“Excuse me?” She stared at him, silent, waiting for the punchline. “Wait, you’re serious?”
“Yeah,” he said. “I mean, just let them take a few pictures of us going to dinner, buying furniture together. You know, stuff married couples do. Then, when people see it, they’ll stop bothering me,”
He was crazy. “If you think a ring on your finger will stop some crazy bitch determined to fu—bed you, then you’re too pure for this world, Rogers,” she said. “Besides, it’s better if we get this over with now, then they can leave you alone.”
“Can’t you see; they won’t leave me alone? I mean, it’ll get even worse if it comes out that we got married while drunk in Vegas.” He sighed. “I could lose my job.”
That pulled a string in her heart, but she couldn’t let that affect her. Think of Darcey and Adam. They were counting on her. “I’m sorry, Daniel,” she said, hardening her heart. “I need to get this annulment done with as soon as possible.”
“Is there someone else?”
The tension in the tiny cab of the truck rose up tenfold. She wanted to lie to him, tell him that she had a boyfriend or was engaged to someone. But she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. “Does it matter? You don’t know me, I don’t know you, we can’t stay married. Don’t make me have to go through the ropes and spend money I don’t have getting you served. Please.” She closed her eyes and thought of her brother and sister. “Just sign the papers, okay?”
Daniel was looking straight out, his hands on the wheel in a death grip. “Fine,” he said, his lips thinning. “I’ll have my dad look it over tonight, sign it if he says it looks good, and drop it at your motel in the morning.”
“Thank you.” She breathed a sigh of relief. At least, she thought it was relief. But why was that knot forming in her stomach getting tighter. “Do you think it’s safe to go back?”
“Let me check.” He reached for the radio receiver on his car. “Charlie, this is Grizzly One. Did anyone try to follow us up past the gates, over?”
“They tried, Grizzly One,” came the voice after the crackling sound. “But I turned them away. Over.”
“Awesome. Thanks, Charlie. Over. Base, is it all clear? No more reporters?”
“Affirmative, Grizzly One,” came another voice, this time it sounded like a female. “You’re all clear. Chief kicked out the rest of them. Over.”
“Thanks, Base. Over and out.” He replaced the receiver and then put the truck in reverse, turning the wheel until they faced the road back into the forest. The rest of the ride was silent, but she didn’t really know what else to say.
As soon as they pulled up to her car, she unbuckled her belt. “Thanks,” she mumbled.
“Sarah, I—”
“Yes?” she said a little too quickly, whipping her head back at him.
Those silvery blue eyes stared back at her, his lips twitching as if he wanted to say something. “I … nothing.”
Disappointment—over what, she wasn’t sure—poured over her like a bucket of ice water. Afraid to say something else, she nodded, and quickly hopped out and made a dash for her own car.
Safe inside, she started the engine. Daniel hadn’t moved from his spot, and though she couldn’t see him, it was as if she could feel his silvery blue gaze on her.
It’s done, she told herself as she pulled out of the spot. By this time tomorrow, she’d be home, annulment papers in hand. She’d be free of this farce and move on with her life, without Daniel Rogers in it.
Sarah spent much of the evening tossing and turning, unable to quiet her thoughts. Of course, she was thinking of Daniel and that inscrutable look on his face when he told her he’d sign the papers.
Why did he seem almost disappointed? Did he not want to get this whole thing over with? And what was with the crazy plan of his to use her as some kind of shield from all those women throwing themselves at him?
The thought of anyone propositioning him was enough to put her in a bad mood. He should just sleep with them. It sounded like any guy’s dream, having hordes of attractive girls lining up for a chance to fuck him. Yet it made something inside her want to explode in fury.
She must have exhausted herself at some point because eventually she fell asleep. The sound of her phone ringing woke her up, and it took her a second to remember where she was. Blackstone. Motel. Daniel Rogers.
Pushing him from her thoughts, she reached for the phone on the bedside table. “Hello?” she greeted groggily.
“Sarah, where are you?” came Darcey’s frantic cry through the receiver.
The urgency in her sister’s voice jolted her awake. “What’s wrong, Darce? Are you okay? Is it Adam? Is he asking where I am?” They had told their brother that The Griffin management was sending her to a compulsory health and safety seminar down in Reno and she had to stay overnight.
“No, he’s fine, don’t worry,” Darcey assured her. “But it’s … well, do you have a TV? Never mind. Give me second, and then check your messages.”
“Check my messages?” But Darcey had already hung up. What the heck did her sister mean?
Two seconds later, her notifications lit up with a message from Darcey. Actually, there were dozens and dozens of messages piling up in her inbox.
Thea: Where are you? Why aren’t you answering my messages?
Cathy: How could you keep this from me? I thought we were friends!
Stephanie: OMG, you’re all over the news!
There were a couple more cryptic ones from other people at work, and some acquaintances she hadn’t heard from in years. What the heck was going on?
Swiping the notifications away, she opened the latest message from Darcey. It was a link to a well-known gossip news site. “What the—” After clicking it, she realized what had sent Darcey into a tizzy.
Hero Ranger Who Saved VP—Married!?
There was a picture of her taken from an old social media profile and one of her and Daniel as they walked out of the Rangers Headquarters building, his arm around her as she pressed to his side. Scrolling down, she began to read.
Daniel Rogers, dashing ranger who captured the hearts of America.… She skipped the next few lines that recapped the assassination attempt story until she saw her name. Update: The mysterious Mrs. Rogers’s identity has now been revealed: Sarah Mendez of Las Vegas, Nevada. According to their marriage certificate, they were wed three months ago at the Chapel of Hearts in Las Vegas. Ms. Mendez is a waitress at The Griffin Resort and Casino, as well as a lingerie designer. She sells her original creations on her own website, Silk, Lace, and Whispers.
“How the hell did they figure that out?” she burst out.
Except for Darcey and the bank, no one knew about her side business, not even Adam or her friends at the casino. She deliberately didn’t put her real name on the company site or social media accounts. Her real-life clients only knew her first name and ordered directly by text messaging her.
Silk, Lace, and Whispers wasn’t a secret, per se, and designing lingerie was her passion, but when she decided to start up SLW, she’d had to think of Adam. He was a teenager, after all, and he was already getting teased and bullied at school being so … different from his peers. The last thing he needed was for his classmates to find out his sister sold trashy underwear to strippers. The Summerlin boutique would have been far enough from his school district that none of his classmates would know about it, plus Darcey would be the one running the shop. And if her brick and mortar location took off, she’d be able to afford so many more things for Adam, including sending him to MIT, his dream college by the time he graduated. But now—
The phone rang again, making her jump to her feet.
“Sarah, are you there?” Darcey asked when she answered.
“Yeah, Darce, I’m here,” she whispered. “Is it bad? Does Adam know yet?”
“He didn’t say anything during breakfast.”
“But he’s going to find out.” She buried her face in one hand. “Darce, this is awful.”
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“Awful?” Darcey chuckled. “Oh my God, Sarah, this is great.”
“Great?”
“Yeah, why do you think I called? The orders on the SLW website are pouring in. That gossip rag linked back to us, and now we’re down to half our inventory! At this rate, I’m going to have to put in an order to the manufacturer to replenish our stocks by lunchtime.”
“Holy—you’re not shitting me, are you?”
“No, I’m not. Really. The site crashed this morning—and boy, was that a nightmare—but I fixed it. I also asked Agnes for the day off just so I can handle the orders coming in. She’s furious, but if this keeps up, I might be able to quit by the end of the month.”
She chewed on her lip. “Really?”
“Really. Like, Sarah, we might not even need a loan from the bank at this rate. They’ll be begging to give us money.”
“Jesus.” She sank back down on the lumpy bed. “I … I need to think about this.”
“Think about what?”
Though she hesitated for a moment, she told Darcey what happened with Daniel Rogers and his proposition.
“Oh my God,” Darcey exclaimed. “What are you going to do?”
“Go home and help you with the orders, I guess,” she said. “And file those annulment papers.” If Daniel was true to his word, they would be waiting for her at the reception.
“Good God, Sarah, why would you do that now?”
“That’s what I came here to do.”
“Yeah but … couldn’t you wait for a bit? Or even consider Daniel’s offer?”
“You mean, be his fake wife? Why?”
“So you can milk this publicity for a bit longer. Any other brand would kill for this free advertising. The SLW social media accounts are getting thousands of followers. We might reach a million by end of the week. You can’t buy this kind of publicity. If you just wait a few days, then the press’ll find another thing to distract them, then you can come home and file the annulment quietly.”
She gnawed at her lip. Could she really do it? Use Daniel like that? Well, technically, he was getting something out of this too. Plus, he suggested faking their relationship in the first place.
“If you won’t do it for our business, do it for Adam,” Darcey said.
“What do you mean? We can’t lie to him. Not when this is all over the news.”
“I’ll explain to him what happened, okay? But think of the scandal and gossip that’ll spread when it comes out you guys were strangers and got married while drunk? He’ll get teased and bullied even more than he already is. However, if you let the press think you and Daniel are actually married for real and for love, no one will bat an eye. They’ll even think it’s romantic, and not some sordid tale of a drunken weekend in Vegas.”
Darcey had a point, she conceded. Adam would probably get angry at her for being irresponsible, but then a good cover story would protect him publicly. “I’ll think about it,” she said. “And talk to Daniel.”
“Daniel, huh?” Darcey asked in a teasing tone. “First name basis already. What’s he like?”
Utterly handsome. Dazzling. Charming. Confident. There was also a true strength in him she could sense. He felt solid, like a tree standing up to a storm. “He’s fine, I guess.”
“So, there’s a possibility you won’t be driving back today, huh? It’s already ten there, right?”
Glancing at the clock, she realized her sister was right and that she’d overslept. “Crap.” Rising to her feet, she stretched her arms out and let out a yawn. “All right, Darce, I should get my day started and find my future ex-husband. Just … take care okay? And tell Adam—”
“I’ll take care of Adam,” she assured her. Darcey had always been the more maternal of the two them. Not that she didn’t get along with Adam, but he and Sarah were so alike, they often clashed, especially now that he was a snotty teenager who thought he knew everything. Darcey was a soothing balm between them, the buffer that stopped them from exploding at each other all the time. “Go take care of business.”
After putting the phone down, she took a shower, dried off and got dressed in a clean white blouse and yesterday’s jeans, then headed to the reception. Sure enough, there was an envelope at the front desk with her name written on the front in neat handwriting. “I’ll need to extend another night,” she told the clerk at the desk. “Is that possible?”
“Of course, should I just charge your card?” he asked.
She gulped, remembering that that particular card was nearly maxed out. Actually, all her cards were, but if what Darcey was saying was true, then it shouldn’t be an issue. “Yes, please. Thank you,” she said before heading out to the parking lot and to her car.
It was another gorgeous summer day in the mountains, and she drove more leisurely this time, allowing herself to enjoy the views as she drove up to the Blackstone Rangers Headquarters. Thankfully, the news vans were nowhere in sight, but there were still a lot of people waiting outside. Ignoring them, she got out of her car and hurried to the entrance.
“I’m sorry, miss,” the young man guarding the door said, holding a hand up. “I can’t let you inside. If you’re looking to get a hiking or camping permit, that’s all done online and the entrance to the trails and campsites are down the road.”
“I’m not,” she answered. “I need to get inside and see Daniel Rogers.”
The guard’s mouth twisted ruefully. “You and everyone else.” He nodded at the crowd gathered. “Why don’t you join your friends, and maybe when Daniel comes out, he’ll let you take a selfie with him?”
“That’s not why I’m here.” Her patience was running thin. “I’m his—”
“What’s going on here, Reynolds?” someone said from behind.
“Hey, Russel,” the guard greeted, then rolled his eyes. “Chief posted me here to keep the Rogers groupies away.”
“I’m not a groupie,” she said indignantly.
“Excuse me, I need to get in—oh, it’s you.”
Sarah looked up at the man who’d arrived, recognizing him as the blond ranger from the pie shop yesterday, though he was wearing street clothes today. “Hey. Thanks for the help yesterday. But I have to see Daniel. Now.”
“You didn’t see him yesterday? Didn’t Anders help you out?”
“He did, and I saw Daniel. But … I need to talk to him again.” She cursed herself for being rude to this guy yesterday. “Um, maybe you could just give him my number?”
Clear blue eyes regarded her. “All right,” he said. “You can let her in.”
“But—”
“I’ll take it up with the chief,” he said, pushing past Reynolds and holding the door open. “Let’s go in. He’s probably out patrolling, but I can find out what time he’s swinging back to check in.”
“Thank you,” she said as she followed him inside. “I’m Sarah, by the way. I’m sorry if I was rude to you yesterday.”
He flashed her a bright smile. “You’re fine. I’m Gabriel, by the way. Gabriel Russel.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“Are you … okay? Do you want a drink of water? Bathroom?” There was an odd look on his face.
“Er, I’m fine. I just need to see Daniel.”
“Of course. We can go to the comms room and get someone to radio him. Meanwhile, I can get you a snack or maybe find a quiet place for you to sit down?”
Why the hell was this man—a stranger—obsessed with her comfort? “It’s fine.”
“Are you sure? I can get you some juice—oh, wait, there he is.” Gabriel nodded up ahead.
She followed his gaze, to the two figures walking down towards them. Sure enough, she recognized Daniel’s tall and broad form. However, hot emotion stabbed through her chest when she realized the other figure with him was female and stood a little too close to him for her liking. In fact, she didn’t like anything about the girl next to him—not the way she bent her head close to him as they spoke or how she suddenly laughed and patted him o
n the shoulder when he said something.
“Sarah?” Gabriel asked.
But she ignored him as she marched toward the two of them, her hands curling into fists at her sides.
“Oh my God, Dan!” The blonde woman giggled again, and this time squeezed Daniel’s bicep. “You’re, like, so funny.”
“I was just—Sarah?” The silvery blue gaze grew wide as they landed on her. “What are you doing here?”
Sarah felt the blonde’s stare, but ignored it. “Hey, Daniel. Got a second?” For your wife, she almost added. It might have been worth it to say it out loud and see that bimbo’s reaction.
“Of course. Listen, Carli,” he said, turning to the blonde. “I’ll talk to you later, okay?”
Carli’s nostrils flared as her gaze flickered to Sarah’s. “Yeah, I guess so. You’ll have to tell me more about that fishing story. Maybe you could take me to that spot sometime. You know how much I love fishing. Bye now,” she said with a sweet smile, before sauntering away.
Sarah gritted her teeth, trying to stop herself from … from … well, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do exactly, only that it involved something that would wipe the smirk from Carli’s face.
“Sarah?” Daniel’s voice broke through her thoughts. “Is there something the matter? Did I not sign the papers correctly?”
“You did,” she admitted. “But … can we talk somewhere private?”
“I …” He looked confused but shrugged. “All right. Let’s go to my cubicle.”
He led her further down the hallway, then opened the door at the end, letting her go in first. They headed to one of the empty cubicles. “Do you want some coffee? Or tea?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “I’m sure you’re wondering what I’m doing here.” Her throat felt dry and her palms were sweaty. God, why was she nervous?
“Kinda. But I don’t mind,” he added quickly. “I mean … uh …” He rubbed the back of his neck. “I thought you’d be on your way back to Vegas by now.”
“Yeah, I overslept and … wait, you haven’t seen any of the news sites?”
“News sites?” He shook his head. “I came in early today to, uh, do some paperwork. So, I haven’t checked my phone. Hold on.” Circling the table, he grabbed the phone on the side table. “Is it more stuff about the VP and—oh.” His eyes scanned the screen quickly. “Shit. Fuck.” Tossing the phone down, he slammed his palms on the tabletop. “I’m sorry, Sarah. I didn’t mean for this to get out of hand. Maybe Damon is right, and I should issue a statement to the press, tell them to leave you alone. Then we can file the annulment—”
Blackstone Ranger Hero Page 6