Page 106 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

He cleared his throat. “I’ll be outside the door, waiting to walk you down the aisle.”

She lifted an eyebrow in cynical amusement. “You seem awfully sure that I’m going through with this.”

“Money is a powerful persuader,” he said sadly.

She thrust out her chin. “So is love.”

He nodded, but she could tell that he didn’t believe her. “I’ll be right outside.”

She waited until he’d left the room before turning to look at her reflection. What kind of woman was Magnolia Bentley? The type to hold her ground for love or the type to marry for money? Her father was right. The lure of money was intoxicating. She balled her fists. She could rise above this! She could break the chain! She could give herself the purest gift of all—the gift to choose one’s life and love. “Lucas Romeo, what have you done to me?” she muttered.

Another knock sounded at the door. Her father stuck his head in. “It’s time,” he announced soberly.

She ran a hand over the bodice of the dress. “It is beautiful,” she murmured.The right dress, the wrong groom.She adjusted her veil, giving her face one last check. “Here goes nothing,” she said as she straightened her shoulders. “Let’s do this,” she said to her father as she linked her arm through his.

“I knew you’d come around,” he sighed in relief.

“Yep, I have come around.”It’s about time!she added to herself.

When Magnolia and her father reached the atrium, they stood just outside the door, waiting for the wedding march so they could walk down the aisle. One of the assistants to the wedding planner handed Magnolia her bouquet. Her colors were dusty rose and sage green. Magnolia had felt it was a perfect combination for a winter wedding.

Roman was the picture of elegance in his tux, standing erect and tall, his dark hair gleaming. He wore a cavalier smile, but it seemed a little strained around the edges. Magnolia thought he might be a touch nervous. Her grandfather was sitting on the front row. Eric Stanford and his wife were beside him. There were around twenty other guests, but Magnolia didn’t know a one of them.

The wedding march sounded. Magnolia and her father jumped into gear as they propelled their feet forward, going down the aisle. The guests rose to their feet. Her father delivered her to Roman. They faced the preacher who was standing in front of an ornately carved wooden arch, draped with some of the most beautiful flowers and greenery Magnolia had ever seen. The decorators had outdone themselves. It was an incredible space—one that would have had Pinterest lovers salivating.

Roman’s gaze flickered over her with appreciation. It seemed strange that the two of them had once been close. She’d been happy with Roman for a time, but then her heart had longed for more. All the memories were there, but they felt like they were part of someone else’s life instead of her own. Roman was still as handsome as ever with his dazzling smile and dark eyes, but he did nothing for her. Not anymore.

“Dearly beloved,” the preacher began, “we are gathered here today to witness the union of this couple.” As he continued the ceremony, Magnolia took in his appearance. The preacher was a thin man with stooped shoulders who looked to be in his late sixties. He had a shock of white hair and hawklike features. His skin was pitted like he might’ve had acne at one time. There was a faint stain on his shirt, to the right of his burgundy tie. Magnolia wondered what he’d eaten before coming. She had no idea how much the preacher was being paid to officiate the ceremony. She’d never even thought to ask how muchthe caterer or wedding planner charged. Her grandfather was paying for the entire thing, so money wasn’t an object.

She felt like she was standing on a precipice, with her entire life spread before her. If she chose to walk away from her inheritance, she would have to make a vow to herself that she wouldn’t fall into the same trap her father had. She couldn’t let money come between her and Lucas. Could she do it? Was she strong enough to just walk away? The current of tradition in the Bentley family was strong and swift like river rapids. Could she navigate them without getting pulled under?

It startled her when she realized that the preacher and Roman were looking at her expectantly. Was this where she was supposed to sayI do?

She coughed. “I’m sorry, could you please repeat the question?” This brought gentle ripples of laughter from the audience. She looked at Roman. His eyes were shadowed with concern.

The preacher looked down at the black leather book in his hands as if trying to find his place. He cleared his throat, starting again, “Magnolia Bentley, do you take Roman Abbott to be your lawfully wedded husband, forsaking all others, to have and to hold from this time forward, till death do you part?”

Here it was, the moment of truth. She felt her spirit split from her body. It soared forward, trying to discern how the future Magnolia Bentley would feel about the repercussions that would follow this fateful moment in time. She straightened her shoulders. “No,” she said loudly.

Roman’s face caved. “Think about what you’re doing,” he whispered in an urgent tone. “The money.”

She flinched. “I thought it wasn’t about the money for you.”

“It’s not,” he stammered, “I’m just thinking about you.”

Roman was such a smooth talker, so quick on his feet that she couldn’t be sure whether or not he was telling the truth.Then again, it didn’t matter. “I’m sorry,” she said loudly, “but I can’t marry you. I love someone else.”

Murmurs went through the crowd.

A look of panic streaked over the preacher’s face as he glanced at her grandfather. Everyone, it seemed, was keenly worried about her grandfather and his long arm of influence.

Magnolia turned to face the audience. “Thank you for coming out this evening. As a little girl, I would often dream about how my wedding would be. What kind of dress I’d wear. What type of decorations I’d have. The cake.” A wistful smile tipped her lips. “The groom.” She turned to Roman. “As far as looks go, I don’t think I could’ve asked for a more handsome groom.” She pulled her lips into tight lines. “There’s only one problem—I don’t love you.” She looked at her grandfather. His expression was livid. “You see, I love a man who’s not quite so comfortable in a high-dollar tux. A man who’s rough around the edges. A man who can be moody and intolerable at times. A man who doesn’t mind setting me straight on the very rare occasion when I need it.” This evoked a few rounds of laughter. “This man is a hard worker. He doesn’t need accolades or degrees from prestigious schools to make him feel good about himself.” She glanced at Roman. His face was beet red. “My late grandmother thought she knew what was best for me and other members of my family.” She looked at her father as she spoke. His expression was too guarded to read. “But she was mistaken. You see, love can’t be bought. We can’t always choose the person we’ll fall in love with, but when our heart makes up its mind, the best we can hope for is that we can have the courage to follow it.” Her voice choked as tears pressed against her eyes. “Money is a poor substitute for love. I’m sad that I won’t be able to claim my inheritance.” She cast her grandfather a pointed look. “But I will never regret following my heart.” Her voice shook with fury. “Long story short, I’m done playing by the rules. I’m readyto live life on my terms. I’ve often heard it said that faith must take a few steps into the darkness before coming into the light. Well, I’ve been wandering in the darkness for most of my life. It’s about time that I stepped into the light.” Her gaze went to her father. His eyes were shining, tears dribbling down his cheeks. A faint smile touched his lips as he gave her an admiring look.

“Amen!” a deep masculine voice chimed. She would’ve recognized that voice anywhere. She dropped her arm, letting the bouquet hang by her side as her other hand went over her heart. “Lucas,” she exclaimed. He’d come for her! A feeling of undiluted joy splashed through her. It registered in her brain that Lillian was beside him. She was wearing a bright red sequin dress that matched her hair. The dress was so out-of-place in the artful setting where every last detail had been so fastidiously planned that Magnolia couldn’t help but giggle. No one could plan for Lillian Yates.

The audience turned to look at Lucas. He marched forward with Lillian ambling behind him, using her walker. When he reached the wedding party, he homed in on the preacher and said with an authoritative, “I don’t know if you’ve gotten to this part yet, but I object to this wedding.”

“You’re out of line here,” Roman said hotly, his face contorting with indignation.

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