Can't Stop Believing (HARMONY) by JODI THOMAS

surprise, she wore a business suit. Her beautiful blond hair, which he’d gotten used to watching sway over the weekend, was now tied atop her head in a little knot that he hated. Everything about her was all business.
    “I’ll drive you over and introduce you to the men, then I have to get to the office.” Nevada straightened her jacket. “I have a board meeting at nine and I need to go over a few things at the office first with my staff.”
    “You work all day?” Somehow he thought she mostly shopped and had lunch.
    “Eight to five, sometimes later.” She shrugged. “Between husbands I managed to get a business degree with a minor in law. Never finished in law, but it comes in handy in dealing with contracts and leases.”
    He didn’t miss the sadness in her blue eyes when she added, “I love being here with my horses, but I understand oil.” She handed him a small cell phone. “If you need me, just hold down two and I’ll answer. I’m the only one who has your number, so unless you give it to someone else, it’ll be me calling if the phone rings.”
    “Fair enough.”
    The smile on her now-painted lips didn’t reach her eyes. “You ready to go face the world as husband and wife? When we step out of this door we’ve got to make them believe it, and with my record with men it won’t be easy. Remember, no one is to know of our agreement. As far as anyone knows, including the staff and ranch hands, we married for love and you’re here to stay.”
    He thought about yelling,
No way can we pull this off
, but something in her stare stopped him. She was silently pleading, begging him to go along with her plan, and he couldn’t let her down. He had no idea why it was so important to her, but he’d keep his word. A bargain was a bargain. Until now he’d thought running the ranch was the most important part of the bargain, but now he realized that to her, their playing the happily married couple might be.
    Taking her hand, he walked her to her car and they drove to a long bunkhouse a few hundred yards away from the main house. The ranch headquarters was built like a small town with the big house in the center. Trails, two tracks wide, joined most of the buildings like wagon spokes, and he noticed a few four-wheelers around that were probably used to haul goods from one building to another.
    Beyond the bunkhouse was a small gravel lot that had been empty when they’d ridden by yesterday but now held several cars and trucks. Nevada had already explained that all but a few cowhands drove into work every morning. The rest went home on weekends but stayed over during the week. Her housekeeper and the bunkhouse cook had a small cabin on the property but spent their weekends at a lake cabin over near Twisted Creek.
    Three men stood on the porch watching as Cord and Nevada walked up to the bunkhouse that looked big enough to be a small hotel. One tipped his hat slightly; the other two just stared. None spoke.
    Cord tensed, realizing they might not know him, but they had no respect for Nevada. He knew without hearing that these men had talked about her, probably even joked about her behind her back. One of the silent men looked at her with hunger in his eyes as if she were not the boss but a streetwalker passing by.
    Cord opened the door for her and waited until she stepped in. When he followed he took in the room slowly.
    A dozen more ranch hands were in a great room with a long table that could easily seat thirty on one side of the room and comfortable leather chairs on the other. A middle-aged man with an apron stepped from the kitchen and smiled at Nevada. His was the only smile in the room.
    “Morning, Little Miss,” the cook said.
    “Morning, Galem. I’d like you to meet my new husband.” She brushed Cord’s arm, showing the first affection she’d ever shown. Her sudden caress made him jerk slightly. “Honey.” She leaned into him slightly. “This is the bunkhouse cook and a friend. He’s been with