Page 33 of The Rancher's Fake Fiancée

“I see,” the woman nodded. “That is a tall order. I think I have just the thing. Let me go in the back and bring out something.” She left him alone. He shook his head. Why had he let his uncle talk him into doing this? She’d probably just toss them in the trash. But maybe she wouldn’t? Maybe he would be able to plead his case. Or maybe not.

“Here you go,” she said. There was a bundle of pink long stems…glads, roses, lilies, greenery, yellows, and lavenders all in tissue paper. “I think this might make an impression on the lady.”

“If you think so, then let’s do it. Can you deliver it to the courthouse?”

“Well, that might take until tomorrow…our delivery man has already left. Do you have a name for her?”

“Great…just great,” he said. “I’m not sure. I think it’s Parker.”

“Well, how about I get a listing of the courthouse, and you pick your name out…be right back.” She left with the flowers. Now what was he supposed to do? A couple minutes passed. “Here are your flowers sir, and I believe the name you are looking for is Cassie Parker.”

“How do you know…” He began the question but did not finish. The woman holding the flowers in her arms was the one they were meant for. His heart jumped into his throat.

“I’m sorry,” she smiled, “but I couldn’t let it go on. Poor Mary was doing her best to help you.”

“You were listening all along to my misery?”

“Afraid so, but it was really nice of you to want to send flowers, and I do love them…that is if you still want me to have them?”

“Of course, they’re yours. I thought…we thought…that it would be nice to welcome you to Destiny’s River with them.”

“Thank you. I do love all of these. You chose well. Please let everyone at the ranch know how very much I thank them.”

“Well, they are all glad you chose to move here.”

“I see. Well, I do appreciate them and here,” she said reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she withdrew a card and handed it to him. But then, she took it back. And produced a pen and wrote something on the back. Then she handed it back to him. “That’s my name…my real name on the front. That’s my office. And on the back, that’s my home address.”

“Parker,” he replied, “are you…”

“Yes, I am related to the sheriff. He is my brother. And my sister is married to Cade Lockwood, and she is the current mayor. So, you might say, I’ve come home. I even have a cat,” she added with a laugh. “I do hope you will stop by sometime and bring Emmie and Uncle Joe along, too. That is if they want to have something that might remind them of the past. It was unpleasant and I would understand if I am part of bad memories they would rather forget.”

“They miss you. That was the unpleasant part…when you left, and no one could say goodbye. But we figured that was the way you wanted it…on to the next job and all that stuff.”

“Well, it seems we were all mistaken. I’d like to see them. Ask if they would like to come to dinner sometime and I will cook. You can just give me a call if they decide they want to do so.”

“Well, I will ask them. But right now, I’d like to ask if you would consider having dinner with me so I can get to know who Cassie Parker is. I’ve met Jesse and Dee…but I am betting that Cassie is the best of them all.”

His sincerity coupled with those gray eyes of his made it impossible not to say yes immediately. He seemed very pleased. The smile he gave shot straight to the heart that had been beating itself silly since she walked into the store and saw him talking to the florist.

“Then how about Saturday? There is a new restaurant out at the lake that sounds nice. Unless of course you are already booked.”

She smiled and then shook her head. “I believe that date is open.”

Cole grinned. “Then put my name in ink. I’ll pick you up at six thirty?”

“Yes,” she agreed, and he went to conduct business in paying for the bouquet with Mary, watching out the window as Cassie crossed the street and headed up the steps of the courthouse.

“She is a sweetheart,” Mary said, accepting his card. “Those are her favorite flowers it seems.”

“Really? Then I tell you what, Miss Mary, let’s open an account and every Friday you send her a bouquet of one of the flowers in that group. How does that sound?”

She grinned. “It sounds like a certain gentleman might like her a lot. We will certainly do that each and every Friday. And good luck!”

Chapter Fifteen

“Is your mistressat home?” Cole was losing it. Standing on the front porch of Primrose House, hat in hand, he was a full five minutes early. What if she was a woman that didn’t like her dates to be even a few minutes early? The kitten sat next to the door and meowed. Then he meowed again. So what was he supposed to do? He reached down and picked up the cat and held it against his chest just as the door opened.Way to go, cowboy.

She reached out her hands for the kitten and he handed it over. “He or she was sitting here crying so I didn’t know what else to do.”

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