Page 105 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

Lillian giggled. “You’ll see,” she sang, her eyes dancing with mystery. “All will be revealed soon.”

Chapter Fifteen

“You look beautiful, sweetheart,” Oscar said as he stepped up behind Magnolia and placed his hands on her arms.

“Thanks,” Magnolia said dully as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. She ran her hand over the smooth, silky fabric. The dress was more exquisite than she’d ever imagined. This should be one of the best days of her life, the fulfillment of every young girl’s dream. And yet, Magnolia had never felt emptier. Would she grow to love Roman? The thought of being intimate with him turned her nauseous. Every time she closed her eyes, she kept seeing Lucas’s face. The tender expression of his blue-gray eyes called to her. What good was money if she couldn’t have Lucas? Why couldn’t he have stood by her? She would’ve given up everything for him, but when push came to shove, he couldn’t follow through.

“Too bad your mother couldn’t be here to see you,” Oscar said morosely. Magnolia studied his reflection in the mirror, struck by the deep sadness in his eyes. Was that how she would be? An empty shell of a person? The words rose from her lips and spilled out between them. “What happened between you and Mom?” She’d been thinking a lot about her parents’ marriage over the past several hours. This morning, she’d gottendown on her knees and prayed for direction. She prayed for peace. She even prayed for Lucas, asking the Lord to help him find his focus. How desperately she wanted him back. She kept getting the distinct impression that she needed to get some answers surrounding her parents’ divorce. She didn’t know how that tied into her situation, but she’d learned to trust her feelings.

He blinked in surprise. “Today isn’t a good time to talk about this,” he said tersely.

She turned to face him. The need to know the truth rose inside her like a fire-breathing dragon that refused to be quelled. She’d either find the answers to her questions or she’d incinerate from the inside out. She looked him in the eye. “If not now, when?” She clenched her jaw. “It was about the money, wasn’t it?”

The color drained from his face, letting her know that she’d hit her mark. “It was!” She felt her nostrils flare as she planted her hands on her hips. “Grandfather and Grandmother destroyed your marriage.” Her head swung back and forth, as a sickening feeling settled in her gut.

“The money did eventually come between me and Janet,” Oscar admitted. His words were flat and dull. “Janet felt guilty for knocking me out of my inheritance.” He exhaled loudly. “And I …” His voice faltered as he shoved his hands into his pockets, looking down at the ground.

Heat flushed through Magnolia’s body. “It wasn’t Mom’s guilt that drove y’all apart. It was you!” Her words came out in short bursts, her head spinning so fast that it made her dizzy. “You resented Mom because you gave up the money for her. Grandfather and Grandmother cut you off without a cent. You couldn’t handle living without the money.” When he didn’t respond, her voice shook with wrath. “Isn’t that right? Howcould you?” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “We could’ve been a family,” she uttered hoarsely.

He lifted his face to hers. The naked pain in his eyes cut her to the core. “I failed Janet.” His voice broke. “I have to live every day with that knowledge. I didn’t want that to happen to you, which is why I told Lucas—” His eyes widened as he clamped his mouth shut. His face was lobster red.

She clenched her hands, getting up in his face. “Told Lucas what?”

“It doesn’t matter,” he mumbled.

She threw her head back. “Of course it matters!”

“Keep your voice down,” he warned in a low tone. “Do you want the wedding planner and her staff to hear you?”

“I’m beyond caring who hears me!” she screamed. “I wanna know what happened. What did you tell Lucas?”

He drew his lips together. “Okay. Lower your voice, and I’ll tell you.”

When he’d finished, a blistering anger raged through Magnolia. “You drove him away!”

“I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t want you to end up like me.”

Magnolia’s dress suddenly felt too tight. She could feel perspiration oozing from every pore in her body. “Thanks to what you did, I’m about to end up exactly like you! I’ll have a truckload of money, and I’ll be utterly and wretchedly alone.” She lifted her chin. “Congratulations, your daughter has grown up to be just like you.”

He winced, giving her a wounded look. “I thought I was doing what was best.”

On some level Magnolia knew that what he was saying was true. Her father had always wanted what was best for her. Magnolia knew that he loved her, but he didn’t know how toshow it. Right now, however, she was too livid to mince her words.

Sarina, the wedding planner, knocked once before opening the bedroom door and sticking her head in. “Everything is a go. We’re ready when you are.” Her cheery smile fell a notch when she got a good look at Magnolia and Oscar. “Is everything okay?”

Oscar offered a tight smile. “We’re fine. Just give us a few more minutes.”

“Okay,” she replied in a voice too chipper, “just stick your head out the door and let me know when you’re ready.” She popped out, closing the door.

Oscar turned to Magnolia. “Now that you have all the information, what’re you going to do?” Usually, he was in complete control of himself and his surroundings. She’d never before seen him look so distraught or defeated.

A humorless laugh rattled Magnolia’s throat. “You mean all the information that you’ve been keeping from me?” she slung out. She could tell that her words cut. Normally, she tried to be respectful of her father, but right now, she had to get the ire out or she’d explode. She pressed her fingers to her temples and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down enough to think. Lucas had left because he thought he was doing what was best for Magnolia. He hadn’t given up on her … not exactly. Her heart wrenched at the irony. Lucas thought he was being noble by leaving. She was so furious with her father.

What was she going to do? A new thought circled her brain. She didn’t have to get married to Roman. She could break the chain of control that her grandparents had exerted over her and her parents. Did she have the courage to do it? Now that she knew that Lucas still loved her, it changed everything.

“I’m sorry for all the pain I’ve caused you,” her father said, his eyes going glassy. “I thought I was doing the right thing.”

Not wanting to argue any further, she remained silent.

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