Mira frowned. “AJ didn’t forget to open his parachute. It was faulty.” But even as she said it, she remembered all too clearly the Christmas Eve she’d found him on the South Bridge, ready to jump into the freezing water when he was thirteen. If she’d been five minutes later, she would have lost him that night, instead of a few days ago. Deflated, she sank down. “You think AJ killed himself?” She hadn’t thought of that, but it was possible.
Taylor shrugged. “I don’t know, Mira, but it wouldn’t surprise me. You know perfectly well that Alan was trying to buy AJ’s company so he could steal it from him and force AJ home. He almost did it too. His reach is incredible. AJ believed in life after death, so, yeah, I think it’s very possible he figured the next life was better than this one.” She cocked her head. “And now you have to take on Alan yourself. You’ll lose, you know. You’ll lose the battle, and you’ll lose the kid.”
Well, there was nothing like stark honesty from a best friend to make a girl more convinced that marrying a total stranger might actually be the least insane choice at the moment. “That’s why Chase and I set it up to make it look like I slept with him. He’s claiming to be the dad.”
“Seriously? You didn’t sleep with Chase?” Taylor looked at her thoughtfully. “That’s sort of heroic of him.”
“Isn’t it? After I stopped freaking out at the sound of the words, ‘marry me,’ I came to the same conclusion.”
“It may be control-freak, hero-complex, overcompensating-male ‘heroic,’ but it also could be simple super-nice-guy ‘heroic.’” Taylor settled more deeply into the couch. “Girl, I think you need to tell me everything.”
Mira did. Forty minutes and a pint of ice cream later, the entire sordid story had been replayed. Just retelling the facts had reinforced the enormity of the situation she was facing, and the magnitude of the decision she’d made with Chase. “So, I’m heading off to Wyoming to enter into a one-year business contract involving illusionary sex and marriage vows that are total lies. I think it’s the perfect foundation for a relationship, don’t you?”
“Absolutely. We need more marriages based on lies, abstinence, and the exchange of money.” Taylor folded her arms across her chest. “But I have to admit, I’m going to have to veto it. You can’t marry him.”
Mira’s heart fell. “What are you saying? I needed your support. I thought you were on board with it. I’m a little freaked out about moving to Wyoming to marry a guy I barely know. I need a kick in the pants, not someone telling me I can’t do it. AJ trusted him, so—”
“I know, I know.” Taylor waved her hand dismissively. “I’m sure Chase is a great guy, and he’ll fulfill his part of the bargain. I trust AJ’s judgment. And you do need help dealing with Alan, or you’re never going to see your child again. I’m on board with all that.”
Mira frowned. “Then why did you say I can’t go?”
“Because, my dear friend, of how you look when you talk about him.”
Something clenched in Mira’s belly, and heat suffused her cheeks. “How I look?”
“Yes. You got a little starry-eyed, girl.”
“What? I so did not. I don’t even have that gene anymore when it comes to guys.”
“You do, and you did.” Taylor pried herself off the couch and knelt in front of Mira, putting her hands on Mira’s knees, searching Mira’s face with the earnestness of a best friend. “You believe in him, Mira. You don’t know him, but a little part of you is a little bit in love with him.”
“What?” She gaped at her friend. “You’re insane—”
Taylor rolled her eyes. “Yes, we already covered that, and I concur. However, I’m also right. Insane people can be correct a large percentage of the time. And you, my dear friend, are looking at Chase like he’s going to swoop in and whisk you off to the land of magic and fairy tales, just like you did with Brian.”
Mira snorted, laughing at her friend’s description, refusing to give credence to it. “Seriously with that, Taylor? I’m not like that anymore. I don’t get dreamy about guys, and I am very clear on the fact that I do not want to be rescued by any man, ever again. I’m using Chase to rescue myself. There’s a difference. He’s like a hammer. Or a roll of duct tape. Things you can use in an emergency to save your life.”
Taylor’s eyebrows shot up. “Chase is duct tape? Really?”
“Yeah. Not the boring gray kind. He’s like that crazy kind with the cool colors. He’s pretty duct tape that smells good.” She shrugged, recalling his scent when he’d climbed into the tree with her. “Duct tape with a nice voice, too. And shoulders. Great shoulders. He’s like designer duct tape—you appreciate how fantastic it looks, but in the end, you use it to tape the fender on your car just the way you’d use any other duct tape. I’m marrying duct tape for the sake of my unborn child. It’s pretty basic. No love involved.”
Taylor snorted. “You’re pregnant, broke, and alone. Your mom just died. Your best friend and the father of your baby just died. You’ve spent all your money taking care of your mom, and selling the house will barely even cover medical expenses. You are incredibly resourceful and practical, and yes, Chase is definitely duct tape of the highest quality, but you’re seeing him with your hopeful little heart instead of your practical Girl Scout hands.” She sighed. “Besides, what woman wouldn’t want to be rescued by a handsome cowboy? Because I heard he was devastatingly handsome, and his rental car wasn’t exactly cheap.”
Mira bit her lower lip. “I did notice that he’s handsome,” she admitted. “And nice. I definitely noticed both of those things.” Crud. Was Taylor right? Was she really being stupid again, like she’d been with Brian? She was too smart to get emotionally invested in another man, especially when something this important was at stake.
Taylor tucked Mira’s hair behind her ear. “You don’t need to tie yourself down forever to a man just to get out of this current situation. Marriage is forever, babe. Even if you get divorced, he’ll be on record as that baby’s father, which gives him rights. Trust me, you don’t want that with the wrong guy.”
“Parental rights?” Wow. She’d forgotten about that. Weight settled on Mira’s shoulders, dragging her down. “I can’t fight Alan on my own. You know that.” Her hand settled protectively over her belly.
“We’ll think of something.” Taylor squeezed her hand. “You have several months before you’ll start to show. Rushing off to marry Chase is the wrong choice. You’re panicking, and you’re seeing him through rose-colored glasses because you’re desperate.”
Mira closed her eyes, trying to quell the rising sense of panic. “I’m not wrong about him. I can trust him.”
“Just like you could trust Brian?”
“Dammit, Taylor!” Mira pulled away and stood up. She walked across the room and braced her hands on the window frame, staring out at the tiny, weed-filled yard that her parents had once tended so lovingly. Was Taylor right? Was she being stupid again? Was she overreacting to her situation? She’d always managed to pull herself through every situation. Why would this one be different?
But it was different, because it wasn’t only her own life that she had in her hands. It was her baby’s. AJ’s baby. A child with a horrible, horrible enemy who was stronger than she was.
“I’ll help,” Taylor said. “You’re not alone.”
Mira laughed softly, and turned to face her. “Taylor, you travel almost all the time for your job. I love you, but your life is on the road, in every country but this one. You couldn’t even get your boss to let you off to come home for the funeral. I’m the one living here, who has to face my life.”
Taylor didn’t give up. “I have money. I’ll give you some.”
“Even if you gave me every last cent you had, it wouldn’t be enough to fight Alan, and we both know it.”
Taylor bit her lip, and gave a slight nod. “He is a pretty rich bastard,” she acknowledged with a grimace.
Mira looked around the room. This time, instead of lost memories,
she saw only the faded paint on the walls and the tattered carpet. The air was tinged with the scent of hospitals and sick people, and the odor of mold that could never quite be cleansed. “I don’t want to be here anymore, Taylor. I almost got out and started a life when my parents got in the accident, and now I am not only free to go, but I have motivation to leave.” She met her friend’s gaze. “I want to get out. I want to do this. Chase is giving me the chance to start a new life, and I want to do it.”
Taylor studied her, then sighed. “Okay, then. Go to Wyoming, but put off the wedding. Get your freedom, get your feet under you again, but don’t trap yourself or that baby. Escaping Alan is worth nothing if you get yourself in a trap that will haunt you forever.” Involuntarily, Taylor rubbed her ring finger on her left hand. It was empty now, but it hadn’t always been.
A chill crept over Mira, remembering what Taylor had endured at the hands of a man that the entire town had loved. “You have a point,” she conceded.
“Of course I do. We’ve both made terrible, terrible mistakes when it comes to men. They were both men we had every reason to believe in, and we were wrong. You don’t even know Chase, other than what AJ has said about him.” She gave Mira a steely look. “Protect yourself, Mira. Don’t fantasize that he’s some fairy tale hero. Chase is a man, and by definition, that means he’s flawed. Never forget that.” She sighed wistfully. “Your dad’s not around with his gun anymore to rescue us.”
She laughed softly. “I know. He was handy for that, wasn’t he?”
Taylor smiled. “He was. Your dad was awesome. That’s what your baby deserves, a man with a gun who isn’t afraid to use it. Hang on until you find that guy, okay? Don’t marry Chase tomorrow.”
“Chase is a cowboy,” Mira felt compelled to point out. “I’m sure he has guns. He didn’t seem the type to resist using them.”
Taylor raised her brows. “Fine, he has guns. Will you at least do me the favor of stalling the wedding until you make sure you like what he aims them at? Two months.”
Two months felt like an interminable time to acquire the protective shield of marriage to Chase. “Two weeks.”
“One month. You won’t even be showing by then. It will be more believable if you wait long enough to find out that you got pregnant from your night with him. If you get married after you ‘find out’ you’re pregnant with his child, then it makes sense you guys would get married in a hurry. Otherwise, it doesn’t ring true.”
Mira considered this. “That idea has some validity, from a strategic perspective.”
“At last!” Taylor clapped her hands in mock celebration. “The girl finally sees the light!”
“I can’t lie to Chase, though. I’m not going to go out there under false pretenses.” She walked over to the table and pulled out her phone. “I’m going to tell him that I’m not going to marry him right away.”
Taylor stayed her hand. “Maybe you should wait until you’re out there. You don’t want him to change his mind—”
“I’m not going to lie to him,” Mira insisted. “If he decides not to help, then I’ll think of something else.” She started to dial his number, when a movement outside caught her eye. She glanced up in time to see a long, black limousine pause in front of the house. Her heart started to pound as she watched Alan roll down the back window and peer at the house.
She caught her breath, her heart pounding as his gaze met hers. He gave her a small salute, and then rolled up the window and the car drove off.
Sweat broke out down her back and slithered down her spine. “He’s not going to give up,” she said, softly. “He hates me for taking AJ away from him, and now it’s his chance for payback. He wants to invalidate AJ’s will and get his money, and he’s going to use me to do it.” She looked back at Taylor, who was standing up now, concern etched on her face. “He’ll dig deep enough that he’ll find out I bought the pregnancy test in town, won’t he? He’ll know I bought it before Chase ever came to town.” Suddenly, she felt sick, sick all the way to the depth of her soul.
“Dammit, girl.” Taylor walked over to the window and put her arm around Mira’s shoulder. “You better get on that plane to Wyoming, and because I love you dearly, I’m going to hope like hell that Chase is the man you think he is, because if he’s not, you might be out of your league.”
Mira looked at Taylor. “You think I should marry him? Right away?”
“Right away sounds like an awfully risky step, but so is leaving yourself exposed to Alan.” Taylor bit her lip. “I don’t know, Mira. I just don’t know.”
“Yeah, me either.” She put her arm around Taylor’s waist and leaned her head on her shoulder, watching Alan’s car disappear down the decrepit road.
“He’s hot, right? Chase?”
Mira smiled. “Very.”
“Good kisser?”
“Apparently. He managed to seduce me the night I met him, right?”
“Powerful?”
“He exudes power. He stood up to Alan at the reception, and Alan backed down.”
“Really?” Taylor grinned. “I’d have loved to see that.”
Mira smiled. “It was a good moment.” She had been so shocked when Alan had grabbed her that she hadn’t had time to prepare herself. When Chase had stepped in, it had been an amazing respite from the crush of emotions flooding her.
“Well, then, maybe this time, you’re supposed to leap without a net.” Taylor glanced at her. “You’ve been to hell and back, and you’re going to be a mom. At some point you need to trust your gut.”
“My gut says he’s a good man.” She didn’t even hesitate.
“Then, my friend, just maybe it’s time for you to get married.” Taylor grimaced. “Or just buy a big gun. One or the other. I’m not sure which is the best choice.”
Mira sighed. “Me either.”
Taylor raised her brows. “So what are you going to do?”
Mira looked down at the phone still clutched in her hands, the one that AJ had programmed Chase’s phone number into. “I’m going to call him,” she said.
“And say what?”
She started to dial. “I don’t know.” But she did. She knew in her gut exactly what she needed to say to him. The shadow from Alan’s drive-by still lurked, reminding her exactly how bad a wrong choice could be. Could she really bind herself to a stranger just to hide from Alan?
She couldn’t. It wasn’t worth the risk.
She knew what she had to do…but as she dialed the phone, she felt her stomach sinking, telling her that the choice she was about to make was wrong. Dead wrong. But she knew she had to do it anyway.
Chapter 5
What the hell had he done?
Wearily, Chase drove up the long driveway to his ranch, his mind still spinning. When he’d left Mira’s house that morning, he’d been feeling like a gallant hero doing the right thing. But the further he’d gotten from that small southern town, the more the doubt had set in.
What the hell was he doing? Marrying a woman and offering himself up as a father? He had no business doing either one. He didn’t want to get tangled up with a woman, and he had no damned idea how to be a dad.
Swearing, he slammed his truck door shut and strode across the dirt toward his front door, his boots crunching into the rock. He vaulted up the front steps, then paused when he saw a familiar motorcycle parked in the shadows by the door.
Irritation flooded him at the sight of the motorcycle that belonged to one of his brothers.
He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to deal with Zane tonight…shit. Had he really just thought that? He’d been working on his brothers since he’d bought the place, trying to get them to move to the ranch. Zane’s appearance was a rarity, something Chase had been trying to cultivate for years. He should be fired up that Zane was at his place waiting for him, but he just felt annoyed? It was because of his preoccupation with Mira. Was he really going to let the distraction of a woman interfere with his relationship with his brothers? His reac
tion to Zane’s motorcycle made it obvious that he couldn’t go through with the deal with Mira.
He couldn’t marry her or claim fatherhood of the kid. He’d give her money, set her up in a different town, but he was not going to bring her into his life. He couldn’t afford it.
In an even worse mood now, he flung open the front door and strode into the foyer. He didn’t bother to call out. He just walked straight into the family room. Sure enough, Zane was stretched out on the couch like he owned it, except for the fact that his boots were still on, as was his thick leather jacket, always ready to leave on a moment’s notice. His jeans and his plaid shirt were the only cowboy left in him, but he’d been one of the best bull riders in the region at one time. He’d traded the bulls for a bike, and claimed to never think about his old life at all.
Chase didn’t believe him. He’d seen Zane watching the horses in the corral when he’d thought Chase wasn’t around. What he didn’t know was why Zane had walked away from that life, and refused to ever look back.
“I poured you a drink.” Zane nodded toward the tonic water sitting on the coffee table. “I brought you the hard stuff. Raspberry flavored, I think.”
Chase sat down on the black leather couch and studied his brother, ignoring the water. He didn’t drink alcohol, thanks to the lessons he’d learned from his father. “Where have you been? It’s been six months. I thought you’d cracked up your bike for the last time. You good?”
“Always.” Zane swung his feet to the floor, his motorcycle boots thudding on the polished wood. His dark brown hair was cut short for once, but the diamond earring glittered in his left ear. Where the hell was the guy who used to wear a cowboy hat and well-worn boots? “You look like shit,” Zane commented. “What happened?”
Chase sighed, the weight of his recent decision returning with no mercy at the question. “A good friend died. He knocked up his best friend before he bit it. She’s got no money, and his dad is like ours, only with serious leverage and power.”
Zane whistled softly as he took a swig of the cold beer he’d helped himself to. Chase always kept his favorite brand in the fridge, for the occasions when he stopped by. “Brings back memories, doesn’t it?”
A Real Cowboy Never Says No Page 5
