“Woman, you wouldn’t know the truth if it hit you in the head. You’ve lied to me since the day I walked into the Farmhouse Grill.”
“It wasn’t like that.”
“I know exactly what it was like. Remember, I was there. I wasn’t some foolhardy man getting sucked into buying a lodge that was clearly falling apart. Yet, once I got hit on the head, you did your very best to seduce me into changing my mixed-up mind.”
“What! You can’t possibly believe that!”
“Oh, sweetheart, you don’t want to know what I really think about you.”
April’s blood raced through her veins. She counted to three to keep from spitting vile curses at him. What Risk was accusing her of was dead wrong. “Listen to me. I did what I had to do to keep you alive. I didn’t know the extent of your injury. I’m no nurse but—”
“But you sure as hell have a great bedside manner.”
“Shut up, Risk.”
He laughed right in her face. “Oh, that’s rich. You act like you’re the injured party when all I got from you was a pack of lies, tied in a neat little bow.”
“What you did when I first got here today was a lousy trick,” she said.
“And what you did to me wasn’t? How on earth do you justify that?” He came to within inches of her face, so close that she smelled his musky scent, saw the dark anguish in his eyes. “April, you led me to believe I loved you. That we had a future together, and your sorcery under the sheets convinced me. Actions speak louder than words, and woman, you have the best moves in town.”
Her cheeks blistered hot. “I don’t have to listen to this. I’m leaving.”
She brushed past him, but his hand came out instantly and he held her firmly on the upper arm. She looked over her shoulder at him.
“Not so fast.”
“Let go of me.”
He unclamped his hand. “Fine, but you’re not leaving until we get something straight.”
She sighed. She’d heard enough from him today. “What is it?”
“You made a fool out of me. And now the whole world believes we’re engaged. It’s all over the newspapers and internet. There’s no way to explain it away. With Founder’s Day coming up and all that goes into that, I can’t bring this farce out in the open now. It would completely overshadow an event that is important to my family. Shannon being here just complicates my life even more. It’s a reminder to all how she dumped me two years ago. So, sweetheart, you’re going to pretend to be my fiancée until after Founder’s Day. And there’s no way you’re going to refuse.”
She hoisted her chin. “I most certainly can refuse. I’m not doing that.”
“You owe me this.” He came nose to nose with her. “After all the lies you told. Which I still don’t exactly get. But now we’re in this together.”
“No.”
“Yes.”
“No.”
He sighed. “This can go badly for both of us. What do you think will happen to the Adams Agency when the truth comes out that you lied, pretended we were engaged and seduced me to get that lodge sold?”
“That’s not how it happened and you know it.”
“I’m not sure what I believe.”
“You wouldn’t do that,” she said, not entirely certain what a vengeful Risk would do.
“I wouldn’t have to. People would make their own assumptions. And honey, I’m not exactly thrilled about looking like a fool, first with Shannon and then you. The headlines would crush all the goodwill my family has worked so hard to achieve this year.”
April thought about it a long moment. “What are you proposing?” She frowned. It was a lousy pun.
“That we pretend to be engaged until the hoopla dies down after Founder’s Day. That’s ten days away. Then, later on, we’ll quietly break up. It’s the only solution.”
“And my agency?”
“No one will know the truth. You have my word.”
“I don’t like it.”
“I don’t like it, either, but we don’t have a choice.”
“What do I get out of it?”
“Your agency wouldn’t get dragged into all this. Isn’t that enough?”
“No, I want something else from you, and it’s a deal breaker.”
“Hell, I’m afraid to ask.”
“I want one more chance with the lodge. I want you to see it the way I envision it. I need your promise you’ll consider it objectively, without bad weather and other things getting in the way. And then we have a deal.”
Risk’s eyes sharpened on her as he thought about it. She held her breath, hoping he’d come around.
“Done,” he said finally. “I’ll take a look at it one more time.”
“Fine.” April let out the breath she’d been holding. She wasn’t thrilled with any of this, but she couldn’t chance bad publicity for her agency, and if she could get an objective and fair opinion about the lodge from Risk, that’s all she could ask. Then she thought about Mason, Luke and Lottie. “I’ve confessed to your aunt and brothers about the engagement, but what else should we say to them?”
“My family has to know the entire truth. I won’t lie to them. I regained my memory just a couple of hours ago, and they don’t know yet. We’re going to tell them...together.”
“Oh boy.”
“What about you? Who knows about your fake fiancée scheme?”
“My two best friends. They’ll keep the secret.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yep, they’re as loyal as they come. But how do we explain our quick engagement?” So far, she and Risk had been insulated from questions, but they were bound to come at a relentless pace once they made public appearances.
“We’ve been quietly dating for a few months and fell for each other quickly. That’s all anyone needs to know. That part won’t be hard. What will be hard is pretending to the outside world we actually like each other.”
“Yeah, maybe I should get some acting tips from Shannon Wilkes.”
When Risk frowned, April felt a momentary triumph. She’d cling to that, because she feared other victories would be hard coming.
Risk would see to that.
* * *
In the evening, Aunt Lottie poured Risk and herself steaming cups of coffee and offered up a batch of peanut butter cookies she’d baked just for him. He didn’t miss the irony that he’d lived on peanut butter and potato chips during his time at the lodge, and it almost put a smile on his face. Almost.
The house was quiet now. After sharing the good news with the family that his memory had returned, his brothers had hung around most of the day but had taken off right after dinner. It was relaxing sitting here with his aunt, digesting the events of the day without a commotion.
“Too bad April couldn’t stay for dinner.” Aunt Lottie brought her cup to the table and sat down facing him.
“I think she’s planning to avoid me as much as possible until this farce is over. She couldn’t wait to get out of here today.”
“Yet she agreed to your plan.” Lottie sipped her coffee.
Risk grabbed two big cookies from the platter and set them on his plate. “She had to.”
“Why? Did you pressure her?”
He chomped down on his cookie, chewing as he thought about the question. “A little. She got us into this mess. Now she’s gonna have to be by my side until after Founder’s Day. But only when absolutely necessary.”
“It is messy, isn’t it? Granted, I don’t agree with her tactics, but she did take good care of you when you were injured, and for that we’re all grateful.”
He took a sip of coffee—the brew went down nice and smooth, unlike his aunt’s comment. “You think I’m ungrateful?”
“You tell me. Are you?”
Risk was too steaming mad at April to admit she’d been
instrumental in helping him when he’d been hurt. “No, not about that. But I can’t get past why she found it necessary to lie to me, over and over, or why she concocted a story about her being engaged in the first place. I don’t get it.”
“Don’t you?” Aunt Lottie’s eyes twinkled a bit, and she smiled before taking another sip of coffee. “I think you can guess why she did it.”
Risk wasn’t going there. He couldn’t possibly discuss having sex with April with his aunt. He couldn’t tell her about their night in Houston and how he’d behaved afterward. Plus, that was then and this was now. And now he was pissed at April for making a fool out of him.
The sound of approaching footsteps and someone clearing his throat had them both turning toward the kitchen doorway. There stood Drew MacDonald, looking a bit sheepish, holding a bouquet of fresh yellow roses and a gold box of candy. “I hope I’m not interrupting. I wanted to pay you a visit, Risk. Heard about your accident.”
“Hey, Drew, nice to see you. Come in and have a seat. You’re not interrupting anything.”
“Thanks.” He walked over to Lottie first and handed her the flowers. “These are for you, Lottie. For baking me those delicious cranberry muffins the other day.”
“For me? Why, they’re beautiful.” There was surprise in Lottie’s eyes. “I, uh, assumed they were for Risk.”
“Nope, Risk gets these.” He handed over the gold box. “Mason told me they were your favorite.”
Risk took a second to open the box and gaze at the dozen dark chocolate truffles in gold wrappers. “Yep, these are my favorite. Thanks, Drew.”
“No thanks necessary. I’m glad you got your memory back. That must’ve been strange.”
“You have no idea. Aunt Lottie, does Drew know how your muffins saved the day for us when we were stranded at the lodge?”
“I’m not sure he does,” his aunt said, admiring the flowers, touching the petals. It was about time Drew made some headway with his aunt. They never seemed to be on the same page, but maybe now that Lottie was sticking around for more than a millisecond, the two would finally find common ground.
“She did. She packed a basket of muffins, protein bars and fruit for the trip to the lodge, and that food sustained us overnight. Aunt Lottie has good instincts.”
Drew smiled at her. “I suppose she does.”
Risk’s cell phone rang. He took one look at the screen and then rose from his seat. “Drew, excuse me. I’ve got to get this.”
“Sure, no problem. Go right ahead.”
* * *
Drew watched Risk walk out of the kitchen, leaving him alone with Lottie. She immediately rose and walked over to a kitchen cabinet. “I’ll just put these in water.”
She opened the cabinet door and, standing on tiptoes, reached for a frosted glass vase.
“Here, let me help you get that.” He came close to Lottie, his hip brushing her side as he retrieved the vase and set it down on the counter. He was as close as he’d ever been to her, and his heart began to race.
“Thank you,” she said, gazing up at him. “These are very pretty, but they weren’t necessary.”
“You deserve them,” he said, lifting a hand to her face. His fingers brushed her soft cheek. “I think I overreacted before and, well, I don’t want a misunderstanding coming between us. We’ve been friends too long.”
“I, uh, agree. But it was my fault for doubting you. When you lifted that bottle, I shouldn’t have assumed you were drinking again. I jumped to the wrong conclusion, and I’m so sorry about that.”
Ever since his wife, Maria, had died, he’d been battling alcoholism, nearly ruining every relationship he’d had. But he was clean and sober three years now, vowing to never go back and trying to make amends. Lottie’s lack of faith in him had hurt his pride and blistered his heart.
“I’ve already accepted your apology. That happened a few months back and, well, I’m over it. Fact is, I miss seeing you.”
“I’ve missed you, too, Drew.”
“You have?”
She nodded, her eyes gleaming bright in invitation.
Drew bundled up his courage. “I’ve wanted to do this for a long time.” He touched her cheek once again, bent his head and brushed his lips over hers. Lottie’s mouth was soft and delicate. It’d been years since he’d kissed a woman. He was grateful she didn’t pull away and call him a bumbling fool. When he finally did end the kiss, her eyes were still closed, and a sweet smile surfaced on her face, giving his heart a lift.
“Lottie?”
“Hmm, yes?”
“It’s okay that I kissed you?”
She searched his eyes now and spoke ever so softly. “Oh, I think so, yes.”
Something amazing filled him up now, and he wished he’d had the courage to pursue Lottie years ago. “Then I have a question for you.”
“What is it?” she asked, her pretty eyes curious.
“Would you allow me to escort you to the Founder’s Day party?”
“Oh yes. I’d like that.”
Risk entered the room again, and they pulled apart immediately. Lottie grabbed the vase and filled it with water at the sink. Drew ran a hand through his hair. He was keyed into a dozen different emotions at the moment.
Risk didn’t acknowledge he’d seen or heard anything, yet Drew still had a tough time looking Lottie’s nephew in the eyes. And he supposed Lottie felt the same way.
But damn, the kiss had been good, so well worth the wait.
* * *
On Friday afternoon, April sat at her office desk making headway with her plans to stage the lodge for Risk’s viewing next week. She’d contacted Mr. Hall and explained to him that the lodge needed a quick face-lift to spark interest. April planned on using many of her own home accessories to liven up the place. Since her return to town, her engagement to Risk Boone had stirred up revitalized interest in Canyon Lake Lodge. She’d gotten calls and answered questions about the lodge from a few potential buyers, and she’d made the owner aware of that. Luckily, Mr. Hall was a reasonable man, and he’d agreed to making some minor renovations.
She happened to glance up at the front door at the exact moment Shannon Wilkes walked into her office. April dropped her pen and gave Clovie a quick glance. Her assistant’s eyes widened, and she rose from her desk. Shannon was the last person April had expected to see walking through the office door. Then three news vans pulled up on the street, and April quickly rose from her seat, brushing past Shannon to walk over to the door and lock it.
“I’m sorry about that,” Shannon said, smiling. Her auburn hair was tied up in a tight ponytail that highlighted her perfect bone structure and pretty face. “I can’t go anywhere lately.” She put out her hand. “Hello, April.”
April forced a smile and took her hand. “Hello.”
Shannon glanced over at starstruck Clovie.
“Shannon, I’d like you to meet Clovie. She’s my right-hand woman here at the agency.”
“Nice to meet you,” her assistant said.
“Same here,” Shannon said graciously, and then turned to speak to April. “Do you have a few minutes? I promise it won’t take long.”
“Well, I am sort of busy.”
“Please.” Shannon kept smiling at her, not flinching, not backing down. April had to admit she was curious about what Shannon would want with her.
She glanced at her watch. “Okay, sure. I have a few minutes until my appointment.” An appointment that consisted of going to the hardware store to pick out paint colors for the lodge’s mini renovation. But Shannon didn’t need to know that. “Why don’t you have a seat at my desk over there?”
She pointed to the chair, and Shannon eagerly sat. “Thanks.”
April took her seat behind her desk, stacking up her notes and putting them out of view. “What can I do for you?”
�
�Well, first, how are you feeling after your ordeal?”
“I’m...great. No complaints. Thanks for asking.”
“Aren’t you thrilled Risk got his memory back?”
“Yes, thrilled.” April gave a mental eye roll.
“I stopped by the ranch to see him yesterday, and he was back to his old self. I couldn’t believe he didn’t remember me at the hospital.”
“No, well, that’s what happens with temporary amnesia.”
“So, we got to talking about this adorable little farmhouse I was on the verge of buying when Risk and I were together. We wanted a place to have some privacy, you know, when I’d come visit him here in Boone Springs. He did tell you about this, didn’t he?”
All this was news to April. Of course, she wasn’t the resident Realtor back then, but Shannon was leading up to something, and April wasn’t getting a good feeling about this.
“Well, I, uh, we haven’t spoken about this, no.” She hadn’t spoken to Risk since he broke the news to his family about their pretend engagement. She’d felt so awful that day that she’d gone home and binged on an entire bag of chocolate chip cookies. Which had only made her stomach ache even more.
“I drove past the place yesterday, and it’s still so quaint and charming. I was hoping to find out if the home owner is interested in selling?”
“Do you have the address? I have potential listings for several charming little farmhouses on the outskirts of town.”
Shannon dug into her cherry-red Ferragamo handbag and came up with the address. “Here you go.”
April took a look at the address and checked her register. “No, that house isn’t listed, so I’m assuming it’s not for sale. That sale did take place some time ago. Sorry I can’t help you.”
“Oh, that’s a shame. I was really in love with that place, you know, as a getaway. It’s peaceful there.”
“But is it for you?” April blurted. After Founder’s Day she wouldn’t care where Shannon took up residence, but she didn’t want to have to deal with her now. And of all places a starlet might want to live, she couldn’t believe Boone Springs would be high on the list.
Stranded and Seduced Page 9
