Page 4 of The Rancher's Fake Fiancée

“Hedging your bets in other words…until you get that wedding ring on your finger. Then he won’t know what hit him.”

“I have wasted enough time on this. Just be ready. I plan to have Emmaline Marie back with me before the summer. She will love the ocean below Philippe’s estate.”

“When Hell freezes over.” The line went dead. And the blood in his body moved to a boil. He should have known the day was going to be one of those where he would fare better if he were on the back of a bucking bronc holding on for life for eight seconds. His brief marriage to his ex had epitomized that feeling almost each day of the brief two years they had been together. And he had only fooled himself by thinking that a divorce decree would rid him of her presence in his life. Emmie was the weapon she used on him over the years since the court had given him sole parenting rights when she wanted to needle him with her threats. But this time, he had a feeling that it might not turn out to be one of her usual taunts. His gut never failed him. And the ride was about to get bumpy in more ways than one.

Six hours later, he was parking the pickup in the lot next to the watering hole known as Aces Wild Saloon, Cole swung his tall frame from the driver’s side and shut the door behind him. Long strides took him across the sidewalk and to the front door of the bar. He didn’t stop to rethink what he was doing. He knew if he allowed hesitation, then he would head down the street to Miz Sue’s Café and a slice of pie with coffee. This would only take a minute of his time anyway. He’d get rid of the blonde from his mind once and for all and settle the matter of the debt over the yellow folder. That’s what he told himself on the drive into town. Madeleine was the next problem on his list and would take some thought. But this was a good place to begin.

With the door closed behind him, his eyes worked to adjust to the dim interior lighting of the hazy saloon. It was still comparatively early in the evening and the usual Friday night crowd of boisterous ranch hands and oil field workers hadn’t made their appearance yet. Only about six tables were occupied and that same number stood at the long bar. A band was unloading and setting up their instruments in the far corner of the dance floor.

“Well, as I live and breathe if it ain’t Cole Connors. You lost, cowboy? It’s been a while since you’ve darkened this doorstep.” The woman wiping down the dark wood of the bar paused and issued the greeting. Cole walked toward her with a slow smile creasing his face.

“Hello, Candy. It’s been a while.”

“It certainly has that. You sit yourself down on the stool here and I’ll pour you a cold one.” Candy Butler had been in the same graduating class with him in high school. In fact, they had begun first grade together. He left for college, and he knew she had stayed in Red Cliffs, married the first of three husbands, and left the saloon in the will of her third one.

“Heard your little girl is living with you,” she said, setting the beer in front of him. “Bet that’s interesting. You fancy being momanddad?”

Cole took a sip of the brew before answering. “It can be. At least it’s never a dull moment.”

His eyes moved over the other patrons as he spoke.

“Are you looking for someone?”

“Well, I just…” His voice trailed off as his eyes lit on the person he sought. The kitchen door had swung open and out came the blonde Miss Jones, a tray of chips and queso bowls raised above her shoulder and a couple of long-neck beers in her other hand. She delivered them to one of the tables with three oil workers seated at it. Her laugh mixed with theirs as she very easily fielded their obvious flirtatious comments, while making certain she sidestepped a pair of hands that wanted to be too friendly to her backside. At that moment, her eyes rose from the men at the table and met Cole’s head-on. The spark of heat was almost as glaring as a spotlight being turned on with a flick of a switch.

“Hey, Dee…let me introduce you to this cowboy.” Candy was far too perceptive.

Cole watched as the blonde moved toward him. She took her time, and the blue eyes were hard to read. Her walk on the other hand spoke louder than words. He had never seen a ‘sashay’ so he couldn’t say if that was what she was doing, but it was the sexiest version of a walk he had ever seen. The tight jeans were still just as tight as he remembered from that morning. A third button had been undone on her blouse and Cole realized he was staring like some teenage kid. He needed to get a grip, do what he came to do, and get the heck out of there before the area below his waist made a bigger fool of him.

She stopped a foot or so from him. Those blue eyes looked up at him through thick dark lashes and she placed one hand on a hip and returned his gaze head-on.

“We met already,” she responded. “This is Emmie’s dad…Mr. Connors.”

The mention of his daughter tamped down some of the feelings that were threatening to get out of hand. “Cole, will do, ma’am.” He even touched the brim of his hat in a gentlemanly salute. Then his breathing tripped itself up when she bestowed a smile upon him that was part amused and part sexy…and a whole lot of trouble.

Out of the corner of his eye, he noted the fact that Candy left them to take the drink order of two people at the end of the bar. They were alone…so to speak.

“Well, Mr. Connors, it’s a surprise to see you again. Did you want something from the kitchen or is this a social call?”

“Neither one,” he said, withdrawing money from the chest pocket of his shirt. He held the dollar out to her. She just looked at it for a long moment and then back at him.

“If that’s a tip, I can tell you that I usually make more than that.”

“I bet you do…and I bet you’re worth it.” Where had that come from? This woman had him thinking things and saying things he wouldn’t normally do.

Blue eyes narrowed their regard of him, and he saw a quick flash of something…a fire that came and then was quickly banked down. The smile was gone. “Keep your money, cowboy.” She was about to turn away, but he stopped her.

“I don’t like owing anyone. You keep it. You might need some more false eyelashes.” He smoothly tucked the dollar bill into the ample cleavage on display. Then he briefly touched the brim of his hat, and he left her standing at the bar.

Cole had the door of his truck open and was about to step into it when the slam of a door behind him then the sound of staccato high heels on the pavement of the parking lot grew louder. He turned in time to find a fist connecting with his chin and he had to grab for the door frame to break his fall backwards.

“People touch me when Isaythey can touch me. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before you ever do that again.” The dollar bill was shoved none too gently into the waistband of his jeans behind the silver belt buckle. Cole was left rubbing his jaw and trying to figure out how the last half hour had gone so wrong, so fast. More importantly, he wanted to know how a bar maid had gotten so far under his skin in so little time. She was nothing like the women he dated…when he did date. Maybe he had been without female company so long that she was able to get past his defenses. Bottom line was she was trouble with a capital T and that was something he could…andwoulddo without.

*

Damn man.Thewords repeated in her mind as she removed the makeup from her face, scrubbing harder than normally necessary. The memory of the cowboy and the dollar bill was still not fading fast enough. She was certain he probably thought he was God’s gift to women in his tight jeans and broad shoulders and dreamy eyes.Scratch that!Dreamy eyes indeed. They had looked at her as if she might be some foreign insect when they looked down upon her that morning at the store when she tried to help out his little girl.Poor child.To have him for a father. She felt even more sorry for the wife! She would have to be a martyr to put up with his stuck-up, chauvinistic…ouch! Enough scrubbing. It was time to put an end to thinking about the arrogant rancher on many levels. The most important one being the fact he was married.

The ringing of the cell phone lying on top of her desk banished everything in an instant. She had two cell phones…one that most people used and the one ringing which was used by her boss and others in the marshal’s offices. “Parker.”

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