Matt wasn’t going to leave Royal without making sure Rachel and her daughter were stable and had what they needed, at least until she got on her feet.
Well, hell. Is that why they were here? Because she didn’t have a place to stay? What about the home she and Billy had?
“How long are you hiding from your fan club?” she asked, pulling him back to the real reason he was in town.
Matt clenched his jaw. He wasn’t about to get into all the issues he had going on. The disagreements with his partner, the negotiations he had still up in the air, the fact he wanted to sell his 51 percent and start his own company. There really was no way to just sum up in a blanket statement all he had going on.
He would much rather keep their unexpected reunion on the lighter side. And now that they were both in Royal, Matt sure as hell planned to see her again. Fate had pushed them together for a reason and he couldn’t ignore that.
“I’m going to be here awhile. My grandfather’s old estate is on the edge of town. It’s sat empty for several years. Figure I should think about having it renovated and perhaps selling. For now, I’m staying at The Bellamy.”
The five-star establishment had been recently renovated into a luxurious hotel. Matt had requested the penthouse and had paid extra to have it ready on the same day he’d had his assistant call for the reservation. Money might have gotten him pretty much everything he wanted in life, but there was still a void. Something was missing and he had no clue what it was.
Rachel slid those plump lips around her straw again and Matt found himself shifting in his seat once more. He’d been in her presence for all of ten minutes and it was as if no time had passed at all. He still craved her, still found her one of the most stunning women he’d ever known. Still wondered what would’ve happened between them if Billy hadn’t been at that party.
Actually, there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t wonder. If he were being honest, most of the women he’d hooked up with were just fillers for the one he truly wanted.
Matt set his mug on the table, then leaned closer to her. “Listen, Rachel...”
“No.” She held up her hand and shook her head. “Let’s not revisit the past. Not quite yet.”
He stared at her for another minute, wanting to deal with the proverbial elephant in the room, and yet needing to dodge it at the same time.
Finally, he nodded. “Since we’re both in town for a while, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight.”
Rachel laughed. “I’m not the carefree woman I used to be, Matt. I’m a single mother with responsibilities.”
“Bring your daughter.”
Where had that come from? He’d never asked a woman and her child on a date. Had he ever even dated a woman with a kid?
He hadn’t. But none of that mattered, because no other woman was Rachel. Besides, he wanted to see Billy’s daughter. His best friend might not have been the world’s greatest husband, but he was a good friend and his child would be the last connection to him.
Rachel’s smile widened as she reached out and gripped his hand. “It’s a date.”
Matt glanced down at their joined hands and wondered why he’d just jumped head first into the exact situation he’d been running from. If he stayed around Royal too long with Rachel, he didn’t know how long he could resist her...or if he’d even try.
“From the way you’re eyeing those photos, maybe you should consider bidding on your own bachelor.”
Smiling, Rachel glanced up from the glossy images all spread out across the farm-style kitchen table to look at Alexis. Each picture featured a single man in Royal who had agreed to step up to the plate and be auctioned for a good cause. All funds would go toward the Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation, but each woman writing the check would be winning a fantasy date with one hunky bachelor.
Rachel and Alexis were still searching for someone who could be the “big draw” or headliner.
“I think I’ll just stick to the marketing and working behind the scenes and not worry so much about getting my fantasy date.” Rachel blew out a breath and flattened her palms on the spread of photos. She did some quick figures in her head of what she could donate and still live off of until she completed her degree and got a paying job. “Don’t worry, I’ll still write a check for the cause. There are so many great guys who agreed to help... I’m just not sure which one we should use as the main event.”
Alexis dropped to a chair next to Rachel and started sliding the images around. She picked up one, then set it aside, picked up another, dismissed it, too. There were so many options, from doctors to lawyers, ranchers to pilots. Royal had quite the variety of upstanding men. How were all of these hotties still single?
“The problem is these guys are all fabulous,” Alexis stated, her blue eyes searching all of the options. “You can’t go wrong with any of them. We do need the final man to be someone spectacular, someone the ladies won’t mind writing an exorbitant amount for.”
A small white paper with handwritten notes was paper clipped to the top right corner of each picture. The brief stats gave basic details of the bachelor: name, age, occupation. The overwhelming response from handsome, eligible men to help with the charity auction was remarkable. The Pancreatic Cancer Research Foundation would no doubt get a fat check afterward.
Gus and Alexis had done all the grunt work lining up the bachelors and it was Rachel’s job to make sure word got out and women flocked with full purses to the biggest event of the year.
“We need to get these framed,” Rachel murmured, thinking aloud. “They need to be propped on easels and in sturdy wood frames to showcase all this glorious masculinity.”
They’d have to strategically set them around the outdoor garden area at the Texas Cattleman’s Club so the women could come early and get an idea of who they wanted to bid on. Once Rachel went to the site, she could better plan all the details of how to arrange things.
She had already made a mock-up of the programs that would be handed out at the door. The program featured the bachelors with their regular posed image, plus she’d requested something playful or something to show their true personality.
“I have a spreadsheet of the order I think they should go in,” Rachel stated. “Sorry, I know that’s not quite marketing, but I was up late last night and started thinking of the best way to advertise and then I started numbering them and—”
“I get it. Your OCD kicked in and you ran with it.” Alexis reached for her girlfriend’s hand and squeezed. “I’ll take any help I can get, and having you stay here is just like being in college. Well, with a child and less parties, but I love having you at the ranch.”
Rachel loved being here, as well. She had been feeling adrift, but when Alexis had invited her to Royal, she figured this was just the break from life she needed. Who knew? Maybe Royal would become home. The big-city feel with the small-town attitude of everyone helping each other was rather nice.
Plus, there was the bonus of her best friend living here. Ellie seemed to have taken to Alexis and Gus.
“Lone Wolf Ranch is gorgeous,” Rachel said, beaming. “I’m still excited you asked me to help with this auction. I think it’s going to pull in more money than you ever thought possible.”
Alexis pulled her hand away and blew out a sigh. “I don’t know. I’ve set a pretty large goal. This fund-raiser means more to me than just money. I want to honor my grandmother’s memory and make my grandfather proud of me at the same time. They did so much for