One Week with the Best Man: Reclaimed by the Rancher

by Andrea Laurence

  The day had started for them at the golf course. The weather at that hour was a little brisk for Julian’s California blood, but the skies were clear and they had a good time playing. They’d all had lunch at some famous hole-in-the-wall barbecue joint, where Julian had a grilled chicken breast and one glorious hush puppy, and then they returned to the hotel and went their separate ways.

  With that done, Julian was able to clean up and get ready to do a few chores for the day. There were no messages on his phone from his family, nothing to concern him, so he could focus on wedding preparation. He needed to pick up the tuxedos and get the wedding rings from the jeweler. As the best man, Murray didn’t ask much of him. Running a couple errands and throwing a decent bachelor party Friday night were all that was required. It wasn’t hard.

  And yet he found himself thinking he should pick up Gretchen and bring her along with him.

  She wasn’t expecting him to show up. He knew she had work to do and his sudden arrival would likely throw her off her game. He told himself he needed to keep her on her toes, because the press certainly would, and she had to be ready for anything.

  But in truth, he just wanted to see her again.

  It was hard to explain—a feeling he hadn’t experienced in a long time. Lately, he’d dated his costars, women he saw on the set every day. He’d gotten used to that sort of immersive dating pattern. So last night, when he’d realized he wouldn’t see Gretchen until Friday evening at the rehearsal dinner, he’d felt a little...lonely. He found he missed her awkward smiles and sarcastic comments under her breath. He wanted to wrap his arms around her waist and kiss her until she blushed down into her cleavage.

  He didn’t realize he was driving to the wedding chapel until he saw the sign ahead of him. By then, he figured it couldn’t hurt to pop in and see if she had the time to join him.

  Turning off the engine, he climbed out of the SUV and went in the front entrance. The lobby was huge and shaped almost like a cross, with four arched doorways leading to different areas of the chapel. In the center was a round table draped in white with a sheer fabric over it. It looked as if tiny musical notes were stitched all over with shiny black thread, beads and crystals. A tall silver tree branch came up out of the center. Hanging from it were strands of crystal, musical notes and little white cards with people’s names on them.

  Fancy.

  To his left was the wedding chapel, and straight ahead was the reception hall, so he opted to go right, where the offices were. He found a closed door with Gretchen McAlister’s name on it and knocked softly.

  “No, I don’t want to date your cousin!” he heard her shout from the other side of the door.

  With a smile, he opened the door, peeking his head in to see her sitting at her desk, tying black and white ribbons around glass cylinders with candles in them. “But you’ve never even met my cousin. You might like him.”

  Gretchen’s gaze shot up at the sound of his voice, her eyes widening. “Julian! Sorry about that. I thought you were Bree. What are you doing here? Is there a problem? I thought we weren’t getting together until tomorrow.”

  “No problem,” he said, slipping into her office and shutting the door behind him. “I just thought you might like to hang out with me today.”

  Her gaze narrowed at him. “Hang out? Do you mean practice some more? Go over our cover story again?”

  Julian shook his head. “No, you’ve got that covered, I think. I’ve got to run a couple errands today and I thought you might like to join me, that’s all.”

  Her eyebrows drew together as she considered his offer. She seemed genuinely confused by it. That, or suspicious again. He still didn’t understand that. “I’m not dressed up for an official day out with you.”

  Her hand ran self-consciously over her hair, which was pulled back into a butterfly clip. Her makeup was done, but not heavy-handed. She was wearing a pair of skinny jeans and a simple V-neck sweater with boots. The dark brown of the sweater matched her eyes and made her skin look even creamier against the rich tones. She looked great to him. He actually had a hard time tearing his gaze away from the tantalizing glimpse of cleavage that her sweater teased at, without being too blatant. “You look great,” he countered.

  “I’ve also got a lot to do,” she said, uncertainty in her voice.

  “Well, it just so happens that I don’t have a lot to do. How about a little trade-off? You come with me to do a few wedding-related chores, and then I’ll come back here with you and help you do whatever it is you do.”

  A delicate dark eyebrow raised at him. “You’re going to help me?”

  “Sure,” he said with a winning smile. “I have no clue what needs to be done, but I’m an actor. I can fake it.”

  Gretchen snorted and shook her head. “Well, I’m not sure how much help you’ll be, but any help would be great.”

  Julian chuckled. “Well, thank goodness you have low standards. Let’s go. I have to pick up the tuxedos and the rings.”

  He helped Gretchen into her coat, and they left the chapel a moment later. As they got into his rental, he admitted, “I also have no idea where I’m going. Do you know where Couture Connection is? That’s where I have to get the tuxedos. I can look it up on my phone if we need to.”

  Gretchen nodded and pointed to the right. “I know where it is. It’s just a couple miles from here. Go out to the right.”

  That part of the day went smoothly enough. They found the store and waited a few minutes to pick up their suits. It wasn’t until they were getting ready to leave that Julian noticed the guy across the street with a camera.

  He sighed. They’d finally found him. It had actually taken longer than he expected. “Someone tipped off the paparazzi,” he said to Gretchen, although he gave a meaningful glance at the girl behind the counter. She’d been in the back room far, far too long in his opinion. She bit her lip and handed over the suits without comment.

  “What do we do?” Gretchen asked. “I told you I’m not camera-ready today.”

  He shrugged. “We do what we need to do. If life stopped just because someone was taking my picture, I’d never get anything done.” Julian draped the suits over his arm and reached out to grasp Gretchen’s hand. “Off we go,” he said.

  By the time they reached the jewelry store, there were three cars tailing them, and they were bolder than before. Julian hadn’t even opened the car door for Gretchen before there were four guys swarming the car with cameras, snapping pictures and asking questions.

  “Who’s the lady, Julian?”

  “Her name is Gretchen McAlister,” he said, opening the door and helping her out of the car. Normally he would just ignore them, but what was the point of having a fake girlfriend if he wasn’t going to publicize that fact?

  “Is this your new lady love?” another one prompted, making Gretchen blush.

  Julian took her hand and looked into her eyes. It was easy to get lost there, the feelings she evoked in him lately hardly an act. “She’s very special to me,” he answered with a sincere smile.

  “What do you think Bridgette will think of your new relationship?”

  “I really don’t care what she thinks,” Julian said and leaned into Gretchen’s ear. “Let’s get inside.”

  The cameras stayed outside while they met with the jeweler. The woman at the counter left them for a moment to go back and find the owner. Julian watched Gretchen peruse the case, her eyes lighting up as she spied something interesting. It was always dangerous to go into a jewelry store with the women he dated. It almost always cost him more than he expected.

  “What do you see?” he asked, curious as to what would spark such a reaction in Gretchen. She didn’t seem to wear much jewelry.

  “That necklace,” she said, pointing out a teardrop-shaped opal, speckled with blue and pink fire. “That’s my birthstone.
I’ve never seen a natural opal with such bright fire in it before.”

  It was pretty, and not at all what he expected her to choose in the case of flashy diamonds and other glittering and expensive gemstones. He doubted Bridgette even knew what an opal was. Julian hovered, waiting for the expectant look he was used to seeing, but Gretchen just shrugged and continued down the case. She continued to surprise him. Perhaps she deserved a surprise in return.

  “Mr. Cooper,” the owner of the store greeted them as he came out from the back room. “Come with me. I have everything ready for you.”

  They were taken to a private room in the back where they could inspect the rings and sign for them. There was a lot of gold and a lot of diamonds involved, so he wanted to make sure everything was perfect for Murray and Kelly.

  “Is there anything else I can do for you today, Mr. Cooper?” the jeweler asked.

  “Actually, yes. That opal teardrop necklace in the case. I’d like that for my companion, please.”

  The man nodded. “An excellent choice.” He called out to the woman at the counter to bring it back to them.

  Julian ignored the stunned look on Gretchen’s face as the jeweler presented the necklace on a velvet tray. “It looks perfect, thank you.”

  “Would you like it boxed up?”

  “No, we’ll be wearing it out.” Julian reached for the necklace and unfastened the clasp. Before Gretchen could breathe a word of argument, he rose from his chair to stand behind her. He gently brushed a loose strand of dark hair from her neck, then draped the necklace at her throat. When fastened, the gem fell right beneath her collarbone and was highlighted nicely by the low plunge of her sweater.

  “Lovely,” the jeweler said. “I’ll put the box in the bag with the rings for you.”

  Julian handed over his black American Express card as the jeweler left the room.

  “What is this for?” she finally said when they were alone. “This necklace was super expensive.”

  He could only shrug and dismiss it the same way she’d dismissed the idea of getting the necklace. “It made you smile,” he said. “That was worth every penny.”

  Gretchen gripped the pendant in her hand, shaking her head. “I’m already being paid a ridiculous amount for this. You don’t have to buy me anything.”

  Julian tried not to flinch at that unfortunate reminder. He’d nearly forgotten that she was being paid to be with him. She was so unlike all the other people in his life with their hands out that it was an unwelcome shock to remember she was getting her piece of him just like the rest. And yet he somehow knew that she was different.

  In the end it didn’t matter. He wanted to buy the necklace and he bought it. “It’s a gift. Enjoy it.”

  The jeweler returned with his card and receipt. “Anything else I can do for you today?”

  As they stood, Julian considered the reporters outside waiting for them. He’d spied a little café up the block, but he didn’t want them following the two of them there. He wanted some quiet time with Gretchen before the wedding chaos began.

  “Just one more thing. Do you have a rear exit we could use?”

  Five

  “Is that all you’re going to eat?” Gretchen asked. “Seriously, I can’t have those camera guys show up and document me here with a full plate while you pick at a spinach salad with no dressing.”

  “I told you,” he said with a smile, “I’m saving up for that cake of Amelia’s.”

  Gretchen looked down at her sandwich and shrugged before taking another bite. “You could at least have the decency to order more food for appearances and just not eat it.”

  “No one is looking at us, Gretchen. We’re hidden in the back corner of a tiny café. Relax and enjoy your food.”

  Gretchen took a few more bites before she worked up the nerve to ask Julian a question. “Do you ever get tired of it?”

  “Tired of what?”

  “Tired of being treated like a piece of meat?”

  Julian smothered a snort of laughter. “Actually, yes, I do. But I won’t look like this forever. I’m young, in my physical prime, so I thought I should make the most of it while I can. I suppose I can tackle some meatier scripts when I’m older and people aren’t that interested in my biceps anymore.”

  “It’s not your biceps,” Gretchen corrected. “It’s the abs.”

  One of Julian’s dark eyebrows went up. “Well, thank you for noticing.”

  Gretchen blushed. “I didn’t. I was really just saying that I...” Her voice drifted off as she ran out of argument.

  “It’s okay, Gretchen. You’re allowed to admire the abs. It would be hypocritical of me to use my body to make money, then criticize someone for noticing it. Maybe someday I’ll be known for something else.”

  “Have you considered doing different kinds of films now? I mean, how many big action flicks can you make in a year? You’d think you’d have time to do something new every now and then.”

  Julian sighed. “I’d love to. I’ve actually got a script in my hotel room for something I’m really excited about. It’s totally different for me. A real, meaty role. The kind that might earn critical acclaim for my acting.”

  Gretchen noticed Julian perk up in his seat as he talked about the plot of the script. He was eyeing the role of an alcoholic who loses everything and returns home to face the family he’d left behind. It sounded like an amazing role, the kind that could change the whole trajectory of his career. “Why don’t you do it?”

  “My manager doesn’t think it’s a good idea. And he’s right. The more I think about it, the more I know it isn’t the right time.”

  “Why? What could it hurt to try it?”

  Julian got a distant look in his eyes as he turned to glance out toward the front of the café. “It could hurt everything. I’m blessed to have what I do now. I have enough money coming in to care for my family, live an amazing life and never worry about how I’m going to pay for something. But this industry is fickle, and you can lose it all in an instant.”

  “How could you possibly do such a terrible job that you could sink your entire career?”

  “It’s been a while since I’ve stretched my serious acting muscles, Gretchen. I may not have even been any good at it to begin with. I landed my first movie role for my body, and little has changed. What if I...” His voice trailed off. “What if I tried to do a serious movie and I’m no good? What if I get panned left, right and center, ripped apart by critics for thinking I could do anything more than shoot a gun or fly a helicopter?”

  “At least you will have tried. Pardon me for saying so, but these action movies don’t really seem to fulfill you. As a creative person, I understand how that can be. If you’re compromising and not doing what you love, eventually you’ll lose your joy for the work.”

  “You enjoy your work, don’t you? I can tell by the way your whole demeanor changes when you talk about it.”

  Gretchen hadn’t noticed that before, and she was surprised Julian had paid that much attention. “I’m not sure about how it changes me, but I do love my job. I’m not necessarily a traditional artist that paints or sculpts, but I get to do so many different and creative things. I never get bored. And I get to work with my best friends, so that makes every day fun.”

  “I have to admit I’m jealous.”

  Gretchen looked up at him, her eyes wide in surprise. “You’re jealous of me? Really?”

  He nodded. “Absolutely. You’re living the life you want. You’re doing the job you enjoy. You seem to be living so authentically, doing what makes you happy.”

  “Well, I’m also not a millionaire. There’s probably a trade-off in there somewhere.”

  “Money isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It’s necessary, and I’m thankful to have enough to do what I need to do, but the th
ought of losing it can become what holds you back. I mean, look at me. I’m in a delightful-smelling café, near drooling over some berry tart in the case that I won’t let myself have. I don’t eat what I want, I don’t do what I want, I don’t act in the films I’d like to...all because of the money.”

  Gretchen shook her head. “Only someone with money could ever consider it a burden.”

  Julian watched her curiously for a moment. “May I ask why you agreed to participate in this charade with me?”

  She had to laugh at his query. She was surprised it had taken him this long to ask. “That’s a good question. For the first few days, I was asking myself the same thing. Part of it was being in the right place at the wrong time, but in the end, I’m ashamed to admit it came down to the money. It was a few days out of my life and when it was over, I’d have the opportunity to take the trip I’ve always dreamed of taking. Without it, who knows when, if ever, I’d get another chance.”

  “I love to travel,” Julian said, scooting aside his half-eaten salad and leaning closer to her. “Where are you wanting to go?”

  “Italy,” she said with a wistful sigh. “It’s been my dream since high school when we studied the Renaissance. I want to go and just suck up all the beauty there. The paintings, the architecture, the food and the people. I want to experience it all, and this money will make that possible.”

  Julian nodded as he listened to her speak. “Italy is beautiful. You’ll love it.”

  “Have you been?”

  “Once. We filmed for a few weeks in Tuscany and I got to visit Florence. It’s an amazing place. I’ve always wanted to go back, but I haven’t had the time.”

  Gretchen understood that. “I know how you feel. Even with the money, taking the time away from From This Moment is hard to do. It’s been my life since we started the place.”