wouldn’t have opened the door with her hair a mess, stickers all over her face and no makeup whatsoever.
Although he had to admit, she’d looked pretty darn cute standing at the door, blue eyes wide, lips parted….
As Catherine crossed through the living room on her way to the kitchen, she gave him a passing smile.
And when she was again out of hearing range, Ray turned back to Dan. “Where’d you meet her?”
“She used to be Jenny’s roommate.”
Dan’s sister, Jenny Walker, had left Brighton Valley after graduating from high school. She’d gone to college in the Midwest, majored in music or dance and moved to New York, where she’d done some singing and acting off-Broadway.
About eight or nine years ago, Jenny gave birth to twins, although she died when Kevin and Kaylee were in kindergarten. Dan and Eva adopted the kids and were now raising them, as well as their own younger set of twins.
“Catherine has come out a time or two to visit,” Dan added, “but she never stayed long. She’s an actress and a dancer, so she usually has a Broadway show of some kind going on.”
“Is that what she’s doing here now? Visiting the kids?”
“Actually, this time I’m not sure how long she’ll be with us. She broke up with some hot-shot producer back in New York and wanted to get away for a while. I don’t know all of the details, but it really doesn’t matter. She stepped up to the plate and helped me and the kids out when we really needed her, so I’m happy to return the favor now.”
Ray raked his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry for jumping to conclusions. I should have known you wouldn’t have invited me to come over with more than dinner on your mind.”
Dan studied him for a moment. “Is the matchmaking really that bad?”
He chuffed. “I can’t make it through a single day without someone trying to set me up with a single daughter, niece or neighbor. And that’s not counting the unmarried ladies who approach me on their own behalf.” Ray grumbled under his breath, wishing he’d stayed out of politics and had remained on his ranch full-time.
“Well, I guess that’s to be expected.” A grin tugged at one side of Dan’s lips, and his eyes lit up with mirth. “You’re not a bad-looking fellow. And you’ve got a little cash put away. I guess that makes you an eligible bachelor in anyone’s book.”
“Very funny.” Ray had never been full of himself, but most women considered him to be the tall, dark and handsome type. He also had a head for business, which had allowed him to parlay a couple of inheritances into millions. As a result, he had more money and property than he could shake a stick at, something that made every unattached female between the ages of 18 and 40 seem to think he was a prime catch.
He could always give them the cold shoulder, but his mother had taught him to be polite and courteous—a habit he found hard to shake. Besides, he didn’t know how to keep the women at arm’s distance without alienating half the voters in town.
“To top it off,” Dan added, “you being the mayor gives you a little more status than just being a run-of-the-mill Texas rancher, which the ladies undoubtedly find even more appealing.”
Ray sighed. “That’s the problem. I’m not looking for romance. And if the time ever comes that I’m interested again, I’m perfectly capable of finding a woman without help.”
Dan, who’d been biting back a full-on smile, let it go and chuckled. “There’s got to be a lot of guys who’d be happy to trade places with you.”
“Maybe, but only for a couple of days. Then they’d get fed up, too. This has been going on since… well, since word got out that my divorce was final. And now I can hardly get any work done—in town or on the ranch.”
“Why not date someone, just so word will spread that you’re already taken?”
Ray shook his head. “No, I’m not going to do that. After the marriage I had, I’m steering clear of women in general. But even if I wanted to ask someone out, I don’t have the time to add anything else to my calendar. As it is, I’ve been spending the bulk of my day driving back and forth to the ranch, making sure Mark and Darren have everything under control, then zipping back to town for one meeting or another.”
“I don’t blame you for not wanting to jump back into another relationship, especially after the hell Heather put you through over the past two years.”
Dan had that right. Ray’s ex-wife had not only cheated on him, she’d turned out to be a heartless gold digger. And after the long legal battle she’d waged, Ray wasn’t about to make a mistake like that again.
“You know,” Dan said, “it might not be a bad idea to spread the rumor that you’re already taken. Maybe that way, the matchmaking mamas and their starry-eyed daughters will give you a break and let you get some work done.”
“That’s an idea, but as simple and easy as it sounds, I’m afraid it won’t work.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’d keep showing up alone at all the various community events I’m required to attend, and people will begin to realize the woman is only a myth. And then I’ll be right back where I started. I’m afraid I’d need the real thing, and that would defeat the purpose of creating a fictitious woman.”
“Too bad you can’t rent an escort,” Dan said.
“Yeah, right.”
At that moment, Catherine reentered the living room and called Dan’s name. “Eva said to tell you that dinner’s ready. She’s already called Hank, and he’s heading over here now.”
“Thanks,” Dan said. “We’ll be right there.”
As Catherine returned to the kitchen, Ray watched the sway of her denim-clad hips. It was hard to imagine her as a woman who was at home on the stage, especially since she had a wholesome, girl-next-door appeal. But then again, she was an actress…
Suddenly, an idea began to form.
“How long does Catherine plan to be in town?” he asked.
“I’m not sure. Why?”
“Do you think she’d want a job?”
“Probably. Just this morning she mentioned that she’d like to find something part-time and temporary. Why?”
“Because I want to hire her, if she’s interested.”
“What did you have in mind? Something clerical?”
“No, it would be an acting job.”
Dan looked confused. “I’m not following you.”
A slow smile stretched across Ray’s face. “I’d like to hire Catherine to be my fiancée.”
After dinner and dessert had been served, Dan’s uncle thanked Eva for another wonderful meal, then headed back to his place so he could watch his favorite TV show.
