Fake Marriage (Contemporary Romance Box Set)

by Ajme Williams

  I’d just spoken to a local resident who was looking into starting a business when Simon Stark strode up.

  “Hey, neighbor,” he said, flashing that smile that looked both genuine and fake at the same time.

  I shook his hand, wondering what he meant by neighbor. He’d bought a mansion outside of town that had once belonged to a brewery owner, but that was over on the other side of town from my place. I wouldn’t call him a neighbor.

  “Mr. Stark. What brings you to Salvation?”

  “I haven’t given up on bringing opportunities to the good people of Salvation.”

  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I’d supported his prison idea because we needed the jobs, but the town was adamant that it didn’t want to lose its farming tradition. Stark didn’t seem to take the rejection well.

  “Oh? What new opportunities are you looking at?”

  “Small business, for one,” he said affably.

  I scanned my brain for any memory of news about new local business permits or existing businesses going up for sale.

  “But I also have the opportunity to buy a piece of distressed property not far from your place. It would be ideal for a landfill or waste treatment plant.” He sniffed. “You’ll be able to smell the prosperity Stark Industries brings to Salvation.”

  He was going to make sure I rued the day I’d taken his meeting about bringing jobs to Salvation. But then his words sunk in. What land near me? The only piece of land large enough for a project that big, besides my own, was Frank’s. He wasn’t selling his land, was he? Wait, did Stark say the land was distressed?

  “You might consider ingratiating yourself into the town of Salvation instead of bullying your way in,” I said.

  He shrugged. “I was nice, and what did it get me? I’m a businessman, Mr. Mayor. Whether people like me or not is irrelevant.”

  “We both know that’s not true,” I said. “Sure, your money can buy you a lot. But acceptance? A welcome? Not so much. And in a town like Salvation, your success depends a great deal on whether or not people like you.” I nodded. “Have a good day, Mr. Stark.”

  I hurried off, returning to my car and driving like the wind out to Frank’s. It was close to lunch, and I had to hope Frank was at the house or barn and not out on the ranch. I parked in front of the house, taking his porch steps by twos to the front door.

  “Mo! What a surprise. Come in, come in. I was just making some lunch,” Frank said when he opened the door. Then he frowned. “Is everything okay with Brooke?”

  “I’m not here about her.”

  “Oh?” He motioned me to the living room. “But something’s up. I can tell.”

  I entered the living area but didn’t sit. “Are you selling your land to Simon Stark?”

  Frank’s expression fell, and he looked down.

  “Oh, hell, Frank. Tell me it’s not a done deal.”

  “I was hoping you wouldn’t hear about it. At least not for a while.” He walked to his kitchen. “I need a drink. You?”

  “Sure.” I followed him in. “What’s going on, Frank? You know the type of man Stark is. Why would you sell to him?”

  Frank poured a finger of whiskey, downed it, and then poured more in his glass and some in a second glass. He handed me the other glass and then went to sit at the table in the kitchen. It was early for a drink, but then, I was reeling from the idea that Simon Stark might indeed become my neighbor.

  “I’m broke, Mo. I have to sell, or the bank will take it, and I’ll have nothing.” He rubbed a hand over his face.

  I knew it couldn’t be easy to share this with me. At the same time, we were friends. Close friends. Brothers, even. Why didn’t he come to me?

  “He made me a decent offer. One that would leave something for Brooke and enough for me to live on. I can’t pass it up,” he finished.

  I sat across from him. “How did this happen?” We both had cattle ranches, and while there had been economic issues that hurt farmers, people still liked their beef. He shouldn’t be struggling.

  He shook his head. “Some poor decisions. Brooke’s college education. A few bad investments.”

  “Why didn’t you come to me for help?” He and I had been friends for so long. Surely he knew I’d help him.

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Bullshit, Frank. Don’t let your pride cause you to make a shitty decision.”

  He jerked.

  “Let me help you.” Even as I said it, I wondered how much money we were talking about. I was considered wealthy, but all my money was tied up in my land, my business, and a trust my aunt left me. I didn’t have a lot of liquid assets I could use to help him.

  “I owe too much, Mo.”

  “I don’t care. There’s no way I’m going to let Stark take your land.” I withheld the part about not wanting a landfill or treatment plant as my neighbor. I shuddered at how much my land would devalue if that happened. Plus, there was a potential health risk to my cattle.

  “I don’t have much time. I need to sell soon, or I lose everything.”

  “I’ll figure something out, but you have to promise not to sell to Stark. I mean it, Frank.”

  “I owe too much not to sell to whoever will buy.”

  Fuck.

  “Also, Brooke doesn’t know,” he said, looking agonized. “Please don’t tell her.”

  “She’s going to know when Stark bulldozes your home, Frank.” I was trying not to be exasperated with him, but it was hard. “He’s not going to live here and work the land.”

  “I just need time.”

  I heard a movement behind me. Turning, I saw Brooke standing in the kitchen entryway with tears in her eyes.

  I looked at Frank. “I think your time just ran out.”

  6

  Brooke

  I didn’t usually go home for lunch, but I had finished my current project that morning, and with the mayor away at an opening and Trina being particularly surly today, I decided I could use the time away. Maybe I’d get home when my dad came in for lunch, and we could eat together.

  I was surprised and happy to see Mo’s car in front of the house when I pulled in. I hoped it meant he was spending more time with my father, as I knew my father missed their time together. But I also was hoping to visit him outside of the workplace. He was so formal with me at work when he wasn’t able to avoid me. I wanted to have the friendship we’d had before, so hopefully, a lunch break away from the office would allow for that.

  I entered the house and heard them back in the kitchen.

  “What’s going on, Frank? You know the type of man Stark is. Why would you sell to him?” Mo asked, making me stop. What was my father selling to Mr. Stark? Surely not our home.

  “I’m broke, Mo. I have to sell, or the bank will take it, and I’ll have nothing.”

  My heart lurched to my throat. Broke? Since when?

  “He made me a decent offer. One that would leave something for Brooke and enough for me to live on. I can’t pass it up,” my father finished.

  “How did this happen?” Mo asked the question that was ripe in my mind.

  “Some poor decisions. Brooke’s college education. A few bad investments.”

  Oh God, my education had bankrupted my father? Why didn’t he tell me? I could have gone to a less expensive in-state school. Applied for more scholarships. Taken out a student loan.

  “Why didn’t you come to me for help?” Mo asked.

  “I couldn’t.”

  “Bullshit, Frank. Don’t let your pride cause you to make a shitty decision. Let me help you.”

  “I owe too much, Mo.”

  “I don’t care. There’s no way I’m going to let Stark take your land.”

  If I hadn’t already been in love with Mo Valentine, I’d have fallen then. His adamance to help my father, his long time friend, warmed my heart. Of course, Mo’s motivation was probably partly not liking Stark or whatever he’d do with the land, but still. I was glad my dad’s friend had his back.
/>   “I don’t have much time. I need to sell soon, or I’ll lose everything.”

  What? It was that bad? Tears welled in my eyes.

  “I’ll figure something out, but you have to promise not to sell to Stark. I mean it, Frank.”

  “I owe too much not to sell to whoever will buy,” my father said. “Also, Brooke doesn’t know. Please don’t tell her.”

  “She’s going to know when Stark bulldozes your home. He’s not going to live here and work the land.”

  “I just need time.”

  I couldn’t take it anymore. I stepped into view of the kitchen.

  My father’s eyes widened as he saw me.

  Mo turned in his chair to look at me. He turned back to my father. “I think your time just ran out.”

  “What are you talking about, Dad?” I asked. “We can’t be broke. You can’t sell this place. It’s our home.”

  My father looked completely gutted. It was exactly how I felt.

  “Just some bad business decisions,” he muttered, his head lowering.

  “And my education? Why didn’t you tell me? I could have—”

  “I wasn’t going to skimp on your education. Brooke,” he said, and his eyes had a fire in them. He’d never gotten past tenth grade, leaving school when his father died to take over the ranch. He’d always told me that I’d have the best education. But goodness, the price he was paying. I could have gotten a perfectly fine education for less money had I known.

  “But—”

  My father sagged back against the counter as if all the air had gone out of him. “I’ve failed you, Brooke. I’m sorry.”

  I rushed to him, putting my arms around him. “You’re not a failure, Dad. People have struggles all the time. We’ll figure something out.” I didn’t know what, but I was determined to find an answer.

  “I’ll help, Frank,” Mo said from behind me. “Like Brooke said, we’ll figure something out.”

  “This isn’t your problem, Mo,” my father said. “I can’t ask—”

  “You didn’t ask. That’s part of the problem.”

  He shook his head. “It’s a lot of money.” He looked from me to Mo. “Too much, even for you, Mo.”

  “Don’t be so sure.”

  I looked at Mo, and my heart was so full and so empty at the same time. I couldn’t believe this man would do so much for us, and yet it was exactly what he’d do. He was a good man.

  “Listen, I have to run. If you could gather your financials for me, I’ll see what I can pull together. Maybe you can sell me the forty acres your granddad bought from my granddad.”

  My father mustered a smile, but I could see it wasn’t enough. “You and I both know that it wouldn’t stop Stark from wanting the rest.”

  “It’s a start. That’s prime river area. Chances are, the land won’t be as attractive to him without the riverfront. But let’s start with the financials, and I’ll see what I can do.”

  My father nodded, looking completely defeated.

  “I’ll walk you out,” I said to Mo.

  Out on the porch, I asked, “What will you do?”

  He stopped, wiping his brow and shaking his head. “I don’t know.” Then he looked at me. “It will be all right.” He pulled me into a hug. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”

  The silly girl part of me took his words to heart, feeling like he was my knight in shining armor. But I knew he meant he’d protect my dad and me. It didn’t mean he loved me, at least not in a romantic way. To him, Dad, and me by extension, were family. Still, it was nice to have his support.

  I tried to be strong, but at work the next day, the weight of our financial situation weighed heavily on me. I found it difficult to focus. It wasn’t only losing the home I’d grown up in, but the stress had aged my father, too. He was just a few years older than Mo, forty-four, but he looked much older. His skin was sallow, and he had dark circles under his eyes. I was afraid we’d not only had a financial crisis but a potential health crisis, as well.

  I was carrying a large stack of files from the file cabinet to my office when they slipped and scattered, along with the contents, all over the floor. For a moment, I could only look at them, and then I burst out crying. Thank God Trina wasn’t there. I was sure she’d find it as an excuse to fire me, and I needed money now more than ever.

  “Hey, Brooke, what’s wrong?” Sinclair asked as she appeared in the hall by her office.

  I wiped my tears and dropped to the floor to gather the files. It would likely take me the rest of the week to re-sort the papers into the right folder.

  “Let’s just pick it all up and sort it in the conference room? Okay?” Sinclair said, kneeling down and picking up folders and papers.

  I nodded, unable to find my voice. We took the papers down to the conference room and started on the tedious task of sorting.

  “We’ll get this right as rain. Trina won’t know anything happened,” she said brightly. “You know, I’ve been very impressed with your work. You remind me of me when I first started working here. Eager to learn. Wanting to advance. Do you have your sights set on being mayor?”

  “No,” I said, trying to be social, but inside, I was trying to hold it together. “I’d like to run a department, though.”

  “I could see that.” Sinclair chatted on, and I was happy for the distraction as we sorted and stacked files.

  “Listen, it’s none of my business, but you’ve looked out of sorts all day. If you need to talk to someone, I’m here for you.”

  I didn’t need the world knowing my business, but the only people I could talk to, Mo, my dad, and maybe Tucker, weren’t here. Unable to stop the floodgates of my worry and stress from opening, I started talking.

  “My dad is having financial trouble and says he has to sell the ranch.”

  “Oh, honey, I’m sorry.”

  “It sounds like he’s already had an offer from Mr. Stark.”

  Sinclair made a sound. “No doubt.” Then cocked her head. “Your place butts up to Mo’s, right?”

  I nodded.

  She had a funny little smirk on her face. “I wonder how he feels now that it’s his land that is going to be affected.”

  There was a tone to her comment that suggested a bitter undercurrent.

  “He said he’d help my father, although I don’t know how. I mean, I know he’s well off, but I’m sure he doesn’t have the money we’d need.”

  “I’m so sorry. But people in Salvation aren’t too thrilled about Mr. Stark. I’m sure the mayor will help if that’s what he said.”

  I cocked my head. “You almost don’t sound so sure of that.”

  She shrugged. “I know your dad and Mo are friends, so he’ll likely be more motivated to help.”

  I frowned. “You don’t think he’d be motivated to help you or anyone else.” I found myself feeling annoyed at her attitude. Then again, I often saw them butt heads about things.

  “At one time, the mayor was more on Stark’s side than with the farmers.”

  “I find that hard to believe.”

  She studied me, and I wondered if my infatuation with him was showing as Holly said it was.

  “Mo is a good man. A good mayor. He’s sincere in his efforts to make Salvation a better place for all of us. But sometimes, his attempt to bring progress hurts traditions, which is something we value. Such as family farms.” She reached out and rubbed my back. “Fortunately, I have none of that. I’ve organized a group that provides support to family farmers. You’ll have my support, and I know others in City Hall—”

  “I don’t need everyone knowing my father’s financial woes,” I said, horrified by the idea we’d become gossip and a charity case.

  She sighed. “Okay. I won’t say anything, but if you want to oppose Stark, it’s going to take money and opposition. He’s got a lot of the former and some of the latter, but the fact that he’s still skulking around tells me he’s not going anywhere. It might take more than you and your dad, and whate
ver Mo has in mind, to stop him. Also, you know Mo. He’ll help personally, but it’s not likely he’ll step in as mayor. He’s very aware of what’s appropriate and what’s not.”

  I nodded my understanding.

  “So, if you change your mind and want more help, you let me know. I and Wyatt and others in the area will do what we can.”

  “Thank you, Sinclair. I appreciate that.” Because I felt so grateful to have a new friend, I hugged her.

  “No problem.” She smiled and patted my back. “Us Salvation families need to stick together against Simon Stark.”

  I felt better after talking to Sinclair, although the reality of the situation was still the same. If Mo wasn’t able to come up with a plan to block or stop Stark, my childhood home and my father’s family’s history would be sold to a man who wouldn’t appreciate it.

  7

  Maurice

  I walked into the Schmidt law office to see my lawyer. Mr. Schmidt had been my father’s lawyer, but since his retirement, I worked with his daughter, Jeannette Schmidt. She was a few years younger than me, but she was no-nonsense and knew her job, so I had no reason to take my business elsewhere.

  “Mr. Mayor,” she said when she greeted me. “I pulled the trust information you asked for.”

  “Thank you for seeing me on such short notice,” I said, taking a seat. “I was hoping you could go over the terms of the trust with me again. I have a situation in which I may need that money, after all.”

  Her brow arched. “After all? You didn’t plan to take it?”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t need it.”

  My Aunt Adele had been a favorite aunt of mine. She was a lively, outgoing woman who was shrewd in business and with her money. She and my father ran the ranch together for a long time until they had one too many disagreements. At that point, she sold her share of the ranch to him. She invested well and lived modestly, so when she died, she had a small fortune. She’d lived and loved, but never married or had children, so she left all her money to me. With that said, she wasn’t satisfied with simply passing the money on. She put it in a trust that held certain conditions, one of which was that I had to be married.