She had wished many times that she had the abilities to work as a secretary, but wishes didn’t produce income. She had begun working two and three minimum-wage jobs at a time and still never made enough money to keep her head above water. Besides, with that kind of work schedule she’d rarely seen her kids, and she’d hated it that strangers were raising Mindy, Ashley and Donnie.
Her next attempt to pay her own way had been to quit all of her jobs and start a home business. She had shopped yard and garage sales and bought things that she could fix up and sell for a higher price. She had a natural knack for spotting a good piece of furniture hiding beneath layers of old paint, and the best part of that business was that whenever she left the house, her kids could go with her. She made money too, but it wasn’t steady money, and after a few months she’d finally had to admit that what she was doing could only be a sideline venture. She had to come up with something that brought in money on a regular basis.
By that time her garage was crammed with furniture that needed restoring, and she usually worked at night, after the kids were in bed, finishing pieces that could then be sold. During those quiet hours Gwen had racked her brain for a solution to her financial quandary, and gradually the concept of Help-Mate had taken shape. It had excited her.
Getting the company started had taken time and money; the time she could provide herself, but not the money, and she had approached her parents for a loan. Jack and Lillian Lafferty had thought her idea a good one, and had agreed to loan her the money to get started. Gwen had vowed to pay back every cent her generous parents had ever given or loaned to her, and now, a year later, she was trying very hard to keep that vow. Some of the two thousand that she would receive from Zane Fortune was going to them.
After completing her appointments on that fateful day, Gwen drove to Ramona’s house to pick up her kids.
Ramona met her at the door, and her expressive dark eyes became concerned. “Gwen, you look so tired. Come in and sit down for a few minutes. The kids are playing in the backyard and are fine.”
Gwen followed her friend to the kitchen, and Ramona brought two glasses of iced tea to the table before asking, “Gwen, is something wrong? You look a little pale around the gills.”
Sighing, Gwen took a drink of her tea. “I agreed to do something today that’s been bothering me ever since.” She stared broodingly out the kitchen window and watched her kids and Ramona’s running and playing in the fenced yard. She was incredibly lucky to have found Ramona, and they were both lucky because their kids got along so well.
Ramona sat down and sipped her own tea. Finally she said, “Well, are you going to tell me what you did, or are you going to just sit there and let me die of curiosity?”
That brought a smile to Gwen’s lips. Ramona was a very pretty young woman, but like herself, Ramona hadn’t dated since her husband’s death. They talked about men every so often, though, and both of them felt the same way. Their kids came first, but if some really great guy should stumble into their lives, neither of them was against a second marriage. However, they weren’t actively seeking a man, and sometimes they giggled together over some guy’s bumbling efforts to make time with one or the other of them.
Gwen was grateful that she had a friend like Ramona, someone in whom she could confide her innermost thoughts. Today she definitely needed to do some confiding.
“I’m sure you recall my mentioning that Zane Fortune is one of my clients,” Gwen said quietly.
“Yes. What about it?”
“I met him today.”
Ramona’s eyes got big. “You did? Is he as good-looking in person as he appears to be in photos?”
“He’s even better looking in person. But that’s neither here nor there, Ramona. He asked me to do something that…” Gwen frowned, then went on. “He offered me two thousand dollars to attend a wedding with him this weekend.”
“You’re kidding!” Ramona frowned too. “Why on earth would Zane Fortune have to pay a woman for a date?”
Gwen groaned. “You just hit the nail on the head. I agreed to take money for going out with a man. Ramona, there are names for women who do that.”
“Oh, but surely he doesn’t expect…” Ramona’s voice trailed off, and she weakly added, “Does he?”
“I asked him point-blank what he expected for his money, and he made it sound… Well, let me explain how this all came about.” Gwen related the incident with Alamo, then how Zane Fortune had offered her the business deal.
“He said that the most I would have to do was to act a bit love-struck, and maybe hold his hand.”
Ramona sat back, appearing dumbfounded. “That is the strangest thing I’ve ever heard.”
“Yes, isn’t it?” Gwen agreed. “I asked him why he didn’t simply tell his female relatives that he didn’t want a wife, and he said that he’d tried but never quite made the grade. Apparently he doesn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. Ramona, I admit that I saw dollar signs when I agreed to his request, and you know how badly I need the money, but would I be selling myself? It’s been driving me crazy since the moment I left his house.”
Ramona held up her hands. “Let’s look at it this way. You’re in the service business, and wouldn’t this just be another service? Gwen, with his looks, position and money, Zane Fortune could have any woman he wanted. I don’t think he would have to pay for any sort of hanky-panky. But if he is one of those men who does pay for it, wouldn’t he go to a professional?”
“I…suppose so. Actually, I’m not worried about his motives or morality, I’m worried about mine. Just how far would I go for money? There has to be a point where a decent woman says no. Did I go past that point today by agreeing to accept money for two days of my time?”
“Two days?”
“Yes,” Gwen said with another sigh. “It’s a two-day wedding party at the Fortunes’ Double Crown Ranch. Big doings, apparently. Nothing at all like any event I’ve ever attended.”
“It might be fun,” Ramona exclaimed, startling her friend. “Gwen, you haven’t done anything just for fun since you lost your husband. I think you should stop worrying, and go to that wedding and enjoy yourself.”
“You really feel that way?”
“Yes, I do. Gwen, you know you’re a respectable woman and so do I. Apparently Mr. Fortune wants an uninvolved escort, and since he talked about needing an attractive woman to play the part, I think he paid you a very nice compliment. And as you said, you could certainly use the money. I believe that if you turn down his proposal, you’ll regret it for a very long time.”
“I have thought of that,” Gwen said. “Maybe I just needed a pep talk. Usually I’m pretty optimistic and open to new ideas, but this one really threw me for a loop. Are you sure you approve?”
“Of course I approve. Now, let’s do something else fun and figure out what clothes you should take with you.”
Before they discussed clothes, Gwen needed to ask one more question. “Will you be able to watch my kids for the whole weekend? I’ll pay double, Ramona.”
“I’ll watch the kids and you don’t have to pay me double, for heaven’s sake. In fact, let’s call this
