Fortune's Surprise Engagement

by Nancy Robards Thompson

  My Big Fake Boyfriend

  Olivia Fortune Robinson has done some crazy things in her life, but this has to be one of the craziest. She has just propositioned sexy Alejandro Mendoza to be her pretend boyfriend for a week. What’s even crazier? He said yes!

  They’re doing it all for Sophie—or so they think. Liv’s cynical view of marriage accidentally convinced her little sister to call off her own wedding, and Liv has to fix things and quick. What better way than to “fall in love” herself? Tall, dark and alpha, Alejandro doesn’t seem to mind having Liv on his arm—or in his bed. But when the two commitment-phobes suddenly become faux fiancés, Liv’s traitorous heart starts to fall for real... Is Alejandro’s far behind?

  MEET THE FORTUNES

  Fortune of the Month: Olivia Fortune Robinson

  Age: 28

  Vital statistics: The smart one and the pretty one. But don’t waste your time.

  Claim to fame: The last single Fortune Robinson daughter.

  Romantic prospects: Her heart is shut up so tight it would take a crowbar to pry it open.

  “After everything I’ve seen in my parents’ marriage, I’d have to be crazy to want to get married myself. But I never intended to make my sister Sophie call off her own wedding! If I don’t do something fast, she’s going to lose Mason. He’s one of the good guys. I can’t let that happen.

  Enter exhibit A: Alejandro Mendoza. Our family has a long-standing tradition of falling for Mendoza men, and Alejandro is the hottest hottie of the bunch. If I can make Sophie believe that I’ve fallen head over heels for him, her own cold feet will warm up. As for me? Having Alejandro as my make-believe boyfriend is a price I’m more than willing to pay. The trick is remembering it’s just pretend...”

  THE FORTUNES OF TEXAS: The Secret Fortunes: A new generation of heroes and heartbreakers!

  Dear Reader,

  How do you convince someone who has never been in love that love exists?

  Olivia Fortune Robinson, my heroine in Fortune’s Surprise Engagement, isn’t a believer. She has a heart of gold and will go to the ends of the earth for the people she loves, especially her sisters. Olivia is always the bridesmaid until a family crisis has Olivia faking her own engagement to make her disillusioned sister believe that Olivia has had a change of heart. Who better to pose as Olivia’s fake fiancé than Alejandro Mendoza? He’s so tall, dark and drop-dead gorgeous that he has Olivia rethinking her hard-line stance on love in a heartbeat. There’s something about Alejandro that’s different from any guy she’s ever met. Maybe it’s because he’s the one.

  I hope you enjoy Alejandro and Olivia’s story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Please look me up on Facebook at Facebook.com/nrobardsthompson or drop me a line at nrobardsthompson@yahoo.com.

  Warmly,

  Nancy

  Fortune’s Surprise Engagement

  Nancy Robards Thompson

  National bestselling author Nancy Robards Thompson holds a degree in journalism. She worked as a newspaper reporter until she realized reporting “just the facts” bored her silly. Now that she has much more content to report to her muse, Nancy loves writing women’s fiction and romance full-time. Critics have deemed her work “funny, smart and observant.” She resides in Florida with her husband and daughter. You can reach her at nancyrobardsthompson.com and Facebook.com/nancyrobardsthompsonbooks.

  Books by Nancy Robards Thompson

  Harlequin Special Edition

  Celebration, TX

  The Cowboy’s Runaway Bride

  Celebrations, Inc.

  His Texas Christmas Bride

  How to Marry a Doctor

  A Celebration Christmas

  Celebration’s Baby

  Celebration’s Family

  Celebration’s Bride

  Texas Christmas

  Texas Magic

  Texas Wedding

  The Fortunes of Texas: All Fortune’s Children

  Fortune’s Prince Charming

  The Fortunes of Texas: Cowboy Country

  My Fair Fortune

  Visit the Author Profile page at Harlequin.com for more titles.

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  This book is dedicated to Susan Litman and Marcia Book Adirim, the heart and soul of the Fortunes. And to Melanie Ashman for naming the signature drink Olivia served at Sophie’s bachelorette party!

  Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Excerpt from The Last Single Garrett by Brenda Harlen

  Chapter One

  “It’s time to break out the Fuzzy Handcuffs, Mike.” Olivia Fortune Robinson gave the sexy bartender her most flirtatious smile.

  He cocked a brow and grinned. “It’s my pleasure to hook you ladies up.”

  “Excuse me?” Her sister Sophie frowned at him and then her eyes went wide as realization seemed to dawn. “Oh, no.” Sophie held up her hands as if to ward off Mike. “Please tell me you are not a stripper.” She pinned her panicked gaze on her sister. “Olivia, Dana and I specifically told you we didn’t want strippers at our bachelorette party. No offense, Mike. I’m sure you’re very good at what you do. You just can’t do it here. Not tonight. Not for us.”

  She looked at her sister-in-law-to-be, Dana Trevino, and the other Fortune Robinson sisters seated on the plush love seats and overstuffed armchairs grouped around a glass cocktail table in a cozy corner of the Driskill Hotel bar.

  Sophie’s brown eyes were huge and color blazed high on her cheekbones. By contrast, Dana seemed to have gone pale as she perched hesitantly on the edge of her seat, as if weighing whether or not to bolt. Watching the pair of them squirm was worth all the effort Olivia had put into planning this sisters’ weekend. Olivia almost hated to burst their horrified balloons.

  “Unfortunately, Mike is not a stripper,” she said, pausing to let them sit with thoughts of what they would be missing.

  Her sister Rachel sighed. “Aw, that’s too bad. For one glorious moment, I thought we had our very own Magic Mike.”

  Zoe, another sister, nodded in agreement.

  Mike laughed. “Sorry, ladies. It’s true, I’m not a stripper. Although I will be tending to your every need tonight.”

  The innuendo was thick.

  “Does that mean you’re a gigolo then?” Rachel asked, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

  Mike laughed. “No, not a gigolo, either. I am your personal bartender and I am happy to be at your service.”

  Sophie’s mouth formed a perfect O before her brows knit together. “And exactly what were you planning to do with the fuzzy handcuffs?”

  Olivia and Mike exchanged a conspiratorial look.

  “Forgive them,” she said. “They don’t get out much.”

  “There is nothing to forgive,” he said. “Would you like to tell her about the Fuzzy Handcuffs or shall I?”

  “Please,
do the honors,” Olivia said.

  “Your sister commissioned me to create a signature cocktail for your bachelorette party.” He stopped and looked at Sophie. “I’m guessing you are one of the brides.”

  “Yes, I’m Sophie.”

  He took her hand and lifted it to his lips before he asked, “Which one of you is Dana?”

  “That would be me.” The pretty redhead gave a hesitant wave before she tucked her hands into the fabric of her flowing gypsy skirt. Mike winked at her. Rachel and Zoe promptly introduced themselves, laughing as they made a dramatic show of extending their hands for a kiss. Mike didn’t disappoint them.

  Mike was a very good sport. As Olivia made a mental note to tell the manager how he’d gone above and beyond, her gaze was snared by a tall, dark, good-looking man walking into the bar. Though she only caught his profile before he turned and sat down with his back to her, he reminded her of someone. Who, she couldn’t place, but Olivia hadn’t gotten a very good look at him.

  “Congratulations, ladies,” Mike said. “I’m honored to serve you on your special night. I understand you’re staying at the Driskill?”

  “We are,” Sophie said. “We checked in this afternoon. Olivia has planned a fabulous weekend for us.”

  “Nothing but the best for my sisters,” Olivia said.

  “When is the wedding?” he asked.

  “Next weekend,” Dana said. “Right here in this hotel in the ballroom. But there will be a full week of events leading up to the ceremony. This girls’ get-together is a nice way to kick off the festivities.”

  “Well, don’t let me hold up the party,” Mike said. “One round of Fuzzy Handcuffs coming right up.”

  “Fuzzy Handcuffs.” Rachel shook her head. “Only you would come up with a name like that, Olivia. Only you.”

  They all laughed.

  “Originally, Mike wanted to call the drink the Bride’s First Blush, but that was boring.”

  “No it’s not,” Sophie said. “It’s pretty.”

  Olivia resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The name Bride’s First Blush was too sweet for such a potent cocktail. The drink itself was perfect. It was festive and fizzy, but it also had just the right amount of something stronger to pack a pop. It needed a name that was just as strong, not one that sounded like a virgin cocktail. Fuzzy Handcuffs was perfect.

  Olivia had gone to the ends of the earth to ensure that every single detail of this sisters’ weekend was perfect. And of course, it had been perfect so far. She may have been a computer programmer by trade, but if she ever found herself in need of a career change, she did have a knack for event planning.

  Sophie and Dana weren’t party girls, so they’d been ecstatic with the plan of a weekend of pampering. After they’d checked into the suite at the Driskill, a limousine had whisked them away to the spa where they’d enjoyed hot stone massages, facials, seaweed wraps, special conditioners that had brought out the shine in their tresses and luxurious aromatherapy soaks in jetted tubs. At noon, they’d taken a break from the pampering to enjoy a light lunch complete with mimosas. Afterward, they’d returned to the spa for mani-pedis before adjourning to the pool to sip fruit-infused reverse-osmosis water while they relaxed and soaked up just enough sun so not to burn, but to give them a healthy glow.

  “I wanted my sister and sister-to-be’s last weekend of freedom to be something you two will never forget. Since you nixed the strippers, I had to sneak in something edgy somewhere else. Voilà—Fuzzy Handcuffs. At least I didn’t call it the Ol’ Ball and Chain.”

  “No, that’ll be the name of the drink we serve at your bachelorette party,” Zoe quipped.

  “Hell Froze Over might be a more apt name for my bridal cocktail, since that’s what would happen if I ever got married.”

  “Don’t be so cynical,” Zoe said. “You reap what you sow.”

  “I beg your pardon?” Olivia knew exactly what her sister meant, but she wasn’t going to give in that easily. Zoe was the consummate Pollyanna when it came to love and romance—despite every bad example their parents’ screwed-up relationship and sham of a marriage had set for them.

  “You know exactly what I mean.” Zoe sighed and looked at Olivia as if she was hopeless. “You draw to you exactly what you put out into the world.”

  Olivia blanched, but now wasn’t the time to get into a philosophical discussion about the realities of love and happily-ever-after. Besides the fact that this was supposed to be a happy occasion celebrating Sophie and Dana’s imminent wedding, her other two sisters were newly married. Zoe was still in the honeymoon phase of her own marriage, having just wed Joaquin Mendoza last year. Rachel was married to Joaquin’s brother Matteo.

  Wait a minute—

  Olivia’s gaze found the tall guy at the bar. Was that the other Mendoza? The single one—what was his name?

  She turned to her sisters. “See that guy over there? Isn’t that your brother-in-law?”

  They turned in unison and looked.

  “Is that Alejandro?” Rachel said.

  “I think it is,” Zoe said.

  “I didn’t realize he was coming to town early,” Sophie said. “We should say hi and invite him to join us for a drink.” She started across the bar toward him and the next thing they knew, she was walking back arm-in-arm with him.

  “Look who I found,” Sophie said, triumphantly. “Alejandro, I’m sure you remember my sisters, Olivia, Rachel and Zoe. And this is Dana, the other bride-to-be.”

  They exchanged hellos.

  “When did you get in?” Rachel asked.

  “A couples of hours ago. I came in early to take care of some business before the wedding.”

  All of the Mendoza men had been blessed by the tall, dark and handsome Latin gene, but Alejandro seemed to have gotten an extra helping of good looks. Olivia wondered how she’d failed to notice that before now. Of course, she’d only seen him on two other occasions: Rachel’s and Zoe’s weddings. She’d brought dates both times, so she hadn’t exactly been looking.

  “You came in from Miami, right?” Olivia asked. She did remember that much.

  He turned his sultry gaze on her.

  “I did.”

  “I didn’t realize you had business ties to Austin,” Sophie asked. “What do you do, Alejandro?”

  “I’m in the wine business,” he said. “I’m a wine sales rep, but I’m in town because I’m in the process of buying a small vineyard about twenty miles west of here.”

  Zoe’s mouth fell open. “Your very own vineyard? That’s so cool. Why hasn’t Joaquin mentioned it?”

  Alejandro shrugged. “Until last week, it was still up in the air, but everything finally fell into place. I’m going to meet with the owners tomorrow and do one last walk-through before we finalize the deal.”

  “Which winery?” Rachel asked.

  “It’s called Hummingbird Ridge.” He kept stealing glances at Olivia.

  “I’ve never known anyone who’s actually owned a winery,” Sophie mused. “I’d love to see it. Can you give us a tour?”

  Alejandro’s brows shot up as he considered the possibility. “I’m sure I can arrange a tasting for you. Is there time this week?”

  Everyone looked at Olivia as if she was the keeper of the schedule. There were events and outings scheduled for every day of wedding week—tours of Austin for those from out of town, rounds of golf, tennis matches, couples’ massages, luncheons, teas and dinners. But with a guest list close to five hundred people, the only activity they would all be doing as a group was watching the couples exchange their vows and celebrating at the reception afterward.

  “How many people could you accommodate?” Olivia asked him.

  “I’d say about two dozen,” he told her. “Of course, I’ll have to check with the winery and see how their availab
ility looks. But this is their slow time of year when they don’t get many large groups. It shouldn’t be a problem. Maybe you can start organizing on your end and we can touch base and coordinate. Give me your number.”

  Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw Sophie elbow Zoe. The only reason she didn’t make a face at them was because she didn’t want to draw Alejandro’s attention to their antics.

  Olivia rattled off her cell number and Alejandro put it in his phone, calling her to make sure he’d input the right digits. When her phone rang, Olivia entered his name.

  “There,” she said. “We should be all set.”

  Mike reappeared with a tray full of hot-pink cocktails. True to the drink’s name, a pink-and-black fuzzy handcuff graced the stem of each frosted martini glass. A drink stirrer that seemed to be exploding silver tinsel decorated the top. The tray looked like a mini Fourth of July fireworks display.

  As the five women expressed their delight, Mike looked pleased, but Alejandro took a step back.

  “Why don’t you join us for a drink, Alejandro?” Rachel said.

  “Actually, he’s welcome to mine,” said Dana. “As much as I hate to leave this fabulous soiree, I have to go pick up my maid of honor from the airport. It’s a pretty long haul out there. I really shouldn’t drink and drive. I’m so eager to hug Monica. It’s been ages. And she’s bringing my wedding dress. She’s letting me borrow an antique dress that belonged to her grandmother. I’ve seen pictures, but I haven’t had a chance to try it on yet. I’m a little anxious about it. That’s one of the reasons I need to go. I hope you understand.”

  Their future sister-in-law’s early departure wasn’t a surprise. Monica had made her reservations nearly simultaneously with Olivia finalizing the plans for the bachelorette party. While they wanted her to stay, they understood. Monica was like family to Dana, who had lost her parents in an accident when she was twelve and had grown up in foster care. While the guardianship had been adequate, it hadn’t been warm enough to warrant keeping in touch or inviting them to the wedding.