Her Secret Texas Valentine

“Sure,” she said as casually as she could manage. “Why not.”

“Friday night?”

She nodded. “Where?”

He named a small Italian restaurant a few streets away. “Shall I pick you up?”

“I’ll meet you there,” she replied. “Um...that’s a popular place. I’m not sure we could get a reservation this late. Perhaps somewhere else would be easier.”

He looked amused by her caution. “I’ll text you a time once I make a reservation.”

She wasn’t convinced he’d get a table, but she agreed. “Ah...great.”

“Would you like more coffee?”

She smiled a little. The man certainly wasn’t short on manners, and she realized he was an intriguing mix of rough and smooth. There was no denying his earthy roots. His clothes were clean and tidy, but the closer she looked, the more she noticed how the shirt was frayed a little around the cuffs, and how the Stetson sitting on the seat beside him was clearly well used. And despite the air of civility oozing from him, there was nothing urban about Jake Brockton. He was country through and through. Not what she wanted. Not anything like what she wanted. Except...his blue eyes were unbelievably mesmerizing. And his clean-shaven jaw made her fingertips itch with the urge to trace a pattern along his cheek and chin.

Awareness and attraction mingled through her blood and she managed a tight smile, conscious that he was watching her intently. She tried to recall the last time she’d been as interested in a man, and the lingering memory of her first real boyfriend flittered along the edges of her mind. But Diego hadn’t hung around. And it turned out he was only ambitious and interested in her family’s money and connections rather than her. He wanted a career in real estate and thought she was his meal ticket, and he showed little shame in making it clear he deserved it after putting up with being her boyfriend for a year. After that, a little older and wiser, she’d dated Hugh. He was handsome and polite and from a nice family—his father was a friend of her father’s, and they’d been set up with the expectation that they would be perfect for one another. Yes, Hugh was perfect—he had perfect looks and manners and a career in the finance sector, and for five months she’d been convinced they would have a predictable happily-ever-after. But there was very little spark between them. Actually, no spark. Zilch. So it was an easy decision to end things between them. He was disappointed. She was wife material, he said. She shouldn’t have high expectations. After that, she’d begun to believe that maybe the spark thing was a myth. But then, over the course of the past year, both her sisters and two of her brothers had fallen madly in love and it got Val thinking that maybe that big love really did exist.

“Why are you single, Jake?” she asked bluntly.

“I’ve been too busy,” he said vaguely.

She gave him a disbelieving look. “Really?”

“That’s the truth, but I guess I’m still looking for my perfect match.”

She chuckled. “Do you think there’s such a thing?”

He shrugged lightly. “I’d like to think so. I’m not so sure anymore.”

“Do you want kids?”

His expression altered for a nanosecond, as though he was lost in thought. Finally, he spoke again. “Yes, one day. You?”

“I’m pretty sure I want kids...one day.”

“You’re only twenty-four,” he reminded her. “You have plenty of time to think about kids.”

Her belly did an odd kind of dive. “I know. But I think it’s more about being with the right person, rather than being the right age.”

He nodded. “I think you’re right. So, tell me about your two disastrous dates.”

She laughed lightly. “Oh, my God, they were unbelievably bad. The first guy collected license plates from every state and talked nonstop about his mother. And the second one—he wore a baseball cap backward. But,” she said and flashed him a smile, “third time’s the charm.”

He met her gaze. “I’m really glad your first two dates were duds.”

Valene kept the visual contact. “Me too. Anyhow, I should probably get going. I have an open house at noon and need to get back to the office beforehand. But it was nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he said and waited for her to stand before he got to his feet.

He excused himself for a moment and headed for the counter to pay the check before Valene had a chance to offer to pay her share. When he returned to her, she was halfway to the entrance. He opened the door and let her pass, and they stepped out into the sunlight.

“My car’s right here,” she said and used the beeper to unlock her silver Lexus, which was parked directly outside the coffeehouse. “Yours?”

He jerked a thumb in the direction of a beaten-up blue Ranger parked on the other side of the road. There was faded writing on the side of the truck that she couldn’t make out. Okay...so he had a crappy car. The fact that he was utterly gorgeous made up for that shortcoming. Valene tried to drag her gaze away but couldn’t help looking him up and down. It should be illegal, she thought to herself as her skin prickled all over, for a man to look that good in chambray and denim.

“Well, thanks for meeting me, Jake,” she said easily and held out her hand. “I had a nice time.”

He took her hand, and electricity shot up her arm. “Likewise, Valene. I’ll see you Friday.”

For a moment, she could have sworn he swayed a little closer. Of course, he wouldn’t try to kiss her. That would be outrageous, presumptuous and completely out of line. But still, her lips tingled foolishly and she let out a long and disappointed sigh.

Don’t get ahead of yourself, Val. It was just coffee and conversation.

He released her hand and she quickly got into her car. When she pulled away from the curb and caught a glimpse of him in the rearview mirror, her thought surprised her. She’d suddenly developed a thing for cowboys.

Chapter Two

“So,” Schuyler asked over brunch the following day. “How did it go?”

They were eating at the office, chowing down on gourmet chicken salads and freshly squeezed juice that their other sister, Maddie, had supplied. Her oldest sister commuted between Austin and Houston most weeks, and Schuyler had driven in from Austin the day before and was staying for a couple of days. They had ditched the break room and were seated around the big oak table in the boardroom.

“It was nice,” Valene replied and sipped on a guava and pineapple drink. “Like I said.”

“But he’s a penniless cowboy?” Maddie asked bluntly.

Val shrugged. “I didn’t ask to see his bank statements. He was nice, very charming and funny.”

Maddie, always the most serious of the trio, looked skeptical. “I can’t believe you got matched up with a ranch hand. Didn’t you say you specifically wanted an educated, white-collar kind of guy?”

She shrugged again. “I don’t know. Perhaps he fudged the questionnaire.”

“It’s possible,” Schuyler said and frowned.

“What a jerk,” Maddie added.

But the more Val thought about it, the less likely Maddie’s opinion seemed. There was something refreshingly candid and honest about Jake. Of course, it could be that she was still gaga over his broad shoulders and blue eyes and didn’t want to see the truth right in front of her. But she was convinced that he was exactly as he appeared—a workingman, honest and down to earth. And as hot as Hades.

“We could google him,” Schuyler suggested.

Val waved a hand. “Absolutely not. I’m not going to go stalker and start checking out social media profiles and that sort of thing. I want to be a grown-up about this. And I know this might sound silly, but I don’t want to jinx it, okay?”

“What do you mean?” Schuyler asked.

“It means,” Val said, a little impatiently, “that he was nice, and we had a good time over coffee, like I said. And we’re going out for dinner tomorrow night.”

“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Maddie asked soberly. “I mean, if he’s not the kind of guy you think you could get serious about, why bother getting to know him?”

Schuyler laughed. “You’re such a snob, Maddie.”

“I’m a realist,” her sister defended. “And you’ve said it yourself, you want a man who ticks certain boxes. Sounds like he only ticks the ‘looks good in a pair of jeans’ box.”

Both her sisters laughed, but Val wasn’t amused. They were making fun, and for some reason, that bothered her. “We’ll just see what happens.”

“Well,” Schuyler said dramatically, “I think it’s great that you’re getting out. And if this one doesn’t work out, you can try again. But maybe redefine your criteria a little.”

Maddie had a serious look on her face. “I’m not trying to be a party pooper, but you need to tread carefully and slowly when it comes to romance.”

“Like you did?” Val shot back, brows up. “Weren’t you the one who took you and Zach out of the colleague and friend zone when you planted that kiss on him at the Thirsty Ox? How long did it take you to jump into Zach’s bed after that?”

Schuyler started wagging a few fingers and counting before Maddie shushed them both. “Okay...don’t take my lead. All I’m saying is, don’t be hasty. If he’s right for you, then he’ll wait. You’re my baby sister and I’ll always worry about you.”

“I know,” Val obliged. “And I appreciate your concern. But believe me, I’m not about to rush into anything. I know how everyone thinks I’m impulsive, but in this instance, I’m going to take my time and get to know someone before I make any big moves. Besides, I’m too busy with work to spend too much time on romance. If I don’t start closing more deals,” she said and glanced toward Maddie, who along with her überhandsome husband, Zach McCarter, had become joint CEO of Fortunado Real Estate since their father had retired, “Dad’s going to insist you fire me.”

“Ha,” Schuyler said with mock horror. “No chance. You’re Daddy’s girl. He’ll never allow Maddie or Zach to fire you. You are the golden girl and his number two protégée.”

Val laughed, because they all knew Maddie had been their father’s number one protégée.

“That’s true,” Val said and grinned. “I am Dad’s favorite.”

Maddie tossed a piece of lettuce in her direction. “And modest. Speaking of which, do our parents know you’re on the hunt for a man?” Maddie asked.

Val rolled her eyes. “I’d hardly call it a hunt. I met Jake for coffee, not a commitment ceremony. And Dad and Mom generally stay out of my love life.”

“Except for Hugh,” Schuyler reminded her. “He was handpicked.”

“Dad worries about gold diggers,” Maddie said on a sigh. “And since you’re so easily influenced and like to party, they probably thought they were doing the right thing.”

“Gosh, I have a terrible reputation,” she said tartly, trying to remember the last time she actually did go to a party. “Young and impulsive and likely to get into all kinds of trouble. Oh, hang on,” she said and smiled. “That was you, Schuyler, getting cozy with the Mendozas so you could wrangle an introduction to our newly discovered Fortune relatives. And then falling in love with one of the sexy Mendoza men.”

Of course, every word was true. Schuyler had integrated herself into the Mendoza family, specifically by getting a job working at the Mendoza Winery, and then by falling in love with Carlo Mendoza. It was a series of events, jump-started by discovering that the Fortunados were related to the infamous Fortune family. The very idea that they were connected to the Fortunes had sent a curious Schuyler on a mission to find out the whole truth. They discovered that their grandfather was actually Julius Fortune, and that their dad, Kenneth Fortunado, was one of his many illegitimate children dotted around the state and even the country. Their grandmother had signed a confidentiality agreement with Julius, but also being something of a free spirit, had changed Kenneth’s name to Fortunado as a way of not completely complying to Julius’s demands. Learning that, Schuyler had been determined to get acquainted with the Fortune branch of the family. That’s how she ended up at the Mendoza Winery, pretending to be a waitress. The Mendozas and the Fortunes were interlaced by marriage. Turned out Julius’s son Jerome Fortune, who was known as tech billionaire Gerald Robinson—their uncle—had a daughter who was married to one of the Mendoza cousins. The link was enough to get Schuyler’s crazy mind into thinking she could somehow bring the families together.

Valene hadn’t taken much interest at the time, since she’d been neck-deep in work and wanted to prove she could be as ambitious and successful at Fortunado Real Estate as her sister Maddie. But now the truth was out. They were really Fortunes—as their free-spirited grandmother had enjoyed an affair with the philandering Julius. Valene had learned to accept the fact that she had an incredibly complicated family tree. It wasn’t unusual to see an article on the internet or in the paper about the family. In fact, it wasn’t that long ago that a journalist named Ariana Lamonte had done an exposé on all of Gerald Robinson’s children, including the ones he’d sired out of wedlock. Yeah, complicated didn’t really cover it. Particularly now that Gerald Robinson, aka Jerome Fortune, had left his embittered wife, Charlotte, and had sought refuge in the arms of the first and only love of his life, Deborah—who had borne him three illegitimate sons decades earlier.

Yes, the Fortunado/Fortune/Mendoza connection was about as complicated as it got.

“Okay,” Schuyler said and grinned. “I’ll admit that I’m the flake in the family.”

“What does that make me?” Maddie queried.

“The workaholic,” Val said lightly. “And I’m the spoiled brat. I know, since our brothers have told me that repeatedly over the years.”

“You’re not spoiled,” Schuyler defended. “But you’re the youngest, and since we’ve already established that you’re Daddy’s favorite, you know you have to get labeled as something. But now I think we should check out this Jake on social media and see what he’s hiding.”

Val rolled her eyes. “He’s not hiding anything.”

“Everyone is hiding something,” Maddie said, her mouth flattened. “What’s his last name?”

“I’m not saying,” Val replied, standing her ground. “I’m not going to do anything other than go on a nice and respectable date with the man.”

Schuyler made a dramatic sound. “Oh, I see, you actually like him.”

Val waved an impatient hand. She loved her sisters...but sometimes they were impossibly bossy and interfering. “We spent an hour together. I’d hardly call that enough time to form any kind of opinion.”

“I’m not so sure about that,” Maddie said seriously. “I was pining for Zach for years after the first time I laid eyes on him.”

“But underneath your corporate and workaholic demeanor, you’re a soppy sentimentalist,” Val said and chuckled. “And I’m a realist.”

They all laughed, and it was so nice to spend some quality time with her sisters. Since both of them had married, and Schuyler had moved to Austin to be with Carlo, she’d missed their company. Of course, she still regularly saw Maddie at both the Houston and Austin offices, but that was work. She had friends, but other than her bestie, Adele, no one came close to the affection she felt for her siblings. She even missed hanging out with her brothers. Particularly Connor, who lived in Denver and was always a great source of advice and counsel.

Growing up as the youngest Fortunado child had had its difficult moments. For one, her parents were overprotective of her and often treated her as though she were eighteen and not twenty-four. Since her father had retired and he and her mother had begun traveling, their stranglehold had lessened a little, but she still spoke to both her parents every few days. Case in point: she hadn’t told her parents she was using My Perfect Match to find a man, otherwise she knew her father would start handing out her number to people he thought were suitable for his youngest, beloved child.

She packed up what was left of her lunch and gave each of her sisters a hug. “I have to get back to work. I’m showing an estate in Bunker Hill this afternoon.”

“The McGovern place?” Maddie inquired, quickly in CEO mode.

“That’s the one,” she said and shrugged. “I have a buyer from Arizona, a couple who are transferring to Houston for work. We video chatted last time I did an open house, and they seem interested in the property.”

“But?” Maddie asked, always picking up on Val’s body language.

“They’re going in at under three fifty per square foot.”

“Median price is what?” Maddie queried. “About four hundred?”

She nodded. “Yeah...so we’ll see. The husband really likes the place, but his wife is a banker and is naturally going to try to screw the owners with a lower offer.”

Maddie’s brows rose quickly. “Please tell me you’re not using that terminology with the clients?”

Val laughed. She loved Maddie, but sometimes her oldest sister was too uptight. “Of course not,” she assured her boss and smoothed a hand over her perfectly tight chignon. “I am always at my professional best when I’m with a client.”

“Well, as long as you let your hair down with your hot cowboy on Friday night,” Schuyler said and chuckled.

Your hot cowboy...

Her skin turned uncharacteristically warm at the thought of Jake Brockton.

“Would you stop encouraging her to be as reckless as you?” Maddie scolded her sister.

Val was still smiling as she left the boardroom and headed up the hall. She passed her brother-in-law Zach McCarter and hiked a thumb in the direction of the boardroom. He nodded and grinned, clearly amused that she knew he would be looking for the wife he obviously adored. Val liked Zach; he was a good boss and a great businessman. She’d learned a lot from him since he’d moved to Houston from the San Antonio office. The transition had been at her father’s behest, of course, before her dad had retired. Kenneth had pitted Maddie and Zach against one another in a contest to secure the top job once he retired, and over the course of the rivalry, they had fallen crazily in love.

She was still smiling as she entered her office and was moving around her desk when her cell phone beeped. She checked the text message instantly.

It was her hot cowboy.

Toscano’s. Seven o’clock. Looking forward to it. Jake.

She grinned when she noticed the smiling emoji, wondering how he’d wrangled a reservation at one of the most popular restaurants in Houston. She texted back quickly and tucked the cell into her pocket.

She had a date.

And for the first time in a long time, Val didn’t feel quite so alone.

* * *

“Seriously, could you be any more evasive?”

Jake made an impatient sound at the whiny voice rattling in his ear. The same voice that had been demanding answers to a barrage of personal questions for the last five minutes.

“Cass,” he said quietly, “I told you, it’s none of your business.”

“But it was my idea,” she wailed and came around his left side, ignoring the fact he was hitching up the cinch on his horse and she was very much in the way. “I suggested the dating app to begin with.”

The big gelding sidestepped and stomped its foot. Jake loved his baby sister, but sometimes she was as annoying as a buzzing mosquito. And about as relentless. She’d been at him the moment she got home from college for the weekend, demanding to know how his coffee dates went. Well, date, in the singular, because he’d canceled the two other dates he’d made once he’d met the vivacious and beautiful Valene Fortunado. He’d never been a player, and dating more than one woman didn’t sit right.

“Cassidy,” he said, calling his sister by her full name, “button up, will you. I’ve got work to do.”

She huffed and swished her flaming-red ponytail. “Sometimes you are such a killjoy, Jake. If you hadn’t taken my advice, you never would have met this goddess.”

He turned his head and frowned. “And not once did I use that word,” he reminded her. “Remember that when you start telling Mom how you’re playing cupid.”

His sister laughed. “You said she was pretty.”

“She was. She is. But I don’t want to make more of it than it was. Coffee and conversation,” he said, his voice sterner. “That’s it.”

“But you’re seeing her tonight, right?”

He nodded slowly. “Right.”

“You should take flowers,” Cassidy suggested. “Women love flowers. And wear a suit. And don’t take that crappy old truck of yours. Make sure you drive the Sierra. I don’t know why you bought the thing—you never take it out of the garage. You’d rather drive around in that old Ranger that you’ve had since you were sixteen.”

Jake wasn’t about to argue, since Cassidy had a point. He did prefer the Ranger. But he often had business dealings that required more class than the beat-up Ford that his father had taught him to drive in so many years ago. Sentiment made him hang on to the old truck. And memory. And the acknowledgment of where he had come from, where his roots were, and how far he’d come since his dad had been the foreman of the Double Rock Ranch.

Jake had been raised on the ranch since he was twelve and Cassidy a newborn. Along with their mother, they’d lived in the cottage behind the main house, and their life had been happy and fulfilling. Jake loved the land and the work, but he’d also gotten good grades in high school, so college was the obvious next step. But when his father had died suddenly from a heart attack when he was eighteen, he’d quickly hightailed it back home from school and stepped into his father’s boots. If he hadn’t, his mom and sister would have been forced to leave the ranch, and that was unthinkable.

But he understood why Cassidy made the comment about the suit and the truck. Jake had no illusions. Valene was city while he was country. But he wasn’t an uneducated hick, even though she might think he was. True, she hadn’t made any condescending remarks when he’d admitted to dropping out of college, but he sensed some level of disappointment. He did admire the way she’d kept that feeling to herself, though. And he liked how she had asked him about his work and hadn’t made any negative remarks about his occupation. He knew from experience that some women measured a man’s worth by the weight of his wallet.

Like Patrice...

He’d pined for her through high school, but she was with the it crowd, and Jake was definitely not on her radar. Years later, that changed. Patrice did notice him. And because he was still stuck on her, Jake didn’t hesitate in falling head over heels in love with her, not realizing she was cold and calculating and not to be trusted. He learned his life lessons the hard way. Through Patrice’s betrayal and humiliation, his heart hardened, and he was determined he’d never be made a fool of again.

Jake gently grabbed Cassidy’s shoulders and ushered her out of the way. He checked the cinch, grabbed the reins and effortlessly sprang into the saddle. “Try to stay out of trouble, will you. I’ll be back in an hour or so.”

“We haven’t finished this conversation,” she reminded him, hands on hips.

Jake shook his head. “See ya, kid. Don’t forget to study while you’re here this weekend.”

Cassidy was in her third year at college, but she was easily distracted. He loved her, though, and would walk through fire for her and his mom. He reined the gelding and headed from the corral, meeting up with two of the ranch hands who’d been waiting patiently by the stables.

“Sorry, boys,” he said, though no apology was necessary. They all knew how irritating and adorable Cassidy could be.

“No worries, boss,” the older of the duo replied. Kris had been on the Double Rock Ranch longer than he had. Jake still winced every time one of the ranch hands called him boss, but he’d worked hard to get where he was, and everyone on the Double Rock knew it and respected him for it. “I got a younger sister myself. Nothin’ but trouble.”

They all laughed as they headed off. When they passed the main house, Jake slowed down a fraction. The renovations were finally being finished, something that was a long time coming. For years the previous owners had let the home fall into disrepair, but things on the Double Rock were slowly changing. The ranch, situated in Fort Bend County, was a forty-minute drive to Houston and just under four hundred acres. Prime land, dotted with oak and pecan trees, it was predominantly cattle and horses and operated a highly lucrative Wagyu beef business. Jake loved the Double Rock and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.