“Oh, no!” Laura’s head shook emphatically. “You don’t have any more bargaining chips.”
“I’ve got one.” Andy stuck his hand in his pocket and pulled out a velvet box.
“What is that? And if it’s what I think it is, the answer is no,” Laura said.
“Don’t get all excited. I’m kin to you so I’m not proposing.” He snapped the box open and the biggest diamond she’d ever seen glittered in the dining room lights. “Don’t faint. It’s fake.”
Colton shook his head. “Just how far are y’all going to ask us to take this crazy relationship? If the women are still a problem after we are engaged, then do we have a pretend wedding?”
Maudie shook her head. “No, that would be going way too far. I just want you to propose to Laura at the party. You can dance with her the first time…”
“But we danced in Dallas,” Laura said.
The soup got thicker and thicker and she was sinking faster and faster.
“That don’t count. It’s the first dance in Ambrose that is the lucky one,” Roxie said. “It’s the one that shows everyone that you two are really together. They will take pictures and put it in the paper and Andy will put it on the ranch website for the whole world to see.”
Laura looked at Colton. Surely to God that man would protest the hoops they were asking him to jump through to keep the women from chasing him. But he didn’t. He was actually grinning rather than cussing a blue streak like she wanted to do.
She couldn’t do it! The lie was too big.
“If you agree, you don’t owe me one thin dime as of right now,” Andy said. “You have to stay on the ranch one more month so everyone will think you two are really involved, but after that you are free to leave.”
Her head pounded. Her pulse raced. Her breath caught in her chest.
“Why not? It’s no big deal.” Colton reached for the ring and shoved it into his pocket. “Hollywood people do things like that all the time just for the publicity.”
“We’re not Hollywood,” Laura gasped.
Almost ten thousand dollars forgiven for just nodding her head when he dropped down on one knee and proposed. She didn’t have to say a single word. Everyone would believe that she had agreed when he put the ring on her finger and they danced. She could leave in one month.
“Well?” Andy asked.
“One month,” she whispered.
“You got it and you don’t owe me anything,” Andy said.
“Why would you do that?”
“Because Colton is my best friend and he’s made me a rich man while I’ve made him even richer,” Andy answered.
“Want me to propose now and you can just show up at the party wearing the ring?” Colton asked.
She shook her head. The fantasy world sure did get tangled up in knots. Just when she thought she was ready to think about dating Colton in real life, now she was going to be engaged to him in the fantasy world.
“Okay, I’ll say yes,” she said.
“Good,” Maudie told her. “Now let’s get on about making this the best summer party ever on the Circle 6.”
Colton dropped another kiss on her forehead and left with Rusty. Andy escaped to his office. Maudie brought out the books again and Roxie winked at Laura.
“Are you wearing that white dress to the dance?” Roxie asked.
“No, she’s wearing the red dress she bought at Ross’s. And she’ll be wearing my pearls and her hair like it was in that picture right there,” Maudie said.
For ten thousand dollars, Laura would wear a burlap bag with a rope belt and go barefoot.
“Can Roxie do hair like that?”
“I’ve got that covered,” Maudie said with a grin. “And it’s a big surprise for all you girls, so don’t ask for details.”
Tears streamed down Roxie’s face. “I don’t want you to leave in a month but I want you to be out of debt and I want you to stay because you want to, not because you have to.”
Laura hugged the girl. “Always remember this, even if I’m all the way across the state: we are friends and we’ll stay that way.”
***
The barn was ready right before supper. What had been a rustic-looking old sale barn with a balcony around the top so the buyers could see the cattle being auctioned was now a gorgeous party room. All it needed was the band, the people, and the food and that was coming the next day.
At dusk, Janet pulled up in the front yard and Laura bailed off the porch like a little girl. She and Janet met halfway in an embrace that made Colton more than a little bit jealous. First, that he’d never had a sibling, and second, that he had to share Laura for the next three days.
He hadn’t meant to fall for her but she had flat-out stolen his heart and it bugged him that he’d have to take second place while Janet was there.
“Colton, come and meet my sister and my friend. This is Janet.” She hugged her sister again, “Meet my…” He caught the slight hesitation even if her sister didn’t.
“I’m Colton Nelson and it’s a real pleasure to welcome you to the Circle 6 Ranch. Please make yourself at home, and if you need anything let one of us know.” He slipped an arm around Laura’s waist and drew her to his side.
There, that felt better. She belonged glued to him, not to her sister. He still had a month to prove to her that she shouldn’t leave the ranch, and Janet had best not be putting crazy notions in her head, either.
“Nice place, even if it is way back in the sticks,” Janet said.
Janet was a smaller replica of Laura. Blonde, blue-eyed, minus the big boobs and round fanny, but she had a hard look about her. Like maybe she’d visited one too many bars and lived a whole lot of her life on the too-rough side of the tracks.
“That’s the way we like it.” Colton squeezed Laura’s waist.
***
She didn’t know what was going on, but the vibes weren’t right. Usually his hands anywhere on her body set her ablaze, but tonight they irritated her. She stepped out of his reach and said, “I love it out here. Tomorrow when it’s light you’ll have to see what I’m doing with the flower beds, Janet. Bring your suitcases on upstairs and I’ll show you where your rooms are.”
“I’ll get the suitcases, darlin’. You girls go on and play catch-up. I know you’ve got a lot to talk about.” He kissed her on the cheek and looked at Janet. “Backseat or trunk?”
She hit a button on the keychain and the trunk popped open. “Thank you. I’m afraid I brought too much but I didn’t know what all I’d need. And all of it isn’t mine. I brought the rest of Laura’s things too.”
“Why would you do that?” Laura asked.
“Because they were in my way and because you live here now.”
“No problem. There’s plenty of room for her to store her things here.” Colton smiled.
“Wow!” Janet said when they were inside the house. “That is one damn sexy cowboy you are dating. You should have told me that he was movie star gorgeous. Those pictures on the ranch website don’t do him a bit of justice, honey. Sexy and a billionaire. Does he have rich relatives?”
They met Sally coming out of the room where Laura planned to put Janet. “It’s all ready. Bed is turned down. Towels are under the vanity in the bathroom, and I put out that special soap you like, Laura.”
“Thank you, Sally. This is my sister, Janet. We couldn’t run this place without Sally. She’s an angel,” Laura said.
Sally beamed and batted the air with one of her big hands. “Listen to you go on. We’re just glad Mr. Colton is happy. Y’all need anything, I’ll be back tomorrow and Sunday. Don’t usually work on the weekends but Miz Maudie, she needs extra help this weekend. Ain’t every week that we have a big old party on the ranch.”
“Double wow!” Janet said when Laura opened the door into her room. “This is all mine?”
“All yours. And mine is right next door,” Laura said. “Colton said that I should move into the big house while you are here so we can visit more. We’ll have our own space and yet be able to run back and forth without crossing the lawn. Later, you can see my apartment out over the carriage house.”
“What does the master suite look like?” Janet asked.
“It’s not a lot different than these rooms,” she said.
How was she supposed to know what the master suite looked like? Though she’d been invited, she’d never been in Colton’s room. She had no idea if it was a suite like they’d had in the hotel or if it really was like the other bedrooms.
“Luggage on the way up,” Colton yelled.
“We aren’t talkin’ about you,” Laura yelled back.
“Just makin’ sure you know there are men folks in hearing distance,” he drawled and then laughed.
“I like him,” Janet said.
“I heard that.” Colton’s head appeared at the top of the staircase and then the rest of his body followed with suitcases tucked under both arms and in his hands.
“Good lord, Janet, did you bring everything you own?”
“Yep, and what you left in the closet, too.”
“Why?”
“You might as well have it here as there and I need the room.”
“But,” Laura started and then clamped her mouth shut.
“And where do these go?” Rusty asked.
Janet pointed to the room next to hers. “If it’s not a pink suitcase, it goes in Laura’s room.”
“How in the devil did you get so many on the plane?” Laura asked.
“Easy. I paid for them, or rather, Andy did,” Janet said.
“Janet, this is Rusty. He’s my right-hand man on the ranch. I don’t even have to tell you that this is Laura’s sister because they could be twins,” Colton made introductions. “My Aunt Maudie and Roxie are off doing some last-minute shopping. I bet Roxie will join the hen session wherever y’all are having it and you can meet Aunt Maudie tomorrow. We’ll get on out of your hair and let you alone now. See you later, darlin’.” He gave Laura a pat on the shoulder and it didn’t feel as wrong as his attitude on the porch.
“Are you hungry? Want a beer or some iced tea?”
“I’d take a beer, but I stopped and got a burger on the way so I’m not hungry,” Janet said.
“Get comfortable and I’ll bring some right up.”
***
Colton and Rusty did a workout in the gym then a thirty-minute swim before they came back to the house. He kicked his boots off at the back door, picked up a beer from the refrigerator on his way through the kitchen, and padded up the staircase in his socks.
“I will not!” Laura’s voice came through the door.
He stopped and leaned against the wall.
“You’ve got a sweet setup here, Laura. You’d be a fool to let all this slip through your hands. You can love a rich man as well as a poor one.”
He held his breath.
“You are just seeing the money,” Laura said.
“Oh, I see the cowboy too. It wouldn’t be too tough to crawl into bed with him, and just think of half this ranch on down the road. It’s the best opportunity that’s ever come your way.”
“No, thank you. I respect him and this whole family too much to pull any kind of scam.”
He exhaled slowly.
Respect.
It wasn’t love but it was a start.
“You’re crazy. It’s too bad that Andy brought you to work here to pay off my debt instead of me. I’d have already had him wrapped around my finger and then I’d have taken care of both of us for the rest of our lives,” Janet said.
“I am a grown woman and I’ve always taken care of myself. Speaking of which, did you make your meetings this week?”
“One of them. And I did place a two-dollar bet on the ponies but I lost. So I figure I’d best make two meetings next week,” Janet said.
Laura’s voice shot up. “Dammit! I didn’t bail you out of trouble just so you could fall back into it. I’m finished, Janet. I mean it. If you go to those loan sharks again, I’m not paying them off for you.”
“With all this, darlin’, you wouldn’t let me sink, now would you?” Janet’s laugh was brittle.
“I could always have you committed,” Laura threatened.
“But you won’t. I’m the needy, clingy little nobody who makes you feel all good about yourself. You’d better think about your unstable big sister before you walk away from this sweet little deal in the boonies.”
He clenched his fists.
“I am thinking about you. I’m not coming back to west Texas when I leave the ranch. I’m going to disappear for a long time and you aren’t going to know where I am. As long as I’m enabling you, you’ll never stop your gambling and getting into trouble. I love you, Janet. But I’m finished bailing you out. Good night, sister,” she said.
“You wouldn’t dare,” Janet said.
“Consider it already done.”
“But I love you and I need you. We can whip the world as long as we are together.” Janet laughed.
“I can whip the world all by myself and so can you. You just got to figure that out on your own. We are grown. We aren’t little girls anymore. See you in the morning at the games. My team is going to beat your team,” Laura said.
“In your wildest dreams you couldn’t beat me. You never could,” Janet said.
“We’ll see.”
Colton moved away from the wall quickly when he realized the conversation was over. At that same time, the front door shut and Roxie came up the stairs carrying a thick book.
“What? Laura gave me permission to go to her apartment and pick out any book I wanted to read. There’s nothing on television tonight and Dillon has to help his daddy get in the hay or he can’t come play tomorrow.”
“I thought you’d be bitin’ at the bit to get in there with those two women and gossip,” Colton said.
“She’s here? Laura’s sister is here?” Roxie asked.
Laura closed the door to Janet’s room behind her. “She’s here and she’s tired so I’m going to grab a book and read a while, too. You sure you’re all right with this thing tomorrow night, Colton? You’ve had time to think about it and…”
Colton took Laura’s hand in his. “I’m fine with it. Good night, Roxie. See you in the morning.”
Roxie went straight to her room and shut the door.
“Come to my room and I’ll make you a drink. I can’t believe you aren’t going to talk to Janet all night. You were so excited all week that you couldn’t be still and you’ve already finished talking? Something must be wrong.” He led her to his room and threw open the door. “Welcome to my part of this monster big house.”
“I’d like Jack Daniel’s, two fingers, neat,” she said.
He went to the bar in the corner of the sitting room and poured two drinks, adding a cube of ice to his. She slumped down in the corner of the massive leather sofa and reached for the tumbler when he sat down beside her. She sipped it and sighed.
“Good?” he asked.
“You’ll never know how bad I needed this. So you do have a suite.”
“Sitting room and you can see the bedroom through the archway. Over on that side is another smaller room with a nice big window.” He pointed to the right.
“What’s that for?”
“The former owners used it for a nursery. I understand four kids started out their lives in that little room,” he said. “You ever think about kids?”
“I’d be a terrible mother, Colton.”
“What makes you say that?” He moved close enough that he could toy with her hair.
“Look at what I came from. Would you trust me to have your children?”
“Yes, I would, Laura. I’ve seen you with Roxie and with Daisy and Donald. You have loving, kind instincts. You’d be a great mother.”
“Anyone can love a cat and a duck. You can ban them to the barn. It’s kind of hard to do that with a kid,” she said.
“I see what I see and I think you’d be a good mother, Laura.”
***
The weight of the conversation with Janet lifted from her heart and she smiled. He trusted her enough to have children with her and Janet wanted her to fleece him? She tossed back the rest of her whiskey and crawled into his lap.
“Please hold me. I don’t even want to have sex but I want you to hold me and I want to wake up with you beside me tomorrow morning.”
Chapter 16
Roxie stood on the back of a pickup truck and called out the names of the teams. One woman and one man—a total of ten teams. They came forward, some with smiles and some shaking their heads, to stand beside one of the pickup trucks lined up in a row.
“The plan is in the passenger’s seat. The name of the game is winning, and Dillon and I plan to do just that. Aunt Maudie has the gun. Leave your window down so you can hear the shot that lets the games begin. Oh, and the winning team will get a five-thousand-dollar check to split between them however they want.”
Ten truck engines rumbled like horses snorting to get out of the chute at a race. The envelope had “Colton and Laura” written on the outside and just holding it made her hands shake. She’d wanted to tell Janet in the middle of the argument that she and Colton weren’t really dating, that it was a ruse to keep him free from gold-digging women like Janet. She wanted to come clean but she’d promised Andy and the family and she couldn’t go back on her word.
“Good lord!” she yelled above the noise of the trucks.
“What?” Colton looked around at her.
“Games, my ass. You are going to get a helluva lot of work out of these folks today.”
He grinned. “What’s first on the list?”
“Hay, and our field has been marked with the white flags.”
Billion Dollar Cowboy Page 19
