Craving a Real Texan--A Western romance

by Charlene Sands

  “It’s true, then? You’re not who you say you are? You’re in some sort of disguise?”

  She swallowed hard, tears forming in her eyes, but she refused to let the cameras catch her crying.

  “She’s Harper Dawn,” the blond man said, “and I’m here to win her back. To remind her of our dream. We had beautiful plans to open a restaurant together. To be married, partners in love and life. I want you to be my one last date.”

  All the cameras turned toward Chef Dale, catching his plea. He stood there, bold but sympathetic in the eyes of the world. He was good, she’d give him that. He always knew how to capture the spotlight. She didn’t love him. She never really had, but his charm and wit had had her fooled for a time. That’s where she’d gone wrong.

  The man she loved was standing beside her, and with each passing second his expression grew more and more grim. Cade was looking at her now like she was a monster. An ugly, lying, two-faced creature that disgusted him.

  “One Last Date?” Cade’s mouth twisted. “That reality show?” He looked out at the reporters, the news vans, now three in number, and she could see it in his expression as the full impact of her deceit hit him hard.

  “That’s right,” Dale said. “We met on the show, and we fell in love.”

  “I didn’t,” she said to Cade, shaking her head adamantly. “I didn’t love him.”

  Cade dismissed her denial. “You’re a damn reality star?”

  She shook her head. “No, no. It’s not like that.”

  “She got cold feet is all,” Dale said, “and ran off. But I’m not giving up on you, Harper. I’m here to ask for another chance.”

  Cade flinched and then gave her a look filled with pain and anger. Then his eyes narrowed, zeroing in on her. “Harper? My sister has a friend named Harper...do you know Lily?”

  Oh crap. “I think we should go inside and talk, Cade.”

  “And deprive these vultures of a story?”

  “Cade, please.” She pleaded with him with everything she had inside. Her eyes burned from holding back tears. “Please.”

  He looked her up and down, battling with his decision, then jerked his head toward the door. “Get inside, Harper.”

  She flinched. Oh man, this was a mess. “Are you c-coming?”

  “It’s my cabin.”

  She walked inside first, Cade directly behind her. He slammed the door shut and locked it. She was trembling, her legs weak. She had trouble breathing, her heart was racing so fast. Cade hated her. She could see it in his eyes. At least he hadn’t left her out there—he hadn’t tossed her to the wolves. They were still outside, shouting questions.

  Cade walked straight to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a scotch. He downed it in one gulp, then poured himself another.

  “Cade, please. Let me explain.”

  He glared at her from across the room, desolation in his eyes. She’d hurt him. She’d destroyed his trust and anything that they may have had. Oh God.

  “Sit down,” he ordered.

  She took a seat on the sofa adjacent to the fireplace. The same one where they’d played rummy so many times, the same place where Cade had served her his first home-cooked meal.

  He stood for a while, pacing. Not saying anything. Just gulping scotch and, apparently, trying to calm himself down.

  When he finished the glass, he poured another, then took a seat. “Explain.”

  She began at the beginning, telling him how she and Lily had become friends. And how she’d been dating, wanting so badly to fall in love and be married. She wanted a family before she was thirty. She had a life plan that included opening a restaurant, and so when Chef Dale Murphy had been picked for One Last Date, Lily convinced her that she should join the show. Harper had deep reservations about it, but the producers loved the idea of putting another chef on, so before she knew it, she was chosen to be one of twelve women vying for love.

  All the while she was explaining, Cade stared at the fireplace, refusing to look at her. His face was hard, and nothing she had to say seemed to change that.

  “So, after I refused Dale’s marriage proposal, I became public enemy number one. The press was horrid to me, hounding me everywhere I went. They knew where I lived, where my parents lived. I had nowhere else to go. So Lily offered to let me stay here at the cabin.”

  “Nice of my sister,” he muttered sarcastically.

  “It turned out you were coming here, too. They knew if you were told I was coming up here, you’d have an excuse to stay home and work. I didn’t want to do it, Cade. But I was in a bind. And so Lily came up with the idea of me being your personal chef. It seemed harmless enough at the time. That way, both of us could stay here.”

  Cade rose from the sofa, looking down at her. “You got paid to sleep with me.”

  “No! I wasn’t paid a thing.” She lifted from the sofa to face him, hating that he’d jumped to such a conclusion. Hating that he thought that little of her. “I’m sorry, Cade. Really, really sorry. But I think you know, us being together intimately wasn’t in the plan. It just happened.” And it had been earth-shattering.

  “For all I know, you were in on this from the beginning. Did the creators of the show get to you? Is that what this was all about? You did it for the ratings? Because honestly, I can’t figure out what kind of woman has to go on a damn reality show to find love. Certainly, not one for me.”

  That stung, and she bit her lower lip, holding back tears. “Cade, that’s not true.”

  “You lied to me over and over. About everything.”

  “I was going to tell you the truth. Honest, I was.”

  “I don’t believe that,” he said, his voice a deep growl. “I’ll never believe that. You made a fool out of me, Harper. I feel like such an idiot. But you did show me a good time. You sure know your way around the bedroom.”

  She jerked back and gasped. She wanted to slap his face. He was being intentionally cruel. Maybe she deserved his wrath for bringing all this down on him, but she’d never thought Cade could be so hurtful. He tossed his tumbler into the fireplace. The sound of shattering glass echoed in the silence of the room, seeming to seal their fate. “I’m leaving,” he said. “Stay or go, it’s up to you.”

  As in, he didn’t give a crap about what happened to her. “I’m...leaving, too.”

  From now on, she’d have to battle the paparazzi, but it would be a whole lot easier than trying to convince Cade she’d never meant to hurt him.

  Seven

  “I’m not leaving here until you speak to me.” Lily stood in front of Cade’s office desk at Tremaine Corp., tilting her chin at him stubbornly. His sister was the last person he wanted to see today. Well, make that the second-to-last person he wanted to see. His day had gone from bad to worse, and Lily was just the topping on the cake.

  He rubbed the back of his neck and leaned back in his chair, staring up at her. “What is it this time?”

  “You’re working yourself to death, Cade. You’re never home, and Mom’s worried about you.”

  “I’m fine. Just busy doing what I love to do.”

  “You’re not supposed to be working these long hours. You’re under too much stress.”

  “Not as much stress as my last vacation,” he shot back. “Remember, when you and Mom set me up?”

  “We didn’t set you up, brother. And if you’d stop feeling sorry for yourself long enough, you’ll realize it. How many times do I have to apologize?”

  “The best thing you can do for me is let it go.”

  “Cade, please.”

  He rose from his desk, his temper flaring. “No, Lily. Not this time. Have you seen the newspapers lately? My picture is splashed across the front page, with Chef Dale and Harper, or whatever her name is. I just love seeing my picture in the tabloids in a love-triangle-gone-bad headline. Geesh, Gage must be laughing
his head off. He’s usually the one on the front page.” He looked out his office window and sighed. “How do you suppose that affects my blood pressure?”

  “It’s only been a few weeks. It’ll die down soon.”

  He turned to face her. “A few weeks too many.”

  Every time he thought about Harper—he still thought of her as Dawn—his stomach knotted up. He didn’t want to remember the good times. He certainly tried not thinking about how pretty she was, how sweet her body felt crushed up against his, how she moaned his name when he made love to her. He fought those thoughts on a daily basis, having only the reminder of her grand deceit to sway him back to reality. To the truth of her betrayal.

  “Cade, Harper is terribly sorry. She’s living with her folks now, barely holding on. She’s not working. She’s trying to keep a low profile. These past few weeks haven’t been easy on her. The media won’t leave her alone. She doesn’t have security guards to keep them away, the way you do.”

  Cade hated hearing it. He hated that her folks were being hassled, too. It wasn’t fair. They were innocent in all this. “I’ll send some security to help out. For her parents’ sake.”

  “Just for her parents?”

  “Yeah, Lil. Don’t read anything else into it.”

  “I’ve already offered, but Harper won’t hear of it. She refused help.”

  “Then that’s that.” So why was his gut twisting? Why was he feeling like crap all of a sudden?

  “Is there anything else?” he asked Lily. He wanted her to leave so he could put these feelings aside and dive back into his work.

  “Yes, now that you asked.” Lily plopped down on the leather seat facing his desk. “Sit down. We need to talk about Mom’s seventieth birthday.”

  “What about it?”

  “It’s happening in less than a month. We have to make arrangements. I need your input.”

  He took a seat and shook his head. “You don’t need me. You can do this.”

  “You expect me to plan a party for 150 people on my own? No way, bro. That’s a big undertaking. Gage is flying in special the day before her birthday, so that leaves you and me.”

  “Hire a company or party planner or whatever to do it.”

  “Not gonna happen. Mom wouldn’t appreciate it as much, and you know it. We need to make this special for her.”

  “Okay, fine. I’ll help. But today’s a killer.”

  “How about on Saturday morning?”

  “Fine, we’ll talk on Saturday.”

  “Great.” Lily gave him a big smile. “I’ll see you Saturday. And Cade, just so you know, Harper is doing about as well as you are right now.”

  “Go,” he commanded, pointing to the door. Lily bounced out of the office with pep in her step. What on earth was she so happy about all the time?

  He went back to work, looking blankly at his computer screen, Lily’s last words echoing in his ears. Harper is doing about as well as you are right now.

  He’d fallen for her, and she’d made a fool out of him. He shouldn’t feel anything but contempt for her. Yet knowing that she was hurting, too, didn’t make him feel any better.

  It just made his day even more horrible.

  * * *

  “That’s a sweet girl,” Harper said as she stroked Queenie’s pure white fur. The cat sat on her lap purring, her little motor running full speed. “It’s been a long time since you’ve gotten this much love from me, hasn’t it?” she asked softly, running her hands over the cat’s back, sinking her fingers into her fur and then rubbing her behind the ears. Every so often she’d stop petting her and the cat would turn to look her in the eye, as if to say, do more.

  Why not? She didn’t have anything else to do. She hadn’t left her parents’ house since she’d gotten here two weeks ago, and now only an occasional news van would show up in front of the house. Lucky for her, her father was a survivalist. They had enough food and supplies for months, and her parents had hunkered down with her, lying low. They claimed they were glad to stay at home and not give the press what they wanted. She loved them for trying to protect her, but it was a great inconvenience to them.

  Her mom made sure to give her extra hugs every day, and her dad would give her a good-night kiss before turning in. Just like when she was a little girl. They were the best, and she hated putting them in this position. That’s why she’d gone up to the cabin—to avoid causing them this grief. Not to mention the embarrassment of the scandal she’d created. A love triangle, the tabloids had said, with her right smack in the middle of it.

  She didn’t know if she’d ever get back to doing what she loved, to being a chef. Right now, she was known as a heartbreaker. Period.

  “Honey, I brought you some hot tea.”

  Her mom’s cure for whatever ails you was always herbal tea. She didn’t have the heart to tell her mom she preferred coffee.

  “It’s raspberry hibiscus.”

  “Sounds yummy. Thanks, Mom.”

  Her mother set two teacups down on the cocktail table and took a seat on the sofa next to her. Queenie hadn’t moved a muscle, and her mother gave the cat a loving scratch under the chin. “She really is a queen,” Harper said.

  “We’ve spoiled her.”

  “The same way you’ve spoiled me.”

  “Oh, honey, we’re not spoiling you, we’re supporting you and letting you know we have your back. Dad and I hate to see you so sad.”

  “I’m not that sad, Mom. Just at loose ends.”

  Her mom reached for her hand. “I know it seems hopeless right now. But this will pass. You just have to be patient.”

  “I’ve worked so hard to make a name for myself. I have a publisher interested in my cookbook, but I haven’t had the heart to work on it for weeks now. I gave up my job to go on One Last Date and now, just because I couldn’t go through with a marriage proposal, no one will hire me because suddenly I’m this big villain.”

  “Not to everyone.”

  “I appreciate your support, Mom.”

  “That’s not what I mean. Have you looked on social media?”

  “Social media? Mom, what do you know about that?”

  “Hey, your mom wasn’t born in the stone ages. I know about those sites. I’ve been reading some of those posts, and there’s more than a few people who are on your side. They say you stuck up for your principles and decided to follow what your brain and your heart were telling you to do.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes, really. So not everyone’s against you. And for those trolls who are bashing you, I say, so what? They don’t define you. You define you.”

  Harper sipped her tea. Her mother was amazing, giving her this pep talk and making her see things from an entirely different perspective. It gave her a mental boost. “Thanks, Mom. That means a lot to me.”

  Her mother gave her hand a squeeze. “That’s my girl. You need to get back out there. You need to show them that you’re not going to let them hold you back.”

  Her cell phone rang, and she looked at the screen. “It’s Lily,” she told her mom.

  “I’ll let you girls talk,” her mom said, rising from the sofa.

  “Mom, I can call her back. We haven’t finished our tea.”

  “No, no. It’s fine, sweetheart. You can talk to me anytime. You talk to Lily and tell her I said hello.”

  “Okay, Mom. Thanks.” She sat up straighter and answered the phone. “Hi, Lily.”

  “Hi, you.”

  It was great to hear Lily’s voice. They spoke every other day, keeping in touch with each other without mentioning the sore subject of Cade. “How’s your day going?”

  “Okay, I guess. I’m knee-deep in preparations for my mother’s birthday. It’s a big challenge. I don’t know how party planners do it.”

  “Some might say the same about interior decor
ators. All those choices, but you manage to put together amazing looks. I guess it’s all about your passion.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Speaking of passion, any luck on getting a position?”

  “No one’s beating down my door for my culinary talents, I can tell you that. I miss working.”

  “Are the sleaze buckets still out there?”

  “Actually, it’s been much better. They’re not camped out in front of the house anymore. I’ve yet to go outside, though, afraid someone will be lurking around a corner.”

  “That’s no way to live.”

  “Tell me about it.”

  “Well, I have a solution to your problem, but I want you to hear me out before you say anything. Promise?”

  “The last time I promised you something, I wound up on a reality show.”

  “I know, but this is different. It’ll be good for your career.”

  Harper took a steadying breath. After her mother’s pep talk, she had a newfound desire to get back to her old life. Where she was respected as a chef, and as a person. Where she could walk down the street holding her head high.

  “I’m listening, Lil.”

  “Remember to let me speak. As you know, I’ve been working on my mother’s birthday bash and I’ve been going full steam ahead, but I ran into a roadblock, and it’s something you can possibly help me with.”

  “Me? What can I do to help?”

  “Well, you see, Mom’s very fussy about certain things, and dining is very important to her. Her favorite caterer needed emergency surgery yesterday and she had to cancel on us. It’s not her fault or anything, but now, with such short notice, we’re sort of stuck. I was thinking, hoping, that you could take her place as our chef. Of course, we’d pay you, and you’d have a team to help you. So, um, I know it’s a lot to ask, but you’ve been wanting to get back to work, and this is a really good gig. Would you consider doing it?”

  “I assume Cade will be there?”

  “Of course. It’s our mother’s seventieth birthday.”

  “Then no. I can’t help you. Sorry, Lil.”