Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

“ T hat went well,” Magnolia huffed. Tears burned her eyes as she collapsed into the loveseat. “I can’t believe you picked Lucas to fix me up with.” Her voice broke. “I’m doomed.”

Lexi threw her hands into the air. “I didn’t realize that y’all had a history.” She looked Magnolia in the eye. “You never told me that you cared about my brother.”

“You knew about the note I wrote him,” she sniffed. Every time Magnolia thought about the humiliation of that note, she wanted to punch Lucas and Mikey Sanders—in that order.

“Yeah, in the seventh grade. That was a lifetime ago.” Lexi sat down on the couch. “I didn’t realize y’all dated after high school. When?”

“Remember when I spent that month in Franklin? A couple of summers after high school?”

Lexi nodded.

“It was then.” Tears pooled in Magnolia’s eyes before dribbling down her cheeks. She hated the desperation that clawed at her. “Lucas hates me.”

“You’re not exactly his favorite person, as it turns out, but he doesn’t hate you. Lucas is just prickly.”

Magnolia snorted. “Is that what you call it? He’s downright cruel.”

Lexi gave her a shrewd look. “You know, if I didn’t know better, I’d say that you’ve still got a thing for my brother.”

Heat flamed Magnolia’s cheeks. “That’s ridiculous. I’ve long since gotten over him.” She had thought of Lucas on occasion, but wild horses couldn’t drag that admission from her lips. When she asked Lexi to fix her up with someone, she never imagined it would be Lucas.

“If you say so,” Lexi drawled.

“Anyway, it doesn’t matter how I feel. Lucas isn’t going along with it.” She felt Lexi studying her. “What?” she growled.

“I wouldn’t throw in the towel just yet. There’s a good chance Lucas might come around.”

“Really?” Magnolia squeaked, surprised by the burst of hope in her breast.

“Yeah. He just needs time to think it over.”

“Lucas is one of the most infuriating men I’ve ever met,” Magnolia spouted. “I can’t believe he had the audacity to call me a hoity toity diva.” Her voice rose. “Do you think I’m a hoity toity diva?” she asked when she saw the laughter in Lexi’s eyes.

“I think the truth is somewhere in the middle,” Lexi answered diplomatically.

Magnolia took in a deep breath. “I thought you were gonna fix me up with someone like Asher, not your brother,” she pouted.

“There’s only one Asher, and he’s taken.”

“Yeah, I know. Too bad.”

“Hey,” Lexi countered, giving her a sharp look.

“I’m teasing.” Magnolia folded her arms over her chest, her brain spinning like a kite in a hurricane. “So, where do we go from here?”

Lexi tipped her head. “Well, we start with dinner on Thursday.”

“Yeah, right. Like Lucas will agree to come.”

“He will … with the right persuasion.”

Magnolia was intrigued. “What do you mean?”

“My mom is set on Lucas finding the right woman.” Lexi looked Magnolia up and down. “You could be that woman, with a bit of coaching.”

“You mean convince your mom that I’m the one for Lucas … get her on our side?”

“Yep.”

Magnolia frowned. “But what will she say when she learns about the trust? And my real reason for wanting to marry Lucas?”

“Mom doesn’t have to know. Not yet anyway.”

“Okay, I’m liking where this is going. It could work.” Magnolia stopped, a sudden thought pinging through her brain. “Why’re you doing this? Lucas obviously doesn’t want to go along with it. Don’t you feel bad saddling your brother with a wife he doesn’t want?”

Lexi squinted her eyes like she was doing some hard thinking. “You know, I’ve asked myself that very question a hundred times over the past few weeks. My original intent was to put you and Lucas together so that you could both get what you wanted. Lucas has dated so many women, and none of them have been right. I figured what could it hurt for him to go out with you? See if the two of you clicked? Lucas is so sick of working for my uncle. Well, he doesn’t mind working for Uncle Knox, but he hates being under Jaxson.”

“Who’s that?”

“My first cousin. He’s the general manager of the ranch. He and Lucas don’t get along. Lots of history there.” Lexi waved a hand. “Anyway, I decided to put you and Lucas together because I want Lucas to be able to live his dream.” She paused, cocking her head. “But now …”

Magnolia rushed to fill the silence. “Now that you’ve seen me and Lucas together, you realize what a disaster it would be to pair us up.” A heavy blanket of gloom pressed over her.

“Actually, what I was going to say was that after watching the two of you together, I think you might be just what the other needs. A match made in heaven.”

Magnolia’s jaw dropped. “Huh? Did you hear the same conversation I did?”

Lexi grinned. “Yep, sure did.”

“Lucas and I couldn’t be more wrong for each other. He wants a burly ranch hand who can milk cows and shovel manure, not some spoiled princess.” Her expression turned sour as the sting of his words rushed back full force.

“Quit wallowing in self-pity. You’re only as spoiled as you want to be. It’s time for you to pull yourself up by your bootstraps.” Lexi pinned Magnolia with a penetrating look. “Do you want your trust fund, or not?”

Magnolia’s head snapped up. “Of course I want it.”

“Okay, then let’s figure out how to make Lucas have a change of heart, shall we?”

“That would be the miracle of the century,” Magnolia grumbled.

“We need a miracle, that’s for sure. Better start praying. I mean that with all sincerity. Prayer really helps.”

“You don’t have to sell me on the power of prayer. I know that firsthand.” Magnolia had been doing a lot of praying as of late. Her prayers had become more urgent and pleading. She had so much resentment concerning her grandmother and the rigid terms of the trust. She was trying to work through that anger, as well. Also, she was still ticked at Roman for leaving her in the lurch. One of her favorite scriptures kept running through her mind, Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding . She was trying to trust but was falling miserably short. Maybe if she were a better, stronger person, she’d just turn her back on her inheritance—tell Eric Stanford and his team of attorneys to go jump in a lake. Okay, that was harsh. It wasn’t Eric’s fault that her late grandmother was a control freak. He was just doing his job. Still, it was a bitter pill to swallow. Magnolia looked at Lexi, realizing that she was still talking.

“Oh, and you’re gonna need a few cooking lessons.”

Magnolia wrinkled her nose. “Cooking lessons? I don’t understand.”

“You will,” Lexi chuckled.

When the timer buzzed, Magnolia slipped on an oven mitt and removed the cast iron skillet from the oven. The fragrant scent of cornbread wafted through her senses. The perfection of the golden crust evoked a curious sense of pride. Magnolia had never been great at cooking, but with Lexi’s help, she was improving. She’d actually enjoyed Lexi’s cooking lessons.

Mrs. Romeo brought her hands together. “That looks amazing!”

“Thank you,” Magnolia said with appreciation as she cast Lexi a surreptitious glance. Lexi winked. She’d taught Magnolia how to make cornbread. Magnolia had wanted to learn how to make biscuits, but Lexi explained it would take much more than a few cooking lessons to teach her the technique, so they’d opted for cornbread instead.

“Lucas will be so surprised and excited that you’re joining us for dinner,” Mrs. Romeo said. “You’ve been working nonstop since you got here.” She scooted out a kitchen chair. “Here, sit down and rest.”

The kitchen exuded such a cheerful warmth that it tugged at Magnolia’s heartstrings. She was enjoying the easy chatter passing between Lexi and her mom. The two of them were obviously close. There was a time when Magnolia was close to her mom, Janet, but things had gotten tense between them ever since Magnolia’s mom remarried several years ago. Magnolia didn’t like the awkwardness that having Dave in the family created. Her mom had always been so independent, but now it was like she couldn’t make a move without Dave’s permission. He stayed glued to her mom the entire time like an extra appendage, almost as if he were afraid that Magnolia might get to spend a minute alone with her mom. It was a strange situation. Magnolia could tell that Dave viewed her as competition for her mom’s affection.

Magnolia’s mom had invited her to spend Christmas in Florida, but there was no way Magnolia could do that, not with the impending wedding. Janet had invited Magnolia for Christmas the past several years in a row. Every year, Magnolia came up with a different excuse as to why she couldn’t go. At least this year her excuse was valid. Magnolia hadn’t told her mother about the conditions of the trust fund. Her mom would freak out if she knew that Magnolia had to get married to claim her inheritance. There was no love-loss between Janet and the Bentleys.

“Tell me what you’ve been up to since you left Franklin,” Mrs. Romeo prompted. “I can’t remember the last time I saw you. You’re all grown up now.”

“It has been a long time,” Magnolia agreed.

Lexi pulled out a chair and sat down at the table.

“I’m the chief editor for an online clothing and lifestyle magazine,” Magnolia began.

“It’s one of the top magazines in the country,” Lexi chimed with a touch of pride. Magnolia loved that about Lexi—how she was genuinely gracious and happy for Magnolia’s success. So many of Magnolia’s other so-called friends were insanely jealous of one another. They were okay with their counterparts being successful, so long as they remained the top dog.

Mrs. Romeo seemed impressed. “Wow!”

“Mrs. Romeo, you teach English at the high school, is that right?”

“Yes.” She offered a warm smile. “Please, call me Layla.”

Magnolia nodded. “Layla, you have a beautiful home.” She’d never paid much attention to the décor when she was a kid, but now that she was seeing it through the eyes of an adult, she appreciated the artful details that transformed the house into a home. It was the little things that made the difference—the tomatoes ripening on the windowsill, the colorful bowl of fruit on the island, the copper container of wooden kitchen utensils, the baskets craftily arranged on top of the upper cupboards.

There was a festive dishtowel, adorned with a pattern of green holly and bright red berries, draped over the oven door. Christmas cards framed the doorway. The room was so cozy. Magnolia thought of her father’s mansion in New Orleans. For all its grandeur and spaciousness, it could tend to feel a bit cold and lonely. This cottage-style kitchen was the beating heart of the Romeo’s home. The appliances were well-used, the dinged-up butcher block island worn to a mellow honey finish, evidence that many a delicious meal had been prepared atop it.

“Thank you,” Layla said, tucking her hair behind her ear. The unconscious gesture was so reminiscent of Lexi that Magnolia smiled inwardly. Like mother like daughter . There was a striking resemblance between Layla and Lexi. They shared the same dark hair and expressive eyes. Layla’s hair was cut above her shoulders, and she wore it wavy. Layla looked older than Magnolia remembered, which was to be expected. The edges of her eyes were etched in fine wrinkles, and there were stress lines around her mouth. Still, she was an attractive woman. Magnolia appreciated her open and accepting demeanor. Layla had a gracious way about her that made Magnolia feel right at home.

“So, tell me about you and Lucas,” Layla prompted, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

Magnolia cleared her throat. Here’s where it would get tricky. Lexi was adamant about not wanting to lie to her mom, and Magnolia agreed wholeheartedly. No good could come from deceit. Magnolia planned to tell the truth—just not the entire truth. She glanced at Lexi who gave her an encouraging nod. “There really isn’t a me and Lucas.”

Layla’s face fell. “I thought y’all were a couple. I thought you said as much.” The disappointment in her eyes was both flattering and encouraging as she turned to Lexi for an explanation. Magnolia jumped in to get Lexi off the hook. “I would like for there to be something between me and Lucas.” She hoped lightning wouldn’t strike her down for the white lie. What she should’ve said was that she desperately needed there to be something between her and Lucas. She was running out of time!

Layla brightened. “Oh, I see. That’s good.”

“Actually, we were hoping that you might put in a good word for Magnolia,” Lexi added, wrinkling her forehead.

“Me?” Layla pointed to herself as a surprised laugh issued from her throat. Her head swiveled back and forth as she pressed her lips together. “I’m not sure that Lucas will listen to me. I’ve been trying to get him to settle down for longer than I care to think about.”

“He listens to you more than you think,” Lexi countered with a sage expression.

Layla tipped her head. “You think so?”

“I know so.” Lexi put a hand over Layla’s and squeezed it.

A pleased smile tipped Layla’s lips. “That’s good to know.” She gave Lexi a long look. “Do you think that Magnolia and Lucas would be a good match?”

Magnolia held her breath, waiting for the answer.

“Absolutely,” Lexi boomed with so much certainty that Magnolia could almost believe that she and Lucas should be together.

“Why?” Layla asked. She looked at Magnolia. “No offense, but if I’m to put in a good word for you, I need to know why my daughter thinks that you and my son should be together.”

“I understand.” Magnolia’s heart began to pound. Layla was kind, but she was tough. Magnolia hadn’t expected this.

Lexi dipped her head thoughtfully. “Well, for starters Magnolia doesn’t put up with any of Lucas’s crap. She tells him exactly how it is.”

Layla giggled as she cast Magnolia an appraising look. “I like a girl who can hold her own. The men in this family are tough.”

“Amen,” Lexi piped in.

“Almost as tough as the women,” Layla grinned as she and Lexi shared an affectionate look.

“See why I love her?” Lexi drawled.

“Yes, I do,” Magnolia said earnestly. Lexi was lucky to have such a wonderful family.

“What else?” Layla asked.

A wicked grin curved Lexi’s lips. “She makes a mean skillet of cornbread.”

“Yep, I’ll agree with that.” Layla cut her eyes at Lexi. “It bears a striking resemblance to someone else’s cornbread.”

Color brushed Lexi’s cheeks as she offered a sheepish grin. “I might’ve shared my recipe,” she admitted.

Layla turned to Magnolia. “Lucas is a complicated person. He hides behind this tough wall of indifference, but inside, he’s a big teddy bear.” Her features tightened. “When his ex-wife Renee left him for her therapist, Lucas’s world imploded. It’s hard for him to let anyone in.” Layla studied her with probing eyes. “Why do you want to be with my son? Forgive me for being so blunt, but I don’t want to see Lucas get hurt again.”

“I totally understand.” Heat crawled up Magnolia’s throat. It was better to tell as much of the truth as she could. She took in a deep breath before diving in. “When I was a kid, I had a huge crush on Lucas.” A reminiscent smile tugged at her lips. “He was hands down the best-looking guy in school.”

“Are you sure this is Lucas we’re talking about?” Lexi retorted.

“Shh.” Layla swatted her hand. “Lucas is handsome.”

“He had this confident swagger that made all the girls swoon. When he would smile or speak to me, it was like my world stopped spinning.” Magnolia shrugged. “Of course, to Lucas, I was just his kid sister’s friend.” She paused, trying to figure out how to tell the rest. “After I graduated from high school, Lucas and I went on a few dates.” She’d been ecstatic when her path crossed with Lucas at a deli on the square of downtown Franklin. She couldn’t believe that he asked her out. She’d walked on air for days. “I liked how down-to-earth he was. He didn’t put on airs for anyone. We had fun doing normal things like going for a walk or jumping on the trampoline. One afternoon, I helped him wash his pickup truck.”

Lexi chuckled. “Lucas is relentless about keeping his truck clean. He washes it every weekend, even now when it’s colder than a witch’s nose.”

Magnolia was still lost in the memory. “That same evening, we put an old mattress in the back of Lucas’s pickup truck. We went to the drive-in and watched a double feature. We ate so much popcorn that we were sick. We just laughed and talked … we really connected.” She and Lucas went on one other date after that, but it was a disaster. Magnolia could tell that he was distant, and it irked her to no end. She pressed the issue, demanding to know what his problem was. They argued. She said something snarky about him working the ranch and pitched a fit about her new shoes getting ruined in the mud. That escalated to a huge fight that ended with her calling him a po-dunk, hick cowboy who had a colossal fear of commitment. He called her a spoiled princess who had no idea what the real world was like. But no need to add all of that ugliness into the narrative.

The clearing of a throat prompted Magnolia to turn around. She gasped, her tongue tying a noose around her windpipe when she realized that Lucas was standing in the doorway. He was leaning against the wood frame, his legs crossed, wearing a cocky smirk. A sickening humiliation blasted through her veins. Somehow, she managed to find her voice. “H—how long have you been standing there?”

Something indiscernible flashed in his eyes. Magnolia would’ve given anything to be able to read his thoughts. “Long enough,” he said lightly as he straightened to his full height. A large smile filled his face. “Something smells good.”

“Lexi and Magnolia have been cooking up a storm,” Layla answered.

The doorbell rang. Lexi sprang out of her seat. “I’ll bet that’s Asher.” Her voice was coated with a breathy excitement, her cheeks flushed. She smoothed a hand over her sweater and touched her hair. “Do I look alright?”

“Lovely.” Lucas’s voice dripped with sarcasm. Lexi shot him a dark look, which seemed to give him great pleasure. It was obvious that Lucas enjoyed razzing his younger sister.

“Don’t do anything to embarrass me,” Lexi warned as she pointed her finger straight at Lucas.

He held up his hands. “Don’t worry.” But Lexi had already bounded out of the kitchen before he could even get the words out.

Lucas grunted. “She could play a little hard to get.”

“Hush your mouth,” Layla commanded. “Lexi’s happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

He sighed. “I know. I’m happy for her.” He strolled over and gave Layla a kiss on the cheek.

An awkward silence descended over the room like a dense fog until Layla spoke. “Where are your manners? Aren’t you going to say hello?”

“Hey,” Lucas said, turning his attention to Magnolia.

She could feel her cheeks burning. “Hey.”

“Magnolia made some cornbread to go along with this feast that Lexi has prepared.”

A trace of amusement streaked over his handsome features. “You made cornbread?”

“Of course,” Magnolia responded, miffed that he was acting so surprised. Granted, she wouldn’t have had a clue how to make a decent skillet of cornbread if Lexi hadn’t taught her, but that was beside the point.

Layla motioned to an empty chair. “Have a seat.”

Lucas did as she directed. Now that he was here, Magnolia’s skin tingled with a heightened awareness. Not wanting to be obvious about it, her eyes flicked over him. He was wearing a denim shirt, rolled up at the sleeves, faded jeans and his trademark leather boots. Heat wafted over her. Everything about Lucas screamed one hundred percent American male! Jiminy Cricket, even his forearms were masculine. If she could convince Lucas to marry her, the one consolation would be that she was definitely attracted to him. It wasn’t just his handsome looks that drew her, but rather his aura. Truth be known, she even liked his cocky attitude.

“When’s Dad getting home?”

“He had a meeting with Knox about a new project they’re working on.” Layla glanced at the clock on the microwave. “He should be home any minute.” She turned to Magnolia. “My husband Dylan and his brother Knox are real estate developers.”

“My dad is also in real estate.” He was involved in large-scale projects, many of which were commercial buildings, high-dollar outdoor malls, and resorts, but Magnolia didn’t see the need to point that out.

Layla smiled brightly. “One more thing y’all have in common.”

Magnolia glanced at Lucas, expecting him to scowl, but he didn’t. Instead, he winked, a crooked grin turning up a corner of his lips.

The gesture warmed Magnolia through to her bones as a smile trembled over her lips. Did she dare hope that Lucas was coming around? She could think of worse things than being married to Lucas Romeo. A warm, rich, decadent desire stirred through her stomach as her mind wandered to all the physical expectations a marriage would require, washing a wave of heat up her neck.

Lucas looked around. “What can I do to help with dinner?”

Layla’s eyes sparkled with humor. “That’s a first.”

Lucas frowned. “What?”

“You offering to help with dinner.”

Color moved into his cheeks. “That’s not true.”

Layla laughed as she squeezed his arm. “It’s okay, son. I don’t take offense. I know you’ve been out working hard. Magnolia and I can take care of it.”

“We sure can,” Magnolia inserted, liking how Layla was including her. She scooted back her chair and stood. “What would you like for me to do?” The shock on Lucas’s face would’ve been comical had it not been so insulting. Magnolia could tell exactly what he was thinking. “What?” she taunted. “You don’t think the princess knows her way around the kitchen?”

His eyes bugged as Layla sniggered. “Yep, I think the two of you will be just fine.”

“What have you been telling my mom about us?” He raised an eyebrow, giving Magnolia a challenging look.

“Stop pestering her,” Layla shushed as she swatted his arm. “You should be counting your lucky stars that a girl like her is giving you the time of day.”

A chuckle broke through Lucas’s lips. “Is that right?” There was a glint of admiration in his arresting eyes, which looked more blue tonight than gray. “You’re good,” he drawled. “One visit with Mom and you have her in your corner.”

“You bet she does,” Layla punched out. “She’s a keeper.”

A glow of warmth spread through Magnolia as she smiled. “Thank you.” She felt Lucas’s eyes on her, was surprised at how intently he was studying her. “What?” she mouthed.

He shook his head, giving her a look that said he’d explain later.

Lexi and Asher came into the kitchen. Lexi had her arm through Asher’s and was beaming. It was neat to see Lexi so in love. A pang went through Magnolia. She’d never know a love like that, thanks to her grandmother. But she would be wealthy beyond her wildest dreams. Gaining her inheritance had been in the forefront of Magnolia’s mind for years. Yet, here in this modest kitchen, with so much familial love and warmth flowing, wealth seemed like an empty consolation.

“Hello,” Asher said as he embraced Layla in a hug. He went to Lucas next, giving him a hearty handshake and pat on the back.

He turned to Magnolia. “Hey, neighbor. Long time no see.”

“Y’all are neighbors?” Layla asked, her eyes moving from Magnolia to Asher.

“Yep,” Asher answered. “We both live on Esplanade Avenue in New Orleans and didn’t even know each other.”

“Wow, it’s a small world,” Layla murmured.

“Sure is,” Lexi chimed.

Magnolia hadn’t seen Asher since the night of the fair in New Orleans when he’d first met Lexi. She’d been irritated at Asher then for taking Lexi away from Charles Harrington, Lexi’s date that Magnolia had arranged. “Good to see you again.” Magnolia grinned, shaking her head. “It was a huge shock to learn that you were the bachelor on the reality TV show.”

Lexi laughed, the sound floating free and unencumbered. “It was indeed a shock. Here I was, telling Asher all about how I was going on the show solely for my career, and that I had no intention of falling in love.” Her eyes went as soft as fresh caramel as she looked at him. “I guess fate had other plans.”

Asher gave her a smile so resplendent that Magnolia felt like she was watching the climax of a chick flick. “Fate was on our side. And, it didn’t hurt that we gave it a little push.” He slid his arm around Lexi’s shoulders, pulling her close.

Magnolia looked across the room at Layla who was standing by the stove. The radiance of her face spoke volumes. She was thrilled that Lexi had found someone.

“Something smells amazing,” Asher said.

“You know Lexi, she’s been cooking up a storm.”

Asher’s eyes sparkled with an eager anticipation. “Good, because I’m starving. I’ve been thinking about Lexi’s chicken fingers all day.”

Lexi’s face fell. “I didn’t make chicken fingers. We’re having sugared ham, pinto beans, cornbread, collard greens, and cheesy potatoes.”

“Sounds good to me,” Asher said. “Anything you make is delicious.”

“Thank you,” Lexi smiled, her eyes warming with pleasure.

Magnolia felt Lucas watching her. She gave him a questioning look. He just smirked and looked away. Magnolia wasn’t sure if it was a mean-spirited smirk or just Lucas’s way of hiding behind his tough-guy mask. Just when she thought she was building up some sort of rapport with Lucas, he started putting up barriers. Frustration rose inside her. Not much has changed over the years.

“Hello,” a commanding voice boomed as a tall, strapping, broad-shouldered man stepped into the kitchen. Magnolia remembered him from her childhood. He’d seemed larger-than-life back then—a Maverick type with a quick, easy smile and gargantuan personality. Mr. Romeo was still pretty impressive, even viewed through her grown-up eyes. His dark eyes sparkled with adventure. He had a mole on his right cheek. His hair was cut so short that it was nearly shaved. Magnolia assumed that it was because it was thinning on top. He reminded Magnolia a little of the actor Jason Statham. The kind of guy who was still movie-star handsome, even without hair on his head.

“Hey, Dad,” Lexi said, a clear note of affection in her tone.

“Hey, sweetheart.” He grinned broadly at Asher. “Good to see you.” They clasped hands and hugged. A few seconds later, the man turned to Magnolia. “And who might this pretty little lady be?” He looked to Lucas for an answer.

“This is Magnolia Bentley,” Lucas said.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Dylan.” He flashed Magnolia a disarming smile as he shook her hand. Magnolia could definitely see the resemblance between Lucas and his dad, although she couldn’t figure out where Lucas had gotten his gray-blue eyes. She found the color of them so fascinating. It was neat to note how they changed color, depending on what he wore.

“Hon, you know Magnolia,” Layla piped in.

Dylan searched her face, trying to place her. “I do?”

“Yep, she’s Lexi’s friend. She used to come over when they were kids.”

A grin spread over his lips. “Ah, you were the bouncy blonde who never could sit still.”

“That’s me,” Magnolia laughed. “I was a thorn in my teachers’ sides back then.”

“Well, you seemed to have turned out just fine,” Dylan assessed.

“Thank you,” Magnolia said appreciatively.

Dylan rubbed his hands together. “I hope dinner’s ready. I’m starved.”

“We were just fixing to warm everything up.” Layla looked at Magnolia.

Magnolia went to the stove. “What can I do?”

Layla wiped her hands on her apron. “Turn on the burners and stir the food. I’ll finish setting the table.”

“I can help,” Lexi offered.

A short while later, they all gathered around the long farm-style table in the dining room. The house was an open floor plan, giving Magnolia a splendid view of the living room, which housed a live Christmas tree trimmed in red ribbons and wooden ornaments. Beside the tree was a massive stacked-stone fireplace. The hearty wood mantel was decked out in a plush garland of greenery, pinecones, berries, and ribbon. Stockings hung from the bottom of the mantel.

Dylan sat at the head of the table. He cleared his throat ceremoniously as he looked around the table. His gaze settled on Layla who was directly across from him at the other end, giving her a loving smile. “Our family is growing.”

Magnolia glanced at Lucas who was seated next to her, but his expression was too guarded to read.

“Let us pray,” Dylan said as he reached out to join hands with Lucas and Lexi, who were sitting closest to him. When Lucas caught hold of Magnolia’s hand, her breath hitched. His touch was more thrilling than she would’ve ever imagined. She tried her best to keep her expression impassive as she reached for Layla’s hand. Dylan offered a heartfelt prayer, expressing gratitude for the Christmas season. He mentioned that he was thankful to have Asher and Magnolia join them.

The light pressure of Lucas’s hand titillated her skin, shooting warm tingles through her. It was crazy how her body was reacting to him. Yes, Magnolia had been crazy about Lucas back in the day, but she’d moved on, hardly giving him a passing thought. Then, when she realized that he was the one Lexi was fixing her up with, the old hurt had risen up so fiercely that it had overtaken her reason. It was strange that she’d reacted so strongly to seeing Lucas again.

Dylan offered a hearty Amen when the prayer was over.

Lucas let go of her hand. Instantly, she felt a sense of loss. Interesting .

“Dig in,” Layla encouraged as everyone began passing around bowls of food.

Dinner was excellent. Lexi was an incredible cook. The cornbread was good too.

Conversation flowed easily around the table. Dylan asked Lucas about the ranch, and Lucas talked about everything he was doing. It was obvious that he derived great satisfaction from his work.

Dylan looked at Lexi and Asher. “So, how’s the music business?”

A look passed between Lexi and Asher. “Great!” Lexi gushed. “We’re going to High Cliff Records tomorrow to lay down some tracks for our new album.”

“We hope to get a good start on it before everything shuts down for the holidays,” Asher added.

“What type of work do you do?” Dylan asked.

It took Magnolia a second to realize that the question was directed at her. She’d just taken a bite of cornbread. The crumbs got caught in her throat as she coughed to clear it.

“You okay?” Lucas asked.

She nodded as she reached for her glass, taking a quick drink of water. “Yes,” she croaked. “Sorry.” She cleared her throat, patting the center of her chest. “That went down the wrong way.” An apologetic smile curled her lips. She swallowed before taking in a quick breath. “I’m an editor for an online fashion and lifestyle magazine.”

Dylan looked impressed. “Are y’all busy this time of the year?”

“We make a practice of staying a season ahead. We’re now working on our spring edition. We’ll work the rest of this week and next and will then break for the holidays.”

“Speaking of the holidays,” Layla cut in. “We need to make some concrete plans for Christmas.”

Panic rippled through Magnolia. She couldn’t very well announce that she planned to take Lucas to North Carolina where she hoped to marry him the day after Christmas. Her heart picked up its pace as she looked across the table at Lexi. Lexi wore an uncomfortable expression as she shifted in her seat. She glanced at Asher before moistening her lips.

“Um, Asher and I are planning on spending Christmas day with his family since we were here for Thanksgiving.”

Layla nodded in disappointment.

“But we’ll for sure spend New Year’s Eve and Day here,” Lexi added.

“Oh, good,” Layla said, her smile fixing back into place. “How about you guys?” She turned her gaze to Magnolia and Lucas.

Magnolia’s pulse hammered in her ears. She had no idea what to say.

“We’ll be heading to North Carolina to spend Christmas with Magnolia’s folks.” The words flowed easily from Lucas’s mouth.

“Really?” Magnolia turned to face him. “Are you sure?” She searched his handsome face, her eyes asking all that her mouth couldn’t right now.

“Yeah, I’m sure,” he said evenly.

Magnolia wanted to jump up and shout hallelujah. She couldn’t stop the jubilant smile from spreading over her lips. “Okay. We’re doing this.”

Lucas nodded.

“Doing what?” Dylan asked with a frown.

Magnolia blinked. Shoot! She should have taken more care to guard her words.

“Magnolia was asking if I could take her to North Carolina to visit her folks. I wasn’t sure if I could clear my work schedule, but I talked to Knox and Jaxson today, and they’re good with me taking a few extra days off.”

Magnolia’s jaw dropped. There were so many questions running through her head right now, starting with When did you change your mind? Obviously, Lucas had been making plans.

“I guess y’all are getting along better than you let on,” Layla said, giving Magnolia a coy grin.

A shaky laugh left Magnolia’s throat. “I guess so.”

“Will y’all be back by New Year’s Eve?” Layla asked.

“We’re not sure yet,” Lucas answered, “but we’ll keep you posted.”

The conversation moved to other topics, but Magnolia hardly heard a word. All she could think about was that Lucas had agreed to marry her! Her head was teeming with all sorts of thoughts and plans. There was so much to do! So little time. She had to book flights to Asheville, call the wedding planner and give her Lucas’s tux measurements. Well, first Magnolia had to get the measurements from Lucas. She needed his belt size. Shoe size. She needed to coach him on how to deal with her grandfather. Yikes! That would be tricky. Oh, and Lucas needed to know how to navigate Eric Stanford, the attorney over the estate. She would need to take Lucas shopping, buy him some tailored clothes that would fit into the Bentley world.

She thought past the wedding. Where would they live? She could work from anywhere. Would Lucas choose to purchase a ranch nearby, so he could be close to his family? Magnolia looked around at the group. She couldn’t remember the last time, if ever, that she’d felt so comfortable in a family setting. It would be easy to come to adore Layla and Dylan. Sitting here with all of them, the fanciful side of Magnolia could almost make herself believe that she and Lucas were actually a couple. That they were as blissfully in love with one another as Lexi and Asher were.

Magnolia knew she was daydreaming, but it was a wonderful dream. She sighed as she glanced at Lucas, admiring the clean edge of his strong jaw. The faint dusting of freckles across his nose gave him a boyish appearance. His spiky hair was as cute as it was reckless. A smile tipped her lips.

Lucas gave her a quizzical look. “You okay?” he whispered.

“Yep,” she quipped, “I’m great.” She would continue indulging in the fantasy a little longer, if only for tonight.