Buch lesen: «The Rancher's Cinderella Bride»

One

July

Gabe Callahan sat on the porch of his ranch house with his booted feet propped on a rail as he watched a red pickup race up the road and onto the circular drive in front of the house. Aldridge Landscape Design was in red letters on the side, against a white circle background. Having known the driver as far back in his life as he could remember, he couldn’t imagine what could have made her so desperate to call him, let alone to drive the two hours southwest from Dallas to his ranch. Unless she had been in Downly, the nearest town and only thirty minutes away from him. For Meg the drive would be longer.

As the truck screeched to a stop, he winced and stood, walking to the top of the steps. He waited there till Megan Louise Aldridge popped out of the pickup and charged toward the porch.

“Good morning, Meg,” he said, addressing her the way he had since she had been in preschool and he had been in the first grade. He nodded toward the pickup. “When are you going to learn to drive?”

She didn’t laugh or even smile at his usual teasing, so whatever the problem was, it was big.

“Let’s go inside,” he said quietly, realizing something was really wrong. That alone was startling because Meg was usually cheerful. At least the Meg he remembered. He hadn’t seen much of her the past few years.

“Let’s sit in the library,” he directed as he motioned her into the house.

As she walked beside him, he caught a whiff of the familiar lilac perfume she had worn since middle school. He gave her a sidelong glance. She hadn’t changed much. Though she was taller now, her long pale brown hair was still held back from her forehead by a blue headband—the same style hairdo she’d worn since preschool. Her hair had always been either caught by a headband or braided in pigtails. And once again, she wore no makeup. Frank, honest, sweet—that was exactly how he’d describe the Meg he remembered. And exactly how she looked right now.

Though these days they kept in touch mainly through social media and through the grapevine, back in the day Meg had been a great friend—and in the earliest years, his best friend. As kids, she had been there for him during the bad times and he had been there for her. All that despite a family feud that had put a wedge between the Callahans and the Aldridges.

Sometime after his high school graduation, they’d begun to drift apart, seeing each other less, and to his relief, as far as he knew, neither one of them had had as many problems as they’d had growing up. At least not until now. Something was definitely wrong in her life to send her to his ranch looking as worried as she did.

He closed the double library doors, glancing around a room that had three walls covered with shelves of books that he loved. From the day he moved in, this room had been his sanctuary. Crossing the room, he placed his hands on her slender shoulders. “It’s been a long time since we’ve really talked, Meg. It’s good to see you again.”

“It’s good to see you, too,” she said, giving him a tight smile.

“I appreciated you coming to the memorial service for my brother and sister-in-law.”

“I was sorry about Nathan and Lydia.”

“Thanks. We’ve both lost brothers,” he stated. “That isn’t why you’re here. I get the feeling something’s wrong.” He searched her eyes. “What is it? Do you need something from me?”

She looked directly into his eyes, and her expression was firm yet unreadable. Then she nodded. “Yes, Gabe, I need something. I need us to get engaged.”

The laugh burst out of him like a popped balloon. “Nice one.” He wasn’t used to Meg being the jokester in the relationship, but he enjoyed a good laugh as much as anyone.

But Meg didn’t laugh, or even smile. She merely stared at him and then said bluntly, “I want to get engaged to you for about a month. I want you to propose marriage.”

So she wasn’t kidding?

Not knowing what to think, he wiped away his grin and looked down at the floor while he pulled himself together. Then, frowning, he met her gaze once again. He could only manage one word. “Why?”

“To get my family off my back.”

The explanation may have made perfect sense to her, but he felt as if he’d come in on the second act. He had no idea what she was talking about.

Before he could ask her to explain, she went on.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be for real or for long. Just long enough to get my family to back off, settle down and let me live my life.” Now her eyes went wide and he saw the emotion in them once again. She was deeply troubled. “They want me to marry and I don’t want to get married. But they don’t seem to care. Mom and Dad are pushing me even when they know I don’t want this.”

“But everyone in these parts knows we’ve never been in love or even dated. Why me?”

“Because you’re my friend. I know we’re not as close as we were, but in a lot of ways, Gabe, you’re still my best friend. Who else would I turn to?”

“Meg, you’re my best female friend—” He paused and studied her. “In fact, you may be my best friend except for my brothers, and I’ve told you secrets I haven’t told them.” What was he saying? Instead of strolling down memory lane with her, he needed to talk some sense into her. He took her by the hands and led her over to two chairs. “Let’s sit and talk.”

Clamping her lips together, she sat. Leaning back in his chair with one foot on his knee, he gazed at her. She looked about the same as she had the last time he had seen her, over a year ago. She had on a baggy gray sweatshirt, worn, faded jeans and scuffed, dusty boots. From what he’d heard through the grapevine, her landscape design business in Dallas was growing and successful.

It felt good to see her again, to talk to her again. They’d always discussed their problems, but he had to admit, this one was a doozy. “Talk to me, Meg. What’s the deal? You have a nice family.”

“Not about this,” she said, frowning, worry filling her big, thickly lashed dark brown eyes. Really pretty eyes. That thought surprised him because he had never been physically attracted to Meg. She wasn’t his type of woman.

“I need your help,” she said, leaning forward and taking his hands in her dainty ones that were as cold as ice.

“You’re freezing,” he said, covering her hands with his. “Calm down. I’ll help you. Any way I can.”

“I hope you mean that,” she said in a low, intense voice. “Because I really need you to ask me to marry you.”

He pulled his hands back, but she grasped them tighter. “It’s temporary, very temporary,” she said quickly. “I think one month should do it. And it wouldn’t be a real engagement, of course.” She leaned closer and her voice took on a more earnest tone. “I need your help, Gabe. Please,” she begged, as if he had threatened to toss her out of his house.

He did what he did best. He tried to lighten the mood. “Hey, remember, you’re talking to me—best friends since forever.”

“I’m serious, Gabe, and I’m desperate.”

“I believe you,” he said, getting more worried.

She took a deep breath and looked as if she faced a firing squad.

“All of them—my parents and both sets of grandparents—want an heir. And they all want a grandchild.”

He shrugged. “Tell them that will happen in due time.”

“Time is part of the problem. They’re all getting older. You know Todd, my oldest brother, is career military and he’s in Afghanistan now and isn’t getting married anytime soon. Caleb, my married brother, has a good part in a Broadway play alongside his wife, Nora. They don’t want children to interfere with their careers,” she said, rattling off her reasons and sounding more panicky with each one. “And Hank is gone,” she said, a wistful note of sadness in her voice that made him want to offer sympathy again over her brother who was killed in a crash when he was flying his small plane. “My family is desperate for a baby and I’m the prime candidate.”

He managed to extricate his hands and sat back. “I get that, but—”

“There’s more. Someone wants to marry me and my family knows it,” she said, looking distraught and sounding as if she were caught in a huge calamity.

“Who wants to marry you?”

“Justin Whelton—fourth generation of successful Dallas lawyers.”

“I know Justin,” Gabe said, frowning and thinking he could see why she had no interest in marrying him. Gabe had known Justin as long as Meg had known him. Their parents moved in the same social circles and now that he and Justin and Meg were grown, they crossed paths at social events. Gabe didn’t like Justin and suspected he had done some underhanded things to win cases.

“Justin and I dated in high school. It meant nothing to each of us except convenience. It’s the same now, but the minute we went out a few times this past year both sets of parents came up with the idea that we should marry. Justin’s folks want him to marry because he has big political ambitions and they think being married would give him stability and better voter approval. And I’m the perfect candidate to be his wife as far as his parents and mine are concerned. I’ve told mine I don’t love him but they think we would fall in love because we’re apparently so compatible and we’ve known each other all our lives. My mistake was ever going out with him, just because he was a friend. There never has been any romance between the two of us, no more than there was any between you and me. We’re friends. Period. I don’t like to kiss him and we rarely have. How do you marry someone you don’t like to kiss?”

He couldn’t help it. Despite her seriousness, he chuckled.

“Gabe, don’t you dare laugh at me. It isn’t funny.”

“I’m not laughing,” he said, trying not to, “but I’m surprised Justin wants this if you won’t kiss him. If you and I get pretend engaged, will you kiss me?”

“I’m serious here,” she said, anger flaring in her big eyes.

He had to bite back another laugh and realized he shouldn’t tease her now. She was too upset to see humor in it.

“Yes, I’ll kiss you,” she said through gritted teeth and her cheeks turned red.

He couldn’t hold the grin that came that time.

“Gabe, so help me—”

Impulsively, he hugged her. “I’m teasing, Meg, and you know it. You just get so riled up that I can’t resist.” He released her, but not before he noticed she was soft to hug and far different from when she was a skinny middle school kid.

“His dad and grandfathers have offered him so many financial incentives—you can’t imagine.”

“That’s no incentive if the lady doesn’t like you. I’d think your family would listen if you firmly tell them you don’t want to marry him.”

“They’re not listening, Gabe. That’s the problem. They’re all pushing, including Justin, who thinks this would help his career. He’s laying the groundwork to run for the Texas legislature, but he wants to be in Washington and he thinks I would make—to quote him—‘the right kind of wife.’ What a reason to marry!” She grabbed Gabe’s hands again. “You can’t imagine the pressure my family is putting on me. Please, just think about a pretend engagement,” she begged.

He kept telling himself this was ridiculous, she was exaggerating and he wanted no part of it. But as she held his hands in hers, he looked down into imploring brown eyes and felt himself sinking into quicksand.

“I’m friends with Justin’s secretary, Gretchen,” she went on. “She told me Justin is planning to propose at the big anniversary dance this month at the country club. If I turn him down in front of all those people and our families, it’ll be dreadful.”

Gabe pulled back and stood up. “Dammit, Meg. Justin isn’t planning that because he loves you and wants a fun memory for you. He’s doing it to get attention for himself.”

“I know that.” Her eyes went watery and he was afraid she’d start to cry. “You’re not going to have to go through with marrying me. Just a pretend engagement for a month and then you can tell all your lady friends that it was a sham. I’ll tell them if you want.”

Shaking his head, he gave her a brief crooked smile. “Geez, Meg, I don’t have a harem. You don’t have to reassure anyone that I’m available.” He ran a hand through his hair. “You’ve never been dishonest or hidden things from your folks in all your life. How are you going to look them in the eye and tell them we’re engaged?”

She took a deep breath. “That’s worried me the most, but they are really pushing me to marry a man I don’t love, so I can do it and later I’ll apologize and remind them that they forced me into this and I was really desperate.”

“Ah, Meg, this isn’t like you and it isn’t like me. No one would believe us. Remember, we’ve never even had one date.”

“They’d believe me. You know they would.”

He stared down at her, the sinking feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. Much as he hated to admit it, she had a point. Meg was the most honest, frank person he had ever known, so a pretend engagement was so foreign to her way of living that people might never suspect it. But... “There is not another person on this earth that I know who could carry a pretend engagement off and get people to believe it, but I’m not sure you can, either.”

“Gabe, it would only be a short time and—”

“I still say people won’t believe us.”

She stood up, dug in a hip pocket and pulled out a small velvet box. Opening it, she held it out to him. “They’ll believe it when I announce it with this on my finger,” she said.

He took the small box in his hand and looked down at a dazzling diamond ring. Then he looked at her. “Is this real?”

Her cheeks turned pink. “Of course not. I can’t afford a diamond like that, but if it were real, you could afford it.”

“Megan, your family doesn’t like me or my family. Except for you and your brothers, the Aldridges haven’t spoken to me for years.” The silly feud had seen to that. Decades ago, both their fathers had been business partners, until his dad had bought out her dad and caused a rift that had never healed.

“Don’t you see, Gabe? That’s exactly why my plan is perfect. If they think I’ve gotten engaged to you, they’ll back off pushing for marriage so fast,” she said with a grim determination in her voice. “Just one month, Gabe.”

He gazed into her big brown eyes and his spirits dropped another notch. “Ah, Meg, I just don’t think it’ll work. If it does, everyone will think I’ve gotten you pregnant.”

“I don’t care because in time, they’ll know that you haven’t. That’s no problem.”

“We’ve never had one date,” he insisted.

“So we start dating. Gabe, I’m desperate,” she cried.

Gabe patted her soft hand while he thought about what she had just told him. He had always promised her he would help her if she ever needed him, and he was letting her down now, when she needed him most.

Meg was relentless. Her barrage of persuasion persisted. “If we get engaged, everyone will talk about it and Justin and I will vanish from the center of conversations in our families.

“You ought to be at my house for dinner any night and hear them badgering me. My dad has offered to give us enough money to buy a house. My grandparents have offered the deed to one of the ranches they own. They’re so earnest. One set of grandparents will fly me and my mom to New York for me to have a makeover and buy an entire new wardrobe. It’s ridiculous.”

She tightened her cold fingers around his hand, leaning closer, looking as if she would burst into tears. “Please. It’s just pretend, so it doesn’t matter how we feel about each other.”

No matter how many reasons she gave him, he still thought the ploy wouldn’t work. It would be disastrous and only make her family dislike him even more. And he wasn’t sure it would help her at all. In fact, the only one he saw coming out of this well was old Justin, who’d save face by not getting rejected during a dumb public proposal.

No, he thought, this was not a good plan at all.

Reluctance filled him. He squeezed her shoulder gently, her soft hair falling on his hand. He looked deep into her eyes and prepared to decline, no matter how much it hurt him to not be there for her.

But he couldn’t believe the words that came out of his mouth.

“I’ll be your pretend fiancé if that’s what you want.”

The words had just spilled out. Who was he kidding? He could never resist helping her.

“Oh, Gabe, thank you,” she cried, hugging him.

He wrapped his arms around her, still feeling as if she were the sister he never had. Except when he hugged her, it was a curvy woman’s body pressed against him and he had a fleeting curiosity about what she’d look like out of that shapeless sweatshirt she wore. She was soft and smelled sweet, the same lilac scent he’d always remembered. As a little kid, she’d told him her grandmother got her lilac soap. He released her and gazed into brown eyes and a big smile.

“You’re pretty, Meg. There ought to be all sorts of guys wanting to take you out.”

She shook her head. “Not anyone I want to go out with and not anyone I’d trust with a pretend engagement. I’m probably too bossy because I’m used to running my own business and giving orders.”

“I don’t recall thinking you’re too bossy.”

A brief smile flickered on her lips. “That’s because you’re bossier.”

“You never told me that. Well, maybe a time or two.”

“You can be as bossy as you want. Thank you, Gabe.”

“If we’re going to do this, and you want to stave off a public proposal at the dance, let’s get with it. Today is Thursday. I think we should have a first date this weekend if you can make it,” he said.

“I sure can,” she said, wiggling with eagerness that made him remember times in the past when she would get her way and be very happy. “Say when.”

“Saturday night,” he answered, wondering what she was pulling him into with this pretense and how much explaining he would have to do with some of his close female friends.

“Saturday it is.”

“How are you going to tell Justin about going out with me Saturday night?”

“I won’t have to yet because he’s going out of town this weekend on business. He’ll be back Wednesday and by that time, he’ll know we went out. Even one date with you will make him call off a public proposal.”

She turned to leave, but spun back around. “I almost forgot. Saturday night, do you want me to be at my house in Downly or my house in Dallas?”

“You have two houses?” he asked.

“It works out better with my landscape business. You probably don’t even know I’m not living at home with my folks anymore, do you? My maternal grandparents do that.”

“Which place is more convenient for you on Saturday?”

“Downly.”

“Then I’ll pick you up at your house in Downly. I need an address.”

“I’ll text you,” she said. Then her eyes narrowed as she looked at him with an expression he couldn’t read. “Do you think it’s going to be weird to ‘date’?”

“No. We’ve always had fun together and Saturday night won’t be any different.” He leaned into her, bumping her shoulder with his.

“I suppose you’re right.” She grinned at him, then came back with another suggestion. “Later, after a few dates, maybe I can stay at your ranch so it will look as if we’re serious, and sometimes at your house in Dallas, so I can go to work from there. It won’t be for long and I’ll stay out of your way.”

That might not be the best idea, but he couldn’t say no at this point. And actually part of him looked forward to seeing her more because she was always good company. “That’s fine if you want to,” he finally said. “I have big houses with plenty of room.”

Her grin turned into a full-fledged smile. “In case I forget to tell you this a thousand times over the rest of my life, thank you, Gabe. You always promised I could come to you for help and now you’re going to help me,” Meg gushed, her eyes getting a sparkle that made him feel a degree better.

“I don’t want a loveless marriage and I don’t want to marry Justin. None of them can understand it. When I marry, I want the love and closeness my grandparents and my parents have had.”

He knew she did. That was the kind of woman Meg was.

“Then I hope this ploy works, Meg. For your sake.”

“Oh, it will. You’ll see. We’ll convince my family and Justin’s, and they’re the ones who count. And then you can go on your way knowing you have been the knight to the rescue.” She patted his hand. “My wonderful, handsome knight.”

It might not be a role he was accustomed to, but he had to admit he was going to like it. But before he got knighted, they had a lot of work to do. He only hoped they’d pull off the charade as easily as Meg seemed to think they would.

While Meg had always been a good friend, there had never been anything romantic between them. Nor would there ever be. As great as she was, she wasn’t his type and he wasn’t hers. They were just too opposite. She was too staid and fearful of the daring things he liked to do. And then there was the feud between the older generations of their families. No, Meg wasn’t the woman for him and he wasn’t the man for her. But now they had to convince the world they were. He hoped this charade did not have to last long. He liked his other women friends and partying too much to be tied up in Meg’s pretense.

She still held his gaze as she said, “You are an absolute angel coming to my rescue.”

He laughed. “I’ve been called a lot of things, but ‘angel’ has never been one of them.”

She smiled sweetly at him and patted his cheek. “You’re definitely my angel.” She ran her hand lightly over the stubble on his jaw. “You’ve stopped shaving close. It gives you a rugged, devil-may-care look even more than before,” she said, tilting her head to study him. “I like it. You know, I wish Hank could know what a huge favor you’re doing for me.”

“If your brother knew, he would roll on the floor with laughter. But your family... They’re going to hate me when they learn the truth.”

“They don’t like you now because you’re a Callahan. This will get them to stop talking to me about Justin and start talking to me about breaking up with you. And Hank wouldn’t roll on the floor and laugh at us. He’d thank you and tell me to go for it because he wouldn’t approve of them trying to push me into a loveless marriage.”

She turned to leave again.

“I better run, Gabe,” she said. “Oh, I almost forgot. You keep this ring, and soon you can give it back to me to wear.” She thrust the small box into his hand.

“Sure, Meg,” he said, thinking he had to after all their years of friendship. She’d always been there for him when he was young and hurt by his dad. When his dad wasn’t around for graduation or games or awards or holidays, she had supported him and cheered him up. “I owe you this because you stood by me when I was ignored by my dad. He never gave me or any of my brothers his love, his time or his attention. It was worse for our stepbrother, Blake, because our father didn’t even acknowledge Blake as his son. At least I had your friendship when I was so hurt.”

She smiled at him as she walked out to her pickup. “That’s what friends are for, and you’re the best I’ve ever had.”

“I think you used that same line with me when you were nine years old,” he remarked drily and she laughed. She had a contagious smile, and under ordinary circumstances it would have been good to see her again, he admitted.

“I probably talked you out of some of those fancy marbles you used to have. I thought they were the most beautiful marbles ever. I still have them.”

“You always were easy to please so I guess I don’t have to rack my brain over where to take you to eat on Saturday.”

“This first time let’s go somewhere we’ll be seen and where people will talk about us.”

He grinned. “Whatever you want to get this show on the road. I’ll see you at seven Saturday night,” he said, opening the door to her pickup.

With a quick pat on his hand, she climbed in and he closed the door. “You know, there is a way you can cut the dating time in half and end your folks pushing you to marry.”

“What’s that?”

He placed his arm on the door and leaned in closer. “Move in with me.”

“That’s actually a wonderful idea, Gabe.”

He laughed. “I think we have different views of living together.”

She wrinkled her nose at him. “I’m just thinking of staying under one roof.”

He leaned down. “Shucks, Meg, I’m thinking about staying in the same bed. We didn’t discuss that. We should have some fun with this deal.”

“Will you cool it? We’re not going to bed together,” she said while her cheeks turned pink and he laughed.

“I’ve sure had worse ideas.” He grinned and she shook her head, but she smiled at him.

“Stop teasing me. You haven’t changed any. See you later.”

Laughing, he watched her drive away and wondered how much Meg was going to complicate his life. She said this would only be a month and then it would be over. But the month was going to be interesting—Meg living in the same house with him. He was sure she was old-fashioned. And he would try to curb some of his teasing, but it was hard to resist getting a rise out of her. All in all, he looked forward to spending the time with her. How much had she changed since she had grown up?

He turned the velvet box over in his hand, thinking about the dazzling ring that was as fake as their engagement would be. Would a month’s pretend engagement really have any impact on his life?