Page 75 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

The way he saidright nowmade her think that they did need help.

“My mom panicked because she was worried that my dad had started back gambling. She thought that might’ve been how he paid for the bracelet, with money that he won.”

Not at all what she’d expected to hear. From the outside looking in, Lucas’s family had seemed so perfect. It just went to prove that no one was exempt from problems. Magnolia’s pastor always said that the purpose of this life is to be tested—to see if we’ll choose to do right when the going gets tough. “I’m sorry. That must be hard.”

“Yeah,” was all he said.

Several beats passed. Magnolia became aware of the motion of the truck, moving along the road. She sought for the right words to delve deeper into the conversation without ticking Lucas off. “Is your dad okay?” Lexi had never mentioned anything about her dad having a gambling problem. Then again, Magnolia and Lexi had been apart for years and were just now getting close again. Why would Lexi mention it? No one wanted to expose the skeletons in the closet.

“He’s doing much better. As it turns out, he hasn’t been gambling. He’s been squirreling away money for six months to surprise my mom. That’s why Dad got so upset when Mom asked if he’d been gambling. The two of them argued and Dad stormed out.” He let out a heavy breath. “I just worry about my parents. Dad’s doing so much better. I don’t want anything to set him off, put him into a state where he’ll backslide.”

Magnolia caught the slight quiver of apprehension in Lucas’s voice. It tugged at her sympathies. Without thinking, she put a hand on his arm. He tensed his arm for a split second before relaxing under her touch. “Can you call and check on him?”

“I tried. He didn’t answer.”

“Maybe you should call your mom. She might’ve spoken to him by now.” Suddenly, a revelation dawned on her. “You would’ve already called your mom, but you didn’t want to do it with me in the truck.” She could tell from the look on his face that she’d hit the nail square on the head. His bicep muscle felt taut and rigid beneath her fingertips.Sheesh, he was cut. She had the ridiculous urge to run her hand over his arm, to further soothe his frustration. Instead, she removed her hand. “I’m glad you told me what was going on.” His jaw relaxed a fraction, as did his hold on the steering wheel. Magnolia felt a tiny streak of victory. Maybe there was hope for them, after all. She wanted to be there for Lucas. She wanted to understand him. She wanted the two of them to find common ground. It was too much for her to hope that he might one day come to care about her. Right now, a friendship would have to suffice.

“Go ahead and call her now, if you want,” she offered.

He retrieved his phone from the console, pressed a button, and put it to his ear. “Hey, Mom … how’s it going? Are you okay? Dad’s there with you? Oh, good. I’m glad y’all got it worked out.”

Hearing the relief in Lucas’s voice brought a tiny smile to Magnolia’s lips. She was glad that everything was okay. She’d been so caught up in her own turmoil, trying to figure out how to find a husband before the deadline, that she’d only been thinking of herself. She tried to put herself in Lucas’s shoes. He was going along with his life—business as usual—when she pulled him onto this uncertain path. It would be a lot for anyone to take in. She needed to be more understanding of Lucas. Overlook as much of his moodiness as she could. It was just that he could be so dang infuriating!

When he ended the call a few minutes later, his spirits were much lighter. “They got it all worked out. They’re fine.”

“I’m so glad.”

He glanced at her, giving her a grateful smile that bathed her in sunshine. “Thank you.”

She was struck by his sincerity, the warmth in his masculine voice. “You’re welcome.”

His jaw worked as he shifted in his seat. “Okay, I know you’ve been trying to pin me down so that we can get our act together.”

“Yep,” she chuckled, “and it’s been like trying to pin Jell-O to the wall.”

“I hear ya,” he drawled in an easy tone. Several beats passed before he spoke. “Look, about what happened earlier with the driver. I have a temper. I’m trying to work on it, but sometimes …” He shook his head in defeat.

“I understand.” Magnolia thought of what Layla had told her, about Lucas putting up a tough wall but being a teddy bear inside. Magnolia was starting to see that. “I know all of this has thrown you for a loop.” She grunted out a laugh. “It has thrown me for a loop too, and I’ve had six years to process it. For the record, I have a temper too.”

A teasing smile tugged at his lips. “You? I never would’ve guessed that. The princess has a temper.”

This time, the wordprincessheld a term of endearment that hadn’t been there before. She liked it. She felt dainty, cherished. Getting these tiny golden nuggets from Lucas was like trying to capture scattered sunlight that managed to break through the dense curtain of dark clouds.

His voice grew pragmatic. “Okay, tell me everything I need to know about your family.”

She slid her tongue over her lips as she composed her thoughts. “You’ll like my father,” she began, “he’s debonair, fairly easy to talk to.”

Lucas made a face. “Do you call himFatherorDad?”

“Most of the timeFather. It just seems more appropriate. Dads are the ones who play with their kids in the backyard, telljokes, watch movies and eat popcorn.” Her stomach twisted as she swallowed. “My father never did any of those things. But I know he loves me,” she inserted quickly when she saw the shock written over Lucas’s face.

“How could your dad …fathernot have played with you or told you jokes?”

She clasped her hands in her lap. “He was always too busy with work, I suppose. And, he has a hard time showing emotion. I can count on one hand the number of times my father has told me he loved me.” She forced a laugh. “He’d just give me his credit card instead and tell me to get whatever I wanted.” Her voice went a notch higher. “So I did.”

“What about your mom? What’s she like? You lived with her when you were in Franklin, right?”

“Yes.” She pursed her lips. “Let’s see … how can I describe my mom? She’s a beautiful butterfly with these enchanting wings of all sorts of glorious colors. You want to capture her and hold her close to your heart, but she’s too ethereal, never stopping to land one place long enough. I always wondered how it was that my mom and father ended up together. They’re so different. My mom’s so carefree, so unconcerned about society and all of its expectations.” She nibbled on her lower lip. “But then, a few years ago, my mom married Dave.” Resentment tightened her insides. “Dave’s the CEO of a hospital. He’s strait-laced, uptight.” Her eyes narrowed. “Dave’s got his hooks so deep into my mom that she can’t make a move without his permission.” Her head moved back and forth. “There must be something in my mom that craves order and restraint. Otherwise, why would she be attracted to those types of men?”

---