My Rancher Valentine (Be My Fake Valentine)

Chapter 2

Beau

I knew Kat was watching me walk away. If I had been a girl, I would have put more wiggle in my walk, but being a guy, there wasn’t much I could do. It was too bad. That girl had been driving me crazy with her mousy exterior since ninth grade when I discovered girls did not, in fact, have cooties.

After graduation, I had expected her to get her degree and become something simple. Maybe a librarian or work in the bookstore. Not that there was anything wrong with either profession, and Kat had always walked around with a book under her nose. You could have knocked me over when she showed up at the rodeo with her hair pulled back and looking like a nerdy wet dream. If only she would let loose. I had a feeling there was a wildcat hidden just under the surface, and I’d kill to be the one that set her off.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to keep messing with her today. Not when the head honchos from Patchwork Leather just walked in.

I have been trying to get a meeting with them since the beginning of last year. I needed a new big sponsor. One with a big name that wasn’t the same as my last one. I appreciated the smaller sponsors I already had, but Patchwork would give some legitimacy to my riding. They had stores all over the country, and everyone loved their products. From belts to coats to boots. If it was leather, they manufactured it right here in Brexley, and that was what I wanted.

Besides, it wasn’t as if I wasn’t grateful for my family’s help, but they were never going to see my riding as more than a weekend hobby if I didn’t grab any other big-name sponsors’ attention.

“Randall.” I held my hand out when they looked over at me. “Leonard.” We shook hands. “Glad to see you here today.”

“Wynters.” Both greeted me. “Should have known you’d have your hat in the ring today.” Randall laughed. Everyone knew him as the friendlier of the two.

“Of course.” I didn’t bother pointing out they were less than an hour from my hometown. They already knew that. “I never miss the Brexley Winter Fair.”

“Neither do we.” Randall nodded. “We should actually be getting to our seats.”

“Right. Yes, of course.” If I didn’t jump now, who knew when I would get to talk to them again? “Listen, I was hoping to get a sit down with you all about next season’s sponsorships.”

“We are still in the decision process about next season,” Leonard said curtly.

“Naturally.” I smiled. “I would just love to talk. Maybe you could come out to the ranch. My mother would love to have you all visit.” I knew how much they valued family. It was one of the company mottos, and if anyone understood family business, it was me.

“That’s awful kind of you, but to be honest, that isn’t how we do things.” Randall shook his head.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I was just thinking it might be easier to discuss things over a slice of pie than in an office.” I cleared my throat. This wasn’t going great at all.

Neither of them said anything more. Randall’s eyes traveled around the stalls, and Leonard looked down at his watch. For all the bravo I showed in the saddle, I sucked at business. This was my sister’s area. If Hailey was here, she would have them eating out of her hand like a horse craving oats. That was why she handled all my sponsorship deals.

“How about tonight, then?” I tried. “We can find a nice restaurant, my treat, and just talk.”

Leonard blew out a haggard breath. “Look, Beau, this isn’t about talent. We all know how good you are. We just don’t think you are the right fit for our brand.”

Damn. “That can’t be. I love Patchwork Leather. I wear it all the time.” I pointed to the belt resting on my waist.

“This isn’t about what you do while you’re riding,” Randall said. “This is about the reputation you’ve gained outside the rodeo.” He thinned out his lips. “It doesn’t match with what we represent.”

Fuck me. All this because I happen to like women and they liked me too. That reputation was built years ago. I was getting sick of people holding it against me.

“Guys, every sport, every competition, has to have the bad boy.” I tried to turn this around. “My reputation is just for show.”

“Really?” Randall didn’t look convinced.

“Really.” I took in a long breath and lowered my voice. “In fact, I’m actually engaged.” Words were flying out of my mouth faster than I could think them through. That had to be it. There was no other reason I would make up a fiancee right there in the back of the arena.

“Engaged? You?” Leonard looked less convinced than his business partner.

“Yes.” It was too late to back down now. “We’ve been keeping it under wraps until I can change things up. It’s one of the many reasons I believe having you sponsor me next season will make this easier.”

Leonard crossed his arms. His eyes were already little lines of vision. “And who is the woman? Surely she’s here supporting you.”

That would be the part I hadn’t thought about. Where the hell was I going to get a fiancee this fast? It wasn’t as if I could walk up to a complete stranger and ask her to pretend to be in love with me. There was no telling how that could end.

“She’s...” I glanced around, looking for someone, anyone, that could work.

Fate must have been on my side because just as my eyes landed on Kat, she hugged Maddie, who walked off in the opposite direction.

“She’s right there talking to a friend.” I pointed to the two women waving to each other.

Maddie might have been the easier one to convince, but it wouldn’t be near as much fun as spending the day getting Kat to pretend to adore me. It might also give me a chance to prove to her I wasn’t the villain she believed me to be. Add in that I didn’t want to mess up my friendship with Maddie’s brother or her cousin, and Kat was the clear winner.

“That’s your fiancee?” Leonard really wasn’t buying this at all. I had a feeling he wasn’t going to believe me until he saw a ring on Kat’s finger.

“Yes, let me introduce you.” I turned toward her before she could walk away. “There you are, sweetheart.”

The expression on her face said it all. If I didn’t get to her fast, she was going to blow the whole thing. As it was, this was going to be a hard sell. Not only to Randall and Leonard, but to Kat. And god forbid Momma, and my sister Daph found out. All of them would join forces and skin me alive.

Who’s brilliant idea had this been? Oh yeah, mine.

“Just play along, Kitten,” I whispered in her ear. I didn’t hide my reaction to how soft her skin felt against mine. We were supposed to be getting married, after all. It would make sense that touching her made me shiver.

I pulled back with my eyes locked on hers. Damn, this really was a stupid idea. Had I ever touched her face before? I couldn’t have. There was no way I would forget the feeling of her so close.

Introductions were made and thankfully, Kat held it together. At least she did until Randall congratulated her on our engagement. I brushed my lips over her cheek. Her skin was even softer against my lips.

“I figured it didn’t make sense to keep it all to ourselves.”

Her coal-grey eyes looked pitch black as she stared at me. I could feel her doing something with her hands, but I didn’t look down. If she was planning my demise, I didn’t want to know ahead of time.

“Well, isn’t that something?” She got out between clenched teeth.

“Yes, it is.” Fool that I am, I winked at her. “I know it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I couldn’t resist another kiss on her cheek.

“How long have you two been together?” Leonard asked.

“Oh, most of our lives,” I answered before Kat could speak up and give everything away. “We grew up together, but it wasn’t until recently that things took a turn.”

“Real recently.” She agreed. “It almost feels like just yesterday. Some might even say today.”

“Come now, Kitten, you know it’s been longer than that.” I teased.

She didn’t respond. “If you all will excuse me. I have a job to do.” She pulled away, but I held onto her hand.

“My lovely future bride is a very talented reporter.” I smiled.

“Really?” Randall smiled. “That probably makes it easy for the two of you to be together.”

“Oh, yeah.” She nodded. “There are times it feels as if I can’t get away from him.” Her smile was bordering on hysterical.

I laughed. “She is such a kidder. It’s one of the things I love about her.”

“If you have time tonight, perhaps we could take you both to dinner.” Randall offered. That was a turn.

“I don’t...” she started.

“We’d love that,” I spoke over her. “Let’s meet at Oceanwave Bistro.”

“Sounds great.” Randall smiled.

“If you will excuse us, I should walk my love out to the arena.” I held Kat tight. Dear gracious, she felt amazing tucked under my arm. If I thought I was attracted to her before, it was nothing compared to the few minutes of pretending we were more. I could quickly see how this was going to bite me in the ass if I wasn’t careful.

“Of course.” Randall nodded again. “We will see you both later.”

“Sure will.” I pulled Kat away.

She barely waited until we were out of earshot before she ripped herself away and turned to face me.

“YOU!” She advanced toward me, and for a second, I wondered if she really was going to skin me alive. “Give me one good reason, Beau Wynters, why I shouldn’t kill you right this instant.”

I held my hands up. “I know it’s a lot to take in, but I really need your help, Kitty Kat.”

“I told you not to call me that.”

I blew out a breath. “Kat, I really need you to do this for me.” I dropped my smile. “I need this sponsorship, and the only way I can get it is to prove my reputation isn’t as bad as they believe.”

“But it is as bad as they believe.” She reminded me. “You’ve spent most of your life cultivating said reputation. Why would you think I would ever help you now that it’s come back to bite you in the ass?”

I didn’t think I had ever heard a curse word come out of Kathleen Depner’s mouth. She must really be upset.

I gritted my teeth. I knew she believed all the surrounding hype too, but I guess I hoped she saw beyond all the rumors to the boy she had known all her life.

“I know it isn’t your responsibility to help me, but come on, Kat. Can’t you help a friend out for old times’ sake?”

“We aren’t friends.” She pointed out. “We’ve never been friends.”

Her words stung like a son of a bitch. We never ran in the same circles, but I had thought we were friends. Especially after she started covering the rodeo circuit.

“Then can you do it because you are a nice person?” I tried appealing to her generous side.

She closed her eyes and let her head fall backward. I could see her lips moving, but couldn’t hear a sound. It took a moment, but she lifted her face and looked me in the eye.

“I do this and you stop calling me Kitty Kat,” she said. “You stop pushing my buttons, and I get an exclusive with you and those guys the minute the ink is dry on the contract.” She held out her hand to shake. I took it in mine and sealed our deal.

“You got it, Kitten.” I winked at her.

“Beau.”

“You didn’t say anything about that one.” I might have overestimated my agreement to stop pushing her buttons.

Kat moved in closer to me. Her body pressed to mine. I could feel every inch of her, and I had to swallow down my desire. It seemed she was pushing a few buttons of her own, and I was completely here for it.

“Be careful, Beau.” Her voice dropped and had a bedroom quality to it that I was dying to hear scream my name. “I can make or break this whole deal.”

Shit. She was right. Without her, there was no way Patchwork wouldn’t consider me.

“Alright. I’ll be good.” I agreed.

“We’ll see.” She backed away and walked off with the perfect amount of wiggle in her ass and without a second glance in my direction.