Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 2

Chapter Two

“ I didn’t realize that y’all had dated.” Lexi’s voice had the controlled authority of a mediator as she looked between Magnolia and Lucas. “Anyone care to tell me what happened?”

Lucas and Magnolia both sat in stubborn silence.

Lexi pressed on. “Fine. Since y’all won’t talk about it, then we’re moving past it.” She focused on Magnolia. “Why don’t you start by telling Lucas why you need a fiancé?”

The corners of Lucas’s mouth twitched. He had to fight hard to squelch his laughter. He couldn’t begin to fathom what events had led up to Magnolia needing a fiancé. Furthermore, he had no idea why Lexi thought he’d be a contender. What had Lexi meant by him needing a ranch? Was Magnolia trying to buy him off? None of this made a lick of sense.

Magnolia took in a breath as she pressed her lips together. Lucas was struck by her incredible beauty. Had she always been this attractive? If so, why hadn’t he realized before? His brain gave back an immediate response. Maybe because she was such a diva! Pretty is as pretty does. Magnolia was a siren—drawing unsuspecting men in so she could dash them against the rocks for sheer sport. Well, he refused to be one of her conquests.

His eyes seemed to break rank from good sense as he took in the long tresses of her glossy blonde hair, noting how the curls fell in soft waves, framing her heart-shaped face. She had the slightest bit of a dimple in her chin. Her shirt picked up the vivid green in her fiery eyes. Even though she was throwing him a look that could kill, Lucas couldn’t help but admire her spunk.

When Magnolia spoke, her voice was flat, as if she were reading from a script. “My grandmother was the daughter of Quinton Bentley.” She looked at Lucas as if waiting for him to react.

“Never heard of him,” he said dryly.

“He made his fortune in oil and then used it to invest in other businesses,” Magnolia explained. “He had one daughter—Carol Bentley, my late grandmother. My grandparents had one son, my father Oscar. I’m an only child, meaning I’m the only heir.”

“Your family’s not much for procreation, huh?” Lucas quipped.

“Shh,” Lexi warned, elbowing Lucas. The two were sitting on the couch with Magnolia across from them.

Lucas caught a blip of amusement in Magnolia’s eyes. It gave him a strange sense of pleasure to know that she thought his joke was funny.

“On my twenty-seventh birthday, December thirtieth, I’m to inherit my trust fund, totaling ten million dollars.”

Lucas felt his eyes bulge. “Ten million dollars?” he croaked. “Wow.” That amount of money was so far above his reach that it was staggering. He couldn’t even comprehend what it would be like to have one million dollars, much less ten. “Congratulations,” he threw out mechanically. That’s how it went. The rich got richer, while the rest of the world scratched and clawed to carve out a living. Magnolia Bentley had been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.

“Tell him the rest,” Lexi prompted.

Magnolia clasped her hands tightly in her lap. “There are a few conditions to me getting my inheritance.” She swallowed, rubbing her tongue over her lips. “I have to be married.”

Lucas made a face. “Seriously? What kind of trust is this?”

“Don’t even get me started,” Magnolia fumed. “I’m so ticked at my late grandmother. If she were here right now, I’d squeeze her neck until her head popped off.”

Lucas chuckled. “Okay, tell me how you really feel.”

“Believe me. I am!” Magnolia shot back.

The pieces of the puzzle were starting to shift into place. He eyed Magnolia. “So you need a fiancé.”

She nodded, looking away.

He turned to Lexi, his voice throttling up several notches. “And you thought that would be me?”

Color brushed his younger sister’s cheeks. “I did. You want to purchase a ranch.”

A disbelieving laugh tickled his throat. “Yeah, but you can bet your best boots that I’m not gonna marry a sugar mama to get it. You know me better than that.”

Magnolia’s face drained. “I told you this wasn’t going to work,” she said to Lexi.

Lexi moistened her lips, tucking her hair behind her ears. “Magnolia called me in a panic. Her boyfriend—the man she thought she would marry—cheated on her.” Lexi gave him a pleading look. “I figured if anyone would understand the pain that causes, you would.”

Lucas’s lungs squeezed, cutting off his air. A sense of shame cloaked him when he saw Magnolia’s sympathetic expression. He certainly didn’t need anyone—least of all Magnolia Bentley—feeling sorry for him. “I’m way past caring what happened to my failed marriage,” he said gruffly.

Lexi touched his arm. “I know. I only meant that you and Magnolia have something in common.” She glanced at Magnolia as she spoke. “Magnolia asked me to fix her up with a good guy.” Her voice quivered with intensity. “You are one of the best I know.”

Lucas’s thoughts were thrashing around his skull like a bronco, refusing to be reined in. “I’m not marrying for money.” The idea went against every core principle that made up who he was. “And I’m especially not getting hitched to some spoiled heiress who wouldn’t know what a hard day’s work was if it bit her in the butt.”

Outrage streaked over Magnolia’s face, turning it cherry red. “You don’t know me,” she hissed. “I’ll wager that I could work you and every other block-headed cowboy under the table. Despite what you think, I’ve worked hard to get where I am.”

Amusement simmered in his gut. “Oh, yeah, and exactly where are you? Front and center of the country club league or whatever you people call your little get-togethers?”

“That’s enough,” Lexi warned.

Magnolia looked like she might spring out of her seat any minute and flee the room. Well, maybe that was for the best, so they could put an end to this ridiculous conversation.

Lexi tipped her head thoughtfully. “What if Magnolia’s right?”

Lucas sensed a trap. “What do you mean?”

“I’m sure you could find plenty of work for Magnolia to do on the ranch. She could show you her skills.”

The mortified look on Magnolia’s face nearly matched Lucas’s own shock. He rubbed his neck, a smile tugging at his lips. “Yeah, I don’t think that would work.”

“He’s right,” Magnolia agreed. “It’s freezing outside right now, not the best time to be working on a ranch.” She hugged her arms like she was suppressing a shiver.

Lexi gave Lucas a speculative look. “Think about what it would mean for you to have your own ranch. No more taking orders from Jaxson.”

His sister knew just what buttons to push. “You’re right, I do want my own ranch. But there are limits to what I’m willing to do.”

Magnolia gave him a challenging look. “Would marrying me be so bad?”

His answer was an immediate resounding, “Yes.” He could almost see steam coming out of Magnolia’s ears. “Look, we dated. It didn’t work out.”

“That’s not what happened at all,” Magnolia shot back. “It worked too well. You were scared of committing, so you retreated. That’s the real story.” She gave him a superior look.

“Yep, it was all about me and my lack of commitment. It had nothing to do with you snubbing your nose at my profession or freaking out when your designer shoes got muddy.”

“Okay,” Lexi said with a laugh. “I thought we weren’t going there. Here’s the deal. Magnolia needs a husband. You need a wife. You’ve dated half the countryside and haven’t found anyone, what can it hurt to give Magnolia a chance?”

“Giving her a chance and marrying her are two different things,” Lucas grumbled.

Lexi held up a finger. “So what you’re saying is that you’re willing to give her a chance.”

“Don’t put words in my mouth,” he warned.

Lexi pressed on. “You and Magnolia could go on a few dates … see if you can patch things up. I’m making dinner for Mom and Dad on Thursday. Asher’s coming back into town. It would be the perfect opportunity for you and Magnolia to get together.”

Lucas was taken off guard by the flicker of hope that lit Magnolia’s eyes. She was obviously desperate if she was considering him for marriage. This whole thing was insane. His mind jumped ahead. “What happens if I decide to go through with this charade?” He hated himself for even asking that question, but while they were here, it was good to get everything out in the open.

“I’ll buy you a ranch,” Magnolia blurted, “and whatever else you want. I just need a fiancé to take to North Carolina for Christmas.”

Lucas lifted his eyebrow. “A fiancé or a husband?”

“Both.” Magnolia’s words spilled out. “We would need to get married the day after Christmas. Every detail of the wedding is planned to the letter. I claim my inheritance, and you get your ranch.”

Lucas stroked his chin. “And then we get the marriage annulled.” A tiny ember of excitement kindled in his breast. He could put up with Magnolia for a few weeks if it got him his ranch. A look passed between Lexi and Magnolia. “What?”

Magnolia leaned forward. “Um, it’s not that simple.”

“Of course it’s not,” Lucas grumbled. “It never is. What’s the catch?”

“We have to stay married for five years.”

He ran his mind through the scenario. It would be a dream come true to own a ranch. “Okay, we could do that … if we lived in separate states.”

“And have a child together,” Magnolia inserted.

“W—what?” he blustered, “that’s not gonna happen! I don’t care how beautiful you are. I’m not gonna marry you and have a child together.”

Magnolia rocked back, blinking. “You think I’m beautiful?” she stammered.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure you’ve got mirrors tucked away somewhere in one of your fancy mansions. You know how you look.”

“Thanks,” she uttered quietly, taking the sting right out of his jab.

He tried not to notice how her thick lashes fluttered against her soft skin. He had to fight the lure of the siren. What she was asking of him was despicable. Marriage was a sacred institution. And bringing a child into this world. Well, that was something Lucas didn’t take lightly. He was irritated with the part of him that was disappointed because he couldn’t go along with the deal. He might be a lowly ranch-hand, but at least he had his dignity. He could look at himself in the mirror without flinching. He couldn’t be like Esau from the Bible and sell his birthright for a bowl of porridge. When Lucas finally did find the right woman, he wanted to marry for love. A silent prayer flitted through his mind. Please, Lord, help me to walk away from this temptation. Yes, I want a ranch, but I don’t want to lose my soul in the process. Irritation crawled down his spine. He couldn’t believe that Lexi, of all people, was trying to put him in this situation. She knew the turmoil he’d been through when Renee left. Hadn’t she just been talking about how foolish it was for her to go on that reality TV show and mix love up with her career? She had Asher now, so everything had turned out hunky-dory for her. She should realize that Lucas wanted to find his significant other also.

“So, what do you think? Will you consider Magnolia’s offer?” Lexi asked, a cautious hope simmering in her eyes. She shrugged, a wistful smile touching her lips. “Who knows? The two of you could actually fall in love. Stranger things have happened.” Her hand went to her chest. “Trust me, I know. I found love in the most unlikely place.”

Lucas’s brows bunched. “Have you lost your mind? This isn’t some sickly sweet Hallmark show. No, I’m not considering the offer,” he thundered. “I was, up until the kid part. Do you really think I would get married and have a child just so I could have my own ranch?”

Lexi’s cheeks turned red. “When you put it like that, it sounds kind of slimy.”

“The whole thing’s slimy.” Lucas’s head swung back and forth. “I can’t believe I’m even sitting here listening to this.” He stood, weary of the whole conversation.

Lexi rose to her feet, catching hold of his arm. “You could at least come to dinner on Thursday at Mom and Dad’s.” She looked at Magnolia. “You should come too.”

Magnolia nodded.

Lucas homed in on Magnolia. “I can’t believe you’re actually considering marrying me.” His voice rose. “Me? The Podunk, hick cowboy! Isn’t that what you called me?”

Lexi’s face fell as her head snapped to Magnolia. “Did you really call him that?”

“Sure did,” Lucas fired back.

Magnolia shifted. “I was angry. He dumped me. I wanted to hurt him like he hurt me.”

“I didn’t dump you. We only went out a handful of times.”

“I cared about you!” Magnolia said, her voice trembling with fury. “And you took my feelings and threw them in the toilet. I’ll never forgive you for what you?—”

Lucas talked over her. “Five years is a mighty long time, princess. And having a child together?” His jaw hardened. “Well, that’s not something I take lightly.”

Magnolia stood. “I realize how crazy all of this sounds,” she said stiffly, “but it’s what I’m reduced to.”

The vulnerable note in Magnolia’s voice tugged at Lucas. For one inestimably tiny moment, his frustration at Magnolia ebbed. He let out a long sigh. “Look, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that you’re being put in this position. I hope you’re able to find someone decent who can suit your needs. I’m just not that guy. Goodnight, sis,” he clipped to Lexi. With a curt nod to both women, he strode out the door, slamming it behind him.