“Finding out he had a grandfather was a shock.”
Nodding, Bear replied, “Yeah, and finding out he was the only heir was another. All that money makes things complicated.”
“It’s about the same as winning it.”
“True.” When Bandit told Bear about the money, the first piece of advice he’d given was to keep it close to the vest. There were too many people out there who would take advantage of him. Bear knew that firsthand after he and his brothers and sister had won the lottery.
Bear stood, placed his hat on his head, and shut the door to the pickup. “All right, let me go. I’ll talk to you later.”
Pocketing his phone, Bear strode to the restaurant door. As he opened the door, he pulled off his hat.
The picture Winifred Fordham had sent him didn’t do her justice. He’d thought she was striking, but, wow, she was a knockout. She certainly didn’t look twenty-nine, which is what she’d listed as her age. There was a ten-year spread in their ages, but only for about a week. The rest of the year it was nine.
“Winnie Fordham?” he asked as he reached out to shake her hand. “I’m Bear West.”
“That’s me.” The instant her skin met his could only be described as electrifying.
His pulse skyrocketed. She’d called herself average, but their definition for that was miles apart. Gorgeous was more like it. Dark red hair that hit just below her jaw, emerald eyes, and porcelain skin. What he liked most was that she’d worn jeans and a t-shirt to meet him. She was his kind of girl…so far.
“Uh, is everything okay?” she asked, gently pulling her hand free.
“Oh, yeah, great.” He smiled. More than great. If this worked out as he hoped, he’d have the prettiest girl on his arm during the holidays.
It was only a few weeks before his family would gather together from Thanksgiving to New Years, and the closer it got, the happier he was with his decision to find a fake girlfriend. He definitely didn’t want to spend the season alone—once again. He wasn’t looking for anything real, but he could fake it a little while his family was together.
Two days ago, a woman had applied to his ad on the website, and the note she’d sent spoke to him. She’d told him about her best friend stealing money from her. That she’d dreamed of opening a restaurant one day, and now that dream was in jeopardy. One of the things he’d hoped for was a woman who could cook while Bandit was away, and she’d given him the name of a chef in Houston to validate her skills. No number, nothing. Her reason was that she could’ve made up the number, and this way, he could have a little peace that she wasn’t lying. It had been one of the things that let him know she’d read his profile.
They’d agreed to meet in Lubbock at a small diner where they could talk face to face. That gave him time to do a background check on her and speak to her boss. He’d used the excuse that she’d applied to cater an event. A random stranger didn’t need to know his business.
Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Winifred shrugged. “I guess we should find a table and talk.”
“I guess so.” For a second, he’d let himself wonder what it would be like to really have someone next to him during the holidays, or longer.
Just as quickly as his hopes lifted, they found the ground even faster. He wasn’t meeting her with the intention of dating her. His heart wasn’t yet mended from the last woman he’d dated. His family thought he should move on, but they didn’t understand just how deep Angela’s claws had dug into him. She’d upended Bear, and he’d yet to divulge to his family just how much. He was too embarrassed to confess what he’d done.
Winnie was probably sweet, but his interests were strictly platonic. They were both getting something out of this deal, and his heart wasn’t part of it. She’d get a nice sum of money, and he’d get a girlfriend with no strings attached and an expiration date.
Chapter 4
Good gracious. Winifred Fordham was shocked she’d been able to wrangle her tongue into an actual greeting. Bear West may as well have walked off a Cowboy Monthly magazine shoot. He was tall and broad-shouldered with thick, dark hair and deep blue eyes that would make a clear Texas sky jealous.
In the picture he’d sent her, he’d sported a beard. Now, he was clean-shaven, and when he smiled, there was a dimple. Winnie was sure she’d never seen a man so good-looking. Then she’d shaken his hand and nearly been blasted out of her tennis shoes. The jolt of electricity had carved a trail up her arm and down her spine.
With a long sigh, Bear set his menu down and leaned forward with his arms on the table. “Can we just talk a minute?”
It had been a strange thing to accidentally find Bear on the Mr. Matchmaker site. Never in her life had she expected to run across a man looking for a fake girlfriend. And never in a million years had she expected to be chosen.
“Sure,” she said, laying her menu down as well.
She’d done a background check on him before she’d agreed to meet him. Everything he’d posted in his biography was true. He grew up in Caprock Canyon, and a few years ago, he’d purchased the ranch not far from the town. Based on how calloused his hands were, there was little doubt in her mind that he worked hard.
They’d both agreed to leave some of the details for their meetup. Mostly because they wanted to see how well they’d…fit? They could know everything about the other, but with no chemistry, it wouldn’t work. His family would have to believe they were dating.
“I feel all sorts of weird doing this.” He sat back and raked his hand through his hair. “Just all sorts of weird.”
She cast her gaze to the table. If it wasn’t for losing the startup money her dad had given her, she wouldn’t have even considered doing something like this. Bear didn’t need to know that, though. “Yeah, me too, but I made a deal with my dad. He gave me one year to pursue my dream of opening up my own restaurant.” Lifting her gaze to his, she continued, “If I don’t, I’ll have to hang up my apron and join him at his law firm.”
“I guess that begs the question, can you cook?” he asked.
“I can. I was all set to open my restaurant when my partner decided to take our money and run off with her boyfriend.”
Winnie’s best friend in the whole world, Tammy Butters. It had cut Winnie in pieces when she found all the money missing and a note that wished her well. How was she going to be well when Tammy knew the deal Winnie had made with her father? Especially since she’d taken every penny that was left.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Betrayal is a hard thing to get over.”
There was no doubt in Winnie’s mind that he understood based on his pained expression. Most people had an inkling of the hurt, but no one really knew how life-altering it was unless they’d been through it. Someone Winnie trusted with her life had taken her dreams and thrown her away.
“Yeah, but we don’t have to let it win. I’m not going to quit until I have to. I’m a great chef.” The conviction in her own voice caught her off guard a little, but she felt she needed to give it a little oomph. Otherwise, Bear might change his mind, and she needed that money.
Bear grinned. “I’ll be honest. I checked you out before scheduling this. Chef Natalie Hallstatt said you were gifted.”
“Then why did you ask me if I could cook?”
Shrugging, he said, “Mostly, I wanted to know if you knew it.” A smile deepened the dimple on his cheek.
“Natalie was a great teacher. I took culinary classes on the side while I went to law school. I was supposed to follow in my dad’s footsteps and become a lawyer, but the idea made me miserable. I didn’t want to do it. She had faith in me when I didn’t.” She’d been a sympathetic ear when Winnie called her about what Tammy did. Natalie had even offered to go in with her if Winnie wanted. Her teacher had looked into expanding into San Antonio. Winnie had appreciated the kindness, but she’d declined.
Bear nodded. “I understand that.”
“It’s all I’ve ever wanted to do, but I do have a question.” One she
hoped he’d answer.
He held her gaze. “Shoot.”
“You’re…” Her cheeks warmed as she rethought her question.
“I’m…what?” He leaned forward with his arms on the table.
“You’re just really good-looking. Why do you need to hire a girlfriend? I would think you couldn’t beat the girls off with a stick.”
Bear’s shoulders shook as he laughed, and he hung his head. It was deep and rich, and she found herself wondering what it would be like to hear it all the time. His laughter died, and he sobered. Lifting his head, his eyes locked with hers. “I…” His voice faltered.
Without thinking, she stretched her arm across the table and took his hand in hers. “It’s okay.”
“It’s been long enough; you’d think I could get over it.” He pulled his hand away and sat back.
Winnie shook her head. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over Tammy wiping out our bank account. We’d had this dream together for years. In a blink, it was just gone.” She rubbed her eyes before the tears could start flowing. She’d decided to keep that information from her dad; her mom knowing was bad enough. She didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes.
“Let’s fix that. If you’re agreeable, we can sign the contract and the first half of the money will be wired to your account,” Bear replied.
No, she wasn’t agreeable; she was desperate. Going to work in her dad’s law firm made her stomach cramp. She didn’t like the idea of helping people divorce. She was the little girl with a scrapbook filled with dreams about her wedding day and the type of man she’d marry. It was storybook perfect and magical and something that was on the back burner until her restaurant was up and running.
Nodding, she said, “I am. I think we can make this work.”
He stuck his hand out. “Then it’s a deal?”
She shook his hand. “It’s a deal.”
Again, electricity hit her with a force that nearly made her bite her tongue. Sheesh. This man wasn’t interested in her, and even if he was, she wasn’t interested in him. She had a restaurant to open. A dream to fulfill. Nowhere in those plans did a man have any place.
It was just a business arraignment. As soon as the holidays were over, she’d be two hundred thousand dollars richer. All she wanted was the money. The man could stay at the ranch.
Chapter 5
“Winifred Fordham, you did what?” Winnie’s mom’s voice was so shrill it could attract cats. “Your father—”
“No, I swore you to secrecy, Mom. You can’t tell him.” The only reason Winnie had called her mom was so she wouldn’t send out the National Guard when she couldn’t locate her. Bear had mentioned that sometimes the cell reception wasn’t great in Caprock Canyon. Plus, as confident as she was that Bear was upstanding, having someone know her whereabouts seemed smart.
Her mom sucked her teeth. “Just because I’m not married to your father doesn’t mean we aren’t friends. He deserves to know what you're doing. The two of you just need to talk and actually listen to each other.”
Yeah, right. “Didn’t you divorce him because he was so pigheaded and stubborn?”
They’d been divorced as long as Winnie could remember, but she had to give it to her parents, they never made her feel like she had to choose between them. They were friends, most of the time.
“Winifred.”
This was the tone her mom used with her clients. It was funny, really. Both her parents were lawyers, both divorce attorneys, and equally well-known as pros. Patrick and Henrietta Fordham, for about a year, according to them, had been the dream team when it came to divorces. They’d lasted in total about four years, and a little before Winnie was two, they’d gone their separate ways. Her mom was now remarried, and her stepdad traveled a lot. He treated her mom well, and that’s all that mattered to Winnie.
“Mom,” Winnie said, using the same tone.
“Just let me loan you the money. Dear, this isn’t the way Fordhams work.”
Winnie shook her head. “No, I don’t want to do that. I need to show that I can do this on my own.” Being a fake girlfriend was still doing things on her own. It wasn’t like she wouldn’t be working for the money.
Her mom sighed, and Winnie could almost see her rubbing her temple. “I can tell I’m not getting anywhere with you. Who is this man? What’s his name? Can you send me a photograph? That way if something happens, I’ll at least have something to give to the police.”
Holding in a snicker, Winnie nodded. “Yeah, Mom.”
Starting from the beginning, she told her mom everything. From how she found his biography to the eight-hour drive from San Antonio to Lubbock so they could meet. She wasn’t so stupid as to think a background check was the end-all, be-all if he was a serial killer. When she’d finished, she texted her mom the picture from the website.
“And you’re leaving the Monday prior to Thanksgiving?” her mom repeated the information Winnie had given her.
“Yes, and I’ll be staying through New Year’s.”
“Hold on; I just got your text.” After a little shuffling of the phone, Winnie’s mom came back. “He looks like Grizzly Adams, or should I say Grizzly ‘Bear’?” Her mom burst out laughing.
Winnie chuckled. That’s what she’d thought. “He doesn’t have a beard now. He said that picture was taken after he’d been herding cattle for a few days. He thought it would weed out women who wouldn’t like being on a ranch.”
“Well, he had that right. This is a terrible picture.” Her mom paused, her humor fading. “And you’re sure he’s not expecting—”
“Mom! No!” Winnie paused, recalling the hurt in his eyes and the soft way he spoke. “Actually, he seems like a really nice man. I think he’s been hurt and that’s why he’s doing this.”
Her mom groaned. “Oh, Winnie, you and stray animals. I swear, honey, you can’t save every broken thing you find. Tammy should have taught you that.”
Winnie’s chest tightened as the words hit her heart. “I know that,” she replied softly. “I just need the money, and that’s all. It’s basically six weeks, and then I’ll have the money to get things going.”
They’d found the perfect rental location in San Antonio for the restaurant just a few days before Tammy ran off. As soon as Winnie realized what her friend had done, she’d contacted the landlord and told him. He’d offered to give her a little time to secure funding again.
It was prime real estate. Down in the heart of San Antonio where there was tons of foot traffic. They’d lucked out when the previous restaurant had folded. It was a risk to open a new restaurant so soon after one failed, but she was banking on her ability to wow people with her food.
“I just don’t want you to get hurt. You give your heart to people so easily, and they take advantage of it. Just don’t…” She took a deep breath. “Just don’t get too involved. Let whatever problems he has be his.”
When Winnie didn’t reply, her mom continued, “You have a big, generous, trusting heart. It’s one of your best qualities, but it’s also your worst. It hurts me when you get hurt.”
“I won’t. All I need to do is pretend to be his girlfriend.” And that was all she was doing. “I’m not giving up on my dream, and a relationship would only be a distraction at this point.”
The line was quiet a few moments. “I don’t like this, but I’ll treat it like drinking. I’m a phone call away, Winnie. If something happens, I’ll drop what I’m doing, no matter what time it is or where you are, and come get you. I’d rather you be a horrible lawyer than a dead chef.”
Smiling, Winnie nodded. Her mom may not agree with her, but if it came to needing rescue, Winnie could count on her. “Thanks, Mom.”
“I love you to pieces, little girl. And before you say anything, you’ll always be my little girl. So just deal.” Her mom ended the sentence by blowing her a raspberry.
This was why Winnie called her mom. They could disagree, argue, whatever, and in the end, they were still fri
ends. Her dad, on the other hand, while she loved him, was a hard person to please. The driving force behind her determination to succeed was so he’d finally recognize that she could manage her own life without his interference. If she failed, he’d never let her live it down.
Now, all she needed to do was keep her end of the bargain—keep Bear’s family from suspecting they were faking it. If she managed that, she’d have the money, her restaurant, and, hopefully, her dad’s respect. If she could just get that, her life would be perfect.
Chapter 6
It was a little after lunch as Bear searched the crowd pouring out of the exit door from the lobby of the Amarillo airport. The number of people didn’t surprise him since it was the Monday before Thanksgiving. Instead of coming into Lubbock, Winnie had chosen something closer since she was flying back from Houston after visiting her parents.
“She’s got dark red hair,” Bear said just loud enough for Carrie Anne to hear him. “She’s almost my height too.” He’d thought of that often since their meeting in Lubbock. If he kissed her, he wouldn’t have to touch his toes to do it.
“I’m so excited to meet her,” his sister replied, patting him on the shoulder. “She sounds amazing and so sweet for offering to cook for us since Bandit’s out of town.”
Since his meeting with Winnie in Lubbock, Bear had dropped hints that he was seeing someone and that she would be staying at the ranch during the holidays. What he hadn’t anticipated was Carrie Anne riding with him to pick Winnie up. He should have, but he’d underestimated his sister’s excitement.
It was already nerve-wracking to see Winnie again, but now he’d have an audience. He hoped Winnie had checked her text messages; otherwise, she was going to be blindsided, and he didn’t want that.
Just then, he spotted Winnie with a backpack hanging on one shoulder, and he had the craziest sensation. An odd peace settled over him as her gaze met his. A gut feeling told him he’d met the woman he was supposed to marry.
The Fake Girlfriend's Billionaire Match (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 4) Page 2