Make-Believe Fiancé Page 2

  “Forget it. Finish your breakfast.”

  “Come on, Dad …”

  “No. I’ll take care of it this time, son. But let me ask you … when are you going to take yourself seriously?”

  “Dad …”

  “I mean it. It’s time for you to settle down, son. You’re not twenty anymore.”

  “I know that, Dad.” Heath took a quick breath. It was always the same thing. “I know I gave you trouble when I was younger, but like you said, I’m not a kid anymore. I work hard every single day, Dad. You know that. I’ve earned a weekend off.”

  “You should be married by now. At your age, I had two children and was running my own ranch.”

  His eyes closed and he frowned. “I know.”

  “It’s time to take responsibility, son. Responsibility for your life, for the company … you can’t live this way forever. These weekends with the boys are just another symptom of you trying to hold onto your childhood. But you’re not a child any longer – you’re a man. It’s time you started acting like one.”

  A hint of sarcasm crept into his voice. “And what does that mean, Dad, to act like a man?”

  “It means… well, who are you bringing to your cousin’s wedding?”

  “What?”

  “The wedding this weekend. Who are you bringing? You do have a date, don’t you?”

  Heath bit his lip. Not only didn’t he have a date for the wedding, but he’d forgotten all about the event. “Of course I do – I’ll tell you all about her soon. But right now I have to go.”

  His father grunted into the phone. “Well, that’s good to hear. You’re not getting any younger, you know? I want to give you the CEO position and take a step back, son, but I’m still not convinced you’re ready. If you could show me you’re growing up … well, maybe we could finally take that trip I’ve been promising your mother.”

  “I hear you, Dad – I just don’t agree. I have matured. I’ve been busting my tail running the company and we’re bringing in higher profits than ever before. We’ve added four ranches to our portfolio in the past twelve months, along with half a dozen feed and produce stores, and we’ll be expanding into more stores in other states next year. Business is good and it’s getting better. That should be all you need to know to make your decision. And if you can’t see that, I don’t know what to tell you.”

  Graham seemed to sense he’d crossed a line. “Now, son …”

  But now Heath was boiling. His father had a way of bringing out that side of him and he didn’t like it, yet couldn’t seem to stop it. “Since you insist on nosing into my private life, I’ll be sure to keep you updated on my relationship status from now on. If you like, I can even get Social Security numbers so you can run background checks.”

  His father sighed. “I know you’re doing well, Heath. I keep up with what you’re doing at work. I just have some concerns. I want you to be settled, happy. And I’m looking forward to meeting this mystery date of yours.”

  “She’s no mystery, Dad. Look, I have to go – I’m being rude to the guys, and our food is on the table.”

  His father rang off with a promise to let him know how things went in the meeting. And Heath wandered back to the booth to find Gwen setting plates on the table. He slid into his seat, the aroma of freshly-made waffles with maple syrup and butter drifting up to greet him. His stomach growled and he smiled at Gwen.

  She returned his smile half-heartedly as she finished delivering the meals. “I’ll be back with your coffee – let me know if you need anything else,” she said, wiping her hands on the apron tied neatly about her trim waist.

  He watched her leave, then sliced off a piece of waffle. As he put it in his mouth, Tim glanced up at him from his stack of pancakes. “Who was that on the phone?”

  “Dad.”

  “You didn’t look real happy about whatever he was saying,” Dan added between mouthfuls of egg.

  Heath chewed, swallowed and cut another piece. “Yeah. You know the usual – when are you gonna get married, settle down and grow up?” He was tired of hearing about it, from both parents. According to his mother, thirty was far too old to be a respectable bachelor; according to his father, it showed he wasn’t sensible enough to run the company. Never mind that he’d basically been managing it for two years already, since his father’s heart attack slowed him down.

  For some reason, they were both so invested in the idea of him marrying and having a family, they couldn’t swallow the idea that perhaps he was the man they wanted him to become already, just single. And they never gave him a break about it, let alone the benefit of the doubt.

  Dan chuckled. “I’ve heard that speech before. So what are you gonna do?”

  “Find a date for our cousin’s wedding this weekend. Seeing as I already told him I had one, just to get him off my back.”

  “I get that. Who do you have in mind?”

  Heath shook his head. “No one. But I’d better fix that, and fast.”

  2

  Gwen Alder ducked her head and wiped the sweat off her forehead. She still wasn’t accustomed to Montana weather. After living most of her life in southern California, she’d moved to the northern Rockies five years earlier when her husband was offered a job there, and shivered through five Arctic winters. Spring wasn’t much better, to her way of thinking – the snow finally melted in the low country, but the distant mountain peaks were white against the blue sky, and the winds carried their chill through the city streets.

  And now summer, which in Montana was nothing like SoCal. No dry heat and cool oceans here, and nowhere she could escape the humidity. At the diner, the sizzling grill and constant stream of customers meant the thermometer rarely dipped below eighty-five. At her apartment, the air-conditioning unit clunked and clamored for a half-hour each night when she returned home before giving up entirely, leaving her panting and sweating on top of the bedsheets.

  She ran a hand over her face, then wiped the sweat on her pants leg. With a grimace she looked at her hand and saw chipped nails and dry skin. When had she stopped taking care of herself? Probably after the first couple years of marriage, when she’d realized it wasn’t going to work out. That was when everything had begun to unravel.

  Though if she was being completely honest, she’d known from day one the marriage wouldn’t last. It wasn’t that Edward was mean, at least not at first. But the moment they said “I do,” he changed. Gone was the romance, the charm and the thoughtfulness – instead, he was lazy, short-tempered and demanding. When he lost his job in Missoula, she’d found herself supporting them both on her teacher’s salary.

  Well, all that was behind her now – or most of it. When he left her for a woman from the local dry cleaner, he’d used what money they had left to hire a top-notch attorney who took her to the cleaners during the divorce settlement. She’d had to settle for Fran Hall, a well-meaning if scatterbrained ambulance-chaser she’d found in a Google search. She shook her head and took a long breath. She’d definitely think twice before marrying again.

  Her thoughts turned to her upcoming job at Houghton Elementary School in Billings in two weeks. Butterflies jostled in her stomach. It was nerve-wracking to begin again somewhere new, but she’d already come so far. She’d applied for and accepted a good position, found an apartment to rent (granted, a tiny, sparsely-furnished studio in a bad part of town, but still), and nabbed a summer job waitressing at a local diner to pay the bills until school started at the end of August. Things were finally looking up. Now if only she could get on top of all those bills …

  Her phone rang and she pulled it from her pocket, almost dropping it on the pavement in her haste. Her heart lurched and she paled. The last thing she needed was another expense.

  When she answered, her heart seized again. “Gwen!” Fran always sounded like she was shouting out a drill command. It would be funny if it weren’t for the dread that curled like a snake in the pit of Gwen’s stomach at the sound.

  “Hello, Fra
n. How can I help you?”

  “I’ve got bad news!”

  Fran never seemed to have any other kind. “What now? The divorce was finalized last week – what else can he expect from me?”

  Fran cackled, her version of a laugh. “Edward’s lawyer is complaining about the money they were due to receive from the sale of the house.”

  “Like that’s somehow my fault? Yeah, it isn’t as much as we’d hoped, but there’s nothing I can do about the housing market. And I have no control over when they receive their half – that’s up to the bank.” She ran a hand over her face and tried to calm her racing heart. Even hearing Ed’s name these days made her break out in a cold sweat.

  “He’s saying you’re holding back!”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. We got fifty percent of the equity each after legal fees and taxes – which amounted to almost nothing. They know this – they’ve got a copy of the closing documents.” Isn’t that what she was paying Fran to handle? She shook her head. She’d been disappointed herself when she saw the figures, but disappointment had become a way of life for her by then.

  It was only when she received the job offer from Billings Public Schools that she began to hope again, that perhaps she could change the course of her life. Getting away, starting over – she just wanted some time alone to gather herself, to find the person inside she’d lost sight of over those few years of marriage to Ed.

  “Now they’re threatening to go back to court and seek alimony!”

  Gwen laughed, almost hysterically. “Alimony? I’m working as a waitress at a greasy spoon – I’m basically living off tips, since the hourly wage is practically nothing.”

  “Yes, but he knows you start teaching in a couple of weeks!”

  She frowned, her nostrils flaring in anger. “So that’s his plan? He’s going to wait until I start teaching and what, garnish my wages? When does it all end, Fran?”

  Fran cleared her throat and she heard the rustle of papers down the line. When she spoke again, the drill-sergeant tone was gone. “I’m sorry, Gwen. I know the settlement wasn’t what you’d hoped for …”

  “No, it wasn’t, and I know there’s nothing I can do about that. But something has to change. With taxes and moving costs and your fees, I can’t even afford to pay my rent. I’m just hoping my landlord gives me some time to make it up.”

  “Look, I’m sure it will all resolve itself when Edward finds work. But right now, he needs support, and …”

  “No! No, he does not ‘need support’ – and he certainly doesn’t need mine! He needs to figure his life out. We’re not married anymore …” Gwen sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. She stopped walking and leaned against a brick wall, enjoying the coolness against her skin. “It feels like I’ll never be free.”

  Fran coughed. “Look, keep your chin up. You’ll get through this.”

  “Thanks, Fran. Don’t give him anything, okay?” She wrapped up the call, then groaned against the bricks. So much for starting over. She rubbed her eyes as her throat tightened, the telltale sign of tears. She coughed and bit her lip. There was no time for tears now, not out in the street with people watching. She’d cry later into her pillow.

  She smiled – it was almost humorous the way her life was falling to ruin. A giggle rose in her chest. She’d better get inside before she completely lost it in public.

  As she jogged toward the apartment, her thoughts returned to the group of men who’d come into the diner that morning. They looked like they’d been up all night, disheveled with three-day beards and wrinkled clothes. Partiers, no doubt – either out drinking or enjoying one of the many local casinos.

  It was a shame, because one of them, the one who’d introduced himself as Heath, was cute. Handsome, really. He didn’t look much older than her, and had come into the diner sporting a Stetson. There were plenty of cowboys moseying around Billings, and she had a soft spot for them – or had, until Ed had torn her heart out and filleted it. Now, she intended to steer clear of all men until her wounded heart fully healed.

  Anyway, she’d known men like Heath before – confident, self-assured and good-looking. No doubt he had women throwing themselves at him all the time. He wouldn’t look twice at her.

  The apartment building where she lived loomed dark on the next block, its chipped bricks stained with clinging black mold. She pushed through the front door and it swung shut behind her, catching her heel. She glanced over her shoulder as the door slapped her backside and frowned. What was that on the grassy verge outside? It looked like her silver-and-blue bed cover …

  She spun around and jogged to the curb, her heart in her throat. Everything she owned lay on the grass: her bedcovers, the small TV/DVD combo she’d bought at Wal-Mart years earlier, the few books she hadn’t donated before the move. It was all there in a pile on the side of the road. Her throat constricted and bile rose from her stomach. What was going on? She knew she was behind on rent, but she’d spoken to the landlord and thought he’d agreed to give her time to make up the payments.

  Back inside, she sprinted up the stairs two at a time until she was gasping for breath. She reached her apartment door on the third floor and leaned against the wall as she gulped air. Stars danced before her eyes – she really should exercise more often.

  Her key didn’t work in the lock and she groaned. There was a piece of pale blue paper taped to the door. An eviction notice.

  She sighed and slid down to kneel on the floor, her head in her hands. Tears threatened and she swallowed them down. She had to think. Where could she go now? Her few possessions were out on the curb – she had to get them before someone else did.

  Struggling to her feet, she hurried down the staircase again to her old Toyota Corolla, still parked in her assigned space. She climbed in, drove it to the curb and piled everything she could into the trunk and back seats. Good thing the apartment had come furnished, albeit cheaply – she would’ve had to leave any furniture behind.

  Once she was done, she pulled away from the curb and headed through downtown Billings. What next? She had nowhere to go – she was officially homeless. Again the hysterical laughter rose, and this time she let it loose. She laughed until tears rolled down her face and the guffaws morphed into sobs she couldn’t contain. When they ran out, she took a deep breath. No point in wallowing – she’d think of something to do.

  But for now, she would take a moment and have a coffee. She’d been on her feet all day, the sun was beginning to set, and soon she’d have to make a decision about where she’d spend the night. Her stomach growled and her head felt light. She needed sustenance before she could think clearly enough to make that kind of decision.

  She pulled into a parking lot behind the local café, the Cat’s Meow, and went inside. It was a quiet time of day, between the dinner and late-night rushes, and one of the two staff on duty was mopping the floor at the far end of the room. She took a seat close to the cash register, ordered, then pulled out her phone. Who could she call?

  Out of ideas, she set it on the table as a waitress bought her coffee. “Had a good day?” she asked with a warm smile.

  Gwen winced. “I’ve had better. But thanks for asking.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yeah. I have to find a place to stay.”

  “Sorry to hear that. You should check the notice board by the front door. There’re usually a few rooms for rent and stuff like that posted.” The woman wandered behind the register, where she began wiping down the counter.

  Gwen’s eyes narrowed. She took a sip of coffee, then headed for the notice board. It was a corkboard tacked to the wall, covered in flyers of all shapes and sizes. She scanned the papers, her eyes finally landing on one from a man looking for a roommate. Nope. Another was for a commune on the outskirts of town. No, thank you!

  Then a light blue flyer caught her eye. In small type it explained that a single young woman was looking for a roommate to share an apartment near downtown. It looked new – perhaps no one had c
laimed the room yet. She dialed the number and listened as it rang.

  “Hello, this is Diana.”

  “Diana, my name is Gwen Alder. I’m at the Cat’s Meow Café and saw your ad for a roommate. I’m looking for a place and I thought I’d call and ask if yours is still available.” Her mind raced over the possibilities, which seemed slim. There wasn’t much chance Diana would skip over the credit check, and if they got to that stage she’d soon see why Gwen was homeless.

  “Yes, the room’s still open.”

  “Can I come and take a look at it?” asked Gwen, her heart in her throat.

  “Sure, that would be fine. When would you like to do that?”

  “How about now?”

  There was a pause. “Now?”

  “Yes, please. I have some time free and I’d really like to move quickly.”

  “Umm … okay, now would be fine. I haven’t had a chance to clean up …”

  Gwen grinned. “Don’t worry about that. I’m sure it’ll be lovely.”

  Diana gave Gwen directions and they ended the call. Gwen sent up a silent prayer of thanks, headed back to her table, gulped down her coffee, paid, collected her purse and walked to her car. All she could do was hope Diana would let her stay. Otherwise, she would be sleeping in the Corolla tonight.

  The apartment was in a small complex of eight, neatly maintained if a little cramped. Still, it was all Gwen could do to keep her excitement contained while Diana showed her around. “… And this would be your room.” Diana pushed open a door to reveal a small, clean room with gray carpet and worn paint. She chewed on a red painted fingernail, her dark bob falling over wide brown eyes. She shoved it behind her ears with both hands, then resumed worrying her nail.

  “It’s perfect,” said Gwen with a smile. “How soon could I move in? That is, if you’ve made your decision.”

  Diana’s eyebrows arched high. “I guess as soon as possible. I really need help with the rent and the room’s empty, so …”

  “How about now?” Gwen knew she was pushing it, but didn’t have a choice.