Page 3 of Stuff My Turkey
I didn't see what this had to do with me, but I nodded encouragingly.
"They're traditional types," Heath continued, shifting his weight. "Old-school ranchers who put a lot of stock in family values. They've been asking why a man my age isn't settled down yet."
"Not seeing how this relates to me committing grand theft fowl on your property," I grumbled, hugging myself against the biting cold.
Heath's jaw tightened, a muscle working in his cheek. "I need a girlfriend."
I wiped my face with my sleeve. "Um, good luck with that? There are apps for that sort of thing, you know."
"I need a girlfriend for the week," he clarified, each word dragged out like a confession. "While the Vickerys are here. Someone to play hostess, make it look like I've got a stable personal life to go with my business proposal."
The reality clicked into place in my exhausted brain. "Wait. Are you suggesting what I think you're suggesting?"
"You pretend to be my girlfriend for the week, help me land this deal, and I don't call Sheriff Dillard about the Bourbon Red in your car." Heath laid it out bluntly, his features hardening in the darkness. "That's the offer."
I laughed. I couldn't help it. It burst out of me in a slightly hysterical bubble that echoed through the night. "You want me – the animal rights activist who just tried to liberate your heritage flock – to pretend to be your girlfriend? The girlfriend of a poultry conservationist?"
"Heritage breeder," he corrected, his shoulders tensing beneath his jacket. "And yes."
"That's insane," I said, still half-laughing. "We barely know each other. We've met exactly twice, and both times you stared at me like I was something unpleasant you'd stepped in."
"Three times now," he pointed out, adjusting his hat. "And for the record, I never thought you were unpleasant. Just wrong for my brother."
That sobered me up like a slap to the face. "Wow. Thanks for that assessment."
Heath's face remained maddeningly unreadable. "Look, it's simple. You stay at the ranch for the week, play the part, then go back to your life in Austin. Your career stays intact, I secure my funding, everybody benefits."
"Except the turkeys," I muttered, pressing my arms tighter against my ribs.
"My breeding stock lives better than most people," he retorted with surprising heat, leaning forward. "They're part of a conservation program to preserve genetic diversity that factory farms like Jessup's are wiping out."
Well, that was an angle I hadn't considered. Still... "This is crazy. I can't just drop everything for a week to play house with my ex's brother."
His eyes fixed on me, unwavering. "You're on administrative leave, remember? And correct me if I'm wrong, but animal welfare hours would count toward your community service, wouldn't they? I could sign off on it."
Damn him for being right. I did need those hours, and my schedule was wide open since I wasn't allowed near a courtroom for the next month.
I stood there contemplating my options, shivering in the cold. On one hand, a week of awkward pretending with a man who was essentially a stranger (an unfairly attractive stranger, but still). On the other hand, a felony charge, disbarment, and the end of my career.
When he put it that way...
"Fine," I conceded through gritted teeth. "One week. I'll be your girlfriend. But I have conditions."
"Name them," Heath lowered his weapon completely.
"I'll need some things from my apartment in Austin."
He shook his head. "No time. The Vickerys arrive tomorrow, and we've got a lot to do before then. We'll have to make do with what we can find around here."
I must have looked panicked because he added, "Laverne at the beauty shop can help. She'll know how to make you look the part."
Great. I was going to get a country girl makeover. Just what I wanted. This just kept getting better.
"And I want it crystal clear that this is strictly professional," I added, gesturing vaguely between us. "Nothing... physical."
In the dim light, I could've sworn a flush crept up his neck, but his face remained impassive.
"Obviously," he muttered gruffly. "Just make it believable when they're around."
