One

      September

      Facing a problem he never thought he would have, Marc Medina sat in his spacious Dallas office on a Tuesday evening and, through his open door, watched Lara Seymour, his executive secretary. It was almost an hour after closing time, but she had a six-o’clock appointment to talk to him. He knew she would appear promptly at six, not a minute early, not a minute late. He wondered what problem she had and hoped she wasn’t planning to quit because she was the best secretary ever.

      And the best looking.

      He stifled that line of thought. CEO and President, Marc had built this company, Medina Energy. He had a policy of never dating a coworker, never getting emotionally involved with one, never flirting with one. Instead, he maintained a professional relationship at all times. Nothing would make him deviate from that policy, especially now that he was widowed.

      Of all the women he had worked with, Lara was the biggest temptation. She was the only one he was keenly aware of as a woman. Still, their relationship had never gone beyond business friendly.

      His thoughts returned to his ailing grandfather and his ultimatum to Marc—marry within this month and live on his grandfather’s ranch for one year. If he did so, Marc and his mother stood to gain a large inheritance of mineral rights and producing wells, and he stood to gain the ranch. Marc wanted that inheritance and he wanted his mother to get hers, as well.

      Knowing his grandfather, Marc was sure the old man figured that, since Marc dated some very beautiful ladies, he’d have no trouble getting a wife right away and then settling on the ranch. Marc knew what his grandfather ultimately wanted. Rico Ruiz’s doctors had given him a limited time to live and he was no doubt making arrangements for his two greatest loves—his wife and his ranch. With Marc running the ranch, Rico would be reassured that his wife, Marc’s grandmother, could live there in the house she was accustomed to for the rest of her days and Marc would care for her.

      His grandfather had always thought Marc should live on the ranch. He thought Marc loved that life more than the corporate world, but as much as Marc did, he wasn’t quite ready yet to be a rancher. He was sure his grandfather thought he knew what was best for his grandson. Marc loved the old man and he wanted to make his last days happy, so he’d try to do what his grandfather wished, but...

      Where in blazes would he get a wife in a month? One he could tell goodbye