by Vivi Holt
Heath leaned over to kiss Nana’s cheek and squeezed her hand. “How are you feeling Nana?”
“As well as can be expected, dear. But let’s talk about you young folk. That’s a far more interesting subject.”
He rested his hands on the table. “So does this mean I have to drink tea from one of these little flowery cups?” He lifted one in the air and tilted it from side to side. It was rimmed with gold and had pink rose buds all over. The handle felt as though it might break between his fingers at any moment. He set it down again, shaking his head.
Gwen laughed. “I’m really looking forward to seeing that. Perhaps you should raise your pinky finger in the air when you do it.”
His mother rolled her eyes. “Could the two of you take this a little more seriously, please?”
Heath winked at Gwen, then chuckled. “Okay, Mom, what do you want to talk to us about?”
She pulled a day planner from her purse and laid it on the table. “Let’s get the date of the engagement party set first, then we can go through all the details. Nana and I have come up with some ideas, but we want to make sure you’re both on board.”
While his mother talked over party plans, Heath’s mind wandered. Gwen leaned forward, looked through flyers, sipped tea and nibbled at the finger food brought out on tiered plates. She wore casual clothes, fitted slacks and a blouse, but there was something different about her. She glowed. No longer the tired server at the Lucky Diner, the smudges under her eyes were gone, her eyes shone as she spoke. And she laughed a lot more. His heart raced and he thought about running his fingers through her hair, cupping her back, pulling her close and …
“Heath?” His mother eyed him impatiently over the top of her glasses. “Where are you, off with the fairies? Please focus – we have to get these things finalized. After all, it’s your engagement party. Anyone would think you had no interest in …”
Her voice faded out again, and he nodded at what he thought were the appropriate times. She seemed pleased with his response. He settled back in his chair and linked his hands behind his head. The fact was, he wasn’t particularly interested in the party. It was all a sham. He and Gwen planned to break up before it happened, so it didn’t matter if they had roses or lilies.
He kept looking at Gwen, noticing how her hair fell like silk around her shoulders – the curls looked soft to the touch. The curve of her neck invited a kiss, but he bit his lip and crossed his legs instead.
She glanced up at him, a question in her eyes. Had he missed something? One look at his mother revealed he had. “Uh, yeah … that’s fine.”
Mom nodded and continued her monologue, but Gwen kept her eyes on him, clearly suppressing a smile. “What are you doing?” she mouthed, a sparkle in her eyes.
He smiled, took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. A spark leaped from her skin to his and her eyes widened in surprise. He shrugged, then mouthed back, “What? We’re engaged.”
His mother didn’t notice they weren’t listening to her party-planning advice, but one look at Nana revealed they had her attention. She grinned and winked at them. Had she guessed the truth between them? Or was she just happy to see him “in love”?
Heath couldn’t say what the future held. But in that moment, he had Gwen by his side, was holding her hand and was content. She might be gone from his life in only a few days, and he’d have to concoct another story to explain it to his family. The joy on his mother’s face and twinkling in Nana’s eyes would be replaced with grief, even anger. But for now, he could enjoy the moment. She was his, if only for a little while. And he hadn’t felt so happy in a long time.
Gwen spun the curling iron like the lady in the YouTube video had, but it never seemed to work out the way it was supposed to. The woman in the video had produced large, soft curls falling around her shoulders. Gwen did the same and got her hair got stuck in the device. She yanked harder and smoke began to rise from her hair. Her eyes widened in alarm. “Umm … Diana?” she called, pulling harder still. “Can you help me for a moment, please?!”
Diana hurried into the bathroom, her hair perfectly coiffed and her makeup done. Her eyebrows arched when she saw the fix Gwen was in, then deftly untwisted the curling iron and removed it from Gwen’s hair. The piece of hair it had been attached to was singed into a tangle, and Diana giggled. “What on Earth were you trying to do?”
“Big soft curls, the type that bounce on your shoulders,” Gwen grumbled. She ran a brush through her hair, which only turned the tangle into a frizz.
“Uh-huh. Well, I’ve got to go to work. Please try not to burn the place down while I’m gone.” She laughed as she walked away, then called back over her shoulder. “Oh, and we should go on a double date tonight! Evan wants to meet Heath, since we’re all headed for the altar. What do you think?”
Gwen’s heart sank. “Uh, sure. Sounds like a great idea.” She set the curling iron on the vanity and rubbed her face. Their lies were becoming a more tangled mess than her hair – she wasn’t sure how much longer she could stand it. Why did she have to lie to her roommate as well? But when Diana was boasting about how she’d found someone else and that Gwen would one day, she’d wanted to say something to show Diana she didn’t need her pity. And now she’d have to tell Heath what she’d done, and she had a feeling he wouldn’t be very happy about it.
She wandered to the kitchen, pulled her cell phone from its charger and dialed. “Hi, Heath, it’s Gwen. Just wondering what you’re doing tonight …”
Much to Gwen’s surprise, Heath agreed to the plan. When she told him what she’d said to Diana, he just laughed and said something about “the more the merrier.” Afterward, she frowned as she dropped the phone into her purse. He’d sounded less serious than usual, almost happy. She wondered what had happened to loosen him up so much.
After work, Gwen made another attempt at curling her hair, with no better results. By the time Heath arrived at the apartment, she’d managed to put on makeup and the red dress from their weekend away. Diana let him in and she heard the introductions as Diana’s fiancé Evan met Heath. Their conversation turned to what they’d each been doing and she heard Heath mention a Bible study group. She’d have to remember to ask him about that. She hadn’t found a church in Billings yet and she missed attending.
She entered the kitchen and found Heath deep in conversation with Evan about boats. Apparently Evan was a serious sailor. “Hi.”
Heath turned to face her and his eyes widened. “Wow – you look amazing.”
Evan’s eyes widened as well, and Diana’s narrowed when she noticed his response. “We’re not going to a ball,” she said.
“Oh, am I overdressed?” She knew she should’ve worn something else, but she didn’t have anything nice other than the gowns Heath had bought her in Oregon.
“Not at all,” replied Evan, getting a punch on the arm from Diana for his trouble.
“No, you look perfect,” added Heath.
She smiled. “Let’s go, then.”
The restaurant was a trendy tapas bar on Broadway. Heath knew the restaurant staff and guided them to a table even though the place was full, his hand resting on the small of Gwen’s back. She missed his touch when he removed it to pull her chair out for her.
“Wow, this place is great,” she said, looking around the darkened room at the simple decor and fashionable crowd. The steady beat of modern jazz pumped through the restaurant, a backdrop to the buzz and hum of conversation as patrons leaned over small round tables, heads together, to be nearer each other.
“So Heath, Gwen tells me you’re a cowboy,” Diana said.
He grinned and raised his pants leg to reveal cowboy boots. “She’s not lying.”
“I’ll go get us drinks,” said Evan, eyeing the packed bar. “What does everyone want?”
Gwen asked for soda and lime, and studied Heath’s face while Evan took the others’ drink orders. He hadn’t shaved that morning, and the stubble on his chin and cheeks made him look
more mature and rugged. Her skin tingled, thinking about the way his hand felt when he’d held hers during high tea.
“If you’re really a cowboy, wouldn’t you live on a ranch and ride horses and stuff like that?” Diana asked, crossing her legs.
Heath raised an eyebrow. “I do live on a ranch just outside of town, and I ride as often as I can. But I also work in an office – is that allowed? Or do I have to hand in my cowboy card?” His eyes twinkled as he winked at Gwen. She smiled and swallowed a giggle.
“How do we know that’s true? Have you seen his ranch, Gwen?”
Gwen’s eyes widened. What was Diana doing? “Uh …well …”
“She’s coming out tomorrow after school,” interrupted Heath. He took Gwen’s hand firmly in his. “I’m taking her riding. Isn’t that right, Gwen?”
Gwen nodded, smiling in relief. “That’s right.”
Diana frowned. “Now that is a surprise.”
Evan returned with the drinks and set them on the table. “What did I miss?” he asked.
“Nothing – let’s dance,” replied Diana with a last glance at Gwen.
Gwen’s smile froze. Diana was clearly suspicious about her relationship with Heath, and couldn’t put her finger on why, so she was probing. With good reason – all these weeks of engagement and yet they hardly saw each other. Even when they did, their affection wasn’t particularly convincing. Oh, how she wished this charade could be over …
Except that she didn’t want it to end. Or maybe she just didn’t want it to be a charade.
Heath slung the rope around the fence paling and tightened the knot. Princess, a bay mare with black socks, nudged him with her nose, looking for a pat. He scratched her nose lovingly and pushed the long forelock from her eyes. “You be good today, girl. I’ve got someone special coming to ride you – no funny business, okay?”
She tossed her head as if in agreement. He chuckled, threw a fresh handful of hay in front of her and left the barn. He’d taken a day away from the office to get on top of things around the ranch, and he hadn’t felt this good in a long time. He loved the land, even offering to help his foreman ride the property lines to get a feel for how things were going. It often frustrated him how little time he got for ranch work these days, but that’s how things would be now he was CEO of Montgomery Ranches.
He slung a lasso over his shoulder and headed for the yard where the yearlings were milling around. There were a few he wanted to single out for auction the next day. He stood on the lowest rail to watch them for a few minutes, his eyes checking the curve of each neck, the strength of long legs. He was pleased with the past year’s crop of stock horses. He ran a hand over the stubble on his chin. Mom hated it when he didn’t shave, but he enjoyed the small rebellion.
He heard a car crunching up the ranch’s long gravel driveway and turned his head to see who it was. Most of the ranch hands had already left for the day after an early start, and he wasn’t expecting Gwen until later. His heart sank when he saw the red Mustang convertible approaching – Chantelle. What was she doing here? He frowned and stepped down from the fence.
She pulled up beside the ranch house and stepped out of the car, showing off her long legs and red flats. He rolled his eyes, tipped his Stetson back and watched her approach. “Good afternoon,” he said as neutrally as he could.
She smiled, her teeth gleaming white between very pink lips. “Heath, how lovely to see you.”
“It is a surprise,” he added, hoping she’d just get to the point and tell him what she was up to. It wasn’t likely.
She crossed her tanned arms and turned to lean back against the fence. “So how’re you doing?”
“Fine, thanks. You?”
“Fine.”
There was a moment of silence, and he studied her face for some sign of what she might be thinking. When they’d dated, she’d come to the ranch about every other day, but not once since they broke up. What had prompted her to drive all the way out there now?
“Is the ranch going well –”
“Chantelle, what’s on your mind?”
She sighed. “I just wanted to see you, to talk to you. I thought you might be … lonely.”
He chuckled. “Lonely? Chantelle, you know I’m engaged. I told you that – you even met my fiancée at the diner.”
She rested a hand on his arm and looked at him with wide eyes and a smirk. “But I also know she’s not really your fiancée.”
His heart seized. How could she know that? “What?”
She laughed haughtily. “Oh, Heath, do you think I’m so simple that I couldn’t figure it out? I know what love looks like, Heath, and you and Gwen aren’t in love.”
“I don’t think you can tell that from one meeting …”
“Plus I heard her talking to her ex-husband about it.”
He swallowed. It suddenly made sense.
“So I know you’re feeling lonely, Heath, when you start pretending to be in a relationship. That’s a cry for help.” She began to massage his arm.
He stared at her hand a moment, then pushed it away, his brow furrowed. “I’m fine, Chantelle. And what I do with my life is none of your affair.”
She stared up at him with wide puppy-dog eyes “Heath, I really think we should give it another try. You didn’t give us a chance before, not a real one, and I think we could be good together. Don’t you?”
Heath’s stomach churned. “No.”
She pulled back as if he’d slapped her. “What?”
“Chantelle, I’m sorry, but I don’t think it would ever work between us. I don’t feel that way about you, and you know why we aren’t suited. We spoke about it when we broke up.”
She shook her head. “No, not really. You said something about church and God and how you didn’t think I was good enough for you. But …”
“No. That’s not what I said at all. You know I’m a Christian.”
“Yes, I know.”
“You and I want different things. My faith’s important to me. You and I aren’t on the same page about that, and about a lot of other things. It wouldn’t work.”
Her nostrils flared. “I’m sorry you feel that way,” she snarled. “You’ll be sorry, Heath. I’m the best thing that ever happened to you and you’ll regret the day you turned your back on me.” She spun on her heel and marched to her car, her nose in the air.
Heath watched her go, rolling his eyes as she sprayed gravel in her departure. He’d dodged a bullet when he broke up with her, he knew that now. But her knowing about his and Gwen’s ruse … that was disturbing. Chantelle could make trouble with that knowledge, and she was the kind to do just that.
13
Heath poured coffee into a mug, set it on the counter and stirred a teaspoon of sugar into it. He shook his head – hopefully it was the last time he’d see Chantelle, but he didn’t expect to be that lucky. The women in his life would be the death of him – Chantelle, Mom, Nana, Gwen. At least he had fun with Gwen. He strolled out the porch, sat on the top step and took a sip of coffee. The sun was low in the sky, sending golden light across the pastures and highlighting the dull red of the barn.
What was he going to do? Chantelle knew the truth, while Mom and Nana were planning the mother of all engagement parties. Work was busy enough to require his whole attention, especially with the police investigating the embezzlement. There were too many distractions in his personal life – it was all he could do to stay on top of things.
Another car rolled up the drive – thankfully, a silver Corolla with a ding in the front bumper. He stood, sipped his coffee again, then walked out to meet Gwen.
She climbed from the car and embraced him, then backed away, smiling shyly. He looked her over appreciatively – dark jeans, a blue blouse that brought out the color of her eyes, her hair pulled into a youthful ponytail.
“I guess we don’t have to kiss, since there’s no one here to see us.” She laughed.
He smiled in response. “No, but we can if you’d lik
e to.”
She blushed. “Well, I’d really like a tour of the ranch.”
He nodded. “I’ll just put my mug back in the kitchen and we’ll go for a ride.”
She arched an eyebrow. “So we’re really going to ride horses? I’ve never ridden a horse before – I don’t know if I can.”
“You’ll be fine, I promise. I’ve picked a sweetheart of a horse for you.”
Gwen watched Heath stride into the ranch house, then return with his hat and without the coffee cup. His faded jeans clung to his muscular thighs and a white T-shirt accentuated the curves of his arms. She swallowed hard as butterflies flurried in her stomach.
“Ready?” he asked.
She nodded. “As I’ll ever be.” She followed him into the barn.
He stopped in front of a stall where a dark brown horse with a black mane and tail munched hay. “This is Princess – she’ll be your tour guide today.” He chuckled and stroked the horse’s head.
Gwen lifted a hand and ran it down Princess’ forehead. Her coat was soft, and she nibbled at Gwen’s arm with gentle lips, making her laugh. “That tickles.” She stepped aside as Heath put a bridle over the horse’s head and pushed the bit into her mouth. He saddled her and handed the reins to Gwen, who fed Princess a straw of hay at a time, getting used to the whole idea.
He emerged from deeper in the barn leading a golden horse with a light mane and much taller. “What would you like to see first?”
She pointed to a long structure in the distance. “What’s that building?”
“That’s the bunkhouse. It’s a bit old-fashioned, but a few of the staff choose to live on the property. I go over and join them for a game of cards every now and then.”
She nodded. “Sounds like fun.” She looked at the two-story ranch house, casting a long shadow in the afternoon light. She’d hate to live on her own in a place that big, especially at night. “Do you live alone?”
