The Rancher’s Pregnant Fake Fiancée: Radford Ranch Brothers, #1

By Leslie North

They were just friends. Until one night changed everything…

 

Rancher Jett Radford has had a crush on Noelle for years, but he always kept her strictly off limits. He would never date his best friend's little sister. But after his father's death turns his world upside down, the gruff cowboy turns to Noelle for comfort. And their one night of passion has consequences they can't walk away from—because now Noelle is pregnant, and she needs a favor.

 

With a high-profile wedding cake commission in the works, baker Noelle will lose the contract if she's seen as less than respectable. So she wants Jett to agree to a fake engagement, just until she can deliver her masterpiece. Jett agrees, figuring he can keep his emotions in check. Turns out, though, he doesn't know his own heart as well as he thought…

 

Being a fake fiancée is tough on Noelle as well. And she quickly discovers their hot kisses and untamed attraction feel all too real. But how can she trust her feelings, when she doesn't know what's part of the act?

 

Can these two discover their true feelings for one another, before it's too late?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Relay Publishing
• Release date: Dec 16, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201137960

Book preview

1

"W e’ll be fine, right, Willie? Jett Radford asked his ancient beagle mix, who was lazing beside him in the dirt. Willie thumped his tail on the ground in agreement. Glad you think so too."

Jett bumped the brim of his tan hat back and wiped the sweat from his brow with his forearm. He leaned against the jackleg fence that bordered the barn and let his eyes trace the ranch lands to where the gray-green grass touched the bright blue sky in the distance. It was a gorgeous sight, but the weight of caring for it all, of affording it all, made him involuntarily clench his jaw. Sure, his brothers had moved home to help, but as the oldest, he knew the responsibility fell squarely on his shoulders. Radford Ranch was a legacy in turmoil, and it was going to take hard work, a truckload of money and a bit of luck to fix what was broken.

Hey, you talking to that dog of yours again? a voice called to him. I think you’ve been alone out here for too long. You’re lucky I came home.

Jett’s middle brother, Shane, rounded the corner of the barn carrying a saddle. The Radford bloodline was strong in all three brothers, but Jett and Shane were the two who looked the most alike, with the same strong build, dark brown hair and coal-colored eyes. The fact that they both wore Wranglers, snap button work shirts, cowboy hats and dusty boots, made the similarities even more apparent.

At least Willie listens, Jett answered gruffly, only half-joking. You finally cleaning that thing? He jutted his chin towards the hand-tooled saddle draped over Shane’s shoulder. The elaborate tack, covered in Caddo roses, was a trophy from his rodeo days and sorely in need of a polish.

Shane gave a terse nod and Jett knew it was best to drop the subject, but he didn’t.

You been on Chico yet since you’ve been back? Jett asked. He was baiting his brother, even if his question sounded innocent enough.

Are you kidding me? No way I’m touching that rough string. My rodeo days are over.

Stop, Chico’s a fine horse. Jett’s mouth twisted into a grin. Maybe a little cold backed now and then, but you should know how to handle turbulence, Mr. Rodeo.

Shane shook his head and dropped the saddle onto the fence. He’d moved back to the ranch shortly after their father’s funeral, eager to start his life over again after walking away from a fast-paced rodeo career and a painful divorce that left his future with his son, Drew, in question. No thanks. That’s a grumpy old man.

You guys talking about Dad?

They turned to watch their youngest brother, Chad, walk out of the barn and join the group, an ever present smirk playing on his lips.

Don’t, Jett snapped at him. It’s too soon. You know Dad did the best he could until the very end. It had to be hard raising the three of us on his own after— He stopped himself. Plus, he had to run all of this. He gestured to the plains surrounding them, dotted with cattle in the distance.

Chad nodded, conceding. He had the same strong Radford profile and dark eyes, but he’d earned the nickname Golden Boy for his light brown hair and breezy approach to life. While Jett and Shane looked like they’d been dipped in dust from their morning chores, Chad’s gray plaid shirt was still two-step ready. Like Shane, Chad had returned home, swearing that he was ready to help turn Radford Ranch into the force they all knew it could be. Jett didn’t doubt Chad’s enthusiasm, but his commitment … well. Chad had never met a chore he couldn’t avoid or a woman’s bed he couldn’t resist.

It’s just a lot of legacy to tend, Chad said.

Jett frowned. Don’t I know it. They all did. As the oldest, though, Jett felt it was his responsibility to preserve that legacy and hold both the ranch and their family together. Neither task was going to be easy.

Radford Ranch was still considered a shining star in the town of Kingsley, and the Radford boys were the princely heirs. The ranch had been successful enough for the original Radfords and their ancestors to live their lives Texas rich, but a combination of drought, bad decisions and terrible luck over the years reduced the once wildly profitable operation to just land rich. They were sitting on a goldmine if they ever opted to sell, but there was no way any of the brothers would ever agree to that.

No, what all of the brothers wanted was to restore the ranch, bring it back to what it should be. Jett knew the potential was there, but the pressure of trying to get it all done kept him up at night.

And then there was the family. Bonds had to be reforged, connections made. And they all had to heal in their own ways from their father’s death. For each of them that meant reconciling their feelings for the strong patriarch who was hard to love, and whose bad decisions had left the ranch in turmoil. The brothers knew their father cared for them fiercely, but he wasn’t one to speak the words out loud to them..

Jett was still struggling. Sometimes it felt as if his father had been gone forever, and sometimes the three months since he’d passed felt like an instant. Jett admitted to himself that he hadn’t handled the immediate aftermath well. He’d been grieving and lonely, making him reach out to someone he never should have.

For an instant he saw a flash of Noelle tangled in his sheets that night a few months prior, her hair swirled against the pillow. The choice to take her to bed was muddled in his memory, mixed in with a cloud of booze and grief. He only vaguely remembered the time he’d spent in the bar where she’d found him, heartsick over the death of his father and looking for something to block out even a bit of the pain. He barely recalled snatches of conversation—mostly nonsensical when he couldn’t recall the context. But no amount of alcohol could blur his vivid recollection of her touch, her warmth, the way it had felt to stretch her out over his bedsheets and fall into her, letting intense pleasure wash everything else away.

He pushed off the fence, straightening to his full height, as he pushed away the memories of that night. It was in the past, forgotten history. He and Noelle had agreed it would stay that way. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to go down that path with his best friend’s little sister. Kevin would be pissed if he found out about the one-night stand.

Besides Jett didn’t do relationships, and especially not when he had a ranch to save. He had to focus on that and now was as good a time as any to get started.

2

The fact that Jett couldn’t seem to summon a word made Noelle want to turn on her boot heel and run out to her truck. She couldn’t make sense of his reaction—the poker face, the hard swallow—so she filled the silence before he could say something she didn’t want to hear.

I took a home pregnancy test and it was positive, but I wanted to be sure. Her voice shook a little, but she continued before she could think too much about the weird way Jett was looking at her. I went to Kingsley Medical Center to confirm it, and it’s true. I’m about twelve weeks along.

She paused again briefly, hoping Jett would smile, or frown, or even laugh or cry or yell—just do something with the news she’d just dropped on him. But his face remained unchanged, as beautiful as ever, but devoid of any hints about what was going on inside him. She pressed on, hoping that doing so would make her heart stop hammering and her palms stop sweating.

That was when we … well, you remember. It didn’t mean anything, we both know that. But now … she trailed off. Well, now it means everything. She looked down at her boots.

Just the thought of their night together made her cheeks turn pink. It was supposed to be a one-night stand, the culmination of an attraction she was very certain that they’d both secretly had for years. She’d crushed on Jett since she was a teenager when he was always hanging around their grandmother’s house with Kevin. She’d always suspected that the feelings were mutual. Jett was good at hiding what he was feeling—way too good, in her opinion, especially right now—but she used to catch him sneaking looks at her. Of course, she’d never thought anything would come of it. There was no way Jett would ever step over the line with his best friend’s little sister. Until he did.

When she’d seen him in the bar that night, having heard the news that his father had died just that morning, she’d wanted to offer a few words of consolation. She’d never forget the weight of the grief she’d felt when she’d lost her beloved grandmother, the woman who had raised her and Kevin after their parents had walked away. Jett had been a rock for both of the Hanson siblings at that time. If Kevin had been living in Kingsley instead of Houston, Noelle knew he’d have been right there by his best friend’s side, making sure he didn’t have to grieve alone. In his stead, Noelle had wanted to give what comfort she could.

But a few words had turned into a few drinks, had turned into a few kisses in the parking lot, tucked up between the door of his truck and the heat of his body. And that had turned into a drive to the ranch, a slide into his bed, and a few hours of beautiful pleasure that she’d never thought she’d get to share with him. Hours she couldn’t bring herself to regret, no matter what the consequences.

The next morning, they’d agreed that the night they’d shared was a way to get it out of their systems then move on. When they parted there were no promises about the future. Noelle wasn’t the type of girl to get clingy, anyway. It was just one night … one magical, beautiful, incredibly hot night together and then they’d be able to go back to friendly waves and pleasantries when they ran into each other around town.

Only now, thanks to the surprise growing inside her, they couldn’t.

Do you have anything to say? Noelle asked tentatively.

Jett’s poker face had her nerves frayed. On the drive over to the ranch, she’d pictured the various ways he might respond to the news. Stone-faced silence wasn’t one of them. Noelle chewed on her bottom lip. She had no idea what she’d do if Jett reacted poorly. What if he denied it was his, or worse yet, told her that he wanted nothing to do with her or the baby? Her stomach twisted at the thought of him demanding a paternity test. She tried to tell herself that that wasn’t the Jett she knew, that he’d never do something like that, but logic had left the building. Anxiety and dread had taken over, and they kept getting stronger the longer he stayed silent. She crossed her arms tightly to camouflage how she was trembling as she waited for him to finally start talking.

Noelle, Jett began. He paused and cleared his throat. I’m in shock. He shook his head and looked at his boots for a moment then finally met her eyes. You really caught me off guard with this news.

Her heart sank. She still couldn’t read his face, but she knew Jett didn’t look happy. She got ready for the awful discussion to come.

I’ll be honest. This obviously isn’t something I planned for. I’ve got a lot on my plate, what with losing my father, taking over the ranch and my brothers coming home. He started pacing then stopped abruptly. "But Noelle, I … I want to be here for this baby. For our baby. I want you to know that I’m not going to let you down."

She felt tears spring to her eyes, but she fought them back. She couldn’t break yet. There was still so much more she needed to say.

Jett, thank you. I’m glad to hear you say that. She took a steadying breath to keep from crying, but it didn’t work. She sniffled and quickly wiped a tear from her cheek, hoping he wouldn’t notice even as she could feel his gaze on her. Jett might not say much, but those sharp eyes of his never missed a thing, damn him.

Hey, Jett said softly, striding across the room and taking her hands in his. It’s going to be okay. I’m not going anywhere. I’m here for both of you.

How was it possible that hands so strong and calloused could feel so gentle? For an instant, she had a flash of his hands exploring her body. Tracing the curve of her hip, tickling the back of her knee and taking his time discovering all of the territory in between. She’d never had a night like the one she spent with Jett. He had been tender but demanding, and he’d made her feel things that left her questioning if any of the other men she’d slept with even knew how to make love. It was supposed to be one night, a glitch in their easy, casual friendship, but because of their child, she was going to be linked to Jett Radford forever.

She pulled her hands from his and took a step back. There’s more.

Jett’s face fell and she tried to quickly assemble the jumble of thoughts bouncing around in her head. How could she shift from baby talk to business talk in a way that made sense and didn’t sound crazy? And how could she say it so that he’d have to say yes?

She took a deep breath and straightened her back. I’m trying to grow Magpie Bakery. It’s been a struggle, but that’s true of any new business. I’ve been making progress—I just got a huge wedding cake contract that could change everything for me. Harold and Edith Clarke’s daughter.

Jett nodded, since everyone in Kingsley had heard about Lynn Clarke’s engagement to Michael Briscoe.

This job has to be picture perfect. You know how much influence the Clarkes have around here. Lynn Clarke is basically a local princess, and Michael’s family is important and respected, too. Most of the town is going to be at the wedding, and absolutely everyone will be talking about it for months afterward. If I can wow everyone with a flawless cake, I’m set. Magpie will take off, and I won’t have to worry about the business anymore. I know I can create something amazing for the wedding, but … she trailed off and placed her hands on her stomach. "You know how Harold and Edith are, right? They’re so traditional. Once I start showing, if I don’t have a ring on my finger