Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 6

Chapter Six

T he snow was getting worse. It didn’t help that they were on a narrow, winding road. An hour ago, Lucas had taken a detour off the interstate. He glanced over at Magnolia who was sleeping soundly, her blonde tresses trailing like spun gold across the back of the seat where her head was resting. She was a princess in every sense of the word and drop-dead gorgeous, to boot.

Contrary to what he told her that night at his parents’ house, it hadn’t been Jaxson or the incident with the feeder that prompted Lucas to take Magnolia up on her offer. Rather, it had been the things she said that night at the kitchen table, when she hadn’t realized he was listening. The tender wistfulness of Magnolia’s voice had evoked an ache deep inside him, making him remember for one brief moment what it was like to be loved. The way she’d looked at him that night on the porch, her eyes ablaze with hope, he couldn’t help but agree to go along with the ruse. She wanted a knight in shining armor to ride in on a white horse and save her. He’d thought that night that he had it in him to be that guy.

Then, afterwards, in the clear light of day, he had a freak-out moment. He’d called Lexi, telling her that there was no way he could marry someone for money. And have a child together? That was insane! Lexi talked him off the ledge, telling him that Magnolia needed him. “She’s desperate,” Lexi had said. “She’ll marry someone. It’s better for her to be with you. You won’t take advantage of her .”

His gaze drifted over to her heart-shaped face, tracing the delicate outline of her jaw. Her skin was milky and smooth, her dainty lashes fluttering faintly every so often in her sleep. There was something so childlike and na?ve about Magnolia. He’d felt her watching him with hopeful eyes. The attraction to her was strong, making it hard to keep her at bay. However, he didn’t want to do anything to confuse the situation.

When Renee walked out the door, he’d plugged the hole in his heart with a stony disinterest. Sure, he dated, but he kept a clear line drawn, refusing to ever be put at the mercy of a woman again. Also, it wouldn’t be fair to Magnolia to misrepresent what this situation was. Lucas did want the ranch, so badly that he could taste it. Now that the idea had taken hold, it flamed like a fire inside him. His desire for the ranch made him feel guilty. He felt like he was taking advantage of Magnolia and the situation. Had her ex-boyfriend not cheated on her, she’d be getting married to him. Lucas didn’t know if he should be thanking the guy or punching his lights out.

His thoughts went to his parents. What would they think when they learned about the wedding? Would his mom be ticked because she didn’t know about it, or would she just be relieved that Lucas was finally settling down?

This morning, seeing his mom so upset had rattled Lucas, taking him back to that dark time when the family was on pins and needles, wondering if his dad would be okay. Lucas hadn’t intended on telling Magnolia about his dad’s gambling problem, but he was glad he did. It felt good to get it off his chest, to confide in someone.

The things Magnolia told him about her family floored him. He’d always thought of Magnolia as an entitled diva, but listening to her talk, he could understand why she acted like she did. For all of his parents’ flaws, he knew that they loved him and Lexi. Their family was close. And, despite his longstanding rivalry with Jaxson, Lucas was close to his first cousins. Knox was like a second father to him. Magnolia didn’t know what it was like to be part of a close-knit family. The money was all she had—all she knew. No wonder she was so desperate to get her inheritance.

He wondered what the next few days would bring. He was dreading meeting Magnolia’s grandfather. He could tell that Magnolia feared Lucas wouldn’t measure up. While he put up a confident front to Magnolia, the truth was, he was in way over his head here. If only he were more like his cousins. When he’d gotten the new clothes, he felt a bit like Ramsey—the sharp dresser of the bunch. Lucas wished he had Cash’s quick wit and brains or Noah’s finesse. Heck, he’d even settle for Jaxson’s bullheaded confidence right now. Lexi had always accused Lucas of being on the defensive where their cousins were concerned. “You need to stop comparing yourself to them,” Lexi said, “and be yourself. You are enough!”

Was he enough? He certainly didn’t feel like it. There was part of him that was riddled with holes. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t plug the leaks. The practical side of his brain insisted that all he could do was be himself and try to buff out the rough edges. He and Magnolia had decided to keep their stories as straightforward and close to the truth as possible. They’d reconnected when Lexi went to stay with Magnolia prior to the reality TV show. The narrative was short and sweet. He could handle that.

Lucas thought back to the handful of dates he and Magnolia had gone on. In some ways, it seemed like it was another lifetime. And then, in other ways, the foibles of the past still clung to them, wrapping them in a shroud of regrets that would be better off buried and forgotten. The night they went to the drive-in stood out in his mind. They’d connected, never running out of things to talk about. Lucas could tell that Magnolia was crazy about him. It scared him. Back then, he wasn’t anywhere near ready to settle down, so he’d played it cool, intending to politely put distance between him and Magnolia. She wasn’t going to have it, however. She pressed the issue, which led to their fight. They’d called each other names, said cutting things, and went their separate ways.

Now, here they were, years later. Life could be a strange beast sometimes. Snow was falling harder, sticking to the windshield despite the wipers’ efforts to wick it away. Magnolia stirred. Lucas tensed. She was not going to be happy when she learned that he’d taken a detour. There was a ranch for sale that he’d found online. According to the GPS, it would only take an extra hour to visit it. Lucas figured they’d might as well check it out while they were so close. It wasn’t as if an extra hour would make much difference in their schedule. Then again, with the snow coming down hard, they would be delayed more than an hour.

Turn right in two hundred feet , the GPS instructed.

He slowed, pulling onto a gravel road.

You have arrived , the GPS announced. Lucas surveyed the area. He’d hoped there might be a For Sale sign or ranch entrance—something to let him know that they were in the right place. But there was nothing.

Magnolia opened her eyes as she sat up and looked around. “Where are we?”

“I decided to take a detour,” he said casually. “There’s a ranch that I want to check out.”

Her eyes flew open wide. “And you picked today, of all days, to go and look at it?” Her expression held a mixture of disbelief and frustration.

“Yeah, the ranch was pretty much on the way. I figured it would be easier to look at it when we were in the area, rather than having to come back later.”

A layer of red seeped into her cheeks. “How much time is this going to cost us?”

“I figured it would take an extra hour.”

He could almost see the wheels turning in her head. She was irritated by his deviation from the schedule and yet, she was trying to be understanding. He admired that about Magnolia. How she was trying to find some common ground with him. Finally, she sighed. “Okay, that’s not too bad.” A second later, her voice pitched. “The snow’s coming down hard.” She threw him a worried glance. “It wouldn’t be good for us to get stuck out here in the middle of nowhere, in a blizzard. We need to get to Asheville so we can get everything ready for the wedding.”

“We won’t get stuck.” His truck handled well in the snow. Even so, had Lucas realized how hard it would start snowing, he might’ve thought twice about taking the detour.

Magnolia hugged her arms. “This place is so remote.”

“That’s the idea,” he grinned.

“You sure there’s a ranch down here?” she asked a few minutes later as they continued down the long gravel road. There was nothing but glistening snowy pastures on either side of the road.

No, he wasn’t sure of anything at this point. “I guess we’ll find out.”

They came to a gravel road that shot off to the right. “Do we take that one or stay straight?” Magnolia asked in a voice that was clearly worried.

Lucas slowed to a stop. “Let me check the GPS.” He reached for his phone, his gut tensing a smidgen. “There’s no service.”

“Seriously?” Magnolia rolled her eyes. “That’s not good. Maybe we should turn around and go back. We can’t afford to get stuck out here.”

“We’ll go just a little farther. If we don’t find it, we’ll turn around and head back to the interstate.”

She nodded, her jaw tight. Lucas looked through the snow, further up ahead on the road they were on. His pulse quickened. “Look, there’s a car up ahead.” He continued driving in that direction. They came upon not one, but two cars. A group of people was standing a few paces in front of the cars.

“Oh, good. We can ask them where the ranch is,” Magnolia said in relief.

Lucas spotted the tall, rail-skinny man first, wearing a navy coat and matching knit hat. A thickly set woman wearing a gray coat was standing beside the man, bracing herself with a walker. Flaming red curls peeked out beneath the hood of her coat. The deep red strands of her hair were a stark contrast to the glistening white dots of snow. Three teenage boys faced the couple. Something about the scene was off. The couple looked scared. At the same time Lucas heard Magnolia’s startled breath, he realized that the boy in the center was holding a knife.

“Those boys are attacking that couple,” Magnolia exclaimed in dismay. “We have to call 911.”

The sight of the boys preying on the older couple scalded Lucas’s blood. He threw the truck into park and undid his seatbelt.

Magnolia caught hold of his arm, her eyes filling with alarm. “You can’t go out there. You’ll get hurt. There are three of them.”

Lucas hated bullies with a passion. A bunch of thugs preying on a defenseless older couple was reprehensible. “Stay here! I’ll be fine.”

“No!” she protested, but he was already out the door.

His footsteps were soundless against the thick blanket of fallen snow. “What’s going on here?” Lucas demanded.

The teenagers whirled around in surprise. Their backs had been to the road and they undoubtably had not heard Lucas’s truck over the falling snow. The ones on the outside wore expressions of fright, like they might flee. But the one in the center—the ringleader—narrowed his eyes. “This is none of your business, mister. Get out of here before you get hurt.” He held out the knife, pointing it at Lucas. “Don’t make me use this.” The boy’s brazenness seemed to embolden his cohorts as they held up their fists, ready to fight.

Lucas glanced back at the couple. “Y’all okay?”

The woman nodded in the affirmative. Her expression was pinched, her eyes clouded with apprehension

“I said get out of here,” the teenager in the middle hissed. “This ain’t none of your business.”

Lucas took a quick assessment of the situation, his senses going on full alert. His pulse thrashed out a fast beat against his temples, everything coming into razor-sharp focus. He felt the cold ping of snowflakes against his warm face. He became aware of the buffer against sound that the snow created, as if the entire world were wrapped in a thick white pillow. Three against one was not ideal. Lucas focused on the main guy in the middle. He’d go after the head of the snake, and the body would fall easily enough.

His muscles pulled taut as he planted his feet, getting into a crouching position. “Come on, you little snot,” he taunted, pointing at the guy. “Me and you.”

The teenager’s face blushed a furious red as he rushed forward, intent on slashing Lucas with the knife, but Lucas sidestepped the attempt. He caught the guy’s arm and threw a punch that landed on the guy’s jaw with a sickening thud. The kid grunted in surprise. Lucas twisted the guy around and yanked his arm behind his back. He doubled over with a yelp. Lucas wrenched the kid’s hand, forcing him to drop the knife. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw another kid lunge for the knife, but Lucas was faster. He gave it a swift kick, knocking it out of the guy’s reach. He shoved the ringleader face-first into the ground before turning to the other guys. They came at him at the same time. Lucas socked the first one square in the nose, knocking him back. The teen’s hands went to his nose as blood spurted out. The second tried to grab him from behind, but Lucas jabbed him in the eye with his elbow. A few more swift hits and a kick and all three guys were down.

With a groan, the ringleader staggered to his feet like he was going to come at Lucas again. He wiped his bloody lip on his sleeve. “You’ve made a big mistake, mister,” he sneered.

“Stop right there!” a woman commanded. It went through Lucas’s mind that it was Magnolia who’d spoken. She was holding the knife, her jaw set in a steely determination, her blonde locks flapping. Lucas had kicked the knife in the direction of his truck, never dreaming that Magnolia would pick it up. “I said back off,” she screamed, wielding the knife. Her beautiful face was a picture of warrior-like tenacity.

If Lucas hadn’t been worried that Magnolia would get hurt, he would’ve been impressed by her grit. He was a trace bit amused that she actually thought she could take on all three kids. The princess had more torque than he realized.

From the corner of his eye, Lucas saw movement and realized the head honcho was making a run for Magnolia. Lucas was close enough to trip the guy with his foot, sending him sprawling.

“I’d stay down if I were you,” the older woman warned. “Clay, Brewster, I mean it!” She pointed a finger at the ringleader. “You too, Willie.”

Surprise rattled through Lucas as he turned to the older woman. “You know these jokers?”

“Unfortunately, yes,” she spat in a gravelly tone, the loose skin under her jowl jiggling.

“Just give us what we came here for, and we’ll leave you alone,” Willie said.

A light laugh floated from the woman’s throat. “Willie McHenry, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Sam and I came out here to find a Christmas tree.” She glanced at the tall man. “Didn’t we?”

“Yes, ma’am. That’s why we’re here,” he said dutifully.

Lucas glanced at Magnolia to get her take on the situation. Something strange was going on here. The man and woman had something that the teenagers wanted.

The older woman puckered her ruby red lips in distaste as she eyed the teenagers. “Melissa will be so disappointed when I tell her what you’ve done.”

The boys’ faces fell.

She continued. “And when Cannon hears about it, he’ll go out of his mind.”

“I don’t care what you tell Cannon,” the ringleader asserted, but his voice lacked conviction. The older woman had known just what to say to guilt-trip her assailants into a timid state of regretful embarrassment. She motioned with her head. “Go on. Get back to The Garrett House. And stop pulling shenanigans or I’ll do more than just talk to Melissa and Cannon. Next time, I’ll call the police.”

The boys got up and scrambled to their car. They started the engine and peeled off, slinging gravel behind them.

“Thank you so much,” the older woman began as she flashed an appreciative smile. Her curious gaze moved from Lucas to Magnolia. “You two are quite the team,” she said appraisingly. “If you hadn’t come along when you did, there’s no telling how that would have ended.”

Lucas studied the woman. Her curls were so flaming red that they looked fake, like they belonged on a doll. Her makeup bordered on being gaudy with her bright blue eyeshadow, her heavily penciled thin brows, the streaks of blush, and red lipstick. “Are you sure you don’t want to call the police? Those hoodlums could cause a lot of trouble. They could hurt someone.”

“The boys are staying at The Garrett House, a local shelter for children and women. Willie’s a menace, but he’s come by it honestly. His mom left when he was seven. He’s being raised by his dad who’s an alcoholic. The other two boys share similar stories.” Even through her diamond-encrusted glasses, Lucas could see the compassion shining in her eyes. “This is a tough time for a lot of people.”

Lucas nodded. He knew all too well how hard the holidays could be. There was one bright spot to his situation this year. He was so caught up with Magnolia and impressing her grandfather that he would have little time to dwell on Renee’s betrayal.

Magnolia looked down, her eyes widening in mortification like she’d just now realized that she was still holding the knife. “I have no idea what to do with this.” Gingerly, she held it up with her index finger and thumb pinching the handle.

“I’ll take it,” the thin man said as Magnolia handed it over.

“What were the boys wanting you to give them?” Lucas asked. There was definitely more to this story than the couple was letting on.

“Our wallets, I’m guessing,” the woman said, as she glanced at Sam.

Lucas could tell the woman wasn’t being truthful, but it wasn’t his place to give her the third degree. All he wanted to do was look at the ranch and then get on the road. At this point, maybe he should forgo seeing the ranch. With this much snow, the roads were bound to be treacherous.

Snowflakes were steadily falling. Magnolia wrapped her arms around her body, shivering. “It’s f—freezing out here,” she chattered.

“Let’s get you back in the truck.” Lucas stepped close to Magnolia and placed an arm around her. Now that the adrenaline had worn off, he too, was starting to get chilled. Magnolia nestled close to him. He liked the feel of her next to him. Somehow, it felt as right for them to be together as it was thrilling. Interesting. A saying his mom often said darted through his mind. Often, life’s greatest blessings come as a complete surprise.

“Is there anything more we can do to help?” Lucas asked the couple. On first glance, he assumed that the man and woman were around the same age, but now that he’d gotten a better look at them, he realized that the man was a good decade or more younger than the woman.

The woman’s curious eyes flicked over Lucas and Magnolia. “Are the two of you new to Remember?”

“Just passing through,” Lucas answered.

“We’re heading to Asheville,” Magnolia added.

The woman frowned. “You won’t get very far in this weather.”

“We should probably get on the road,” Lucas said, “before the roads are impassable.”

“How in the world did the two of you end up here? In this remote area?” The woman chuckled. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. You are angels sent straight from heaven.”

“Yes, they are,” the man agreed.

“I’m looking to buy a ranch,” Lucas answered. “Supposedly, there’s one for sale nearby.”

The woman’s eyes widened as she turned to the man. “I’ll bet he’s talking about Arthur Vinson’s Ranch.”

“Is it at the end of this road?” Lucas asked.

The woman shook her head. “No, it’s on another gravel road—a mile or so from here.”

“The GPS led us here,” Lucas said in defense as he glanced at Magnolia. The detour had cost them much more time than he’d anticipated. If the storm worsened, they could be forced to pull off the road and get a hotel for the night. Magnolia wouldn’t be happy about that. At least they’d been able to help the man and woman. Lucas shuddered to think what would have happened if he and Magnolia hadn’t shown up when they did.

The woman offered a warm smile. “You are certainly an answer to our prayers. Thank you both for coming to our rescue. We are in your debt.”

“I’m glad we could help,” Lucas said casually. He wasn’t looking for a pat on the back. He’d seen people in trouble and had reacted. He was impressed that Magnolia had jumped in to help. There were more layers to her than he realized.

The older woman’s expression grew sheepish. “I hate to be more trouble, but Willie and his accomplices sliced our tires.”

Lucas looked over at the black sedan. The tires were indeed all flat. “We’ll be happy to give you a ride wherever you need.”

“Do you live nearby?” Magnolia asked.

Lucas didn’t have to be a mind reader to ascertain Magnolia’s thoughts. They’d already lost so much time. The clock was ticking. He felt the same way, but they had to help the couple regardless.

“We’re about ten miles away,” the man said.

“We’re happy to give you a ride,” Lucas repeated. He could feel the vibrations of Magnolia’s shivering. “Let’s all get into the truck where it’s warm.”

Magnolia looked at the woman, her gaze lingering on the walker. “You can sit in the front. That will be more comfortable for you.”

“Thank you, dear,” the woman said. “You are so kind.” She pointed to her chest. “By the way, I’m Lillian Yates. This is Sam Johnson.”

“I’m Magnolia Bentley, and this is Lucas Romeo,” Magnolia answered.

Lillian blinked. “Oh, I thought the two of you were married.”

“Not yet. Our wedding is the day after Christmas.” There was a touch of pride in Magnolia’s voice. Lucas felt a strange sense of pleasure in hearing those words. Granted, he was also petrified. It would take a while for him to wrap his mind around everything that was happening. One step at a time.

Lillian giggled with delight. “I love Christmas weddings.” Her eyes sparkled. “You should stay the night at the inn. You shouldn’t be out in this storm. It’s not safe.”

“Inn?” Magnolia asked dubiously.

“The Magnolia Blossom Inn. We’re nearly booked to capacity, but we do have one room open.” She looked at Sam, grinning. “We’ll let them have it free of charge.” She homed in on Magnolia, her eyes twinkling. “It’s only fitting that you stay the night, since you and the inn share the same name.”

“Thank you. That’s very kind of you,” Magnolia began, “but my grandfather is expecting us to arrive this evening.”

Lillian wasn’t the least bit deflated by Magnolia’s refusal. She flashed a large smile. “The invitation stands. Let’s see how the weather is when we get to the inn, shall we? You can make your final decision then.”

Magnolia looked like she might argue but nodded instead as they turned to go to the truck. Sam grabbed Lillian’s purse out of the sedan and helped her get seated before climbing into the backseat. Magnolia sat behind Lucas’s seat. He blasted the heat, which felt heavenly after the frigid cold. As Lucas turned the truck around and headed back down the gravel road, he was struck by how much more snow covered the road now than before. When he turned onto the main road, the truck slid momentarily before the wheels caught traction. Magnolia gasped from behind.

It was slow going. Lucas clutched the steering wheel with both hands, sitting up, his spine board stiff as he peered through the endless barrage of white balls, pounding the windshield like golf balls. A thick silence descended over the group. The farther they went the more Lucas was coming to realize that Lillian was right. It wasn’t safe to be on the roads. The glum realization settled over him that they wouldn’t have any other choice but to stay somewhere tonight.

Magnolia wouldn’t be happy. Guilt pulled a hard string at him. Asheville was only an hour and a half away. Had he not taken the detour, they might be at her grandfather’s house by now.

“Tell me about your upcoming wedding,” Lillian prompted in a cheery voice. Lucas suspected that it was her way of easing the tense silence. “Where is it taking place?”

“We’re getting married at my grandfather’s home in Asheville.”

“Asheville’s a beautiful city. I know it well,” Lillian answered. “Sam, didn’t Leigha Bradshaw and her husband get married in a church in downtown Asheville?”

“I believe so,” he answered, “but I’d have to ask Melinda to know for sure.”

“Sam’s wife Melinda is a beautician,” Lillian explained. “She knows everyone.”

Lucas was curious to know the relationship between Lillian and Sam, but he didn’t want to come out and ask. Magnolia, however, held no such reservations. “Sam, what is your and Lillian’s connection?”

“I work for Lillian.”

“What type of work do you do?” Lucas glanced in the rearview mirror at Sam.

“I help Lillian run her inn.”

“Sam’s the most dependable, exemplary employee I’ve ever had,” Lillian said. “Let me tell you, that speaks for a lot. It’s hard to find people you can depend on.”

“Yes, it is,” Magnolia asserted with such fervor that Lucas wondered if it was a jab at him. He glanced in the rearview mirror. Magnolia shot him an annoyed look. Yep, that’s exactly what she was getting at. A thundercloud settled over him as he scowled. Things had been going so well with him and Magnolia. He was starting to feel a strong connection to her. Lucas supposed that was short-lived.

Either Lillian was oblivious to the brittle tension running between Lucas and Magnolia or she chose to ignore it. Her voice was solicitous when she spoke. “Magnolia, you said you were going to visit your grandfather. I take it you’re from Asheville?” She looked at Lucas. “Are you also from Asheville?”

“I’m from Franklin, Tennessee,” Lucas answered, “right outside of Nashville.”

Magnolia spoke up. “I’m from New Orleans. My grandfather lives in Asheville. That’s why we’re having the wedding there.”

“What’s your grandfather’s name?” Lillian asked. “I know a lot of people in Asheville.”

“Benjamin Bentley.”

“I know Benjamin well,” Lillian answered with a gush of pleasure. “He and my late husband Howard were close business associates and friends.” She laughed. “Wow, it’s a small world.”

Lucas’s jaw dropped. He looked back at Magnolia. She was also stunned. His brain connected the dots. If Lillian’s husband ran in the same circles as Magnolia’s grandfather, then Lillian was undoubtably wealthy. One certainly wouldn’t have gathered that from looking at her. When she removed the hood from her head, Lucas realized she was wearing dangly earrings in the shape of Christmas presents. Everything about Lillian was over-the-top. She might’ve been an attractive woman had her makeup and hair not been so glaring.

Lillian put her hands together. “It’s settled. You guys are staying at the inn tonight.”

“But my grandfather’s expecting us tonight,” Magnolia objected.

“I’m sure Benjamin will understand. He wouldn’t want you out in bad weather. If need be, I can call Benjamin and explain the situation, tell him all about you and Lucas’s heroic actions in saving me and Sam.”

Magnolia’s voice pitched high. “You’d do that for us?”

Lillian’s answer was immediate. “Of course.”

“Thank you,” Magnolia said, sounding genuinely touched. “That would be wonderful. You know,” she mused, “I think Lucas and I should take you up on your offer.” Her voice warmed with a smile. “We would welcome the opportunity to stay at your inn for the night, won’t we Lucas?”

He shrugged. “Sounds good to me.” Anything to keep from driving in these treacherous conditions.