Page 58 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“Perfect. See you soon.” Before he could say anything else, Lexi ended the call.

“What’re you getting me into, little sister?” Lucas grumbled as he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, continuing his drive to Lexi’s apartment.

Magnolia nibbled on her lower lip as she watched Lexi stroll back into the living room.

“Good news. Your date’s on his way,” Lexi announced as she plopped down on the loveseat and tucked her leg underneath her.

“Who exactly is this guy that you’re fixing me up with?”

Lexi made a zipping motion over her lips. “You’ll find out soon enough,” she said, her eyes dancing with secrecy.

Magnolia groaned. “You’ve got to at least give me something. I’m dying here.” It was a bit odd and concerning that Lexi had left the room when she called the guy to find out where he was. Did the guy not want to go out with her? Magnolia clenched her hand, her nails digging into her palm. “There’s just so much riding on this,” she uttered. Her deadline for marriage was less than three weeks away. Just thinking of her approaching deadline made Magnolia’s stomach churn.

Magnolia had met Lexi in junior high when she moved to Franklin, Tennessee to live with her mom. During the two years that Magnolia lived in Franklin, Lexi was her closest friend. Then, when her mom relocated to Orlando, Florida, Magnolia moved back to New Orleans to be with her dad. At first, Magnolia and Lexi kept in close touch but eventually drifted apart, as childhood friends often do. The two had rekindled their friendship when Lexi came to stay with Magnolia prior to her going on the TV reality show,The Singing Bachelor.

Magnolia had forgotten how much she missed hanging out with Lexi. She was so down-to-earth, so relatable—a breath of fresh air from Magnolia’s other social-climbing friends. Being with Lexi reminded Magnolia that there was a whole other world outside of the country club and endless social events, which the upper echelon deemed as necessary as bread and water.

Several weeks ago, out of sheer desperation, Magnolia had called Lexi, asking if she knew anyone she could fix Magnoliaup with. Lexi said she had someone in mind, but it had taken forever to schedule a date. That was somewhat understandable with Thanksgiving and the Christmas holidays in full sway. However, it made Magnolia super nervous. Time was ticking away. She had to find a fiancé. Pronto! While she was waiting to meet the guy Lexi planned to introduce her to, Magnolia had dated legions of men as backups, hoping that one of them would fit the bill. Sadly, none had. If only Roman hadn’t cheated on her! Or better yet, Magnolia wished to the depth of her soul that she would’ve realized earlier that Roman was a louse … before wasting an entire year dating him.

“It’ll be okay,” Lexi soothed.

“I hope so.” Magnolia pushed out a hard breath. “If my grandmother were still alive, I’d give the old bat a piece of my mind. This whole thing is so absurd! I still can’t believe I’m being forced to marry for money.”

Lexi gave her an astute look. “Technically, you don’t have to marry anyone.”

Magnolia’s eyes rounded. “I do if I want to get my ten-million-dollar inheritance!”

“I understand,” Lexi said calmly, holding out her hand. “Hopefully, tonight’s date will be the start of something great. The guy I’m fixing you up with is solid, a salt-of-the-earth type.”

“Good,” Magnolia said, squaring her jaw. “That’s what I want. I’m sick of the country club types.” She felt like she was two parts of a person—from her mom, she’d inherited the desire to be carefree and unencumbered by social expectations; from her dad, she learned just how rigid social pressure could be. She searched Lexi’s face. “How much does this guy know of my situation?”

“Zilch. I thought it would be best for you to tell him.”

Magnolia’s stomach tightened as she nodded. “That’s probably wise.” A dry laugh riddled her throat as her handencircled her neck. “I guess I should at least make sure he’s decent looking … and that we somewhat get along.” Even as the words left her mouth, she cringed inwardly, not wanting to contemplate what she’d been reduced to. It was on the night of her twenty-first birthday that Magnolia’s father sat her down and explained the terms of her late grandmother’s trust. As the only child and grandchild, Magnolia was set to inherit ten million dollars on the express condition that she get married by her twenty-seventh birthday. Furthermore, she was to stay married at least five years and have a child. When Magnolia first heard the terms, she laughed until her insides were sore. The idea of being forced to marry to fulfill the terms of her controlling grandmother’s trust seemed ludicrous, not to mention archaic. Magnolia thought she could find a way out of it. She had many tearful conversations with her father about it. While he expressed sympathy for her situation, there was nothing he could do. Her grandfather was nearly as hard nosed as her late grandmother, so it wouldn’t do any good to talk to him about it. He was completely on board with his late wife’s wishes. As time went on, Magnolia came to the painful conclusion that her grandmother’s will was ironclad. Carol Bentley, heiress to one of the largest fortunes in the US, had paid an army of attorneys to make certain of it. It would seem that her cool and aloof grandmother had found a way to control Magnolia from the grave.

Magnolia’s only consolation was knowing that she had five years to find the right man. The years had flown by faster than she’d ever thought possible. She finished college and got a job as chief editor forDress to Fit, a well-known fashion and lifestyle online magazine. Just when she thought life couldn’t get any better, she met Roman Abbott. Handsome and charming, Roman was everything that Magnolia thought she alwayswanted. Roman’s infidelity not only left her furious, but even worse, without a fiancé … right before the ominous deadline.

Roman hadn’t known about the trust. Magnolia had never found it necessary to tell him. She wanted him to love her for her, not the money. She’d planned to break the news to Roman after they were married. Now, it was a moot point.

At this point, Magnolia’s hand would be forced, and she’d have to tell whatever guy she got engaged to the full truth. With any luck, they could strike a bargain. She merely needed a body to fill the space. Well, not just a body, but someone classy enough to put up a good front. The trust dictated that her grandfather and Eric Stanford, the attorney over the estate, both approve of Magnolia’s choice for a husband.

Would this guy that Lexi was setting her up with be the solution to her dilemma? If he were as salt-of-the-earth as Lexi claimed, then he might balk at the idea of marrying for money. After all, not everyone could be bought. Magnolia was ashamed of having to stoop to paying someone to marry her. How different the situation would have been had Roman been the guy she thought he was. She’d be planning her real wedding right now instead of hoping that she could buy off some stranger.

The doorbell rang. “He’s here,” Lexi sang with a large smile.

Butterflies tapped out a fast beat in Magnolia’s stomach as she sat up taller in her seat and fluffed her hair. “Do I look okay?” She’d taken extra care in getting ready, selecting a green blouse to go with her eyes. Also, she’d curled her blonde locks.

“You look gorgeous, as usual,” Lexi said as she stood and went to the door.

Magnolia rose to her feet, clasping her hands. Her heart was pounding a hundred miles an hour. She sucked in a quick breath as she rubbed her sticky palms on her jeans. When the door opened, Magnolia pasted a smile over her lips.

She caught a glimpse of flowers, just before Lexi embraced the guy in a tight hug. “Hey,” Lexi said, her voice ringing with affection. “You made it.” A second later, she turned, motioning. “Magnolia, you remember my brother,” she said grandly with a bright smile.

“Lucas,” Magnolia inserted, the word falling from her lips like poison. Her heart dropped clear to her feet, disappointment battering her insides. A wall of tears pressed against her eyes as she blinked to stay them. This was the guy she’d been waiting a month to be fixed up with? Lexi’s brother? All hope for the future imploded in a suffocating cloud of dust. There was no hope of finding anyone. She could kiss her trust fund goodbye.

No surprise, Lucas was still as handsome as ever in a casual, indifferent, snub-the-world-way. His sable hair was longer on top and spiky messy. The ends were tipped with gold from being out in the sun. His olive-toned skin held a sun-kissed glow. Magnolia saw the flicker of surprise that passed over Lucas’s features before his jaw turned harder than concrete. He shot Lexi a glare so withering it could’ve stopped a tiger in its tracks. “This is who you’ve been harping about for the past month?” he smirked, shaking his head. “I can’t believe I drove all the way here for this.” He held up the bouquet. “This was a waste of twenty bucks.”

Molten fire zigzagged through Magnolia as she spun around to Lexi. “H—how could you fix me up with him?” Her breath rushed out in fast, short puffs. “You know I can’t stand him!” She felt dizzy. She couldn’t breathe!

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