There’s no going back to the way things were now and I’m glad for it. All I care about is you, and you’ve made me understand that I can’t withhold happiness from myself until I complete some business goal. Who knows how long my money or my fame will last? Only one thing is eternal, and that’s love—that’s you.”

  Heather’s heart fluttered just as the bottom tip of the sun hit the horizon. Stars twinkled behind them and light swept over the land before them. Heather closed her eyes and traded her view of the world for a kiss.

  Nash’s lips were soft and caring and full of truth. It was enough to convince Heather, right then and there, that, though she might have lost a fake fiancée, she’d gained true love.

  Epilogue

  Nash

  “I know you probably don’t want to hear it, but it’s going to be great PR,” Frenchie joked.

  Nash gave his friend a playful punch to the arm. It couldn’t have mattered less, but of course, ever since Nash had put Frenchie in charge of the day to day operations of the Winthrow Ranch franchise, the former agent could never leave business out of any conversation.