Cowboy's Barmaid: A Small Town Military Romance (Lucky Flats Ranchers Book 2)

by Piper Sullivan

  I turn to May who seems stunned.

  “I thought she’d hate me,” She whispers, tears streaming freely down her face. “But she will, when they find out…” she trails off, pain written in her features.

  “I wanted to talk about that,” I say, my heart thundering in my chest. I’ve never been so sure of something in my life.

  And as I pull out the ring, her eyes widen. “That’s not…” she says, her lovely blue eyes clouding over with confusion.

  “I know. The other ring felt like it would forever symbolize the lie, the fake engagement. I wanted a fresh start.” I shift, getting on one knee as her face drops into an expression of shock and joy.

  “The world seems to want us together,” I say, wishing I’d prepared an actual speech. But like everything else in my life that has to do with May, I feel like whatever happens will be perfect. “And I want you in my life. No,” I amend, “I need you in my life.”

  She speaks up and I listen. “Someone or something wants us to find each other. We were meant for more than we ever even knew.”

  “Exactly,” I say, glad she feels the same way, that I’m not just crazy. Maybe I am crazy. Maybe we both are. “Before, I felt crazy for having fallen in love with you so fast. But after I found out who you were, it made sense. I loved you because I always have. Since that time when you were on Katie’s bike and you fell.” Her face lights up and I know she remembers too.

  “You skinned your knee and it kept bleeding and you were so scared. Do you remember what I told you?” I ask and she nods, her blue eyes on mine.

  “You told me to hold onto you really tight, that I’d be okay.” She’s whispering, her gaze illuminated with the memory.

  “And I told you that I’d always be there when you got hurt. That you could count on me to be there.” The memory leaves warmth spreading through every inch of me. And while it all makes perfect sense now, that we were always meant to be, that even then we loved each other, we had to part ways.

  She had to chase her own demons. I had to love and lose Amanda to get Grace. But there’s more I need to say. “Everything that has happened to us up until now was preparing us for each other,” I say, lifting the ring. “Will you marry me?”

  She hesitates and my heart sinks. She eyes me, then the ring, before her lips part. “For real? Or just for show?” Her eyes light up with humor and I can’t help it. I kiss her.

  “For real,” I murmur against her lips as we lazily pull apart.

  “This has to be against the rules,” She says, planting a quick kiss on my lips before smiling, “You’re coercing me.”

  Amused at her wit and teasing, I ask, “Is it working?”

  “Maybe,” she says, opening her eyes to look into mine. “Kiss me again and I’ll tell you.”

  I kiss her, this time our tongues meet and it feels like heaven. She melts into me like she belongs in my arms. She fits me perfectly, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than right here, with her. Forever.

  But I end the kiss and pull back a bit. “You’re killing me,” I say, watching the way she shivers as my breath cools her damp lips.

  “Oh, sorry,” she says, her face illuminated with joy and humor as she studies me once more. “Yes. Yes, please. I love you.” She leans in and I kiss her, finally feeling like everything is perfect.

  “I’m the luckiest man in the world,” I whisper, needing her to know how I feel. I want to tell her everything in my heart, how lucky I am, that this is perfection. But she rises up a bit, her hand wrapping in a fist around the lapel of my shirt as she clings to me.

  “Shut up and kiss me,” she says, pulling me closer.

  ***

  THE END

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  Texan Tycoon’s Bride

  Chapter 1

  Hunter stood at the window overlooking the city and rubbed his hands frustratedly over his face before turning to face the members of the board.

  “So the Johnsons will not sell the Old Stone Ranch to a detached, uncommitted man, simply because of their moral standpoint on family values?” he said incredulously.

  “It looks like it,” Adam said as he shoved the proposal towards Hunter, “Mr. Johnson insists on selling it to someone who has a strong sense of commitment.”

  Hunter scanned over the proposal and tapped his index finger metrically on the desk. If he was going to secure this deal he was going to have to play the game according to Gregory Johnson’s rules. Old Stone has long since been one of Stanton and Son’s greatest competitors and if they can manage to buy the ranch, it means that they will be one of the largest beef exporters in Texas.

  “Give us a minute,” he said addressing the other members of the board, and gestured for Adam, his curator, to stay behind.

  Once the door closed behind the last board member, Hunter leaned forward pressing his hands firmly on the desk.

  “So this is what’s going to happen, you are going to find a woman preferably one with a child who I will marry, then seal the deal and once we have secured Old Stone, she can go on her merry way with a good paycheck to cover her expenses and we’ll have what we want,” he said confidently.

  Adam gaped at him and then shook his head, and stood up dragging a hand through his hair, “Where the hell will you find a woman who would settle for that? It’s far too risky.”

  “It’s a risk I’m willing to take,” Hunter stated determinedly, pinching the bridge of his nose; right now he was willing to risk paying a willing woman to pretend to be his wife. The problem was finding such a woman, one who would be willing to play the dutiful wife for at least four months.

  “I don’t know Hunter, I understand risks, but this is a little absurd.”

  “Craigslist, or better yet, mail-order-brides,” he said, looking at Adam, “It’s simple, they all want money, it shouldn’t take you long to find one that’s willing to play the part.”

  Adam rubbed his forehead, “You’re making a mistake, and besides, we can’t just take any woman, she will have to look the part, and women on these sites are desperate women with low self-esteem not at all your type and if Gregory finds out you’re duping him, you’ll lose more than just Old Stone. You’ll lose your credibility and honor, Gregory has a lot of contacts in high places, a stunt like this, can ruin you.”

  Hunter was aware of the risks, and perhaps he was acting too impulsively but he was determined to make Old Stone his, even if it cost him his freedom for the few months while he pretended to be the loyal husband. How hard could it possibly be, he thought to himself, four months, maybe six, give the woman an offer she cannot refuse just to keep the façade believable, and by the time Old Stone is his it will be a simple matter of divorcing.

  “Let me handle the fall out, you get the girl,” he said and left the boardroom.

  Chapter 2

  Paige was snuggled up in her bed with her laptop on her lap and her son Joshua still fast asleep next to her. Over two months ago, her best friend Jess convinced her that being single is not going to get her a ticket out of Lakewood, and on top of that having a child, made it even more difficult. After countless failed attempts at dating, and disastrous blind dates, she finally gave up on hunting and placed herself in the firing line. She decided that she would no longer go out to clubs and places hoping that she would find prince charming, no sir, this time they can find her. After much contemplation and weighing up the odds she went ahead and registered on Rose Brides, a website where in her opinion, desperate women – like her – offered themselves to become brides for similarly desperate men, who are too lazy to find the right woman to marry. There was an upside to this, she got to scrutinize each one herself, and if she didn’t like what she saw, she could simply move on to the next.

  She signed in and while she waited for her profile to lo
ad she glanced over at Joshua. He was her life, and all she really wanted was to be able to provide for him, give him everything his little heart desired, but working as a waitress, living on tips, there were nights where they had nothing but dry bread to eat. Sure she could go to her mother, try and make amends, but it was her mother who kicked her out of the house after she had fallen pregnant, and that day she vowed to never set foot her mother’s house.

  The page loaded and like every other day there were at least four messages in her inbox, she clicked on the first one and like so many others the profile pictures was missing. She hated those, if she couldn’t see the person’s face, and see if there was at least some attraction towards that man, she didn’t even bother with a reply.

  She was about to click on the next message when a chat popped up at the bottom right corner of her screen.

  S&S: Hello

  Paige bit her bottom lip, she was always very careful to respond to live chats and by the sound of the name it sounded like one of those sickos who were into dodgy sex fetishes. She hovered over the X with her mouse cursor, but then the next message popped up again.

  S&S: My name is Adam, how are you?

  At least he introduced himself, she thought, and click on the message box and replied.

  PaigedLit: Hi there

  The next message popped up almost immediately.

  S&S: I like your screen name.

  She quickly muted the sound to prevent it from waking Joshua. She sat for a second and contemplating if she should respond. He seemed sincere and normal in a way, but then they all do at first until you get to know them, she thought but responded anyway.

  PaigedLit: Thanks, I like to write.

  S&S: Lit=Literacy?

  Well at least he wasn’t an idiot, he quickly caught on what the Lit in her screen name presented, she thought and replied.

  PaigedLit: Something like that.

  S&S: Nice wordplay.

  Oddly she found herself smiling, but now was her turn.

  PaigedLit: What does S&S stand for?

  S&S: Company name

  Paige frowned at the response and replied.

  PaigedLit: ??

  S&S: It’s the company’s name.

  She stared at her screen confusedly for a moment, why on earth would someone want to sign up with his company name, she wondered, but then Googled it and found Stanton and Son exports of Beef. She found it a bit odd that he signed up with a company name profile; it’s almost like inviting a stalker into your living room by giving away your physical position.

  PagiedLit: Not very clever to give away your place of work, what if you picked up a stalker.

  A big LOL popped up on her screen and again she couldn’t help but smile. There was something about this person that made her feel comfortable and exited at the same time.

  PagiedLit: I could become a stalker.

  S&S: I highly doubt that. I have to go unfortunately, but I will be in touch.

  And just like that S&S was gone.

  Chapter 3

  Paige spent the rest of the day working at the bistro, and by the time she picked Joshua up from her neighbor and got home she was too tired to bother logging into Rose Brides, although she spent all day thinking about the stranger she chatted to earlier that day.

  “Mommy,” a little voice broke through her thoughts, and she smiled at the little replica of herself curling up next to her.

  “Hey sweetheart, did you have fun today?” she asked tucking a finger under his chin.

  “We played games,” he said and yawned, “I also want games like that.”

  Paige smiled and kissed the top of Joshua’s head, “I will make a plan to get you one, maybe for your birthday,” she said, even though she knew that at the current state of affairs, she’d be lucky if she could buy him a cake.

  Joshua turned onto his side, and fell asleep again, and Paige was left staring at the ceiling. Sleep was going to avoid her tonight, simply because of the fact that she had no idea how she was ever going to make her son’s dreams come true.

  She was about to go to the kitchen to make some coffee when her phone pinged with a message alert and when she read the text she was a little unnerved.

  I hope you don’t mind me contacting you directly, but I would like to propose something to you. Adam.

  How the hell did he know her contact number? She wondered slightly panicky and replied.

  How did you get my number? She texted back, and bit her lip.

  Can I rather call you to discuss the proposal?

  Before she could respond, her phone vibrated and she quickly answered.

  “How dare you call me when I have not agreed to anything?” she whispered annoyed.

  “Miss Carr, I’m Adam Muller, from Stanton and Son in Dallas, I’m calling you in connection with your online profile on Rose Brides,” he said casually.

  “I, yes, um, I didn’t really…” she started but was soon cut short.

  “I’ll get straight to the point, the request is somewhat unorthodox, but my boss would settle for no less,” he started, and continued to tell her about the proposal, explaining in detail that his boss needed someone to play the part of a wife for a few months, and then after that she would be free to live on her own, with all expenses paid until she eventually decided to marry someone else.

  Paige was dumbstruck and quite confused by the request, she stared at her phone for a brief moment and then said, “I think you may have the wrong candidate, you see Mr. Muller, I have a child and I doubt your boss would be keen on me filing the shoes of being his wife.”

  “On the contrary Miss Carr, you are exactly the candidate he insisted on, you see, you are whole package, and for the purpose of the deal, it’s nothing short of perfect,” Mr. Muller stated almost excitedly, “and believe me, if Mr. Stanton promises to see that you are well taken care off once the deal is concluded, there is no doubt that you and your child would have more than enough. What’s even better, your son will also be schooled at a private institution here in Dallas, and that alone will open many doors of opportunity.”

  For a moment Paige had no idea what to say, this was all just too surreal, what man in his right mind would make such an offer, it sounded like something out of a movie. She glanced over to where Joshua was asleep on the bed they shared in the shoddy one bedroom apartment. What if this was in fact, her ticket out of here, she wondered quietly.

  “Miss Carr, I know it’s sudden and under normal circumstances, a decision like this would require much thought, but Mr. Stanton would like to have our answer urgently,” the man on the other end said derailing her train of thought, “If you accept the offer, I will arrange for someone to collect you at your home in two days, and take you straight to the airport.”

  “T-two days?” she asked nervously.

  “Yes, and based on your social security number, I am also able to ensure that we will settle all your outstanding obligations once you have signed the contract, so you will be able to start on a clean slate, so do you accept?”

  “Well, I do…” she started wanting to ask for more information, like how they knew what her physical address was, or how they got her contact number in the first place. She was certain there was a privacy disclaimer she opted in for when she joined on the website.

  “Marvelous, I will start the necessary arrangements,” he said answering part of her question.

  “Excuse me, but how did you get my contact number?” she asked curiously.

  “Your number was registered under your profile,” he said sounding a bit confused.

  She could have kicked herself, she had this awful habit to spot read things, and miss critical details such as ticking the box to hide her personal details.

  “Very well, but how do I know you’re not one of those traffickers who lure unsuspecting women with an attractive offer only to sell them off as sex slaves?” she asked almost defensively. There was simply no way she was willing to risk her son’s life on some silly business j
ust for the sake of false promises.

  “My apologies Miss. Carr, I can assure you this is nothing dubious, and no harm will come to your or your child, it’s a good and honest business deal, all you would have to do is play the part of a dedicated wife in the public eye,” the man paused and then continued, “If you’d like I am more than happy for you to arrange to have someone of your choice, perhaps a close family member or a friend escort you?” the man suggested.

  Although he sounded honest and legit in a peculiar way, she was still in two minds about this offer and although she often trusted her gut feel; it was currently as confused as a fish in a dishwasher.

  “I tell you what Mr…”

  “Adam,” he stated.

  “Mr. Muller,” she stated tautly, “I will arrange for my own transport to the airport, and if, in any way I feel threatened or uneasy, I will simply not get on that flight.”

  There was a brief silence, and then Adam agreed, “Of course Miss Carr. Now,” he continued, “you will be welcomed by our pilot, Jonas Bridges, who will take you and your son to our branded company jet, once boarded, my assistant will give you the contract to sign, there will be enough time during the flight to go through this contract, and any questions you may have, my assistant will be more than happy to answer. And once the contract is signed, we will release the funds of your first installment, part to cover your bills, and part for spending.”

  “Agreed,” she said still feeling uneasy, but with the fact that they will be getting on a branded company jet had to mean something, after all, she highly doubted a criminal organization will go through such extremes as to brand their mode of transport for illegal trafficking.

  Chapter 4

  As nervous as Paige was upon her arrival in Dallas, she couldn’t help but appreciate the breathtaking landscape and thankfully it wasn’t much different to home. Maybe coming here was not such a bad idea after all; she thought quietly as she watched how excited Joshua was. He kept jumping from one window to the next in the back of the car just to see the horses and cattle that roamed around so freely.