My Frosty Fake Christmas Date

Chapter 1

Chapter One

TUCKER

“It’s over,” I grimace into the phone. “Mr. Porter said no.”

And that means, I’m officially homeless.

“We just gotta keep hunting for another lease,” Cash answers, his tone still bright and merry. “If Porter won’t lease us land, then I’m sure someone else will, Tuck. We just gotta keep trying. We’ll find a spot for the cattle.”

“Yeah, and in the meantime, I guess I’ll pitch a tent for myself in your backyard. I don’t want to rent something if I don’t know where the herd is gonna end up,” I grumble.

He lets out a low chuckle. “You can at least take the couch. Besides, we have two more weeks. We can do this. I’m not giving up. We’ve worked too dang hard to just throw in the towel.”

“Yeah, I guess,” I huff, removing my cowboy hat and tossing it on the dash of my truck. “I just… I don’t know who else to call. No one’s got land up for lease right now. We’re coming right up on the holidays, too. Worst time to get kicked out.”

Cash is silent for a few beats, long enough for me to check the call is still connected. “Well…” He finally begins, “You know the Coopers have a heck of a place. They’re the biggest ranch in this part of the state, and… Don’t you know ‘em?”

I cringe, my stomach flip flopping at the mention. “Uh, yeah. Bad idea. I doubt Cal Cooper would give me more than a passing glance, and if I got unlucky enough for him to recognize me, he’d have nothing to extend but a dirty look. I wasn’t exactly known for my chivalry around these parts.”

“Hmm,” Cash, my business partner and long-time college friend, hums into the receiver. “I forgot you were wild in high school, Tuck. You’re so uptight now, it’s hard to believe you ever let loose in the past.”

“Yeah, well, you’re lucky you didn’t know me then,” I grunt, leaning back against the leather seat. I’m parked at the local motel—the only one in the small town of Hillsdale—and all I have left to do is pack up and make the eighty-mile trip back with my tail tucked between my legs. I rake my fingers through my dark hair and scan the area, my gaze landing smack dab on the local saloon and restaurant, The Hitching Post.

I could use a drink.

I cut the engine of my one-ton black ranch truck and climb out into the winter North Texas air, grabbing my hat as I do. As mild as the weather usually is during December, we’re having an abnormally cold stretch of temps this year. I’m not sure I’m a fan. I prefer the winter to be as snowless as possible. Call me Scrooge, but I could take or leave the holidays.

And the snow, right along with it.

“We’re gonna figure it out,” Cash says into my ear as I slam the door, heading in the opposite direction of the motel. “You sure you don’t want to talk to the Coopers? I mean, what’s the worst thing that could?—”

“Let that one go,” I scoff, tugging my denim jacket a little tighter around my red pearl snap. “He doesn’t lease his land to anyone, and I’m serious, I don’t want to go digging into my past.” I shudder when I think back to high school—and my ex- best friend, Nate Roland. From what I’ve heard, things in life really worked out for him.

But none of that includes me or Julie.

“I’ll make a few calls tomorrow,” Cash’s voice draws me out of my thoughts.

“Good luck, but I’m gonna grab a drink before I turn in for the evening. I’ll be back to the ranch in the morning. We’ll hash out a new plan then.” My boots crunch as I cross the gravel parking lot, the small-town place already packed…But I guess that’s what happens when there ain’t much to pick from.

“Well, put on that charming, big business smile of yours and make some connections. You never know, you might find all the answers to all our problems in there.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I’m gonna find that in the bottom of my whiskey glass, but you got it,” I chuckle dryly, lingering outside of the heavy wooden doors.

“Don’t be such a Scrooge,” Cash snorts. “You can find answers to life’s hardest questions in a bar sometimes.”

“Isn’t church usually better for that?” I joke.

“Depends on the question, I suppose.” Cash sighs, “See ya tomorrow.”

I chuckle to myself and then hang up, shoving my phone back into my pocket. I step into the dimly lit place, and while the lighting isn’t so great, the place is alight with laughter and upbeat Christmas country music.

And it only serves to fuel my downtrodden mood more.

I make my way to the bar, careful not to bump into anyone. The last thing I want is to draw attention to myself. When I make it to the black, sticky counter, I wave toward the bartender, a woman in her mid-twenties with long blonde hair and wide set blue eyes. She’s busy chatting it up with a man I don’t recognize, but I can tell one thing’s for sure…

She’s deep in whatever conversation they’re having.

My shoulders fall as I try once more to catch her attention, this time calling out an “Excuse me, ma’am!”

“She’s not going to budge from Dylan,” a voice says from beside me. “I don’t think there’s ever a time I’m in here that those two aren’t lost in conversation. Tillie will show up sooner or later.”

I turn to see who’s responsible for the noise and as soon as I meet a pair of bright green eyes, I recognize them, my heart skipping a beat. “Julie Cooper.” I don’t have to feign my surprise. “I thought you lived in the city now.”

“I always come home for the holidays,” she grins, her dimples showing as she tosses her natural dirty blonde locks over her shoulder. “And when I come home, I always stop in here. It’s the only way I can handle the misery.”

I furrow my brow, trying not to notice how much she’s changed, her black sweater clinging to her hourglass figure and the freckles sprinkled across her face familiar but intriguing all the same. I ignore the thrum of attraction in my chest. “Why? I never pegged you for the drinking kind.”

“Yeah, well,” she makes a face at me, her nose scrunching up, “You haven’t been around in a long time, Tucker Madison.”

I almost smile at the use of my name on her lips. A long time ago, I might have considered Julie a friend—or at least an acquaintance—but now? I don’t know where we land on the scale. Strangers, probably.

“Why are you in town?” she asks me when I don’t say anything to her immediately. “Last I heard you were somewhere lost in Oklahoma. Seems like you’re a long way from home.”

I blow out a sigh, adjusting my hat. “It’s not that far. I’m just an hour or so across the border. I’m here on business.”

She tilts her head, a smirk drawing across her freckled face. “Business, huh? Business of finding a good party?”

“Ha ha,” I roll my eyes. “You don’t know me anymore, Jules. I prefer to avoid parties these days. Not my thing.”

“Jules,” she repeats my use of her old nickname, her voice losing some of its vibrance. “I haven’t been called that in years.”

“Sorry,” I say quickly, eyeing the way her smile fades. “I didn’t realize that.”

“No, it’s totally fine.” Julie grins at me again. “So, what business are you here on? I can’t see you as a traveling salesman. I thought you were a ranch hand with your cousin, or whatever.”

I avoid the subject of my long-lost cousin. “Uh, I’m kind of a ranch hand, I guess. I run my own cattle business with my partner, Cash.”

Her brows raise. “Really? Never would’ve thought that.”

“Wow, okay,” I drawl. “Let me guess, you assumed I was roughing it as a ranch hand, doing the bare minimum and drinking the rest of the time away? Maybe sleeping in a random ditch on a rare occasion?”

She burst into a fit of laughter, rattling my chest with her grating positive reaction. “I mean, that’s not exactly what I thought, but something close to it. That’s what you always said your dream was.”

“No, I said my dream was to win the lottery so I didn’t have to work and could just cowboy for fun,” I retort, just as a bartender pops out of nowhere.

“Hey Tillie,” Julie shifts her attention to the woman behind the counter. “We’ll just have a couple of Jack and Cokes, easy on the Jack, please.”

“Ah, readying yourself for the holiday visit?” The dark-headed, dark-eyed woman giggles, and then eyes me. “Or do you finally have a date to take home? He’s not that bad looking.”

Not that bad looking? I run my hand across the stubble on my chin, wondering just how rough I really look right now.

Julie glances over to me, making a face with her red lips turning downward. “Oh, Tucker? No way. He’s just an old… friend. There’s no way we’d ever work out. We’ve never gotten along, though…” Her voice trails off as she catches my gaze. “Why didn’t we get along?”

Because I stood up for you to your horrible boyfriend.

“I don’t know,” I say with a shrug, just as my phone buzzes. I pull it out as Tillie and Julie get to talking while she makes our drinks.

Kip: You coming to the ranch for the holidays?

I close out of the text and shove it back into my pocket. I don’t feel like imposing on his family’s Christmas. I mean, yeah, we’re like second cousins or something, but his parents stuck around in his life—and mine were… different . I jumped from home to home growing up, never finding anyone that stuck until Nate.

But that blew up in my face.

“Here,” Julie sets my drink down in front of me. “It’s on me.”

“That’s really not necessary,” I argue, digging into my wallet. “It’s on me. ”

“No, I’m the one who just ordered your drink for you,” she argues.

I hand Tillie my card before she can even open her purse. “Nope. It’s on me .”

“He’s a gentleman,” Tillie takes it from me as a slow country song begins to play. “I like that.” She winks at me, but I don’t respond with anything. I’m still intrigued by this version of Julie. She’s more outgoing than she used to be. She always seemed so quiet when she was with Nate.

But then again, Nate did have a way of dampening everyone around him.

“So,” Julie angles her body to me as she sips on her drink. “Back to that business, what were you here for?”

I clutch my drink, unable to look away from her pretty jade eyes. “Uh, trying to find a new place to run some cattle.” I don’t mention the desperation of needing to find a place. “Expansion.” I take a small sip from my glass, instantly turned off. I should’ve just gotten a water.

“Hmm,” she studies my face. “And are you having any luck?”

I shake my head. “Nope. Not even a little. I don’t have the connections like you.”

“Like me?” she feigns surprise. “I don’t have that many connections. I burned most of my bridges when I left this place.”

“I guess that makes us both outsiders then,” I chuckle, taking a longer draw of my drink. “I just figured you still had that last name going for ya.”

“Ha,” she sets her glass down. “I suppose .”

“Your dad owns half the county.”

“True, and let me guess, you want to run cattle on a part of the ranch,” she offers up, her voice instantly growing sour. “Is that who you came to propose to?”

I lean against the counter, chuckling. “Nah, I don’t have the courage to even approach your dad, let alone propose to run cattle on his ranch. Cal Cooper is a big reach for a little operation like mine. He doesn’t give guys like me the time of day. I was talking with Brandon Porter.”

She tilts her head, her tone brightening. “Ah, and how’d that go?”

I lift the drink. “Well, I’m here, ain’t I? And does anything about this seem celebratory to you?”

She’s quiet for a few moments, sipping on her drink. “I see, but you know…” She hesitates again, downing the rest of her drink in one impressive go that leave my eyebrows in my hairline. “I bet my dad would give my boyfriend the time of day, if he wanted to run cattle.”

“What?” Now I’m really confused. Is she trying to rub something in my face?

She lets out a sigh. “How bad do you want to make a deal with my dad?”

I shift uncomfortably on the stool. “Um, I mean, I didn’t come to town to talk to your dad. I came to talk to another guy, and he already turned me down… I don’t… I…”

Julie places her hand on my forearm, and my heart thuds an extra beat as she meets my gaze. “This is going to sound absolutely insane , but I have a proposition for you.”

“Okay…”

She leans in, a crazy gleam in her eye. “Pretend to be my boyfriend this Christmas, and I’ll help you get a deal with my dad. You’ll have access to one of the biggest ranches around, and I don’t have to be labeled as forever alone.”

“You’re nuts ,” I immediately quip, shying away. “Why the heck would I do that? Everyone in this town hates me and thinks I’m still wild and crazy.”

“Exactly.” She follows me, closing in like a lioness on her prey. “Show them you’re not, land the deal with my family, and it’s literally a win-win for you. There’s no risk for you—only reward. ”

My stomach feels uneasy. I see a lot of risk in this scheme. “Why do you want a fake boyfriend?”

She sighs, brushing her waves from her face. “ Every year I come home without a date. Every year everyone always assumes I’m still not over Nate. It’s embarrassing. I am over him. It’s been seven years. I just want everyone to let it go, but they won’t. ” She pulls her eyes from me, dropping to her now-empty glass.

“You mean they’re still talking about how he left you for your best friend.”

She glares at me. “We don’t have to go over the specifics. Just tell me you’ll do it. Please. I know my dad won’t back out of a deal with someone, so as soon as the holidays are over I promise I’ll break up with you.”

I take a deep breath, mulling it over. I need to find a place for my cattle or my entire business will go down the drain… But I have no desire to fake a relationship with my ex-best friend’s ex-girlfriend. There’s so much potential for drama…

But what choice do I have?

“Fine,” I finally say, groaning. “I’ll do it, but you better get me that deal.”

She grins wickedly, extending her hand to me. “Deal.”