The Rancher's Fake Fiancée. Amy Vastine. Читать онлайн. Newlib. NEWLIB.NET

Автор: Amy Vastine
Издательство: HarperCollins
Серия: Mills & Boon True Love
Жанр произведения: Короткие любовные романы
Год издания: 0
isbn: 9781474090636
Скачать книгу
There’s nothing wrong with being alone.”

      He didn’t have to convince her. Hadley was perfectly content with being single. It didn’t matter so much that all of her college friends were either getting married or already married. Some of them were even starting to have kids. She was only twenty-six. Far from being a spinster.

      “Exactly,” she agreed. “There’s no shame in building a successful career first. That’s my goal. I want to be something other than someone’s wife. Is that wrong?”

      “Not in my book. And given your performance today, you’re definitely on track to be our brand strategist.” Tyler cracked a smile.

      He somehow managed to be even more attractive when he smiled. His eyes crinkled at the edges and softened just enough to make her think less about being a brand strategist and more about being his fiancée.

      She turned her head, focusing her gaze on the scenery rather than the man sitting next to her. Her boss. Not her fiancé.

      They pulled up to a one-story log cabin that backed up to the tall pines of the forest. It had an expansive front porch that overlooked the horse pasture. Two buffalo-check flannel pillows sat on a wooden bench, the perfect spot to sit and watch the sunset over the mountains.

      “We set you two up here. This one is called Heavenly Pines. I like to think of it as the honeymoon suite,” Ethan said with a wink.

      Hadley ignored the flutter in her stomach. This was a game. A means to an end. No honeymoon.

      Ben and Ethan helped unload the bags from the car. Hadley wasn’t used to having so many strong, handsome gentlemen around to do her bidding. She could get used to the Blackwell Ranch quite quickly if this kept up.

      Heavenly Pines was a quaint little cabin. Inside there was a sitting area, a small kitchenette with a microwave and a king-size bed in the bedroom. Two towels were folded on the bed with tiny scented toiletries tucked in the front fold.

      “Jon and Lydia invited everyone over for dinner tonight. The twins are excited to see Uncle Tyler and their soon-to-be aunt Hadley,” Ethan said, setting her suitcase down in the bedroom.

      “Sounds good,” Tyler said. He glanced at the bed and she saw the same discomfort that Hadley felt looking at it. “Are we going to talk business now or when we’re all together tonight?”

      “That depends,” Ethan answered, his gaze jumping back and forth from Tyler to Ben. “We’re wondering how set you are about selling the ranch.”

      Tyler’s eyebrows pinched together. “I’m all in. Why wouldn’t we sell?”

      “Ethan thinks the ranch should stay in the family,” Ben interjected. “He’s been trying to convince me to do this with him, but I can’t. Rachel and I are focused on keeping Double T afloat. Jon has his ranch to run.”

      “So that leaves you and Chance,” Ethan chimed in. “We both know Chance doesn’t care what happens to this place. He sure isn’t going to help run it—”

      “But I might?” Tyler interrupted. “Have you lost your mind? I didn’t want to come here in the first place. I’m definitely not going to stay and help you run it. Sorry, man. I don’t know what you thought was going to happen, but I am set on selling.”

      “Seriously, Ty. I saw your face when you walked into the old house,” Ethan said.

      “That’s all you’ve got?” Ben asked. “Everyone looks sick when they walk in there. Zoe ruined it.”

      “It was more than Zoe’s bad taste.”

      Hadley knew Ethan was right. She had seen it, too. Tyler had been devastated by what had been done to the house.

      “That house means something to all of us,” Ethan continued. “It’s where Mom and Dad tucked us in. Where—”

      Tyler put his hand up. “Stop. I don’t need a walk down memory lane. I don’t want to talk about Mom and Dad. I don’t want to rehash the things that happened in that house. I want to help you sell this ranch and go back to Portland. Where I live. Where I work.”

      “Where your fiancée lives and works,” Ben added.

      Hadley had no place in this discussion. Stuck in the middle of a very private family matter was not where she wanted to be. Tyler’s brothers might have thought she influenced whether Tyler stayed, but the truth was she had no say in what was happening here.

      “I’m sorry, Hadley,” Ethan said. “I know what I’m asking impacts you, too. You two have a life together in Portland, but I’m asking you to consider another possibility.”

      “It’s never happening,” Tyler said through gritted teeth. “Drop it.”

      “Okay...” Ben jumped in. “Ethan and I are going to let you two get settled. We’ll see you at Jon’s for dinner. We can talk about the marketing plans when all of us are in the same room.” Ben guided Ethan toward the door.

      Hadley could see the frustration coming off Tyler like steam. His chest rose and fell like he’d been out for a run. She’d seen him upset before at work but not like this. This wasn’t simply anger. This was pain.

      “I’m sorry,” she started.

      “Go unpack, Hadley,” he snapped.

      She didn’t argue. She turned on her heel and headed back to the bedroom. He was the boss. This was a job. They weren’t a real couple. They never would be.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4QAYRXhpZgAASUkqAAgAAAAAAAAAAAAAAP/sABFEdWNreQABAAQAAABQAAD/4QQQaHR0cDov L25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wLwA8P3hwYWNrZXQgYmVnaW49Iu+7vyIgaWQ9Ilc1TTBNcENl aGlIenJlU3pOVGN6a2M5ZCI/PiA8eDp4bXBtZXRhIHhtbG5zOng9ImFkb2JlOm5zOm1ldGEvIiB4 OnhtcHRrPSJBZG9iZSBYTVAgQ29yZSA1LjAtYzA2MSA2NC4xNDA5NDksIDIwMTAvMTIvMDctMTA6 NTc6MDEgICAgICAgICI+IDxyZGY6UkRGIHhtbG5zOnJkZj0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMTk5 OS8wMi8yMi1yZGYtc3ludGF4LW5zIyI+IDxyZGY6RGVzY3JpcHRpb24gcmRmOmFib3V0PSIiIHht bG5zOnhtcE1NPSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvbW0vIiB4bWxuczpzdFJlZj0i aHR0cDovL25zLmFkb2JlLmNvbS94YXAvMS4wL3NUeXBlL1Jlc291cmNlUmVmIyIgeG1sbnM6eG1w PSJodHRwOi8vbnMuYWRvYmUuY29tL3hhcC8xLjAvIiB4bWxuczpkYz0iaHR0cDovL3B1cmwub3Jn L2RjL2VsZW1lbnRzLzEuMS8iIHhtcE1NOk9yaWdpbmFsRG9jdW1lbnRJRD0ieG1wLmRpZDo4NWU2 NTA0YS0xMWU2LTRlZDMtOWMyOS0zODlmMDk5MTFhYjUiIHhtcE1NOkRvY3VtZW50SUQ9InhtcC5k aWQ6NTUyM0ZBNTI5OEJGMTFFOEJBQUM5Nzk3OTg5NEFGMkMiIHhtcE1NOkluc3RhbmNlSUQ9Inht cC5paWQ6NTUyM0ZBNTE5OEJGMTFFOEJBQUM5Nzk3OTg5NEFGMkMiIHhtcDpDcmVhdG9yVG9vbD0i QWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTNS4xIE1hY2ludG9zaCI+IDx4bXBNTTpEZXJpdmVkRnJvbSBzdFJl ZjppbnN0YW5jZUlEPSJ4bXAuaWlkOkE0QTE1NUUyRkMyMDY4MTE5N0E1QUNEMTQ5QTI5MjM0IiBz dFJlZjpkb2N1bWVudElEPSJ4bXAuaWQ6ZDIzYjU0YTMtMzBhMS00NDZlLWFiM2ItZmY5MWM5NjQ0 ZmY2Ii8+IDxkYzp0aXRsZT4gPHJkZjpBbHQ+IDxyZGY6bGkgeG1sOmxhbmc9IngtZGVmYXVsdCI+ VHJ1ZUxvdmVfSkFOX1NpbmdsZXMuaW5kZDwvcmRmOmxpPiA8L3JkZjpBbHQ+IDwvZGM6dGl0bGU+ IDwvcmRmOkRlc2NyaXB0aW9uPiA8L3JkZjpSREY+IDwveDp4bXBtZXRhPiA8P3hwYWNrZXQgZW5k PSJyIj8+/+0ASFBob3Rvc2hvcCAzLjAAOEJJTQQEAAAAAAAPHAFaAAMbJUccAgAAAgACADhCSU0E JQAAAAAAEPzhH4nIt8l4LzRiNAdYd+v/4gxYSUNDX1BST0ZJTEUAAQEAAAxITGlubwIQAABtbnRy UkdCIFhZWiAHzgACAAkABgAxAABhY3