The Rancher's Fake Fiancée

by Amy Vastine

  “We’re not, but that’s a great idea,” Ethan said, rising to his feet.

  Tyler took off his hat and combed his fingers through his hair. “Hadley doesn’t have time to help you redecorate. We’re busy selling the whole ranch, not making small home improvements.”

  “We were talking about weddings actually,” Ethan said. Hadley shifted uncomfortably on the armless chair. He said a quick prayer that she hadn’t improvised some wedding plans after Tyler had already told Grace they wanted something small with no frills.

  He swallowed hard. “What about them?”

  “Grace and I were thinking about having ours here at the ranch over Christmas. We thought it would be a good excuse to get the whole family together for the holidays. We were just checking with Hadley to make sure that didn’t interfere with your holiday or wedding plans.”

  Tyler glanced at Hadley, who still seemed nervous. Had she made a commitment to come back over Christmas? Had she said they were thinking about getting married then?

  “What do you think about that, hon?” he asked, hoping she hadn’t had a chance to say anything yet.

  She shrugged and her gaze shifted between Ethan and Grace. Couldn’t she give him some clue as to what they had been talking about?

  “We’ll have to talk about it. Obviously, we want to support you two. I’m superhappy for you guys, and we can’t wait to meet your little one.”

  Ethan turned into Mr. Hugs-a-Lot and wrapped his arms around his brother. “I appreciate that, Ty. Family is so important. I want my son or daughter to know all of his or her uncles. You’ve got a good shot at being the sole favorite since I’ll be the awesome dad.”

  Tyler gave him a strong pat on the back, hoping that was enough embracing for the day. “I really have to get back to work. My fiancée had me playing hooky for too long.”

  “We were also talking about doing dinner together tonight,” Grace said as Ethan finally let go. She had a hand on her baby bump. “I’m not as good as Lydia at cooking, but I’m not terrible. Plus, Hadley said you two would help. We could do it here if that would be more convenient for you. You wouldn’t have to leave the ranch.”

  Hadley stared down at her hands in her lap. He’d never wished so hard for the power to read minds before. Was she full of regret? Was his family overwhelming her? Did she hate cooking?

  “Great,” he said. “If you let us get back at it, we’ll see you two around six thirty? Hadley?”

  She seemed glued to her seat. He was ready to scoop her up and carry her to the cabin if she didn’t snap out of it soon. He watched her take a deep breath and get to her feet.

  The expression on her face suddenly transformed from concerned to carefree. Her smile wasn’t genuine, though. This was her game face.

  “I’ll come by a little earlier to help get dinner started.”

  “You’re the best,” Grace said.

  Hadley grabbed Tyler by the hand and led him out. Whatever was holding her back a minute ago was completely gone. She was once again selling their engagement like a champ.

  “Are you okay?” he asked once they were far enough away from the house.

  “I’m fine. Are you okay?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure.” He needed to know more about what she was thinking. “We should talk about what happened.”

  “Nothing happened. Ethan and Grace were wondering if we wanted to have dinner. They want to talk about their wedding plans. That’s it.”

  She was acting strange again. “I’m talking about what happened by the bridge. I’m talking about the fact that you kissed me.”

  Hadley let go of his hand and picked up the pace. Tyler nearly had to jog to keep up with her. “I can’t talk about that right now. Can we focus on that after we get through this dinner tonight? I can only handle so much and my brain is ready to explode right now.”

  He was a little taken aback by that response. Of all the things on their plate, talking about the kiss seemed like the most critical. That could mean only one thing—she wanted to take it back.

  Of course she did. He was a fool for thinking for a second that they were capable of being more.

  * * *

  IF HADLEY THOUGHT she had made a deal with the devil by agreeing to come to the ranch in exchange for a promotion, she had no idea what to call her second deal. Agreeing with Ethan and Grace to save the promotion and buy the two of them time to steal her boss away to come work with them was too much. She felt like a double agent in a war and she wasn’t sure if she was working for the good side or not.

  Grace had looked as anxious as Hadley felt back there. Hadley was sorry she hadn’t warned the couple how hard it was to keep up a lie this big.

  Discouraging one buyer was not that big of a deal. The first was usually not the last. There would be plenty of people looking to add the Blackwell Ranch to their list of assets. If Tyler wanted to sell at the end of all this, he would manage it.

  She could do this. She had to do this. There was no other way out of this giant mess she had gotten herself in.

  Tyler wanted to talk about the kiss. The kiss that, at the time, seemed like the right call. He needed the reassurance that he wasn’t a terrible person, that he wasn’t less than his brothers. Plus, she had wanted to. That was before his brother decided to lure her into lying to him.

  “What did you find out about the Mendes ranch?” he asked, having slipped back into work mode the moment they returned to the cabin.

  “It’s bigger than this one. It’s a bit more refined, as well. They must cater to a wealthier clientele than we do.”

  “A designer dude ranch?”

  “I imagine it’s a getaway for someone who wants to experience the great outdoors but not truly rough it. The cabins are luxurious rather than rustic. There’s no buffalo-check decor, everything is high-end. They claim gourmet dining options and weddings seem to be a big focus.”

  “Weddings, of course,” he muttered.

  “Speaking of weddings, we should probably get on the same page about ours. Have you mentioned any plans to anyone yet?” she asked, knowing the answer.

  “I forgot to tell you I talked to Grace about it briefly the other day. I told her we were thinking small and no-frills. Maybe even a courthouse wedding.”

  He really didn’t know her at all if he thought that was what she would want. A no-frills wedding was no wedding. She wanted exactly what she had told Ethan—a big, beautiful event with all the bells and whistles. Maybe it was self-indulgent, but she didn’t care.

  “I’ll be sure to mention that tonight so they don’t get suspicious.”

  “Why would they get suspicious?”

  Hadley tensed. As far as Tyler knew, everyone believed they were engaged. She hadn’t meant to cast any doubt on it. “They won’t. I’m being cautious, that’s all.”

  Tyler raked a hand through his hair. He was blessed with good hair, thick and a little wavy. She’d imagined running her own fingers through it.

  “What?” he questioned, alerting her to the fact that she was staring and hopefully not drooling. She swiped at the corner of her mouth just to be sure.

  “Nothing. I spaced out for a second.” How could she think about him like that when there was no chance they could ever be together now that she had agreed to lie to him for the next week and a half? If he ever found out, he wouldn’t forgive her and would most likely fire her.

  “Figure out how we can play up what this ranch has to offer. Give everything a polish. We can’t compete exactly, but we want them to be able to imagine how they could dress this place up to meet their needs.”

  Hadley nodded. The real challenge was going to be convincing Tyler she would do that yet do the exact opposite instead. Without his noticing. She internally rolled her eyes because that was sure to be impossible. Ethan’s plan was a terrible one. Tyler didn’t want to move b
ack here. Thwarting his plans to sell would only serve to make Tyler more miserable and even less likely to stay.

  “I’ll put together some talking points,” she said, opening her laptop. She opened her email to find one from Kellen and three from Eric.

  The first one from Eric was an over-the-top thank-you for helping him out with the Kingman account. The second one was a request to “look over and offer some input” into his analysis of the data she had gathered for him. She shook her head. It was a good thing the job was hers once she got back to Portland. Otherwise, there was no way she’d do the work for him. Handling it now meant less work later. The third one was the attachment he forgot to add to the last email. He was hopeless.

  She clicked on the email from Kellen. It was an odd request to schedule a meeting with him upon her return.

  “Why would Kellen want to meet with me to discuss career goals when I get back?”

  Tyler swung around in his chair, a fretful expression on his face. “What did he say?”

  “He said let’s get together and talk about your short- and long-term goals at 2K.” Hadn’t Tyler made that clear when they talked the other day?

  “It’s probably just to go over the transition to brand strategist. Knowing him, he wants to hear it from you that this is what you want and the right move for your long-term goals with the company. I wouldn’t worry about it.”

  A weird sense of dread came over her. “He wants to give me the promotion, though, right?”

  Tyler turned his back to her. “Yeah. Of course, he does.”

  She replied that she was looking forward to talking to him about her future at 2K. She considered thanking him for the opportunity. It couldn’t be easy to tell his nephew he was out of a job. Family was important to Kellen, but Eric was the perfect example of why it was bad business to mix your personal and professional life. She opted to keep her response short and sweet. She’d see him soon.

  Kellen wasn’t the person she needed to thank anyways. Tyler was the one willing to take a chance on her. He was the one who trusted her with not only the new job but with this very personal job of selling his family’s ranch.

  She felt like such a heel. He believed in her. He thought she could do this job, but she was going to purposely fail. She could try to convince herself it was to help him save face with his family, but the truth was, it was to save her own behind.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “I WONDER WHAT these cabinets cost to put in,” Hadley pondered aloud. “They must be custom because they don’t make pink cabinets on the regular. At least, I hope they don’t.”

  Grace chuckled as she chopped the onions to add to the ground beef. They were making spaghetti and meatballs. “What about the refrigerator? That had to cost a fortune. Where do you even buy a pink refrigerator?”

  “I have no idea,” Hadley said, running her hand along the smooth, white quartz countertop. The counters were gorgeous. They should keep those and gut the rest of the kitchen.

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “I guess,” Hadley answered warily. The two brothers had gone over to the guest lodge to scavenge some French bread to have with the meal. It gave the ladies a few minutes to speak freely. She took a sip of wine, hoping it would relax her.

  “I know the engagement is fake, but you have to feel the sparks between the two of you, don’t you?”

  Hadley nearly choked on her drink. “What?”

  “Oh, please. Tell me you don’t feel a tiny bit attracted to Tyler. I have eyes. You might be a good liar, but you aren’t that good.”

  “I’m not lying,” Hadley asserted. “He’s attractive, but we are not... We couldn’t feel like that about each other.”

  “Couldn’t or are afraid to?”

  That wasn’t something Hadley was willing to debate. How she felt about Tyler after they kissed this afternoon was much too complicated. “I know I have incredible sister-in-law potential, but your wishful thinking is not going to make me and Tyler fall in love. Lying to him isn’t exactly the best way to begin a relationship.”

  “I hate that we’re making you lie, but Ethan believes the ranch can and will be successful. He’d hate to see it belong to some other family when it does. He has so many good memories of growing up here.”

  “But doesn’t he also have some painful ones?” Hadley thought of Tyler breaking down by the bridge. There were some dark memories none of the Blackwell boys could escape.

  Grace bit down on her bottom lip. She had to know more than Hadley did. “Loss is a big part of their history with this place. But Ethan has tried to embrace the good times rather than dwell on bad.”

  “Tyler is fixated on the bad. He can remember some of the fun times he had growing up, but the memories always turn sour when he gets lost in them for too long. He doesn’t like talking about his parents and he almost never mentions his grandfather.”

  “That doesn’t surprise me,” Grace said, placing the meatballs in the hot pan. “Big E doesn’t have the softest heart. He wanted the boys to be tough, which might be why most of them took off as soon as they were old enough to be on their own. It’s not a coincidence that they’re practically all back while Big E is MIA. He’s a big reason they’ve been estranged for so long.”

  “I know Ethan believes he can change Tyler’s mind, but I’m not sure it’s going to be as easy as he wants it to be. Tyler’s running from more than just a prickly grandpa.”

  “That may be true, but maybe it’s time someone pushes him to face whatever it is that makes him want to run. Ethan can do that for him if he’d just let him.”

  Grace was an optimist. Maybe love did that to a person. Made them believe anything was possible. Hadley got busy making the salad while Grace watched over the meatballs she said were her mom’s special recipe. Alice Gardner was supposedly an excellent cook.

  Ethan and Tyler returned with not only a loaf of bread but a strawberry and cream cake on a glittery cake stand. It was beautiful and missing one slice.

  “Who dug into the cake already?” Grace asked when Ethan set it on the island.

  “Some lucky guest who ordered it before we stole it from the kitchen,” Ethan said, swiping a finger-full of whipped cream from the side of it.

  Grace held up the wooden spoon in her hand in warning. “Don’t go sticking your dirty fingers in our dessert.”

  “You know you want to do it, too. Just do it. No one here is going to judge.”

  Tyler raised his hand. “I’ll judge.”

  Grace smacked Ethan’s hand as he tried to swipe some more. “Please make yourself useful and help me with the sauce.”

  Hadley made eye contact with Tyler, who smiled at his brother’s antics. Ethan was the light to Tyler’s dark. Maybe he could help his younger brother find some peace. Hadley knew it wasn’t her place to do it.

  “When is dinner going to be ready?” Tyler asked.

  “A few more minutes,” Grace said, pulling open the silverware drawer and taking out four forks and four knives. “You could set the table and by the time you’re finished, dinner will be served.”

  “What self-respecting cabinetmaker allowed these solid wood cabinets to be painted pink?” Tyler opened the one that housed the plates.

  “We were just wondering the same thing,” Hadley said. “What about that pink-feathered light? I feel it’s safe to say that is one of a kind. There cannot be another kitchen table in the world with that monstrosity hanging above it.”

  “Big E should have his man card revoked for letting Zoe do this to the house. A man has to draw a line at some point,” Ethan said, grabbing the silverware off the island.

  “A man has to draw the line, huh?” Grace challenged him. “So if I wanted a pink kitchen, you’d tell me no? Even though I am carrying your child and working three jobs to help make ends meet?”

  “Oh, Gracie.”
He stole a quick kiss. “I’d tell you heck no. But then I’d let you do whatever you wanted because you are obviously smarter and wiser than I will ever be.”

  “Good answer.” Grace beamed up at him. “And I promise all that wisdom will never allow me to ask for a pink kitchen.”

  “That’s why I can’t wait to marry you.” Ethan gave her another kiss on the cheek.

  Hadley smiled at how adorable the two of them were together. She caught Tyler staring at her and guilt washed away all the happy feels. She shouldn’t have kissed him today. Not when they couldn’t be anything more than what they were.

  “So typical,” Tyler said. “You know that it’s in the Blackwell DNA that when you fall in love with a woman, she gets what she wants. Dad used to say he never denied Mom anything because a happy wife meant a happy life.”

  “Something tells me your father’s happiness mattered to her just as much as hers mattered to him,” Grace said. “Did she really get everything she wanted? They never had to compromise?”

  “That’s the way I remember it,” Tyler replied.

  “Mom never asked for things like a pink kitchen,” Ethan argued. “I think she would have lost that fight.”

  Tyler glanced in Hadley’s direction once again. “Mom had excellent taste. A trait we also inherited.”

  Hadley smiled. She could see that being very true. “I did say the other night that you have the best taste in food, wine, movies—”

  “And women,” Tyler said, finishing the sentence the same way he did at Jon’s.

  The butterflies in Hadley’s stomach were all released at the same time and her face warmed even though he couldn’t have meant her. He was trying to trick Ethan and Grace. Hadley knew better. At least, she hoped she did.

  “Careful, you two,” Grace warned. She smirked at Hadley. “Those sparks could start a real fire.”

  * * *

  TYLER WISHED HE could erase the memory of kissing Hadley from his mind, but the thought was relentless, popping up every time he looked at her.

  She sat across from him at the dining room table and laughed at something Ethan said. Was it silly to be jealous of his brother for making her laugh? Absolutely. Did he still feel envious? Yep.