by Leah Vale
“It’s just sour grapes,” Gwen proclaimed, handing him another powdered sugar-coated pastry.
Amanda came toward him with the books. “You and Melinda have done an amazing job of keeping your relationship under wraps, though.”
Gwen concurred thoughtfully, “An amazing job. I certainly haven’t noticed her wearing an engagement ring.”
“Well,” Jack dragged the word out, his mind racing. He decided the closer he stuck to the truth, the better. “Mel—er, Melinda really wanted to be more established around here as a veterinarian before we made our personal relationship known. You know, so it wouldn’t affect the way she was perceived as a professional.” He ate the pastry to buy time as he thought some more. “And as far as the ring goes, generally, large animal vets don’t wear rings. The patients wouldn’t appreciate it, and talk about a pain if the ring were to come off while—”
“We get the picture.” Amanda handed him the books, presumably the ones he’d ordered. “But you have bought her one? For when she’s not working?”
He stalled for more time by looking at the covers of the books, the last one featuring a picture of a particularly vicious-looking dog standing over a garbage pile. “Ah, of course. We picked one out at a jeweler in Pine Run. But they didn’t have the stone we wanted, so we had to order it.”
Gwen shoved a napkin that matched the lilac floral stripe on the wallpaper into his hand and motioned for him to wipe his chin. He balanced the stack of books in one hand and complied. Powdered sugar sprinkled onto the snarling dog book cover.
She let him know he’d cleaned himself up with an approving nod. “I can pick it up for you when I’m in Pine Run next week.”
Jack quickly said, “Thanks, but that’s okay. We’ll take care of it. When it’s ready. Which won’t be for a while. Probably a long while. Since they had to order it—from a long way away.” Man, he sounded like an idiot.
Amanda cocked her head at her friend. “What are you going to be doing clear over in Pine Run?”
Gwen returned her attention to arranging her pastries. “Oh, just some…stuff I have to do.”
Needing to change the subject, and fast, Jack asked, “How much do I owe you for these, Amanda?” He nodded at the books.
Amanda headed for her cash register. “I’ve got the order slip right here. Let me add ’em up.”
To Gwen, he said, “What do I owe you for that delicious puffed thing?”
Gwen smiled broadly at him. “The pastry is on the house.” She picked up a couple more and wrapped them in a napkin. “And here, take these, too. Consider them a very lame engagement present. But you have to share those with Melinda.”
Amanda giggled. “Ooh, powdered sugar to lick off each other. Yum.”
Jack felt heat rising up his neck. What had he gotten himself into? He shifted the books to one arm and pulled out his wallet as he moved toward the register.
Both women were laughing now at his apparently obvious discomfort.
Amanda recovered first. “Everyone is so happy for you, Jack. This is just the best thing. Melinda is a very lucky woman.”
The flush of embarrassment turned to the burn of guilt. He hadn’t considered what the price of lying to the people he saw daily would be. He and Mel—Melinda, he mentally corrected himself—would have to do their damnedest to pull their little charade off so no feelings were hurt or friendships damaged. Thank goodness it wouldn’t have to go on for long. If he hauled Melinda out on calls with him, they should be able to get her accepted by the old guard in no time at all.
Mumbling a thank-you of some sort, he paid for the books, then wished them a good day as he started out the door. Then something very important occurred to him and he stopped. “Hey, Gwen?”
She straightened away from the little table and her pastries. “Yeah, Jack?”
“Do me a favor?”
“Sure. What do you need?”
“Could you make sure that Stella and Irene don’t plan any sort of engagement party, or anything of that…sort?”
Amanda and Gwen both started to protest at the same time, but Jack stopped them. “Now, hang on. You guys know how shy Melinda is. She would really rather not have a party in our honor. Okay?” He felt even more guilty about using Melinda’s shyness as his excuse, but it was one he was sure would work. None of these women would dream of making someone feel uncomfortable.
Gwen heaved a sigh, and he received a corroborating nod from Amanda.
Gwen said, “All right, Jack. I’ll talk to Irene and Stella. But I can guarantee, whether they have something planned already or not, they’ll be disappointed.”
Relieved, Jack said, “I know, but it’s important. Thank you.” He continued outside.
The bookstore was directly across Main Street from the Jester Veterinary Clinic, but he still risked slipping on the ice and snow and landing on his can by breaking into a jog to get him there that much faster. He needed to talk to Melinda ASAP. Hopefully she hadn’t left yet on a call.
They needed to make sure their stories jibed regarding their reasons for the secrecy and her imaginary ring. A game plan was also needed for how they were going to proceed. Certainly there would be other skeptics, and he and Melinda needed to start offering some proof of their relationship. Plus, the more they were seen together, doing couple-type things, the less likely it would be for Mary Kay and her type to think they could come between him and Melinda.
The idea of them being too close for anyone to squeeze in brought an image of Melinda in his kitchen to his mind and his body sparked annoyingly to life. He’d just have to make sure Melinda never wore her silky pajamas while they were doing things.
If all went well, the end result would be that he’d be left alone to do his job and live his life. For as long as he stayed in Jester.
Chapter Five
Melinda looked up from the vaccination reorder forms she was filling out when Jack came blasting through the clinic door. He had a stack of books tucked under one arm and a purple flowered napkin wrapped around something in his hand. His gaze connected with hers, and his relief at finding her there was obvious in the devastating smile he flashed her.
“Thank goodness, you’re here.” He shut the door behind him and came into the office.
Melinda’s heart sped up at the idea of Jack being so glad to see her. What other mind-blowing proposition could he have for her?
She cleared her throat. “I didn’t have anything scheduled this morning, so I thought I’d help you out with this paperwork.” And she’d been so nervous about seeing him on the first day of their engagement that she’d awakened well before her usual 6:00 a.m. only to torture herself with what to wear, for heaven’s sake. To keep herself from putting on yet a different turtleneck, which was about all she owned that wasn’t flannel, she’d come in to the clinic. “What’s up now?”
“We need to get our story straight.” He set the books down on his desk and shook his head. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this last night. But with everything…” His gaze flicked over her, then away.
Melinda clenched her teeth. He’d probably been distracted by what a frump she was in her men’s style pajamas and fuzzy socks.
As if remembering he held the napkin wrapped around whatever in his hand, he said, “Oh, and this is for you. From Gwen.”
Melinda set the paperwork aside and reached for the napkin, her trepidation over what he might be talking about slowing her heart rate considerably. “Our story?”
“Yeah. You know, when I supposedly asked you to marry me, how, where, what the ring in Pine Run looks like….”
She paused unwrapping what she’d already guessed to be a pastry of some sort from the powdered sugar flicking onto the dark surface of her desk. “Ring?” There was going to be a ring? Her heart stopped completely. How was she supposed to remember that this was all pretend if he went and got her a ring?
He folded his large frame into his seat and pointed at the puffed pastries she’d uncovere
d. “I stopped in across the street. Gwen and Wyla were there, and Amanda, of course. Thanks to Wyla, they started asking questions.” He sat back, blowing out a breath and ran both hands through his hair, carving paths through the thick, slightly waved locks as he massaged his head.
Melinda was momentarily distracted by the notion of what those hands would feel like in her hair. They were big enough that he could massage her whole scalp without much effort at all. It would be heaven on earth.
“They wanted details. Like had I bought you a ring.” He grimaced. “I didn’t realize how hard it would be to lie to them.”
She blinked to focus and sat back in her chair also. “It’s hard because you’re not a liar.” She had discovered right off when she started working with Jack and learned how he kept his books that he was as honorable as he was handsome. The fact that he was willing to deceive so many people with this false engagement drove home how important being left alone was to him.
And how unattainable he was.
He linked his hands behind his head and spread his elbows wide, pulling his shirt tight across his broad chest.
Melinda shifted in her seat. Dang her stupid body for being so responsive to every little thing about him.
Jack blew out a heavy breath. “Yeah, well, I’m going to have to be a damn good liar for a little while. It beats the hell out of taking a cattle prod to the gals like Mary Kay.”
Despite the fact that she’d actually enjoy seeing him do that, Melinda clucked her tongue. “Noble intentions, wrongheaded execution. But I suppose it’s too late to go back.” She took a bite of one of the pastries, which turned out to be delicious. “Mmm.” Then she muffled around it, “What’d you tell them?”
He recounted his conversation with the three ladies, getting her dander up when he told her how Wyla had started the whole thing by accusing him of stealing her money.
While she swallowed, Melinda thought of all the griping she’d had to listen to from Wyla. “She’s a real piece of work.”
He shrugged. “She sure had my blood pumping when she said she didn’t think our engagement was real.”
“You have to see her point. We haven’t exactly, um, hung out together.” It had always been just business with Jack. While she respected him for that, she couldn’t deny the disappointment that went hand in hand with his see ya tomorrows. She went home to her animals, he went home to his memories. It was a sad thing.
“I know. We need to change that. Big time.” He took his hands from behind his head and leaned forward, a spark lighting his eyes as he clearly warmed to the challenge. “We should eat out together, maybe even go to the movies. We should also probably hang out at the Heartbreaker every once in a while. Do a little slow dancing.”
Melinda’s heart lodged in her throat at the prospect of being in Jack’s arms, swaying to music, pretending to be pretending to care about him. She wasn’t sure she could do it. “Don’t you think that’s overkill?”
He leaned back in his chair again, his expression serious. “Like you said, I’m generally not a liar, so I’d prefer not to get busted on this one. There’d be too many hurt feelings. The more convincing we are as an engaged couple, the better.”
Unfortunately for Melinda, the more convincing they were, the more likely her hurt would be something she’d have a tough time bearing when he left. She dropped her gaze to the partially eaten pastry puff. While she had experience in loving but not being loved in return, she’d always had a certain amount of indignation to get her through the aftermath. But Jack had done nothing other than show her respect. If he hurt her, it was because she allowed it.
“So,” he regained her attention. “What sort of ring would you pick out?”
She pulled her chin back, surprised that he’d asked, let alone care. She looked down at her bare fingers. They were rough from being washed so often with strong, disinfecting soap and chapped from the cold. She’d have to add some lotion to her bag if people were going to start looking at her hands. “Something small and simple, I guess, like a narrow gold band. My hands aren’t very big.”
“I’d want to buy you a diamond.”
The gravity of his tone made her jerk her gaze up to meet his and she was caught in the emotion-darkened intensity of his eyes. Before she could decipher if she saw longing or regret in his gaze, he shifted his attention to the photo of his late wife.
Melinda’s heart curled in on itself as if it were a sow bug. If only she had the same sort of hard, protective shell. But she’d known what the going would be like when she agreed to the ride. The sooner she toughened up, the better.
Jack waved off whatever he’d been thinking and looked back at her. “But it’s your call. We need to settle on something, though, so we can give the same answer when we’re asked.”
She pulled in a deep breath and focused on the fine dusting of powdered sugar on her desk. “Okay. Well, let’s see. People have certain expectations of you now that they might not have had before.”
“What do you mean?”
She met his gaze, surprised that he could be so clueless. “They think of you as a millionaire, Jack.”
He rolled his eyes.
His lack of pretensions made her smile. “So we probably should tell them that you bought me a diamond, but since we’re…well, us—a couple of vets who are happiest out in the muck with the animals—”
He grinned his gorgeous grin and inclined his head in agreement.
“—we can still keep it simple. Like a solitaire with a wedding band.”
He grimaced slightly. “I kind of made it sound like we picked out something unusual, something that had to be ordered from somewhere else. To buy time.”
She refused to consider exactly how much time she’d have to live this fantasy come true of hers. “All right. Something unusual.” She traced a finger through the sugar, allowing her mind to think the way it would if what they were discussing were real, the way she’d think if Jack returned her feelings.
An image of a beautiful ring formed in her mind. “A one carat marquise cut diamond with half carat emeralds on either side of it.” Emeralds that would match Jack’s eyes when the shadow of his wounded heart darkened them. She gave a start when she realized she’d drawn a heart in the powdered sugar, and hurried to swipe it off as she met his gaze to make sure he hadn’t noticed what she’d done.
His gaze was focused on her face, a bemused look in his very green eyes. He cocked a brow at her, then kicked up a corner of his mouth. “So much for small, but that’ll certainly work. Diamond and emeralds it is.” He pushed to his feet and paced to the office door. “Now for the other particulars. I’m thinking I asked you to marry me in January, after I picked up my lottery money. That would make sense.”
It did make sense, and was about as romantic as reordering vaccines. She needed to keep things as unromantic as possible, though, to get through this. She pursed her lips and nodded as if she were giving it some thought. “Okay. Where?”
“Right here, I guess. You and I haven’t exactly been seen together anywhere else.” He stopped and tilted his head at her. “Why is that, do you suppose?”
She resisted the urge to squirm in her seat, then ventured tentatively, “Because you never ask me to do anything with you?”
He grunted as a sort of acknowledgment. “You’re always so focused on the work, I guess it never occurred to me.”
She waved a hand and tried to look unconcerned, the whole while wondering how he could be so blind, but at the same time grateful he was. “That’s okay, Jack. The work is what’s important to me.” She’d have that statement tattooed on her forearm if she needed to.
“Which is why I like you so much.”
Heat roared up Melinda’s neck to her cheeks. Jack had never stated so concretely that he liked her before. Goodness, it was like Christmas in February.
Looking very satisfied, he said, “Okay. I think we’re set.”
In an effort to cool her cheeks, not to mention her jet
s, she reminded herself that it was her work ethic he liked, nothing more. Trying to keep it all business, she asked, “What about a wedding date?”
He rubbed his chin as he thought for a moment. “I’d rather not get specific. No matter how far out we make it, someone is bound to mark it on their calendar with the intention of planning something.” He paced back toward the desk. “How about if we say that we’re holding off picking a date until the hoopla about the lottery dies down. That’ll buy us tons of time.”
Liking the idea of having a ton of time with Jack, she smiled up at him. “Works for me.”
He returned her smile, his gaze warm on hers. Her temperature skyrocketed and her tan turtleneck became too warm. He was so incredibly handsome, so virile, so oblivious. Those women might be just after his money, but talk about bonuses.
She sighed and checked her watch. “I’d better get going.” She stood and moved past him to the coatrack. “You know that pony Finn Hollis bought last fall for his grandkids?”
Jack nodded. “Nice little Shetland.”
She pulled on her coat. “It’s one unhappy little Shetland, now. He figured out how to open the latch to the grain shed and was helping himself. They caught him before he foundered, thank goodness, but his gut is still hurting him. I told Finn I’d come out again today to see how the little stinker is doing.”
“Poor fella. Do you think you’ll be finished by lunch?”
She paused. “Should be.”
“Do you want to meet me for lunch?”
Her heart stuttered. It’s just for show she reminded herself. “I suppose I should.” Despite the reminder, it was a struggle to keep the delight from her voice. She was actually going to get to spend time with Jack, socialize with him, enjoying his company and his caring. May wonders never cease.
“See ya at The Brimming Cup, then. Give Finn my best.”
“Will do.” She picked up her bag and hoped it was heavy enough to keep her feet on the ground as she left.
IT WOULD MAKE HER LATE for her lunch date with Jack, but Melinda stopped by her house on her way back from Finn’s to change her shirt and fix her hair. Something she’d never worried about taking time for before, even when she’d been dating Eric. Which might explain why he’d had his eye open for something better.
