Page 39 of The Rancher's Cinderella Bride

“You really do have a one-track mind, don’t you?” But she couldn’t deny his words thrilled her.

He gave her a devilish smile as he held the car door open for her. “Don’t you love it?”

“What I love is that bouquet you sent me. It was beautiful, gigantic. The flowers almost fill up my office. Roses, tulips, daisies, big white lilies, gladiola, baby’s breath and freesias. And right in the middle of all the beautiful flowers was a new brown teddy bear,” she said, laughing as he got in beside her. “That was the part that really got to me. That cute little bear. I’ll thank you properly when we get home.”

“Excellent. That’s what I aimed for. That and to help get a message to Justin if he came to your office.”

“They said he did drop by and he did see the bouquet. He left and never came back or called. I think he has the message and is acting on it. You darling man,” she said, blowing him kisses.

He pretended to catch them and pull them close to his heart, his face taking on an exaggerated moue of passion while his eyebrows jumped.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

“Gabe, you’re still fun. I always thought you were amusing when we were kids. You still are. Handsome, too,” she said. Actually, she’d go so far as to say he was the most handsome man she knew. As they pulled away from her street, she let her gaze run over his profile. Oh, yes, he was that. And she couldn’t deny she wanted the evening to be over and to be home, his place or hers, and in his arms.

“I could say the same about you, Meg,” he said. “I just had no idea the talents you would have when you grew up. I should have taken you out way before now.”

“You wouldn’t have had the same results, so don’t fill yourself with regrets.”

“It’s those ‘results’ I’m looking forward to.” As he slowed for a light, he shot her a smoldering glance that nearly set her on fire. “If not for your plan I would turn this car around and take you home and spend the evening the best way possible.” He grabbed the gearshift.

She stilled his hand. “But you’re not going to do that, because this is the most essential part of my plan.”

Reluctantly, he kept the car in Drive and moved forward.

Minutes later they were pulling into the best restaurant in town.

“Here we are,” Gabe said, turning onto a winding drive on broad, landscaped grounds. Ponds with fountains flanked the road, as well as tall oaks and willows.

Twinkling lights covered the red crepe myrtles at the entrance with the sun still above the horizon. A valet took the car and Meg entered on Gabe’s arm.

It was dim inside, and she heard a violin playing in the background. The maître d’ met them and led them to a table overlooking a sloping backyard of more tall trees, statues and fountains, with a creek running across the green grounds.

Candlelight flickered in the hurricane lamp on the table beside a crystal vase with four red and pink roses.

It was perfect. The place, the setting, the man. If she ever really did get engaged, this was the place she wanted it to happen.

For the first time, she felt a niggling pain in the area around her heart. Remember, Meg, it’s all pretend.

“Give me your hand,” he said, placing his hand on the gold linen tablecloth.

She forced a smile and looked up at him as she gave him her hand.

He tilted his head as he watched her. “Why the solemn look?”

“You’re too observant for my own good, you know that?” Then again, nobody knew her as well as Gabe. She should have known she wouldn’t be able to keep her feelings a secret from him. “It’s nothing really. Just that...well, someday you’re going to do this for real and she’s going to be a lucky woman. You’re a nice guy, Gabe.”

“Thank you. But you sound as if you think it’ll never happen for you. I promise you that someday a man will be asking to marry you for real. Darlin’, you’ll have so many great guys wanting to take you out the minute I get out of this picture. In less than a month you’ll be having the time of your life.” He smiled at her.

But she didn’t smile back.

Gabe ordered champagne and when their waiter left, Gabe raised his crystal flute. “Here’s to success in your endeavor that brought us back together for a very wonderful, unforgettable time.”

“Thank you.” She touched his flute with hers as she looked into his blue eyes in the flickering candlelight. Their glasses had a melodic ring when they touched.

Still watching him, sharing the moment, she sipped the bubbly, pale yellow champagne. A moment later she made a toast of her own. “Here’s to you, Gabe Callahan, for being the cowboy to the lady’s rescue, even though you didn’t ride in on a white horse.” As she sipped her champagne, once again she felt a squeeze to her heart. She had no future of any sort with Gabe. This had been a task to accomplish and he had nearly accomplished it, and they really were almost finished. The month would soon be over and they would go their separate ways. Gabe was great in so many ways, but he was definitely no more the man for her than she was the woman for him.

They touched glasses again and she took another sip as Gabe reached down and pulled a long black box out of his jacket pocket. It was tied with a blue silk bow. He placed it in the middle of the table.

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