Rhett's Make-Believe Marriage Read online

  “Looks bad,” Callie said, walking over the dirt that had been blown in through the broken windows.

  “This is bad?” Rhett asked, not quite the house and ranch tour he’d been expecting. The weight of the clean-up felt like tons and tons, and he couldn’t shoulder it. He stood in the middle of the kitchen, turning slowly.

  The appliances were still there. Countertops. Even the kitchen table and barstools.

  The women had gone out the back door, and Rhett went out onto the deck as well. He had so many questions, and he’d been hoping he could ask the four men who supposedly lived here on this ranch he’d bought.

  Only Evelyn paused at the edge of the lawn and lifted her hand in a friendly wave, and Rhett returned it. Then she turned and followed her sisters, their red pickup firing up and rumbling down the road to the west, where their ranch obviously was.

  He sighed and looked up into the still angry sky. “Really, Lord? A tornado? What am I supposed to do now?”

  He had the very strong feeling that he better get to work, so he went into the garage and found a broom. After all, God had led him here, and he couldn’t leave now.

  Rhett had most of the main floor swept out when his phone rang. “Hello?” He didn’t recognize the number, but he had a feeling he’d be answering a lot of calls from people he didn’t know in the near future.

  “Mister Walker?” a cowboy drawled.

  “Yep, you got ‘im,” he said.

  “I’m Orion Goldberg,” the other cowboy said. “We got stuck in town and wondered where you ended up during the tornado. Maybe you’re not in town yet?”

  “I’m at Fox Hill,” he said, pushing the huge pile of dirt out onto the deck. Everywhere he looked, there was more work to do, as evidenced by the patio table and chairs his eyes caught on. The umbrella was still there, but bent, and a sigh passed through his whole soul.

  “Arrived just before the tornado. Good news,” he said, trying to find the silver lining in this situation, the way his mother had always done. “The storm shelter is stocked with food and fits four people.” With room for more.

  “Four people?”

  “The women from down the road were here,” Rhett said, thinking immediately of Evelyn. He consciously switched his thoughts to how he needed to rename the ranch now that he’d finally arrived.

  Just another thing in a long to-do list.

  “Well, we’re still in Three Rivers,” Orion said, his voice fading for a moment. “What do you need us to bring back? How’d the windows fare? The animals?”

  Jeremiah was supposed to be here to run the ranch, and Rhett had paid little attention to the type and number of animals on the ranch.

  “Uh….” He looked out over the land behind the homestead and found several outbuildings. Barns and stables and coops. He turned away from them, overwhelmed and thankful for the four men who would be back soon. Hopefully. “There are several broken windows. Dirt and stuff everywhere. I’m sweeping out the house now.”

  “We’ll bring back lumber and some cleaning supplies. What about groceries?”

  “Can I call something in?” Rhett asked, turning back to the house. He’d bought the ranch a couple of months ago, but he and his brothers hadn’t made the move immediately. The owner had said his neighbors and the crew at Fox Hill could manage for a while, and they obviously had.

  “To where?” Orion asked, and that answered Rhett’s question. It only took fifteen minutes to drive into the town of Three Rivers, and it was a bustling place. At least Mason Martin had told him it was. Rhett had come straight to the ranch when he’d seen the windstorm kick up and the sky turn an ugly shade of green.

  “Never mind,” he said.

  “We can bring out some food, boss,” Orion said, and Rhett wasn’t used to being the boss. He worked for the state as a forensic veterinarian, and while there were only a few people who did what he did, he wasn’t the boss.

  “That would be great,” he said. If they wanted him to be the boss, he could do it. “I’ll pay you back.” He outlined a few grocery staples for Orion, and the call ended. As he swept the dirt back onto the ground where it belonged, he supposed things at Fox Hill could be worse. He could be the only one here, with no money to pay for anything.

  As it was, he had a crew coming back with the supplies he needed, and his brothers on their way. Oh, and plenty of money, as when his father had sold the company he’d built, he’d gotten billions for it.

  All the Walker brothers now had billions too—which was how Rhett had gotten this ranch in the first place. It was the second-biggest one in the area, and well-maintained. At least it had been.

  “And it will be again,” Rhett vowed. “But it needs a new name. A fresh start.” Just like him and his brothers.

  “So what do we call it?” he mused aloud to himself, not quite used to so much country stillness and silence. He and three of his brothers would be living here. “Four….” The only word he could think of was men, and that sounded stupid.

  Plus, once Wyatt finished with the rodeo circuit, he’d probably come to the ranch too. With Rhett’s parents retired and living in Grand Cayman now, there was no “home” for the rodeo king to return to.

  “Seven Sons,” Rhett said, the name popping into his head. It fit. It was perfect, and while Rhett certainly hadn’t appreciated all of the rotten luck that had brought him to this part of Texas, he tipped his head back and looked up into the clearing sky.

  “Thank you, Lord,” he whispered, because he at least had a place to stay, money to fund the rebuilding of this place, and family coming.

  He didn’t need a wife, despite what his mother said. Oh, no, he did not.

  Chapter Three

  One year later:

  Evelyn gripped the steering wheel of her sedan as it moved from the asphalt of the highway to the dirt lane that led out to Shining Star. Hot tears gathered behind her eyes, but she willed them back.

  She’d lost another client, and things were seriously starting to look dire. “Why couldn’t things just work out with Patrick?” she asked the blue sky in front of her. The huge gate and arch for the Seven Sons Ranch loomed ahead, and Evelyn turned toward it as she always did.

  She and her sisters had come to the unveiling, where Rhett had stood beaming with the other three Walker brothers that had moved into the homestead a year ago. They were as frustrating as they were friendly, as Evelyn had tried—quite unsuccessfully—over the past twelve months to get one of them into a relationship with one of her clients.

  But she couldn’t just come out and tell them what she did. If too many people knew, the whole operation would be blown wide open. Thankfully, while Patrick had broken up with her, he hadn’t told a single soul what she really did for a living.

  “Doesn’t matter anyway,” she muttered, looking darkly at the huge Texas star on the closed gate. The name WALKER sat beneath that in big, bold letters, with seven smaller stars, one for each Walker brother.

  Evelyn had met them all over the months, though Skyler, Micah, and Wyatt still didn’t live permanently on the ranch. Jeremiah mostly ran things, while the twins, Liam and Tripp, helped on the farm but worked from home on some techy stuff Evelyn didn’t really understand.

  She maintained her own website, but she knew one of the twins could probably help her set up a killer one that would bring in much more business. Of course, then she’d have to tell him what she really did in her office.

  Which would be fine if only Liam or Tripp knew. Even Jeremiah. But she did not want Rhett Walker to know what she did. She’d had a Texas-sized crush on the man since he’d moved in, but he was colder than the North Pole when it came to dating. Stronger than gravity in his conviction not to get involved with anyone.

  She’d only tried once to set him up with someone else, and since then, she’d simply tried the brothers. But those Walkers…they were definitely as frustrating as they were friendly. Because she hadn’t been able to get even one of them a serious girlfriend, the women
in this town had started to doubt her abilities.

  After all, she had such easy access to them. She knew them so well. They lived next door to one another, attended the same church, and she even had breakfast every Tuesday with Rhett, on the back deck at the newly named and christened Seven Sons Ranch.

  Fine, she’d done that for herself, hoping that Rhett might warm to the idea of being her boyfriend.

  Which was another reason she’d just lost another client. Patrick had broken up with her four months ago, and Evelyn was currently single herself. No one trusted a single matchmaker who couldn’t even get a date with any of the four delicious, dark, mysterious cowboys who lived right next door.

  Scoffing, she turned away from that huge arch that probably cost Rhett ten thousand dollars. Not that it mattered. The man was made of money, and if ever there was something he didn’t want to pay for, one of his brothers would.

  Callie had taken advantage of their generosity more than once, though the Walkers didn’t throw their money around—at least not where normal people could see.

  But Evelyn, Callie, and Simone had seen the new barns go in. Seen the tornado preparations—and accepted Rhett’s offer to beef up their barns and security measures too, should another twister decide to touch down in Three Rivers.

  She saw the fancy farm equipment. Saw the whole homestead get completely remodeled, right down to the latest and greatest technology in terms of appliances, computers, and televisions. The brothers certainly liked their technology, and she knew that all came from their father.

  Pulling into the slummier house where she still lived with her sisters, she saw Rhett’s ATV parked along the side of the house. Perfect. She’d have to face him with tears still in her eyes, and it wasn’t even Tuesday.

  Sure enough, she found the man in her kitchen, a coffee mug at his lips while Simone stirred something on the stove for lunch.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked as she plunked her purse on the built-in desk.

  Rhett’s gorgeous eyes moved to hers, filling with surprise as he looked at her. “What am I doin’ here?” he drawled in that voice that kept her awake sometimes. “You told me to come at eleven-thirty so we could go over the case one last time.”

  Instant humiliation filled Evelyn. “That was today?” Of course it was today. He’d been working an involved case for a farm a few miles outside of Three Rivers, and he had to be in court tomorrow.

  “I’m so sorry, Rhett.” She moved over to the couch and sank onto it, cradling her head in her hands.

  “Her business isn’t going well,” Simone said, sympathy in every word.

  “I can see that.” The barstool scraped as he stood up. He joined her on the couch, his leg pressing right into hers. If she had to name three best friends, they would be Callie, Simone, and Rhett Walker himself.

  Still didn’t keep her heartbeat from accelerating, as it did every time the man got too close to her. Had his pulse ever sped at the sight of her?

  She looked up into his eyes. Those kind, deep brown eyes that seemed to know exactly what she was thinking. He smiled at her, such a tender best-friend smile, and kissed the top of her head like he was her father not the star of her fantasies.

  Still, she leaned into his touch, because it was nice to be taken care of by Rhett Walker. “What can I do to help?” he asked.

  “I don’t know.” She wiped her hair back out of her face and tried to put on a smile. She did know what he could do, but telling him would require revealing so much more, and she just wasn’t ready to do that. He wouldn’t look at her with such soft eyes then.

  Would he?

  “It might help if I knew what your business was,” he said. “I mean, maybe Liam or Tripp—”

  “No,” Evelyn said. “It’s fine. I’m fine.”

  Rhett looked at her again and leaned forward to put his coffee mug on the table in front of them. “Sweetheart, I know I’m no expert when it comes to women. But anyone can take one look at you and see you’re not fine.”

  “I’m goin’ out to the barn,” Simone said, and Evelyn turned toward her.

  “You are? Why?”

  “Callie needs me.” Simone had both eyebrows lifted so high—a sure sign of a lie. “Watch that soup, would you?” With that, the back door closed, and her sister was gone.

  “Soup in May seems kind of ridiculous,” Rhett said with a smile. “But do you think there will be enough to take some home with me?”

  “When is there never not enough to take some home with you?” Some of the frustration in Evelyn’s system melted away. She also knew what had just happened. Simone had left on purpose so she could be alone with her crush.

  Just the fact that she was still crushing on this man was embarrassing enough. Simone didn’t have to be so obvious about things.

  “So.” She exhaled, hoping to calm her racing heart. Nope, that had never worked. “Let’s see your case one more time.”

  He grinned at her now, and such an action on such a beautiful face should be illegal. He was tanner this year, with that same rugged jawline, that same long nose, that same black cowboy hat.

  She’d learned his wardrobe consisted of blue jeans, cowboy boots, only brown belts, and long-sleeved shirts in a variety of shades. Some solids. Some plaids. Some even striped. The man never left home without a jacket, though Texas could get mighty hot in the summer.

  He’d told her that because he worked outside a lot, he needed the long sleeves to avoid bug bites and sunburn. His “forensic veterinarian” tan was a sight to behold, as he sometimes wore short-sleeved T-shirts when he wasn’t off the ranch working.

  “You sure you don’t want to run your things by me first?” he asked. “I feel like you help me so much, and all I do is feed you on Tuesdays.”

  “Hey,” she said. “I need to be fed on Tuesdays. And this week, I want those eggs benedict you’ve been promising for weeks now.”

  He laughed, the sound so wonderful Evelyn almost forgot about her lost client, and got up to get his case files.

  She almost forgot. Almost.

  Several days later, Tuesday came, and she was due at Seven Sons Ranch by eight-thirty. Evelyn lingered in her office, her potential client list completely gone now. She’d literally gone through everyone, whereas only a few short months ago, she had so many women wanting her services, she’d been turning them away.

  “Oh, you’re still here.”

  She turned at the sound of Callie’s voice, a sigh moving through her whole body. “Yes, I don’t want to go sit with Rhett.”

  “Why not?” Callie came fully into the office. “You’ve always loved your breakfasts with him.” She wore concern on her face, and Evelyn had confided in Callie about her crush on the handsome cowboy long ago. “Simone and I have always been jealous.”

  “I know.” Evelyn picked up a handful of papers and dropped them again. “I have no more clients, Callie. No one wants a matchmaker who can’t get and keep a boyfriend.” She collapsed into her office chair, feeling hopeless, which was so unlike her.

  What should I do? she asked the Lord, but He hadn’t been giving her any ideas for the last few months since Patrick had ended things with her.

  “I pay for all of our gas and groceries with my matchmaker money,” she said, looking up at her sister. “What are we going to do?”

  “You just need a boyfriend, right?” Callie asked, easing into the chair Evelyn usually reserved for clients.

  “I think that’s a step in the right direction,” Evelyn said. “The last three men I’ve tried haven’t been interested, and if there’s anything worse than not being married, it’s going on one or two dates and then not getting a call-back.”

  It showed other women that she couldn’t even match herself with the right man, so how could she possibly find them the right cowboy?

  “Then get married,” Callie said.

  “What?” Evelyn froze, her eyes locking onto her older sister’s. “How in the world am I going to do that?”


  Callie got up, a look on her face that said trouble. Evelyn knew; she’d seen it before as the girls grew up. Their mother had died when Simone was only two, and they’d been raised by a very busy father and their grandparents.

  They’d had plenty of free time to get in trouble, and they’d taken every liberty to do so.

  “Callie,” Evelyn said, standing up and speaking in her most warning voice.

  “I’m just saying that your business would improve if you were married. You just said so. So get married.” She stepped toward the exit.

  Evelyn’s heart beat wildly against her ribcage as she tracked Callie’s movement. “To who?”

  “To that handsome man you eat breakfast with every Tuesday.”

  Evelyn opened her mouth to protest, but nothing came out.

  Absolutely nothing.

  Chapter Four

  Rhett looked west to check on Evelyn’s progress toward their breakfast. She’d wanted eggs benedict, and he’d delivered. But she was late, and now he felt like everything would be cold. If there was something worse than a cold egg, he didn’t want to know about it.

  Finally, she came around the side of the barn, and his heart flipped and flopped as if it didn’t quite know where it was supposed to be in his chest.

  He’d long contemplated asking Evelyn to dinner instead of breakfast, showering at the end of the day to be ready for that date and not to get a crime scene off his mind, and showing up at her house with a dozen roses.

  He’d never asked.

  Number one, she’d had a boyfriend for the first eight months he’d been at Seven Sons. Number two, it had taken at least that long to get the ranch cleaned up and running at full speed again after the tornado. Number three, she’d never seemed that interested in him.

  She never wore makeup to their breakfasts, and he’d been the one to suggest them, about six months ago. She’d agreed, but the first time they’d met, she’d asked if it was weird they were eating together when they were just friends.