The Rancher's Fake Girlfriend - Leslie North Page 0,14

few minutes and even though he barely knew her, Chad could see that she was weighing her options.

“Fine. We’ll keep up the act. But from now on I decide how we present ourselves to the world, okay? No more surprise kisses.”

Her cheeks went bright pink and Chad bit back a smile.

“You got it. Deal. So, we’re done here?”

Hannah gave him an incredulous look. “No, we’re not done. We’re just getting started! We have to start planning the next steps of your campaign. We have a lot of work to do if we want this ridiculous arrangement to do what it’s supposed to.”

From their interactions in the bakery and the things Noelle had said, Chad had assumed Hannah was the shy, retiring type, but seeing her acting all bossy added a new layer. She was a puzzle that he looked forward to figuring out.

“Sit,” she said, pulling out a kitchen chair. “Let’s get to work.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Chad said with a grin and a quick salute.

6

“You want to get a picture of this to post?” Chad asked Hannah as he hoisted a heavy bag of mulch over his head, so that his biceps strained the sleeves of his T-shirt.

She shook her head at him in exasperation but couldn’t help the corner of her mouth turning up when he made a noise like a powerlifter. Yes, Chad was ridiculous, but he was also sort of adorable.

Chad laughed and tossed the bag into the wheelbarrow next to Hannah. “Just teasin’. I know I have to keep it professional.”

Hannah nodded. “Exactly. And that’s why we’re here today.”

He leaned in closer to her so no one around them could overhear him. “I always used to skip these Cattlemen community events, especially the ones put on by the wives. If it wasn’t directly about ranching, I didn’t see the point.” He shrugged. “But did you see Hank Greeley’s face when we showed up? Worth it!”

“You need to understand that if you really want the position, you’re going to have to keep coming to community events. You’ll really need to commit. This is a marathon, not a sprint,” Hannah said quietly.

“Running analogy.” He squinted at her and hid a smile. “Ouch. But I get it. And the good news is I’m having fun. I’ve never planted flowers before, and it turns out I’m excellent at it!”

Chad might not usually be a joiner—at least, not in events that didn’t seem to be in his sphere—but he was a natural at diving in with enthusiasm and keeping spirits high. Seeing him interacting with the people of Kingsley during the library greenscaping event gave Hannah more insight into the man he was beneath the swagger and jokiness. Everyone seemed to gravitate to him, and his ability to charm his neighbors, from the toddlers to the seniors, pointed to the fact that he was a natural for the chairman position.

Now she just needed the rest of the community to believe that Chad had real substance underneath the charming, magnetic exterior. She still wasn’t sure there was, but it didn’t matter. Her part of the bargain was helping Chad get elected, and she was going to see it through. She was good at painting a pretty picture no matter what the real story was behind the scenes.

Hannah glanced over at the children’s garden, where Aria was clumsily digging holes with her hands alongside the assistant librarian, Mrs. O’Neill. There was more dirt on her lap than the ground next to her, but it didn’t matter. What was more important was that Aria was making connections to her new community, too, especially to someone who seemed kind and grandmotherly.

“You’re Amanda, right?” A pretty young woman holding a tray of flowers asked.

Hannah’s heart froze. She pushed her sunglasses up her nose, hoping they’d provide enough of a disguise. “Excuse me?”

“I asked if your name is Hannah. I saw a post about Chad and his new girlfriend, and I assumed it was you since he can’t stop staring at you. I’m Nina Blackstone, I organize these events. My husband Tyler is on the board.”

She breathed a sigh of relief. “Sorry, I misheard you. Yes, I’m Hannah. Nice to meet you. Chad and I are happy to be here today, and my daughter Aria, too.” She pointed to the little girl.

“Aw, what a great little helper!” Nina paused. “I have to tell you, I was sort of shocked to hear that Chad is, uh, how should I put this? Slowing down a little. Actually making a commitment

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