Borrowing a Fiancé

Borrowing a Fiancé

Chapters: 20
Updated: 19 Dec 2024
Author: Kat Bellemore
4.6

Synopsis

She wanted freedom. She got a fiancé instead. Melinda Garrett has been stuck managing her parents’ diner for over a decade, with no end in sight. When her younger sister gets engaged, Melinda reluctantly agrees to attend the wedding with her friend, Daniel. But when the pressure is on, she claims he is her fiancé in the hope that her parents’ opinion of selling the diner will change. Daniel Armstrong isn’t the kind of guy a girl takes home to meet her parents, but when he offers to attend a wedding as Melinda’s date, he finds himself labeled as her future spouse. Now, challenges lie around every corner, testing Melinda’s claim that she and Daniel are in love. With every touch and fake kiss, the line blurs between fiction and reality, and it seems inevitable that at least one heart will be broken by the end of the weekend.

Romance Contemporary Fake Relationship Friends To Lovers BxG Marriage

Borrowing a Fiancé Free Chapters

Chapter 1 | Borrowing a Fiancé

Melinda swept ceramic shards into her dustpan—at least the ones she could find. What used to be a plate lay scattered across the tile floor, but she knew from experience that she'd be finding small pieces for days to come. She'd seriously considered switching to using plastic plates in the diner, but then had been reprimanded by her mother about the environmental impact.

"France has banned plastic in their restaurants completely. We could learn a thing or two from them," her mother had said.

Melinda had conceded and was now suffering for it. Even though her parents technically owned the diner, she'd been running it for the past nine years, and they hadn't even set foot there in the last four years. She figured that should be enough for her to have a say in the matter, but apparently it wasn't.

"Here, let me finish that up for you," Daniel said, taking the broom from Melinda. His dirty blond hair fell over his eyes, and he used the back of his hand to push it back into place.

She heaved a sigh of relief. Today had not been a good one, and she could use a little help. Except, what she needed was more employees, not her best friend working for free. "You're a customer. You shouldn't be doing this," Melinda said, waving a hand toward Daniel's food that sat untouched in his booth.

"Yes, well, you've been working double shifts all week because yet another high school kid decided to quit without notice, and I doubt you're getting paid overtime."

Melinda slumped onto one of the stools at the counter. It was true, and she was exhausted. She could only afford to hire one part-time server, which worked out fine as long as no one ever got sick—or quit. She groaned when she saw a customer's hand shoot up.

Bob. He worked with Daniel in the HR department at Town Hall and had to have everything just right. He'd already sent his eggs back twice. First, they were too runny, then they were too firm.

Melinda rotated her ankles while stretching her legs, then walked over to see what he needed. "What's up, Bobby?"

Bob's jaw clenched. "As I've told you every day since I began to frequent your establishment, don't call me that. My name is Bob. Not Bobby, or any of the other creative variations you've come up with over the years. Just plain Bob."

"What's wrong with your eggs now?" Melinda asked, not bothering to hide her impatience. Only two hours left, and she could flip the 'closed' sign.

Bob looked down at his plate. "Eggs?" He seemed surprised, like he had forgotten all about them. "Oh no, the eggs are just fine. And it only took you three tries this time."

"So…why did you call me over here?"

"It's the water you gave me," Bob said. "I specifically asked for my cup to be filled with half ice and half water. Except, as you can see clearly here, there is so much ice that every time I go to take a drink, it all slides forward and hits me in the lip."

Melinda threw a straw on the table. "Here you go. Problem solved."

Bob stared at the straw in front of him. "Okay, I see there has been a miscommunication. I don't use straws. I find them terribly uncivilized. Not only that, but they are made from plastic. Do you realize what a waste that is, using something that is so harmful to our planet, when we have our God-given lips that do the same job? Plastic is going to be our downfall, you know. In fact, France recently outlawed—"

Oh, great, another version of her mother. Melinda spun on her heel and walked back toward Daniel, who was putting the broom away behind the counter.

"Wait, you forgot my water," Bob called to her. "Remember to not put too much ice in the next one."

"Wait for it to melt," Melinda called back.

Daniel chuckled, and she frowned.

"What's so funny?"

"You know, it's amazing how well you've done with this diner, considering you have the worst customer service in the whole state of New Mexico."

Melinda knew the diner didn't have a great reputation. She had stopped trying to hide her impatience for waiting on people day after day. But the terrible food wasn't her fault, and it wasn't the fault of her two cooks, Devon and Claire. They had begged to put their own signature touch on it, but Melinda's mother had forbidden her to alter or discard any of the recipes. “They have been in the family for decades,” her mother had told her. “Changing them would be like a slap in the face to all the generations who came before us.”

Melinda sighed. "Unfortunately, there isn't much competition in Amor; otherwise, I'd be driven out of business. You'd think people would learn to stop coming here, but alas…" She looked toward the dining area. It was well after the dinner rush, and there were still many occupied booths.

Daniel leaned on the counter, a smirk playing on his lips. "Isn't that a good thing? Most people like their business to be successful.”

"Yeah, well, they probably like what they do," Melinda said. "It was probably their choice to operate their business, unlike me."

Daniel's smile faded. "Be grateful that you were given the opportunity. Not everyone gets their own business handed to them on a platter—they have to work and save to have what you do."

Melinda rolled her eyes. She couldn't stand when Daniel turned all preachy on her. And yet, he was one of the few friends she had managed to keep, so she tried to keep the sarcasm down, at least by her standards.

She pointed to a booth on the far side, where Bev and Katie sat having lunch, Katie’s new baby sleeping in a carrier next to her on the bench. "What, like those two?" she asked. "Katie was a criminal, yet she managed to waltz into town and marry the mayor. Bev was destitute, and she now runs her own business—one that was handed to her."

Daniel’s eyes darkened, and Melinda realized what a stupid thing that was to say. Daniel had been friends with Katie before they came to Amor—and had been a criminal, like her.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

He held up a hand, stopping her. The storm in his eyes lifted and he said, his voice quiet, "Bev runs a nonprofit organization that helps the homeless. You’re going to fault her for that?”

"Of course not. But do you see my point?" Melinda raked her fingers through her long dark hair. "My parents thought this would be good for me, their misguided daughter who needed direction in her life. I had plans, you know. And they didn't include this."

A phone rang on the counter, but Melinda ignored it. She could feel the tears that wanted to escape, and she was afraid that if she had to talk to whoever was on the other end of that phone, she wouldn't be able to stop the tears from coming.

Daniel glanced pointedly at the phone, but she ignored him too, until the ringing finally stopped. Then Melinda's cell phone ringtone erupted from her purse. Whoever was trying to get ahold of her must really want to talk.

She dug her phone out of her purse. Her mother. Of course. Calling to check up on her, no doubt. Melinda was really not in the mood to talk, but she knew it would be far worse to wait. She relented and answered the call. "Hi, Mom," she said.

"Honey, I tried calling the diner, but no one answered. I could have been a potential customer," her mother chided.

Melinda pinched the bridge of her nose. "I know, Mom, but I'm short-staffed tonight and I've been pretty busy. I can't always get the phone right away."

"I thought you had several employees."

"I do, but Devon and Claire work in the kitchen and my server quit last week. I'm working on finding a new one."

Bob's hand shot up from his booth, and Melinda threw Daniel a pleading look.

He smiled and shook his head. "I'll take care of it," he said, then ambled off to help with whatever it was Bob needed. Hopefully his check.

"Who was that?" Melinda's mom asked.

"A friend who is helping me out with the evening rush," she said. "I really should get going, though. You wouldn't want me to disappoint any of my customers because I was on a personal call."

"I suppose you're right. I just wanted to make sure that you are planning on arriving at the resort by Wednesday, at the latest."

"Wednesday?"

Her mother heaved a dramatic sigh. "For your sister's wedding? You do remember that you have a younger sister, don't you?"

How could she forget, considering her mother never stopped talking about how wonderful Bree was, and how much she had been able to accomplish, “all by the age of twenty-five.” But Bree hadn't been stuck with the diner. She had been able to go to college on a full-ride scholarship. If Melinda had had that opportunity, she would have been able to conquer the world too.

"Yes, I remember Bree's upcoming nuptials," Melinda said. She turned from the phone and mouthed thank you to Daniel as Bob walked out of the diner. One down, only a few more to go. "But the wedding isn't until Saturday."

"Don't you ever listen? Her maid of honor is throwing a bachelorette party for Bree on Thursday and the rehearsal dinner is Friday night, which means that you need to be there Wednesday."

"Mom," Melinda said, already at her wits’ end, "I can't leave the diner for that long. I've told you, I'm the only server right now."

"Then you better hire someone before you leave, or you'll have a lot of disgruntled customers," her mother said. "Oh, and one more thing before I let you get back to work. Would you like me to call your date to make sure he has the details, or can you manage it on your own?"

Melinda stopped cold. "I'm not bringing a date."

"Of course you are, my dear. How would it look if the bride's older sister showed up without a date?"

"No one would notice. It's Bree they’ll be there for, so why does it matter?"

Claire placed a plate of chicken fried steak out on the warming table, but when she saw Melinda on the phone, Claire tossed her a look of sympathy and took it out to the customer herself.

"It matters because you represent the family," her mother said.

"And not having a date labels me as unfit somehow?" Melinda said, her voice rising. "You can handle me being the disappointment of the family, just not in public, is that it?"

Katie's baby started crying in her carrier, which earned Melinda some annoyed glances. She must have woken the baby up.

"I'm not having this conversation with you," her mother said. "You know that we love you and Bree equally, and we are proud of what you've done with the diner."

"Is that why you always call and tell me what I'm doing wrong? Because you're proud of me?" Melinda said. "I'll see you Wednesday." She hung up the phone before her mother could get in another word. Melinda's breath came out fast and shallow, and it took a moment to regain her composure. Talking to her mother always did that to her.

Katie’s baby was still crying and Katie was bouncing her on her knee, trying to help her calm down.

Melinda dug in her purse until she found a sucker and walked over to their booth. “Sorry I woke her up,” she said, hoping that the baby was a girl. Melinda couldn’t remember and couldn’t tell from its gender-neutral clothing. She needed to pay more attention to those kinds of things. “Do you think she’d like this to suck on?” She held out the sucker, like a peace offering.

Katie’s mouth formed a surprised O. “That’s very sweet of you, but we’re trying not to give Liv any sweet stuff until she’s a little older. Thank you, though.”

Of course babies didn’t eat candy. Melinda should have known that. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

"That conversation with your mom went well," Claire said, walking past Melinda and into the back with a tub full of dirty dishes.

Melinda followed. "So, you heard, huh?"

"The whole diner heard," Claire said with a smile. The crow's feet around her eyes wrinkled in amusement. She put the dishes in the industrial-sized sink.

"I just—I don't want to go to Bree's wedding. I haven't talked to my sister in years, so it's not like she'll miss me. Not only that, but I would have to close the diner for five days—we barely have enough people to keep the place running even when I'm here."

"But it's family we're talking about," Claire said. "It would be good for you to be there, don't you think?"

"Why? My mom already thinks of me as a failure. This will just confirm her suspicions." Melinda released a heavy breath. "She expects me to show up with a date. I doubt she'd care if I hired one as long as it made the family look good."

Claire tucked a loose strand of silver hair behind her ear. "If you don't want to go with a date, don't. But don't worry about the diner. I have a niece that could step in for a few days. Not permanently, mind you, but I think she'd like a little extra spending money." She paused. "Family is important, even if you aren't thrilled with the one you got. Your sister needs your support."

Melinda sank onto a stool and offered Claire a weak smile. "Why couldn't you have been my mom?"

"That would have been lovely," Claire said. “But you already have the family that you need—and that needs you.”

Devon walked out of the walk-in freezer and laughed. "Besides, you wouldn't have liked Claire as much as you do now. When it comes to raising children, she's as strict as they come."

Claire pinched Devon's side and gave him a quick kiss. "And our kids are now responsible, independent, and successful. They thank me for it too."

Daniel stuck his head in the back. "I don't mind refilling water and all that, but I was going to sit down and eat now, if you have everything under control."

Melinda's hand flew to her mouth. "Oh, I'm so sorry, Daniel. I got distracted."

"Do we have any new orders?" Claire asked him.

"No, things are quieting down now," Daniel said. He studied Melinda, like he wanted to say something, but then ducked back out.

"So, what are you going to do?" Claire asked as Melinda stood to leave.

"I'm going to show my mother she can't push me into things I don't want to do," Melinda said.

"Things haven't changed much between you two in the last decade, have they?" Devon said with a chuckle.

Melinda stopped. Was she really the same exact person she’d been as a teenager? Had she really just wasted the last ten years? She threw a final backward glance at Devon and Claire. "I guess not."

Chapter 2 | Borrowing a Fiancé

Daniel lingered, even after the last customer had left. "Do you need help closing up?"

Melinda flipped the 'closed' sign. "No, I got this. Besides, you've already done so much. I feel like I should pay you or something."

Daniel shook his head. "Don't you dare."

"Well, your dinner is on the house, then. It was probably cold by the time you got around to eating it."

"Some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in a pot nine days old," he said with a shrug.

Melinda laughed, and it lit up her eyes. He wondered how many people got to see that side of her. Most people equated her with a scowl, but she had the most beautiful, genuine smile, when she allowed it to shine through.

"And what kind of guy are you?" she asked. "Let me guess—nine days old?"

"How did you know?"

"You eat at the diner often enough, there's no way you are a picky eater," she said with a teasing smile.

Daniel laughed. "Your food isn't that bad."

"Oh, really?" Melinda asked, challenging him.

"If you ever ate my cooking, you'd see what I mean."

She glanced back into the kitchen. Daniel followed her gaze to Devon and Claire. They were finishing up dishes and wiping things down. "It's not their fault, you know. They are amazing cooks. It's all on my parents—they say they won't let anyone change the recipes because they don't want to dishonor the family name. But to be honest, it's probably a good thing. The better ingredients would cost more. The food would get infinitely better, but I'm barely making a profit as is." She blew out a long breath. "Though that fault belongs to me. My attitude doesn't help attract the customers and it certainly doesn't win me tips."

Daniel leaned on the counter. "Why don't you just sell the place? Maybe your folks would let you take some of the profit to go do what you really want. It's practically yours anyway."

Melinda let out a bitter laugh. "I've asked before, and they said no. Apparently this is a life lesson they're teaching me—a decade-long lesson. They say there are still things I need to learn that don't include crunching numbers and inventory logs."

Daniel studied her. She didn't seem like the type to let someone else tell her what to do. "So, close up the store and walk away."

She stared. "What?"

"You're obviously miserable here. Why stay?"

Melinda looked down at her feet and mumbled something incoherent.

"Come again?"

"I said, ‘I can't.’" She glanced back at the kitchen. "It should belong to Devon and Claire. When my parents hired them, it was with the understanding that once I was finished as manager here, they would sell the diner to Devon and Claire. But they've been stuck cooking in that kitchen for nine years, making crappy food because in my parents' eyes, I'm still not good enough. If I walk away, it will never be theirs. This is their dream, not mine, but I don't know how to prove to my parents that I've learned whatever lesson they wanted to teach me all those years ago." Melinda slammed her hands down on the counter. "How can I do that, if I don't even know what I am supposed to learn?"

Daniel placed a hand on top of hers. She acted so callous, and yet she genuinely cared about other people, even at the expense of her own happiness. He wished he could tell her how incredible she was, but Melinda didn't accept compliments. She usually just shrugged them off with sarcasm.

Instead, he blurted out, "I'll be your date for the wedding." Yeah, that was nowhere near what he had been thinking. Why would he even suggest such a thing? From what he had overheard when she had been on the phone with her mother, that was the last thing Melinda would want. But the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. "If you go against your mother's wishes, you'll be proving them right, won't you? She's more likely to agree to selling if you show up on time, with a date, and play the role of the perfect daughter."

"Yes," Melinda said slowly. "But that means my mother would win, and I don't know if I can handle that."

"She's already winning," Daniel pointed out. "She has you trapped in this place, and this may be the only way you get out."

Melinda nodded, like she was seriously considering it, but then she paused. "I couldn't ask you to do that for me," she said, though her voice belied her words. It lacked its usual power, and it seemed she was trying to come up with a reason not to accept his offer. "Bob will never let you take the time off."

"Why not?" Daniel asked. "I have some vacation time, and even if Bob doesn't understand, I'm sure Mayor Freedman would."

Melinda slipped her hand out from under Daniel's and locked eyes with him. "Why would you do that for me? I'm the least-liked person in the whole town."

Even though her last statement was true, Daniel waved it off like it wasn't. "I am your friend. We all need someone in our life who's looking out for us, so why shouldn't it be me? Do you have someone else you'd rather take as your date?"

He doubted there was anyone else. Most of Melinda's dates were more flings than potential relationships. And they certainly weren't the type who would go away with her for a few days without ulterior motives. It always drove him nuts to watch the line of guys who came in and out of her life. Couldn't she see she was better than that?

Melinda chewed her bottom lip. "All right," she said. "But I owe you for this, and for all your help in the diner, and…well, everything. I don't deserve as good a friend as you've been to me. And I only feel right about being in your debt."

Daniel was about to protest, but Melinda held up a hand.

"You're not coming with me unless you agree."

He didn't feel comfortable with that. That wasn’t what friendship was. But if that was the only way Melinda would accept his help, then he'd go with it. Just because they agreed that she was in his debt didn't mean he needed to act on it. "You got yourself a deal."

* * * * *

Daniel tossed Melinda's bag into the back of his car, though it was more like the bag tossed him. It was so heavy, he lost his balance as the bag slammed down. He hoped she didn't have anything fragile in there. Daniel had convinced Melinda that if he was going to be her date, they needed to act like it, which meant he would be the one driving. Sure, she was the better driver, but her parents were the old-fashioned sort, and they needed to play to that.

"All right, four hours until the performance of a lifetime," Daniel said with a grin. "Are you ready?"

Melinda bit her fingernails and glanced back at her apartment, looking anything but ready.

"Look, if you'd rather not do this—"

"Oh, we are so doing this," Melinda said, straightening up and dropping her hand to her side. The fire had returned to her eyes, and Daniel smiled. She was the feistiest yet most caring person he'd ever met. She was a living oxymoron, and for some reason, it made him want to be close to her to find out what she'd do next. "Though we need to bring the rest of my bags out to the car before we head out."

"You mean you have more than the one?"

"Three others," Melinda said with a smile, like she was testing him to see how he'd react.

"Oh, is that all?" Daniel asked. "I brought seven bags, two pillows, and an alpaca. I'm sure we can manage three more."

Melinda's eyebrows popped up in surprise, and she smiled. "Well, alrighty then. Let's go get those bags."

Between the two of them, they managed to drag the bags down to the car in one trip and were on the road before either of them could change their minds about spending the next five days together.

Melinda was silent for the first hour, staring out the window. She sat slumped in her seat, like she carried the weight of the world. Her naturally wavy hair spilled over her shoulders, and she looked more beautiful than ever, but in a tragic kind of way.

"Do you mind passing the snacks over?" Daniel finally asked. He wanted to give Melinda her space, but if she didn't want to talk, he needed to find another way to occupy himself.

She sat up with a start, like she was surprised he was there. "What? Oh, yeah." She handed over a bag of trail mix. "Did you want the chips as well?"

"No, this should be good for now," Daniel said. If he ate the chips now, he'd end up with a pile of crumbs on his lap large enough to attract some of the desert wildlife.

Melinda went back to staring out the window and gave a long sigh.

Obviously, something was on her mind, and Daniel couldn't resist asking about it. Was it prying? Yup. But everyone needed someone to talk to, so why shouldn't it be him?

"Penny for your thoughts.” He glanced down at his cup holder. "Actually, I only have a nickel. Do you make change?"

Melinda looked over and gave a small smile. "Nope. Sorry. It's a nickel or nothing."

"A nickel it is." He handed the coin to Melinda. "So, what's up?"

Her smile faded. "Just wondering what we're about to walk into."

"They'll be so busy with the wedding, they'll hardly know we're there," he said with a cheesy grin. "Think of it as a couple of friends going on vacation, who have to occasionally do boring things like attend a fancy dinner with amazing food."

Melinda tried to smile, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Believe me, I've tried, but my mom isn't going to let me off the hook that easily." She paused. "I'm Bree's only sister, and I'm not even the maid of honor. She chose an old friend from high school instead."

"Did you even want to be her maid of honor?" Daniel asked.

"No," she said. "Then I would have been in charge of things that I don't really want to deal with. But it's the principle of the matter. We were super close until my parents moved away for work and she moved away to college, and then—everything changed."

"Is that the real reason you've been dreading the wedding?" Daniel asked. He wished he knew what that felt like, but he didn't have any siblings. He’d always wanted a brother or a sister. All his friends told him he was lucky to be an only child, but even if he’d had the most annoying sibling ever, he thought it would be better than not having one at all. It had been lonely with just his parents for company.

Melinda looked back out the window. "I just wish things could go back to how they were in high school." She gave a small chuckle. "Well, mostly. Maybe if I was a slightly better version of myself."

"Oh, come now, you couldn't have been all that bad," Daniel said. He had only lived in Amor for a couple of years, but when he had moved there, it had felt like coming home. Except, everyone there had known each other their entire lives, and there were times he felt like he had missed out on a completely different life.

"Let's just say, I wasn't any more popular back then than I am now," Melinda said. "I've always been a little too into the guys, and it got me into trouble."

Oh, so that was what she had meant. Yeah, he could see that. Time for a change of subject.

"Tell me about your family," Daniel said. "I want to know who is safe and who to stay clear of."

Melinda shrugged. "Stay close to my dad, steer clear of everyone else. My grandma is an older version of my mother, and I haven't seen my cousins or anyone else in ages. I have no idea what they're like now." She didn't seem to have anything else to say on the matter and fell silent again.

Daniel considered coming up with another topic of conversation but decided to leave it. Melinda was obviously not in the mood to talk, and it was exhausting trying to get her to open up. He'd become friends with her when he first moved to town, and he still felt like he barely knew her at times. He shoved a handful of trail mix into his mouth and turned on the radio.

This was going to be a long five days.