by Judy Duarte
“I’m going to marry Miguel Mendoza.”
“You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Not at all. It’s the only way out—and it’s perfect. I’ll get my company by following the letter of the law. The attorney assured me that the document doesn’t put any restrictions on who I can marry, only that the marriage has to be legitimate.”
All she had to do was get Miguel to agree to a limited marriage of convenience. She’d pay him handsomely for his time, of course. All he had to do was act as if he was still in love with her.
“Assuming that Miguel would even go along with something that wacky,” Marnie said, “you’d have to find him first. And what if he’s married or seriously involved with someone?”
“Actually, I know right where to find him. He works for a record company in New York City. And he’s not married or seriously involved.”
“How do you know?”
“Because I kept tabs on him over the past ten years through the Red Rock grapevine.”
The real question was, would she be able to convince Miguel to go along with her plan? He’d definitely moved on with his life, but had he forgotten what they’d once felt for each other?
Would he honor the promise he’d made her?
Or would he think the whole thing was stupid?
“Listen,” Marnie said, “I really have to get back to my guests. We can talk more about this later.”
“Of course.” Talk about cogs spinning, Nicole’s mind had slipped into overdrive with all she needed to do to put her plan in action. “I’ll be right behind you, Marnie. Just give me a minute.”
After her friend went back to the country club garden room, where the white-linen-draped tables had been adorned with crystal rose bowls holding lush red blooms, Nicole lingered on the patio a moment longer, feeling better than she had in days. She finally had an amazing solution to her problem.
She would fly to New York tomorrow and present the offer to Miguel in person at Home Run Records, where he worked.
He might not be up for the ruse, but there was one thing to be said about Miguel. He was an honorable man. And she had every intention of reminding him of the very last thing he’d said to her, the promise he’d made her.
If you ever need me, all you have to do is say the word. And I’ll be there for you.
Well, the day had come when Nicole needed Miguel.
And she needed him now.
* * *
Locked away in his office at Home Run Records, Miguel Mendoza sat back in his desk chair and stretched, arching his cramped shoulders and back. He’d been scanning sales reports and making notes all morning, preparing for a meeting with the marketing department. Company profits had dropped over the last quarter, and it was up to him to lay out a plan to turn things around.
He was an ace at problem solving and had already come up with a few ideas. In fact, that’s why the CEO had come to him days ago and offered him a promotion if he’d take a desk job.
But Miguel hated being confined to an office. As a sales exec, he ran a lot of PR events across the country and rarely stayed in one place for very long. The fast pace kept things interesting for him, if not exciting. So that’s why he’d turned down the promotion, even if it would have helped him sock away more money for the nightclub he planned to open someday.
He rolled his chair back from the desk and got to his feet. For some reason, being cooped up behind four walls bothered him more today than usual, and he was eager to get that meeting out of the way and to take off for the rest of the day.
Outside, on the city street, several horns blared. Most New Yorkers ignored the common sound, but Miguel, who’d been prone to distraction, especially in school, made his way to the window and spotted a stalled vehicle in the intersection below. For a moment, he watched the midday traffic, the rush of people making their way to and from the subway station.
Manhattan was a far cry from Red Rock, Texas. And while he missed his family, the move to the Big Apple had been a good one for him. It had given him an opportunity to connect with people in the music industry, as well as those who had successful nightclubs who’d be happy to advise him when the day came.
His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten much this morning, just black coffee and a muffin from the Starbucks on the corner. He’d probably be a lot more focused if he put some protein in his system.
He glanced at the clock. It was nearly noon, but he didn’t have time for a real break. He’d probably have to order a sandwich from the deli on the corner. But before he could make a move, the intercom buzzed, drawing him back to his desk, back to work.
He picked up the phone and hit the button that would allow his secretary’s call through. “Yes, Margo.”
“There’s a woman here to see you.”
Miguel glanced at the calendar on his iPhone. Had he scheduled an appointment and forgotten it?
No, he just had that departmental meeting at two.
Good thing, too, because he didn’t have time for any mental detours right now.
“Who is she?” he asked.
“She says she’s an old friend—Nicole Castleton?”
Miguel’s gut clenched. Nicole was in New York? At Home Run Records?
To say he was surprised would be an understatement. And for a man who was quick on his feet, who always had a ready response, he couldn’t quite find one.
He raked his fingers through his hair, then said, “Send her in, Margo.”
While waiting for Nicole’s entrance, he probably should have taken a seat at the desk, pretending that she’d caught him hard at work instead of on a break, but he remained on his feet until the door swung open and the tall, shapely brunette stepped into the room.
He’d been reminded of her every time he spotted Kate Middleton, the future queen of England, on the cover of a magazine. And just the sight of the real Nicole now, a debutante all grown up, set his pulse racing.
But damn. She’d been stunning at seventeen and a bit on the slender side, but in the last ten years, she’d grown even lovelier, filling out in all the right places.
“I probably should have called to let you know I was in town, but I was afraid you might not see me. So I thought I’d just stop by,” she said. “I hope you don’t mind me surprising you like this.”
Mind? Her arrival had completely blindsided him, to say the least. And he’d be damned if he knew what to think or how to respond, let alone how he felt about it.
Wearing a classic black dress and killer heels, she looked like any successful New York exec. And while she’d fit right in on the streets of Fifth Avenue, there’d always be a bit of Red Rock in her.
At that thought, a bit of the tension eased, and he said, “I like surprises. Always have.”
She wore her hair longer now. And those silky strands might even be glossier than before.
“What brings you to New York?” he asked.
Nicole merely stood there for a moment, staring at him as if she couldn’t remember why she’d come. Finally, she said, “I flew in for a meeting. I won’t be here long, but I thought I’d...” She scanned his office, her gaze landing back on him, setting off an adolescent buzz through his bloodstream. “Well, I thought I’d stop by and say hello. It’s been a long time.”
Ten years, to be exact.
A lifetime ago.
A flood of memories rushed back, threatening to sweep him off his feet.
Holding hands under the table in study hall. Slipping behind the dugout for a kiss. Steaming up the windows of his brother’s car while parked at that construction site overlooking downtown Red Rock...
Miguel had fallen hard for Nicole back then, only to have her jerk the rug out from under his feet when she’d told him she couldn’t see him anymore.
She’d
needed to focus on her studies, she’d explained. She’d had plans to attend a private college that required community service projects, as well as good grades, and she’d needed to get that under way. In a way, he’d supposed that was true. But he’d always known there was more to it than that. Her parents, particularly her father, hadn’t liked her dating anyone in high school, especially a guy they’d thought was beneath her. And she’d buckled to their demands.
Yet in spite of it all—the heartbreak and disappointment, the resentment that had grown over time—her presence alone sent his body into overdrive.
But he couldn’t very well stand here gawking at her like a love-struck teen, so he pointed to one of the chairs in front of his desk. “Come on in. Have a seat.”
She complied, and he followed suit, sitting across from her.
“Nice office,” she said, as she scanned the room.
An awkward silence filled the air, threatening to choke the breath right out of him.
Or was that just the result of the sexual attraction that had always sparked every cell in his being whenever he caught sight of Nicole?
He wished he could say that he hadn’t given her any thought since their breakup, but that wasn’t true. In spite of himself, she’d become some kind of benchmark for every woman he dated. And in recent years, he’d gone out with more than his fair share.
Nicole.
Here.
Now.
Another swirl of youthful memories bombarded him, and while he did his best to shake them off, it was damn near impossible to do with her seated just steps away, a walking, talking teen goddess come back to earth for who knew what reason.
Goddess or ghost?
He couldn’t be sure, but he couldn’t very well continue to stare at her as if his brains had left town.
“I was sorry to hear about your mother,” she said. “I know how much you loved her.”
Miguel’s mom had died unexpectedly of pneumonia nearly three years ago, and it had been a blow to the entire family. A loss he still felt.
“Yeah. It was tough. Thanks.” Miguel had never been sure what to say when people had offered their condolences, and this time was no different. Or maybe, coming from Nicole, it threw him off all the more.
“So,” he said, struggling to find something to say for the first time in his life, “how are things going back in Red Rock?”
“It’s...” She smiled, but it didn’t reach those pretty brown eyes. “Everything is...good. Great.”
No, it wasn’t. Her cheeks bore a liar’s flush as she glanced across the room toward the window—avoiding eye contact it seemed.
Lying had never come easy for Nicole, who’d always been as honest as the day was long. And Miguel had no reason to believe that time had changed that.
So why was she here?
Her explanation, that she just happened to be in New York and had decided to look him up, didn’t ring true.
Not after their history.
Something was up, something that had brought her to him after all these years.
He had no idea what it might be, but life back in Red Rock wasn’t nearly as picture-book-perfect as she might have implied. And he’d bet his new Bose headphones that she hadn’t just stopped by Home Run Records for old times’ sake.
She’d gone to the trouble of looking him up, doing her homework, just like the honor student she used to be.
And while he had to admit he was a bit flattered by her efforts to find him, curiosity trumped flattery.
What brought her to his office?
In the past ten years, there’d been plenty of opportunities for the two of them to run into each other—if they’d had a mind to. He’d made quite a few trips back to Red Rock to see his family, especially last spring, when his brother Javier had nearly died from injuries suffered in that tornado.
But Miguel had always made it a point not to go anywhere he might run into Nicole—or her parents.
And he figured she’d avoided his favorite hangouts during the holidays, as well.
“Okay,” he said, “what’s up? You didn’t just stop by to say hello.”
She blew out a sigh. “You’re right. I flew to New York for just one purpose—to see you.”
Her honesty nearly knocked him out of his chair, although he wasn’t sure why it would. Maybe it was his skepticism doing that. After all, he’d been home at Christmas. She could have found a way to see him then, if she’d really wanted to.
Why here?
Why now?
“This is much harder than I thought it would be,” she said.
What in the world had she come to say?
His mind, which had always been creative, went off on a tangent, scampering to figure out why she’d come all this way and what made it so difficult to spill the beans.
Oh, God. His heart dropped to his gut. Had she come to tell him about a love child they’d had?
If so, waiting ten years after the fact was enough to fire up his temper.
But then again, he doubted that she would have been able to keep a secret like that. Red Rock wasn’t that big of a town. Besides, he had a big family—Luis, his father, as well as his brothers, Rafe, Marcos and Javier, and his half sister, Isabella. On top of that, two of his siblings had married into the Fortune family—Marcos, who’d married Wendy, and Isabella, who’d married J.R.
Word of a love child would have gotten out.
So what else could it be?
Had she come to tell him that she’d never stopped loving him? That she regretted not standing up to her parents when they’d insisted she break up with him?
If so, that fired him up, too. Who buried feelings like that for ten whole years?
Either way, whatever it was, he was all ears.
And she was as quiet as the proverbial church mouse.
Finally, he said, “Why don’t you just spit it out, Nic.”
She glanced at the clasped hands in her lap, then back at him. “Okay, Miguel. Here’s the deal. I’ve worked my butt off at Castleton Boots, and I assumed that I’d inherit it one day—not just because I was an only child, but because my efforts would be rewarded. But apparently, my parents have a legal stipulation that forces me to marry in order to take control of the company.”
Miguel wasn’t sure what she was getting at or where she was going with all of this. “I don’t understand.”
“If I don’t get married within the next month, my parents will sell the company.”
“So what does that have to do with me?”
Nicole bit down on her bottom lip, clearly pondering her answer. About the time Miguel suspected she’d take her response to the grave, she said, “I need you to help me show my parents that they can’t run my life anymore.”
He had a creative mind, but he still wasn’t following her. “How in the world do you expect me to do that?”
She drew up straight, her hands gripping the padded armrest, and leaned forward, those pretty brown eyes zeroed in on his. “Marry me, Mendoza.”
Chapter Two
Marry her?
Was she kidding? That was insane.
Miguel sat back in his desk chair, trying to make sense of it all.
Whatever wild-ass assumptions he’d made about her reasons for coming to see him had been wrong. There was no secret baby—thank goodness. No heartfelt apologies for not standing up to her parents’ unfair demands. No ten-years-too-late professions of love.
Apparently, she’d just wanted to use him to dupe her parents.
The whole idea blew him away. Did she actually think he’d agree to it?
Yet for some crazy reason, the scheme intrigued him, too.
“Why me?” he asked. “I’d think that most of the single men in Red Rock woul
d line up to help you out, especially if it meant a little hand-holding and a public kiss or two.”
“First of all, I’m talking a real marriage—with a divorce down the road, of course. And secondly, my parents would never believe that I’d suddenly fallen in love with someone I’d never even dated before. They’d know it was only a marriage of convenience from the get-go. And since you and I were romantically involved and loved each other once upon a time, they’d be more apt to believe the marriage was the real deal.”
She’d certainly gotten the “once upon a time” right. And while Miguel wanted to tell the Castletons’ little princess that she’d wasted the good part of her day, as well as the cost of a first-class airline ticket, he gave her offer more consideration than he probably should.
If truth be told, he might be annoyed by her marriage plan, yet he was slightly flattered by it at the same time.
“I’m sorry,” she said, releasing a soft sigh and sitting back in her seat. “This isn’t coming out the way I’d wanted it to.”
He wasn’t sure she could have expressed it any better. She was asking him to marry her. But only as a means to trick her parents into handing Castleton Boots over to her.
It was the most outrageous thing he’d ever heard. Yet it was also very tempting.
And for more reasons than one. Not only would he get a chance to know the adult Nicole a little better, but the Castletons would get a little payback for what they’d stolen from him.
What he wouldn’t give to see the looks on their faces when they learned their little princess was going to marry the grown-up kid they’d thought wasn’t good enough for her.
Of course, knowing them, they’d feel that way about almost anyone Nicole might date. They’d always expected her to marry a doctor, lawyer or stockbroker—certainly not a successful PR whiz who’d always dreamed of opening up his own nightclub.
But as bitter as Miguel might be about the past, he’d moved on. He wasn’t that same enamored teenager who couldn’t look beyond a tall, long-haired beauty with big brown eyes anymore.
Besides, he wasn’t about to walk away from his job at Home Run Records just for the opportunity to screw over the Castletons.