Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Chapter 10

Chapter Ten

T hey made good time, thanks to the roads being plowed. Sunlight was finally dispelling the thick lid of clouds. Lucas glanced at Magnolia. They were almost to her grandfather’s estate. She’d been talkative when they left Remember, but for the last little while, she’d grown silent. Her expression was pinched, and she kept fidgeting with her hands. He wished he could tell her that everything would be all right, but the truth was, he wasn’t sure. From the conversation that Magnolia had with her grandfather the night before and from what Lillian said, it was painfully clear that Benjamin Bentley saw Lucas as an opportunist. What cut the most was that the assertion was partly true. Lucas was excited about owning a ranch, and he did want to pay off his parents’ mortgage. Did that make him a terrible person?

He was starting to care deeply for Magnolia. Today was Christmas Eve, that wretched day that he most dreaded all year long. Today, however, he’d hardly thought of Renee and her betrayal. His thoughts had been too consumed with Magnolia and all that they were facing. A part of him wished that they would just forget about the inheritance. He cleared his throat to get her attention. She turned, giving him a questioning look. “It’s not too late,” he joked, “to turn and run.”

The tiniest of smiles touched her lips. “Don’t tempt me. I can’t say I haven’t thought about it,” she responded dryly.

“Arthur Vinson told Lillian that he’d finance the ranch. We can turn around right this minute and go back to Remember. We’ll start from scratch, build our lives together on our own terms.”

Her eyebrows rose. “Just like that? We walk away?”

He squared his jaw, tightening his hold on the steering wheel. “You say the word, and we’ll do it.” He would do just that if Magnolia agreed. The guilt of this whole situation was starting to eat at Lucas. Now that he was having deep feelings for Magnolia, everything had changed. He didn’t want her to ever think that he was with her because of the money. And yet, how could she not?

A hoarse chuckle sounded in her throat. “It’s crazy how quickly everything changed in Remember.”

He smiled. “Yeah, but it did.” He reached for her hand, not surprised to find it ice cold. “What do you wanna do?” He held his breath, waiting for her answer.

She lifted her chin. “I wanna stay the course.” Fire encircled her voice. “I want to show my grandfather and Eric Stanford how great we are together. I want to claim my rightful inheritance.” A beautiful, determined smile flowed over her lips as her voice went silky soft. “I want to show them that love will find a way.”

He blinked. “Are you saying that you love me?”

She arched an eyebrow. “What if I did?” she taunted. “Would that scare you away? Send you running back to your cave?”

“The only cave I’m going into is one that you’re in,” he countered. “We’re in this together.”

Tears rose in her eyes as she bit down on her lower lip. “Thank you,” she breathed.

“For what?”

“For being you. For believing in me. For taking this crazy journey with me.” She rushed on. “For showing me the possibility of a beautiful future where in the words of Lillian, I can be blessed enough to learn what it is like to truly love and to be loved.” Her voice trembled. “I’ve never had that before.” She sucked in a quick breath. “So, to answer your question. I’m crazy about you …” she gave him a tentative look “… and I might love you a little. Say something,” she laughed nervously when he remained silent.

A lopsided grin tugged at his lips. “That’s good to hear,” he drawled “because I might love you a little too.” He couldn’t believe he’d just said that. It was staggering the difference twenty-four hours could make.

Her voice took on a new, cheery lilt as she placed a hand on his arm. “Well, I suggest that for both of our sakes, you turn on the charm and act like you love me a lot because we’re here.”

Lucas’s breath froze as he pulled through the open gates onto an intricately laid brick driveway, which curved in a graceful entrance to the front of the home. The front porch was covered in a row of slender round columns. Above the columns sat an impressive balcony with a detailed handrail. The roof was steeply pitched with two stout chimneys flanking either side of the house like proud soldiers. Lucas had always considered the ranch house at Thousand Acres Ranch to be impressive, but this mansion was the cream of the crop. It spoke of elegance and old money. Everything about it was dang intimidating. The sun had broken through the clouds and was beaming down proudly on the home, as if to showcase its grandeur. The siding gleamed almost as white as the thick blanket of glistening snow covering the ground and trees.

“Are you okay?”

He swallowed, forcing a smile. “Yeah.”

“It’s just a house.”

A short laugh tickled his throat. “A very impressive house.” If Lexi were here right now, she’d remind him that his worth wasn’t contingent on the size of his bank account. He could almost hear Lexi’s words. You are enough!

She nodded. “I used to pretend it was a castle when I was a kid.”

“I can see why.” The mansion was a stark reminder that he and Magnolia were from two very different worlds. In Remember, they’d managed to find that wonderful space where they could simply be themselves. Their pasts and backgrounds didn’t matter. But here … He swallowed the tightness in his throat.

“Just remember,” Magnolia cautioned. “Stick to our story. Don’t let my grandfather goad you into giving away any more information than necessary.”

“Got it.”

Magnolia reached for her door handle as she sucked in a heavy breath, offering a tight smile. “We’ve got this.”

A wry grin touched his lips. “Are you trying to convince me or you?”

She laughed. “Both.”

“Hold it,” he ordered. “I’ll get your door.” He went around to help her out of the truck. “Careful,” he warned, “the driveway is slick. Should we bring our luggage in now?”

“No, let’s go in first and talk to Grandfather and my father.” Her voice swung up. “On a good note, I think you’ll really like my father.”

He smiled. “That’s good to know.”

When they reached the door, Magnolia pushed the doorbell, her expression was so strained that she might’ve been facing a firing squad rather than visiting her family.

The door opened. Lucas was surprised to see a middle-aged woman dressed in a maid uniform. Her dark curly hair was threaded with silver. “Hello,” she began cordially.

“Hello, I’m Magnolia Bentley.” She motioned. “This is Lucas Romeo, my fiancé.”

The woman’s face lit with recognition as she smiled. “Hello. I’m Kathleen. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She stepped back and motioned, “Come in.”

They stepped into a cavernous foyer where several large oriental rugs were spread over the white floor tiles. A grand circular staircase was the focal point of the foyer. Lucas’s gaze moved up to the chandelier, drenched in jewels. It was the size of a small car. “Mr. Bentley is in his study. Right this way,” Kathleen directed as she shuffled across the tile, her rubber soles hardly making a sound.

“How about my father?” Magnolia asked. “Where is he?”

“He’s swimming laps in the indoor pool.”

Lucas’s gut churned. He swallowed down his apprehension as he straightened his shoulders. He reminded himself that for all of his wealth and status, Benjamin Bentley was a man, same as Lucas. He put his pants on one leg at a time. Lucas would just have to talk to him man to man.

Kathleen rapped her knuckles against the closed door.

“Come in,” a voice commanded.

She edged open the door. “Mr. Bentley?”

“Yes?” he said in the put-out, cultured voice of one who had a short fuse. Even if Magnolia hadn’t prejudiced Lucas against her grandfather, he wouldn’t have cared for the man simply based on the haughty tone of his voice.

“Magnolia and Lucas Romeo are here.”

There was a slight hesitation, following the rustling sound of papers. “Send them in.”

Magnolia stepped through the door first with Lucas close on her heels. “Hello, Grandfather,” Magnolia said stiffly as a tight smile wound over her lips. Lucas expected the two to hug or at least shake hands, but they didn’t. Her grandfather merely nodded as he remained seated.

“I see you made it early.”

“Yes.” Magnolia turned. “This is Lucas Romeo, my fiancé.”

Lucas stepped forward and held out his hand as he reached over the desk. “Pleased to meet you,” he said as he clasped Benjamin’s hand. It was smaller than Lucas’s and smooth. When their eyes met, Lucas felt the older man’s disdain. Yep, he viewed Lucas as a gold digger. Lucas’s instinct kicked in. Normally, he would’ve told an egotistical man like Benjamin Bentley to go straight to the devil where he belonged. It would take all the intestinal fortitude he could muster to tamp down his temper and be civil. He had to do so for Magnolia’s sake.

Lucas took a quick assessment of Benjamin. He was medium build. With his snow-white receding hair, mustache, and closely cropped beard, he reminded Lucas of the actor Richard Dreyfuss. His glasses hung from a lanyard around his neck. His dress shirt, open at the neck, was white with pencil-thin blue stripes. He wore navy trousers and brown loafers.

Benjamin motioned to the two chairs facing his desk. “Have a seat.”

They did as he instructed. Magnolia reached out and grabbed hold of Lucas’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. Her hand felt like ice. Lucas was coming to learn that a surefire way to tell if Magnolia was nervous was to check her hands.

“How was the drive?” Benjamin asked.

“The roads were surprisingly clear,” Magnolia answered. She threw Lucas a cheery smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Benjamin lasered in on Lucas. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I grew up in Franklin, Tennessee. I work at a ranch owned by my uncle.”

Benjamin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I see.” He reached for a handsome fountain pin resting in a gold stand. He twirled the pen between his fingers. “What type of educational background do you have?”

“I have an undergraduate degree in business, and a master’s in communication.” The blip of surprise in the old man’s eyes was gratifying. Lucas could sense Magnolia’s surprise. They’d never discussed his education. It hadn’t been pertinent to the situation. Just because Lucas loved working on the ranch didn’t mean that he was ignorant. His parents were firm believers in education, particularly his mom.

“You’re well-educated, and yet you choose to work on a ranch?”

Benjamin’s words were spoken with such disdain that the hair on the back of Lucas’s neck bristled. It took all the effort he could summon to keep his voice even. “While there are many worthy professions I could pursue with my degrees, I find great joy and satisfaction out of working the land.”

Benjamin seemed to absorb that bit of information before switching gears. “Why do you want to marry my granddaughter?”

Lucas looked at Magnolia. He wished he could ease the tension from her beautiful face. He felt for Magnolia, having grown up as she had with this cold, unfeeling man. “Because I care about her,” he uttered.

Her eyes softened as she smiled. They shared a long look.

“Do you love her?” Benjamin prompted.

“Yes,” Lucas answered. It astonished even him how his answer had flowed out with so much confidence, almost as if his heart already knew what his lips were just now willing to admit. “And, that love is growing exponentially each day.”

Moisture rose in Magnolia’s eyes. “The feeling’s mutual,” she uttered.

Benjamin’s sneering question cut into the moment. “And your feelings have nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Magnolia will inherit a considerable sum of money when she marries you?”

“My feelings for your granddaughter are not contingent upon the money.” Lucas leveled a hard glare at Benjamin. “In fact, my advice to Magnolia before we arrived was to forget the money.”

Benjamin’s jaw went slack. “Really?” he huffed like he didn’t believe a word out of Lucas’s mouth.

Lucas released Magnolia’s hand, giving her a reassuring look. He leaned forward, locking eyes with Benjamin. “It doesn’t matter what I say. You’ve already made up your mind about me.”

A hard amusement simmered in Benjamin’s eyes as he smiled. “I’ve always admired a man who can call things as they are.” He looked at Magnolia. “Forgive me for being a doubting Thomas, but a short while ago, you were telling me how in love with Roman you were.” He paused. “I’m not sure what to believe.”

The comment came at Lucas like a sucker punch. He gave Magnolia a questioning look.

“I did tell my grandfather that,” she admitted, “because I wanted him to accept Roman so that I could get my inheritance.” She searched Lucas’s face. “I realize now that I was never in love with Roman. You’ve made me realize that,” she added quietly.

Irritation sparked through Lucas as he turned to Benjamin. “I hope you realize what an impossible situation that you and your late wife have put your granddaughter in.” His voice gathered intensity. “She has a right to her inheritance. Look at what you’re doing to her. She’s your only granddaughter. Don’t you want her to be happy, to find love?”

“Of course I do,” Benjamin snapped, his face taking on blotches of color. “I also want to protect her from gold diggers such as yourself.”

“That’s not fair,” Magnolia broke in. “I love Lucas and he loves me.” Her voice caught as she gave her grandfather a pleading look. “Why can’t you see that?”

“Because he doesn’t want to see it, that’s why,” Lucas seethed.

“I beg your pardon,” Benjamin said frostily. “Don’t presume to put words in my mouth.”

“What do you want from me?” Magnolia cried. “I’m doing everything that you and grandmother asked of me.”

Benjamin placed the fountain pen back into its stand. He sat back in his seat and rested his elbows on the arms of the chair. He steepled his fingers, perching them beneath his chin as he zeroed in on Magnolia. “So, your feelings for Roman Abbott are dead and gone?”

“Absolutely,” Magnolia shot back, lifting her chin. “Like I said, I never truly loved Roman.”

Benjamin tipped his head, a trace of amusement pushing over his features. “And yet, you were so devastated by his betrayal.”

Lucas sensed a trap. He glanced at Magnolia, his eyes warning her to choose her words carefully. Benjamin was a crafty spider. He tried to figure out Benjamin’s angle. The man was wealthy beyond belief. Why would he try to prevent his only granddaughter from getting her inheritance?

“Yes, I was.”

“If you didn’t love Roman, then why were you so devastated?”

Anger streaked over Magnolia’s features. “For starters, I didn’t appreciate being cheated on.”

“That’s understandable,” Benjamin said with a nod. “Also, Roman’s misstep left you without a fiancé.”

“That’s true,” Magnolia conceded.

Tread lightly , Lucas’s mind warned. The old man was setting a trap.

“Then, you met Lucas a day later,” Benjamin inserted sardonically, “and your problems were solved.”

“I didn’t recently meet Lucas,” Magnolia stammered. “He’s the older brother of one of my best friends from childhood. We reconnected, and things took off from there.”

“I see.” Benjamin drummed his fingers on the table. “Going back to Roman. Did he know about your inheritance?”

“No,” Magnolia answered hesitantly.

Benjamin’s voice grew contemplative. “Why didn’t you tell Roman about the trust?”

The words trembled from Magnolia’s lips. “Because I wanted him to love me, for me.”

Benjamin held up a finger. “Exactly. And yet, you told Lucas about the trust. Why?”

Magnolia’s face was beet red. Not having an adequate answer for his question, she merely shook her head and looked away.

“I’ll tell you why.” Benjamin’s words flew out like razor-tipped darts, not only finding the chink in Lucas and Magnolia’s armor, but decimating it. “Because you were desperate to find a husband, so you could get your inheritance.”

A white-hot anger seared through Lucas. Benjamin was twisting things around, attempting to drive a wedge between him and Magnolia. No wonder Magnolia had been so apprehensive about coming here. No wonder she kept reiterating that the two of them had to present a united force.

A single tear rolled down Magnolia’s cheek. She swiped it away with a jerky movement. “Do you not want me to get my inheritance?” she asked hoarsely. “Is that what this is all about?”

Benjamin laughed in surprise. “No, that’s not it at all.”

Magnolia threw him a heated glare. “Then what?” she snapped.

Benjamin’s tone became genial. “Look, I know I’ve hit a few nerves here. Contrary to what you must think, I only have your best interest at heart.”

A hard laugh rattled Magnolia’s throat. “Could have fooled me.”

“All I’m saying here is that there might be another solution to your dilemma.” A benevolent smile spread over Benjamin’s lips. “A way to have everything that you want.”

“What’s that?” Magnolia asked, her voice dripping with wariness.

“What if I told you that you could have your inheritance and the man who actually loves you?” He sighed. “Princess, I know I’ve been hard on you, but that’s only because I know the person you’re capable of becoming. Your grandmother felt the same way.” His voice quivered with fervor, like a preacher delivering the climax of his sermon. “There’s greatness in you, Magnolia. It only needs to be molded and formed.”

Lucas could no longer hold the words back. “You mean you want to slap a harness on her so you can have complete control.”

Benjamin shot him a look that could kill.

“I—I don’t understand what you’re getting at,” Magnolia uttered as she looked at her grandfather for an explanation.

Benjamin gave Lucas a malevolent look before continuing in the lofty, amiable tone of a noble benefactor. Lucas had no idea what the spider was up to, but it couldn’t be good. Benjamin zoomed in on Magnolia as if she were the only one in the room. “I had a visit … from someone who truly cares about you. Someone who came here to beg your forgiveness. Someone who had no idea what he stood to gain by reconciling with you.”

Magnolia frowned. “What’re you talking about?”

Benjamin looked past them and asked with a glib, “Kathleen, would you please go and get our guest?”

Lucas and Magnolia glanced at each other before turning simultaneously to look at the maid. Lucas hadn’t realized that she’d remained in the study.

“Yes, sir,” Kathleen said with a perfunctory nod as she scurried out of the room.

“What’re you up to?” Magnolia questioned, giving her grandfather a steely look. She caught hold of Lucas’s hand. “We’ll be okay,” she assured him, but he could hear the underlying tremor of concern in her voice. It cut him to the center, making him fear that he would lose her.

“Come in,” Benjamin said with more warmth in his voice than Lucas would’ve thought the man was capable of.

A dark-haired man with matching eyes stepped into the room. He was handsome in a showy movie-star way.

Magnolia gasped, her hand going over her chest. “Roman? What’re you doing here?”