ROMANCE

by Vanessa Rose

  The cowboy shook his head. Joslin couldn't tear her eyes from his chiseled jaw studded with the shadow of an overgrown shave. Joslin's gaze traveled down his neck, across his Adam’s apple and down to the curls of blonde chest hair peeking from his partially unbuttoned shirt. The cowboy stretched his long arms up over his broad shoulders and pushed his strong hands up towards the ceiling.

  “I'm in a bind, Harvev,” the cowboy said, “I've got to find someone fast. I don't know, I just... I just have to find someone fast.”

  Harvey looked at him quizzically. Joslin didn't think to turn her attention away. She had been talking to Harvey just before the man sat down, and she'd never been asked to leave the conversation. So, Joslin kept listening, trying her best to convince herself she was just curious and not responding to an intense attraction. The heat she felt creep up the back of her neck behind her ears wasn't helping her case.

  Chapter 3: Cast as the Leading Lady

  “What do you mean you need to find somebody, Blake?” Harvey asked, a little more impatient than he'd been earlier, “You've got someone missing? Tell me, everything okay with you? I've never seen you quite this bothered before.”

  Blake, the cowboy, looked up at Harvey, who had been one of Blake's ranch hands every summer since he'd turned thirteen. Harvey knew Blake well, loved him and respected him deeply. The worry on Blake's face was more than enough to cause Harvey concern. Understanding this, Blake softened his demeanor. Joslin noticed the compassion flowing from the cowboy, and her heart skipped a beat.

  “My mom's coming to town, Harvey,” Blake said, “and I need to find a lady to...”

  Blake let his voice trail off as he shook his head. The cowboy smiled at himself in disbelief before he looked back at Harvey and continued.

  “I need to find a lady who is willing to, to be my... girlfriend? No, I need a lady to pretend to be my fiancé. But only for two weeks while my mom visits,” Blake said, his voice sounding desperate towards the end. “I just don't know who in this town I could get to do that who wouldn't go blabbing around and throwing the whole game!”

  Harvey dropped his jaw slightly. He was stunned.

  “Well, Blake,” Harvey said slowly, “Why don't you just... I don't know, Boss, why don't you just pick an actual fiancé? You know, there's plenty of fine ladies out here that would love to...”

  “Yea, I know that,” Blake interrupted, “But that's not the point. That's never been the point. I know all that, but...”

  Blake trailed off again. He leaned forward and put his elbows on the table.

  “I don't know,” Blake said finally. “I guess I don't have any good reasons really. Hell, Mom wants to set me up to marry Emily, my ex, and I haven't really got a good reason not to. The only reason we broke up in the first place was because she wanted to move to California, and, well, the hell with that. But I guess Mom's been talking to her and convinced her that she should move back here with me and get married, settle down. Mom told her that I was ready for all that now, even though Mom never even talked to me about that. Can you believe it?”

  Harvey shook his head as he listened to his friend. Working for Blake Paxton was one of the best gigs a young kid in the area could land. As the richest family in the area, the Paxton’s paid well and took really good care of their staff. Harvey got the job at such a young age because he'd helped Blake chase down a shepherd puppy that had gotten spooked and run off. Blake figured Harvey would work out fine, and he had. Harvey looked at Blake like a mentor, and Blake felt the same way. As Harvey listened to Blake continue, all he could do was shake his head in quiet sympathy.

  “So, I kind of freaked out at Mom, which I think was her goal. Now, she says that she's coming down to visit for two weeks... to help plan the wedding,” Blake said as he covered his face with his hands.

  “What wedding?” Harvey asked, obviously confused.

  Without thinking, which was often her bad habit, Joslin chimed in. She was unable to control the urge to answer Harvey's question. The cowboy's whole story had her mesmerized.

  “He told his mom he already had a fiancé so that she wouldn't bring his ex-back with her!” Joslin announced as if she'd just answered the million-dollar question.

  Startled, Blake and Harvey both looked up at her. Too surprised by the revelation to acknowledge Joslin's awkward interruption, Harvey snapped his gaze over to Blake.

  “You lied to your mom!?” he questioned, a little too loud for Blake's comfort.

  “C'mon, Harvey!” Blake hissed, “Hush up with all that nonsense, you know people in here talk to Mom on the regular. What are you trying to do, get me kicked out of the will?”

  Harvey shook his head quickly, dismissing such a notion. He looked back at Joslin, then back at Blake. Blake turned towards Joslin. He had noticed her when he first walked in, but was aiming for Harvey. The kid had always had a way of helping Blake talk out his problems. He wasn't too much older than Harvey, kind of like a young uncle, but there was wisdom to be had in talking to Harvey. Blake had been too absorbed in his own issues to see that Joslin and Harvey had been in conversation before he walked in. Joslin's beauty and brazen interjection was enough to jolt Blake into remembering his manners.

  “Hi, there,” he said to her with a curious smile, “My name is Blake Paxton.”

  When Blake extended his hand to shake Joslin's she felt her entire being quake. It took a moment longer than usual to summon her voice, and, when she did, it was softer than her typical volume.

  “I'm Joslin Drexler,” she replied, “It's nice to meet you, Mr. Paxton. Sorry about that interruption.”

  Blake smiled at Joslin. Her Southern accent was sweeter than summer honey, and he felt hypnotized by her beauty. Her hair was neatly swept back from her face and pinned at the nape of her neck with a barrette that matched her necklace. Blake's eyes instinctively soaked in her physique, and her features charmed him. Even the purple scrubs she wore added to his smile. Inside his mind, the gears were already turning.

  Chapter 4: Negotiating the Script

  “So, you want me to pretend to be engaged to you?” Joslin asked incredulously.

  She smiled as Blake nodded his head. Harvey was busy with other customers in the diner, but she could feel him keeping tabs on them.

  “Harvey's right,” Joslin said. “Why don't you just go find a real fiancé? Then you won't have this problem at all, right?”

  “I can't do that, though,” Blake said, “I don't want to get married right now, I don't think. And, besides, my mom will get her way one way or another. Most of the women around here already know who I am, and I know who they are and I don't want to marry them.”

  Joslin felt a pang of sympathy for the cowboy as he lowered his head onto his folded arms in exasperation. It was odd to Joslin how comfortable he was acting around her even though they had just met. As Blake's vision blurred in the shadow of his arms upon the counter, his comfort level surprised him, too. Joslin, it was turning out, was very easy for him to talk to and that was rare for Blake.

  “How long have you been in town, Joslin?” Blake asked when he lifted his head from his arms.

  “Not too long,” she replied, “I took the internship at the veterinary hospital about three months ago. I'm signed up for a whole year, got an apartment and a car. But I haven't met too many people yet.”

  “Then you'd be perfect! Please?” Blake requested emphatically.

  Amused, Joslin shook her head. She couldn't determine which concept she thought was more ridiculous: his ploy to fool his mother or the butterflies she felt while thinking about being his leading lady.

  “I don't know, Sir,” she said with exaggerated politeness, “that seems like a pretty heavy role to play.”

  “I'll make it worth your while,” Blake said, hoping to sweeten the negotiation.

  “No,” Joslin said, “I don't need your money. Trust me, I'm set with my financial life. There's got to be something else. Whatcha got?”

  Joslin was sarcast
ic in her humor and she enjoyed pushing people's comfort levels. Blake was the same way and he was surprised at how happy it made him to find a like mind.

  “Well,” he said in mock consideration, “What do you want? Need a horse? I got a bunch of them. I can give you one. How about free steak for life? I got a lot of that, too.”

  Joslin laughed. Blake smiled at her smile, happy that he'd gotten such a genuine reaction from her. When her head was tilted back in her giggle, his eyes stole a glance at her breasts. Without his permission, they traveled down her hips and across her long legs. Joslin noticed his admiration at the tail end of her laugh. It floated in the air around them as she smiled at him. A blush blazed across Blake's cheeks when he realized he'd been caught.

  Joslin's heart did flip-flops. She couldn't control the chaotic butterflies she felt in her chest. In an effort to stop herself from spinning off into outer space, she spoke, blurting out an answer to his question.

  “Fine,” she said, “I'll help you fool your mom. It won't be easy, though, I'm telling you. Mothers know.”

  Blake was so happy and relieved. He stood up and wrapped his arms around Joslin. She took a breath of his scent and felt dizzy as her heart beat against her chest. When his arms released her, she felt their absence and looked up at him.

  “Well,” Blake said, “would you like to come over and see where we'll live?”

  Joslin barely breathed as she gazed at him standing before her. She could only repeat the same phrase over and over again within her mind.

  This is all pretend. Every single moment of this is all make believe.

  Chapter 5: The Paxton Stage

  Blake's estate started about ten minutes before you got to the gate at the end of his driveway. The Paxton family had been cattle ranchers on that land since it was settled. They were an institution within the community, a line of purity and prestige. Blake was the latest descendent to run the ranch. His mother and father had retired and chosen to live a more urban life in a condo within the heart of Houston. Blake's older sisters were both lawyers who'd moved out of state years earlier. His dad had been an only child, and that left Blake as the last Paxton able to carry on the family name and tradition.

  It was a fact that Blake's mother never ever let him forget about.

  “Blake, I just don't understand why you didn't tell me about her before now!” Tamara Paxton nearly yelled at the image of her son on her tablet screen.

  It was only that morning that Tamara found out her only son was engaged to be married to someone she'd never met. While she'd been at least pleasantly surprised earlier in the day, a few dinner cocktails had her a little bent out of shape.

  “Mom,” Blake pleaded, “I'm sorry I never told you. It's just that she's very busy, and I didn't want things to get too serious before we were ready. But when you started talking, I got to thinking, and...Well, Mom, I'm getting married, isn't that what you want?”

  Tamara shook her head. While that was exactly what she wanted, she needed her son to know that she did value his happiness. She was just a little alarmed that she didn't have a chance to approve of his choice, or even be introduced to her, before he proposed.

  “So, it's a done deal, then? You've already popped the question?” she asked.

  “Yes, Mom,” Blake answered, looking a little guilt-ridden on the screen, though not for the reasons that Tamara Paxton thought.

  “Well,” she relented, “Alright, then. I guess I'll head that way this weekend. Oh, goodness! That's already the day after tomorrow. Have y'all picked a date already?”

  The look of concern and distress on his mother's face tore at Blake's heart, but he couldn't drop it now. Joslin sat on the opposite side of the vast living room. She could hear their conversation, and see his mother's face, but the camera couldn't see Joslin. Blake hadn't mentioned that he'd brought his brand new fiancé home, so Joslin kept quiet.

  “Uh,” Blake hesitated, “no, we haven't picked a date yet, but I think Joslin might like a fall wedding.”

  “Oh, Joslin is her name, then?” Tamara asked.

  “Yes, Mom,” Blake answered, “Dr. Joslin Drexler. She's a veterinarian. She's going to be the new doc they've got taking care of the herd.”

  Joslin almost jumped out of her skin when she heard Blake speak those words. That was certainly not the case, and not only was that not part of the deal, involving the practice was something that Joslin definitely didn't want to do. Blake seemed to sense her uneasiness. He nonchalantly glanced around the room as he stretched so his mom wouldn't notice him looking at someone else. When he locked eyes with Joslin and saw the panic in her face, he almost blurted out that he was sorry. Quickly, he got off the line with his mom. Blake sat there for a few moments and clicked off his tablet.

  The counter that Blake sat at was a part of a large island that separated the living room from the kitchen. Blake got off his bar stool and walked around towards the fridge. The heels of his boots cast an echoed click across the space. Joslin just watched him move, like a lion prowling its domain.

  “Would you like something to drink, Joslin?” Blake asked with forced cheeriness in his voice.

  Joslin got up from her spot on the couch and walked towards him. She took a seat on the bar stool closest to where he stood.

  “Sure,” she said, “got anything to drink that doesn't have to do with the veterinary practice?”

  Blake looked at her, stunned by her response like a frog in the light of a lantern. Suddenly, a laugh erupted up from deep within him, casting down the walls of stress, worry and self-consciousness. He shrugged his shoulders and pulled out one can of cola and one bottle of beer. He took one in each hand and held them up for Joslin. She picked the beer. Blake popped the top with a bottle opener mounted to the side of the fridge. He grabbed one for himself and sat down next to her.

  “To... our wedding,” Blake said as he held up his beer bottle for a toast.

  “Cheers,” Joslin said with a smile, “So, how's this going to all work out, anyway? Have you even got a plan?”

  After taking a long swig of his beer, Blake shook his head.

  “Not really,” he confessed, “I figure... we have to have a story about how we met. That's easy, we can just say we met the way we actually met, at the diner, through Harvey, right?”

  Joslin nodded her head, encouraging him to continue, but her pesky left eyebrow wouldn't relax from its raised position on her skeptical face. Blake cleared his throat and went on.

  “Well, that's pretty much my plan,” he said, “Then, we just kind of pretend to be a couple when she's here. You can pretend you never met me when it's all over, I promise. I'll never bother you again, Miss Joslin.”

  Disappointment flashed across her face for a fraction of a second.

  “Are you going to pretend like you never met me when it's all over, Mr. Paxton?” Joslin asked.

  For the first time, Blake realized that, like most other females, Joslin was attracted to him. Unlike most other females, however, Blake was attracted to her in return.

  “No, Ma'am,” Blake said slowly, “not at all.”

  Chapter 6: The Audience Arrives

  Blake and Joslin had exchanged numbers and been texting back and forth the past day to work out the details of their impending performance. By the time Blake came to pick Joslin up at her apartment to go meet his mother, they were confident they could pull it off. It was hard for either of them to wipe the smiles from their faces, but they didn't try. They were supposed to be engaged, anyway, so the giddiness suited them. They stood for a moment in Joslin's doorway before she remembered to let him in. She laughed as she moved aside. Blake almost had to duck his head under the doorway he was so tall.

  Blake let Joslin walk ahead of him once she closed the door.

  “Just give me one minute,” she said to him, “I've got to grab my bag.”

  Joslin turned into her room from the hallway. It was a small apartment, but she used the space well. Everywhere he looked there wer
e plants. The scent of lavender permeated the air. When she came out of her room, Blake looked up at her. The afternoon sunlight coming from the window at the end of the hall illuminated her figure from behind. The spring dress she wore perfectly hugged her hips and flared out. Her hair was down, curled under her chin and glistening with youth and radiance.

  It was enough to take Blake's breath away. He watched her walk, the moment passing through his consciousness in slow motion. Suddenly, she was standing before him. Blake took a deep breath and smiled down at her. She didn't look away, or give any indication that she felt uncomfortable with him. Instead, Joslin reached a hand up to pick off a piece of lint that had landed on his shoulder. Blake took her hand in his and held it to his chest.

  “Thank you, Joslin,” he said sincerely. “I really appreciate you doing this for me.”