Cowboy's Barmaid: A Small Town Military Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 2)

by Piper Sullivan

  And what would I get? Looking at her, I wasn’t sure. A fake fiancée, granted. But instinct told me it could be more.

  Did I want it? Was I ready for it? Erin had been dead six months. I hardly knew whether I had moved on, or not. I had buried myself in my work so relentlessly, I had no idea how I was thinking and feeling any more.

  I hadn’t been with anyone else. Sure, I had some opportunities. There were always women who I could have called, or who made a play for me at bars when I was entertaining clients. I was well known around Melbourne, making the social pages in the papers.

  Which is one of the reasons I hadn’t done anything. I didn’t want rumours to get back to the Morgan’s. They would be affronted, and I probably wouldn’t blame them. Erin had been their beloved daughter, after all.

  But it had been six months, and they would understand now that I had moved on. Wouldn’t they?

  “I don’t know.” Amber interrupted my reverie. “You’ve really caught me out, here! I wasn’t expecting you to say this when you walked through the door.” She shook her head. “I’m a bit shocked, I must admit.”

  “I know it’s an unexpected scenario,” I said. How could I persuade her? “But think of the sum that I said. It would really boost your savings, enough that you could get back to your studies sooner. That’s your aim, isn’t it? And you already know me, and Lilah. It’s not as if it would be much different to how it is now, really.”

  She still looked unconvinced.

  “I’ll think about it,” she said, eventually. “I can’t say yes or no now. It’s too huge.”

  “Okay.” I sat down, thinking. “That’s fair enough. But would you be able to give me an answer by the end of this week? That’s when I said I would call Jennifer back.” I stood back up, my energy returned. “I’ll have the contract drawn up in the meantime.” I grabbed my coat, ready to hightail it back to work.

  She raised her eyebrows. “That’s a bit presumptuous, isn’t it?”

  “Not at all.” I picked up my phone and keys. “Merely good business sense. This way, it’s ready and waiting if you say yes. If you decline, we just rip it up, no hard feelings. You are still welcome to stay here as the nanny, that goes without saying.”

  I walked toward the door. “Think hard, Amber. This could be the ticket to your future.” I glanced back at her. “By the end of this week, I will need your answer.”

  I walked out the door, jumping into my Lamborghini. I automatically glanced around the place, seeing what needed to be done, before I went.

  Swimming pool needed maintenance. Gardens needed pruning back. I had to get onto David, the gardener. Then I looked up at the house, seeing if anything needed doing there. She was at the window, looking down at me. I could see her through the curtains.

  Like a princess in a tower, I thought. Waiting for me. I smiled at her. She looked shocked, then smiled back. Twenty-three years old, with long, shining chestnut hair. Beautiful.

  I took myself in hand, again. This had to be purely a business arrangement didn’t it? She was going back to the States to study. I hardly knew where my life was taking me for now. It would make things way, way more complicated than they had to be.

  She hadn’t even said yes, yet. But the vision of her in the window and my strange thought when I had seen her stayed with me long after I opened the gates and sped off through the Melbourne traffic.

  Amber

  I watched him go, still shaken by what he had said to me.

  Lilah slept on. Now was the time I usually caught up on a few chores, taking advantage of her nap. But I was so rattled by what Finn had said to me that I made myself a cup of coffee and walked out onto the balcony, sitting down at a wrought iron table. I stared over the manicured lawns and gardens, but I saw nothing.

  I had to decide by the end of this week. The amount he had offered me had blown me away. It was more than enough to get me back on track with my studies. But it wasn’t just about the money.

  Could I live a lie, pretending to everyone that I was engaged to be married to Finn? He had stipulated that I wouldn’t be able to tell a soul. Not even my best friend, Cara. Not even my mother or my father. Nobody. Otherwise word might leak back to the Morgan’s - and then it would all be for nothing.

  I thought about how I would tell my parents and Cara, acting all excited. Would they see through me? I had done a bit of acting in high school, but no performance had ever been Oscar worthy. I wouldn’t be giving Meryl Streep a run for her money any time soon.

  I bit my nails, an old habit that resurfaced when I was stressed. It seemed to be happening a lot. Then there would be pretence with Finn. He wouldn’t expect me to sleep with him, obviously, but we would have to act like a loving couple whenever we were around other people, or out and about. It would be very odd having to suddenly act intimate with my boss. Although, acting intimate with Finn wouldn’t be too hard. He was such an attractive man – I wouldn’t have to fake it.

  Jesus, could I do it? I mean, really?

  I was a San Francisco girl who had surprisingly got into Harvard Law School, against all odds. My family could never in a million years have afforded the tuition. I wasn’t from what you would call a wealthy family, my mom is an office clerk, my dad a construction worker. They had saved for college for me and that had helped, but I still had to beg and borrow to get through the first couple of years.

  Then it had all turned to shit. My aunt Natalie had developed cancer, and she didn’t have the medical insurance to cover it. I lent her the last of my savings, so that she could start her treatment. I had to give her a chance. She was my aunt, after all, and we had always been close.

  I found this position through a college job website, desperately trying to find a job that would pay relatively okay so that I could start saving again. This had been the highest paying out of all of them. I mean, what else could I do? Working double shifts at the local diner wouldn’t have even paid my rent at Harvard.

  I had squirrelled away most of my earnings, but that wasn’t hard. I didn’t know anyone here, so it wasn’t as if I had a social life. Finn and Erin had paid for my airfare. Board was covered, and so was my food. I had been doing quite well.

  But Finn’s offer would boost my nest egg, magically. I would be able to comfortably afford my tuition. I shifted on the seat, staring up at the sky. It was a grey day; it looked like it might rain. And I was still no closer to a decision.

  I would be stupid to refuse, wouldn’t I? I would have to pretend to be Finn’s fiancée. So what. I could do that. I was already close to Lilah, so that wouldn’t be an issue.

  It was too good to refuse. That was the truth.

  “Amber?” A little voice disturbed my thoughts. I looked around. Lilah was standing at the balcony door, clutching her favorite teddy bear.

  “Well, hello, little miss!” I jumped up, picking her up. She leant her head against my shoulder and rubbed her eyes.

  I walked back into the house with her. The mansion in Toorak that was my home. Of sorts. I glanced at it with fresh eyes.

  Finn’s fiancée. Lilah’s stepmother-to-be.

  I looked again at the framed photo of the family, back when they had been one. Erin gazing at her daughter adoringly. Finn happy and laughing. Lilah the centre of their universe.

  What would Erin think, of me pretending to be Finn’s fiancée? Would she understand? Would she be smiling down benevolently upon us, barracking for Finn to keep their daughter by whatever means available? Would she get that I would be doing it for the money?

  Or would she shake her head despairingly, wonder what had got into her reckless husband and how on earth sensible, level headed nanny Amber had let herself be talked into such a crazy scenario?

  We would never know, would we? Erin was gone. And Finn was fighting for what was left of his family.

  As soon as that thought entered my brain, I knew what my decision was.

  Finn

  It was raining and dark that night when I put my key
in the lock and turned it, wiping my feet on the door mat before I entered.

  Lilah would be in bed by now. I was insistent about a regular bed time for her, wanted little to change since Erin’s death. As much of the routine and structure she had when her mother was alive, the better. Amber understood that, and followed most of my instructions to a tee.

  Amber. She would be in her rooms by now, watching television. It was her normal routine. I walked into the main living room, pouring myself a scotch on the rocks. My favorite after work drink. Erin would often have one waiting for me as I walked into the house. Then she would give me a shoulder massage, right here on this sofa.

  But tonight, it was dark in the room, and there was no drink waiting. I took my jacket off, shaking drops of rain from it, and loosened my tie. I turned at a noise behind me.

  It was Amber, standing there in her dressing gown.

  I did a double take.

  Her hair was hanging in soft waves around her face. I could see her bare legs poking out from where the dressing gown ended. It was a light chenille, lavender in color. She looked unbearably sexy, without even trying. I swallowed the scotch, roughly. It burned my throat on the way down.

  “Sorry to disturb you.” She spoke softly.

  “You’re not disturbing me, Amber.” Or rather, she was, but in a way I couldn’t explain to her. “Is it Lilah? Everything okay?”

  “Everything’s fine.” She sat down on the sofa. “Don’t worry. I just thought that I should tell you, sooner rather than later. I’ve decided to accept your proposal.”

  I looked at her. “Really? That’s fantastic!” I got up and went to the drinks cabinet, pouring myself another and then looking at her. “Would you like a scotch? To celebrate.”

  Her eyes widened. “Okay, but I don’t usually drink brown spirits. Wine is usually more my speed.”

  “Don’t have any,” I said. “Or rather, it’s all in the cellar. I can’t be bothered going down there now.”

  “Scotch will do just fine,” she said, quickly. I poured the drink, then handed it to her, sitting opposite.

  “What made you decide?”

  She took the drink, sipping it. “The money, I guess. You know how much I need it. But there was something else, as well.”

  I raised an eyebrow to her. “Such as?”

  She paused. “I thought about what you said about keeping Lilah. I understand how much she means to you, Finn. Especially after what happened.” She glanced down, searching for words. “I think she should stay with you, and I want to help you keep her.”

  “Thank you,” I said. I took a gulp of my second scotch. I was starting to feel it hitting my bloodstream.

  Her dressing gown had fallen forward slightly, exposing the top of her breasts to my view. I didn’t know whether it was the scotch, but it looked as fine a sight as I had seen in a long, long time.

  She caught me looking. She sat back, covering herself. An awkward silence stretched on.

  “So.” I jumped to my feet, finding my briefcase. “Here is the contract. I had it speedily prepared this afternoon, just in case.” I took it out, along with a ball point pen. I handed both to her.

  “Wow.” She picked up the papers, leafing through them. “Can you give me a minute?”

  “Sure.” I sat back down, sipping the scotch. She read through the contract, quickly. The she glanced up at me.

  “All good?” I asked.

  “Yes, it all seems to be in order,” she said. “Everything that we discussed is in there.” She picked up the pen and signed it with a flourish.

  I walked over to her, extending my hand. “Let’s shake on it then, Amber.”

  She took my hand, and we shook. I tried to ignore the sparks that were shooting through me at her touch. Her eyes widened, too.

  “What happens now?” she asked, a little breathlessly.

  “I will get in contact with the Morgan’s tomorrow,” I answered. “Informing them of my engagement and how things have stabilised for Lilah. Hopefully they will accept it. And…”

  She looked at me, a little shyly. The perimeters of our relationship had suddenly shifted, and I could see she was unsure how to proceed.

  “And?”

  “I think we will need to come out as a couple,” I continued. “I will put the engagement in the Saturday papers, but for now, we need to be seen.” I coughed.

  She raised her eyebrows.

  “Dinner, tomorrow night,” I said. “I will make reservations for us. Somewhere that I know a lot of people go. That will start the ball rolling – this city lives on gossip.”

  “You’re taking me out for dinner?”

  “Yes. Be ready to leave around seven. I’ll get a babysitter for Lilah for the night.”

  She stood up. “Okay, then…well, good night.” She stood awkwardly.

  I walked up to her, kissing her on the cheek. “Good night, fiancée.”

  She looked a bit shocked at the kiss, quickly walking out of the room.

  I watched her leave. Amber, the nanny. So sexy in her dressing gown. My mind was afire, trying to imagine what she wore underneath. A nightie? Lingerie? Nothing?

  I could feel my loins hardening at the thought. Imagine slowly stripping her of the dressing gown, to reveal what was underneath…

  I shook my head. Focus. I needed to focus. This was purely for business. It had just been so long since I held a woman in my arms. That was all.

  Amber

  I gazed out over the city skyline, pinching myself that I was here.

  The most exclusive restaurant in Melbourne, at the Rialto Towers in the city. Suffice to say, I hadn’t graced its revered floors before. Whenever I had the time to go out and explore, I had eaten downmarket. Pizza on the Esplanade at St Kilda, or donor kebabs on Brunswick Street in Fitzroy. An afterthought to exploring the streets, and shopping, of course.

  Finn had been true to his word, arriving home early from the office so that we could get to the restaurant in time. He had walked into the house, carrying a shopping bag from one of the most exclusive boutiques on Toorak Road. I recognised it, because Erin often used to shop there.

  “Here you go,” he had said, thrusting the bag at me. “Call it an engagement present. As my fiancée, you must look the part. It should fit.”

  I had peered into the bag, only seeing a flash of red. Dear God, what was he expecting me to wear?

  “So, this isn’t right?” I indicated my pretty floral frock. It was the dressiest thing I had brought with me from the States. Like I said, I hadn’t really painted the town red since I had arrived.

  He smiled, cocking his head to the side. “It would be right for a picnic,” he said. “Not quite the thing for an exclusive restaurant, though. Go on, take it out of the bag and have a look.”

  I opened the bag, taking out the dress. I almost dropped it onto the floor as if it were a hot potato. It was red, all right. Fire engine red, cut low. Pure silk. I looked at the label – one of the top end Australian designers.

  Then I looked at the price tag. “Wowsers,” I breathed. “This is more than my monthly salary.”

  Finn smiled again. “You are my fiancée, now. You must look the part. I think we should take you shopping for a few more items.” He looked at his Hugo Boss ion plated watch. “You should go and put it on, Amber. Time’s ticking.”

  I took my cue, walking back to my bedroom. The dress felt like magic on me, the silk caressing my skin like no other fabric I had ever worn. He had got the fit right, too. How had he known? Had he riffled through the washing machine?

  I looked at myself in my full-length mirror, feeling unsure. It was way classier than anything I had ever worn, and sexy, to boot. I didn’t recognise the woman staring back at me. Nervously, I walked back out. He was looking through some papers, frowning. The man seemed to never stop working.

  He looked up, and his eyes widened.

  I blushed. I felt so exposed, standing there like a store mannequin in a shop window. It was all I cou
ld do to stop myself running back to my bedroom, saying this had all been a huge mistake.

  “You look stunning,” he said now, still staring. “I think you were born to wear that dress, Amber.”

  I smiled, a little uncertainly. He was being sweet, of course, but I didn’t believe a word he said. He was merely being polite because he felt he had to be. Finn was a gentleman. The next thing we were climbing into the Lamborghini, whizzing off into the night.

  Now I was looking through the menu, trying not to gag at the prices. I looked up at Finn.

  “This is ridiculous,” I said. “I’ve got no idea what half of this food is. You might have to order for me.”

  “My pleasure,” he said. “I do like educating on the finer things in life.” He smiled. I felt the smile hit me right in the middle of my solar plexus. God, he was an attractive man.

  I could feel the eyes of several people in the restaurant on us. It wasn’t just that Finn was so dashing and handsome. He was a billionaire, well known on the Australian social circuit. He had said hello to several people on the way in, introducing me as his fiancée. People had looked a bit shocked when he said that. I had smiled, nervously, but hadn’t said much.

  “You’re engaged?” One older society matron had breathed, lifting her bejewelled hand to her mouth in shock. “Oh Finn!” She had looked me over, assessing. “Well, I suppose it has been six months since Erin left us. So shocking.”

  I felt like I was being paraded. How did I measure up? Not extremely well, judging by the hard looks in the eyes of the women, especially. I could see they thought I was a gold digger, a young hussy clawing her way to the top.

  I sipped my expensive champagne. Finn ordered for us, and then we looked at each other. What would we talk about? We had to act as if we were a couple in love. I could feel us being watched.

  “Hard day at the office?” I asked, then could have kicked myself. How trite.

  But he laughed. “No more than any other,” he stated. “What about yours? Was Lilah a little terror today?”

  “She’s never a terror,” I said. It was true. Lilah might sulk every now and then, but she was a well behaved little girl. She rarely threw tantrums. Surprising, considering she was the daughter of a billionaire. But then, Erin had been a firm mother, never over indulging her.