by Judy Duarte
A year ago last December, Marcos married one of the Atlanta Fortunes. He and Wendy had a daughter they both adored. And who wouldn’t? MaryAnne was a beautiful child, a toddler who was their pride and joy.
Was it any wonder Marcos would want the same happiness for his younger brother?
Yet Miguel’s marriage would be a sham, a fact that released a shimmy of guilt in his gut.
“I’ll admit,” Marcos added, “the whole thing seemed a little sudden. But I knew how much you guys cared for each other in high school.”
And Marcos, more than anyone, had known just how hard Miguel had taken the breakup.
But, hey. So what? Teenagers didn’t realize that life went on, that the world didn’t revolve around a single girl.
“I’m glad you found each other again,” Marcos added. “You have a lot of catching up to do.”
“Actually,” Miguel said, “we’re going to cut to the chase. We’ve wasted enough time already, so we plan to get married right away.”
At that, Nicole, who’d just taken a sip of water, choked and sputtered. “Excuse me.”
Surely she hadn’t been surprised by his comment. Or disappointed to think she wouldn’t get to participate in all that bridal stuff.
“So when’s the big day?” Marcos asked.
Nicole cleared her throat. “We don’t have a date set, although it’ll be in the near future.”
Miguel shot a glance across the table, saw her biting down on her bottom lip.
What was that all about? For a woman who’d been so determined to create a marriage that she’d flown all the way to New York to make an old boyfriend an offer he couldn’t refuse, she seemed to be dragging her feet now. And he couldn’t help wondering why.
Was she afraid to follow through with this challenge to her parents?
“We want to get married as soon as possible,” Nicole explained, “but I’d rather not elope. Besides, there’s also a seventy-two-hour waiting period for a marriage license. So we’ll have to wait at least a week anyway.”
“That still sounds like a whirlwind courtship to me,” Marcos said.
And it was. But unless Miguel had misunderstood Nicole, that had been her game plan. Hadn’t it?
Tom the waiter approached with an ice bucket and a tray bearing two champagne flutes and a bottle of Cristal. “Will this be okay?”
“Perfect.” Miguel watched as his brother scanned the room, caught the eye of one of his employees, then nodded.
“You’ll have to excuse me,” Marcos said, “I have to go now, but I’ll stop by again before you leave. You can tell me more about your wedding plans then.”
As Marcos walked away, the waiter popped the cork, then poured them each a glass. When they were finally alone again, Miguel raised his flute for a toast, and Nicole followed his lead.
“To young love,” he said. “And to a successful business venture.”
He supposed he could have come up with something a lot more romantic, but for now, they were the only two in the courtyard, and addressing the real reason for their reunion seemed to be a lot more fitting.
As their glasses clinked, and the crystal resonated in the air, footsteps sounded on the tile floor.
Miguel looked up to see the approaching diners, only to recognize his half sister, Isabella, and her husband, J.R. Fortune.
Isabella, with her long dark hair and big brown eyes, was a lovely woman who always chose bright colorful apparel that reflected her Tejano heritage, like the southwestern print skirt and matching red blouse she wore tonight. When she scanned the courtyard and spotted her youngest brother, her eyes lit up. “Miguel! I didn’t know you were in town. Why didn’t you call?”
Miguel got to his feet, greeted Isabella with a hug, then shook J.R.’s hand. “I’d planned to surprise you guys.” He glanced down at Nicole. “I’m not sure if you remember Nicole Castleton, Isabella.”
Momentarily stunned to silence, his lovely and gracious sister quickly recovered. “Of course I do. It’s been a long time.”
“Yes,” Nicole said. “It has.”
Miguel knew his sister would be pumping him for details later. And apparently, J.R. had some questions, too, because the Los Angeles businessman turned Red Rock rancher said, “You’ll have to come out to Molly’s Pride for dinner one night while you’re in town.”
J.R. had named his ranch after his late mother, Molly. And he and Isabella had done an amazing job refurbishing the old hacienda and making it into a home.
“Yes,” Isabella said. “You’ll have to see what we’ve done to the courtyard and the patio. We’ve added a new built-in barbecue and a garden.”
J.R. added, “I hope you’ll be around longer than last time you were in town, Miguel.”
For the past ten years, Miguel had only come home for Christmas or an occasional Thanksgiving, staying only a day or two. Of course, he’d spent more time in town when Javier had been in the hospital last spring.
“Actually,” he said, “I’ll be in Red Rock indefinitely. And dinner sounds great. I hope you don’t mind if I bring Nicole with me.”
Isabella brightened. “Not at all. In fact, I’d be disappointed if you didn’t.”
Ever since Isabella had returned to Red Rock in search of her father and his family, her four half brothers had accepted her unconditionally. She’d come back about the time Miguel and Nicole had split up, so she’d been aware of Miguel’s heartbreak and his decision to leave Red Rock.
She also knew that he’d suffered two big losses in his life—first Nicole, then, more recently, his mother who’d died of pneumonia. So her happiness was sincere.
Again, he tamped down the guilt that rose up inside. Did he really have to deceive his family, especially Isabella?
Should he level with her later, when Nicole wasn’t around?
“But what do you mean by ‘indefinitely’?” Isabella asked. “Aren’t you still working for Home Run Records?”
“I took a leave of absence,” Miguel said.
“Why?”
“Because Nicole and I are getting married.”
“Married?” Isabella turned briefly to J.R., who had to be about as surprised as she was, then back to Miguel. “That’s wonderful. Have you set a date?”
“Actually,” Miguel said, “I haven’t officially proposed yet, so we haven’t made any kind of formal announcement or settled on dates. I’d like to do it as soon as possible, but Nicole wants to wait.”
At that point, Nicole thought she’d better step in and explain. “It’s not that I’m dragging my feet. There’s just so much to do. I’m going to need at least two weeks to get it all done.”
Isabella offered her an understanding smile. “You’re right about all that needs to be done. And two weeks is still considered a whirlwind courtship.”
Nicole shot up a glance at Miguel, trying to read his expression. She was glad that he was embracing his role so enthusiastically, but his sudden turnaround made her a little uneasy, although she wasn’t sure why.
“I’d love to help any way I can,” Isabella said. “Why don’t you come to the ranch for lunch on Saturday afternoon? We can talk about it then.”
“That’s really nice of you,” Nicole said, “but—”
Miguel reached down and placed his hand over hers, branding her with the warmth of his touch. “Let her do it, honey.”
The warmth in his eyes seemed so real that she had to remind herself it was all an act, that they weren’t really in love, that their engagement was as phony as a three-dollar bill.
“I’m so happy for you, guys,” Isabella said.
“So am I.” The tall, fair-haired rancher slipped his arm around his wife’s shoulder and drew her close. “If you’d like to have the ceremony on Molly’s Pride, you’re more than wel
come to do so. All you have to do is say the word.”
“Thank you,” Miguel said. “We might take you up on that.”
Yes, Nicole thought. They might. Her parents, of course, had always imagined her wedding would be a big formal affair. But she doubted they’d be on board for this one. They were sure to object—about the venue, the size...the groom.
“We’d like to keep things small and intimate,” Nicole said.
“Whatever you want is fine with me,” Isabella said. “And I’d love to help with the planning. I’ll get your number from Miguel and give you a call tomorrow. We’ll set a time for lunch, and we can talk about a guest list for the wedding.”
The wedding.
A guest list.
Family and friends.
Gifts.
Yikes!
She’d better not open anything, especially if she had to give it all back. The game plan that had sounded so promising just moments ago now threatened to blow sky-high if she wasn’t careful.
“Miguel and I are still talking over the details,” she told his sister.
“Good. I’ll call you tomorrow and you can let me know what you’ve decided. I love weddings. It’ll be fun having yours on the ranch—unless you prefer having it elsewhere.”
Right now, Las Vegas was sounding pretty good.
“Well,” J.R. said, “we’d better let you get back to your celebration. Congratulations. This is a very nice surprise.”
“It certainly is.” Isabella offered Nicole another warm, sincere smile.
And with that, they continued on their way through the courtyard and to the front of the restaurant.
“What’s the matter?” Miguel asked. “You look as if you’re having second thoughts.”
“Oh, no. It’s not that. It’s just that... Well, it’s the whole gift idea. Deceiving my parents is one thing. After all, they set this whole thing in motion when they placed such unreasonable demands on me. But I don’t like lying to your family.” She glanced at Isabella and J.R., watching their backs until they disappeared from sight. Under the circumstances, she’d expected them to be... Well, skeptical to say the least, especially after their teenage romance ended in heartbreak.
Why had they been so supportive, so welcoming?
“I don’t like lying to my family, either,” Miguel said. “I wish I could confide in them, but the more people who know what’s really going on, the more chance that your parents will learn what you’re doing.”
Nicole bit back her momentary apprehension. What other option did she have?
The waiter had no more than taken their dinner orders when her cell phone rang. Normally, she would have ignored the interruption and focused on her dinner companion, especially one who was so handsome and intriguing, but an overactive work ethic insisted she at least check the display to see who was trying to reach her.
When she recognized her mother’s number, she looked across the table at Miguel. “It’s my mom.”
“News certainly travels fast. Go ahead and take it.”
She waited a beat, then answered. “Hello?”
“Nicole, it’s Mom. Your father tells me that you’ve been seeing that boy again.”
Nicole rolled her eyes. It was as if she’d never left high school! “That boy is twenty-eight years old and an executive of a record company. He’s also the love of my life—and the man I intend to marry.” She shot a glance across the table, caught Miguel’s gaze. For a moment, a connection formed between them. Yet not the kind she could tie her heart to. Not anymore.
“I realize that you once had feelings for him,” her mother began.
“I still do, and they’ve only grown stronger, Mom. It’s amazing, but after ten years, I realize why no other men have ever appealed to me.” The words had no more than rolled out of her mouth when she realized there might be a wee bit of truth to them.
As the daughter of one of the richest men in Red Rock, she’d always been in high demand as a date. But for all the proper young men introduced to her—first at the debutante balls then later, when she’d reached adulthood, at charity benefits, dinner parties and other social events—no one she’d ever met had made her heart race. Not the way Miguel had when they were teens.
“Your father and I hope you won’t do anything hasty and that you’ll take time to get to know that young man. After all, he’s been away for so long. He’s not the same person anymore. And neither are you.”
At that, Nicole couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity of it all. “Now wait a minute, I thought you two worried that life was passing me by, that I was too focused on work.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we want you to marry the first guy who—”
“The first guy who what? Came along and caught my eye ten years ago? Seriously, Mom. I never should have let you and Daddy talk me into breaking up with Miguel in the first place. Who knows what our lives might have been like if we’d had a chance to let our feelings grow and develop. We might have gotten married years ago—and had a couple children by now. And as far as we’re concerned...” She glanced across the table, saw Miguel watching her intently, as if she were making a long overdue confession. And in a way, maybe she was. “Well, as far as we’re concerned, we’re not going to waste any more time. We plan to marry within the next two weeks—if not sooner. And you and Daddy can choose to be supportive and attend the small ceremony—or not.”
There. She’d said it. The marriage was on—deception and all.
Her mother waited for what seemed like forever before saying, “You can’t blame us for worrying. We love you, honey. And we do want to be supportive. Why don’t you just slow down a bit and let Daddy and I catch our breaths.”
“I don’t plan to wait long,” Nicole said.
Her mother paused for a moment, catching her breath, it seemed. “Maybe we should talk more about this over dinner tomorrow night.”
“Only if I can bring Miguel.”
Another pause, this one lasting two beats. “All right. I’ll reserve one of the private rooms at the country club.”
Nicole glanced across the table. “I’ll have to ask Miguel if he’s available for dinner tomorrow.”
When he nodded, she told her mother okay.
“Then we’ll see you at six,” her mom said.
When the call ended, Nicole placed her cell back in her purse. “Well, we certainly have their attention.”
Before Miguel could respond, Tom returned with their dinner—beef fajitas for him and a chicken tostada for her. And while the food was tasty, Nicole merely picked at hers.
“What’s the matter?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“Are you sorry you set all this into motion?”
“No, not at all.” She had no problem with the marriage plan itself.
But how many people would get caught up in the deception?
She scanned the courtyard, noting that it had filled with other diners.
As Miguel’s chair scraped against the tile floor, she turned to the sound and watched him stand. As he stepped away from the table, she assumed he was going to excuse himself to go to the men’s room. Instead, he cleared his throat. Then, in a booming voice, he said, “Nicole Castleton, I have a confession to make.”
What was going on?
She had no idea. And obviously, the other diners were just as curious because their voices grew quiet, their heads turned and their movements stilled.
As Miguel dropped to one knee beside her, he reached into the lapel of his jacket, pulled out a small velvet box and flipped open the lid, revealing a modestly sized but sparkling diamond ring.
“I let you get away from me once because I was young and afraid to fight for what I wanted. But I won’t make that mistake again.”
He let
her get away?
“Will you marry me, Nicole? Will you be my wife, the mother of my children? Will you be my best friend, my lover, my partner for the rest of my life?”
Tears welled in her eyes, and emotion clogged her throat. At one time, she’d dreamed of a night like this one, hoped for a proposal like this. Yet as surreal, romantic and magical as this evening was, it had been bought and paid for. And that bittersweet reality made for a bride who was blushing and teary-eyed for all the wrong reasons.
She should have followed her cue by blurting out a happy yes—and she would, if she could. Instead, she merely nodded.
As if Miguel understood all that swirled around inside her heart, he smiled and got to his feet. Then he reached for her hand, drew her to stand alongside him and slipped the glistening diamond onto her finger.
As the other diners, including J.R. and Isabella, clapped and cheered, Miguel wrapped his arms around her and drew her into his embrace.
Thank goodness one of them had some kind of an internal script to follow, even an imaginary one, because she was at a complete loss on where to go from here.
That is, until he lowered his lips to hers.
Chapter Four
Once the kiss began, there was no need to follow any script or game plan. All the stumbling blocks slipped away, and everything fell into place.
In spite of the audience they now had and all the changes that had taken place in the last ten years, they seemed to take up right where they’d last left off.
Nicole’s lips parted without conscious thought, and Miguel’s tongue slipped into her mouth. The arousing, woodsy scent of his cologne, combined with the taste of him, sparked a hunger she hadn’t known in ages. And the kiss deepened until she thought her knees might buckle if she didn’t hold on for dear life.
When they finally came up for air, another cheer went out in the crowded courtyard, followed by applause. She supposed she ought to be a bit embarrassed by the very public display of affection—well, make that feigned affection. Yet in spite of the staged performance, their passion seemed to burn as hot as it ever had.
She reached for Miguel’s forearm to steady herself, afraid she might sway on her feet if she didn’t.
