Page 77 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs

“They were totally against it. They disowned my father … wouldn’t speak to him for years. In fact, it wasn’t until after my parents got divorced that my grandparents reconciled with my father. They wrote him back into their will. When my grandfather passes away, my father will inherit everything.” Shecould almost see the wheels turning in Lucas’s head. “What’re you thinking?”

“Did the demise of your parents’ marriage have anything to do with the money?”

An invisible fist clenched Magnolia’s stomach. “I—I’m not sure.” Even in her own ears, the words came out unconvincing. “My father adamantly denies it. My mom refuses to talk about it.” She shrugged. “So, yeah, the money probably did play into it.”

“Your grandmother lost control of her son for a time, so she set up a ten-million-dollar trust fund for her only granddaughter, stipulating that you get the money, providing that you get married.” He held up a finger. “But wait, there’s more. Your grandfather and the head attorney—what’s his name?”

“Eric Stanford.”

“Your grandfather and Eric Stanford have to both approve.” His voice took on an edge. “This whole thing is about control.”

Her muscles tensed. “Yep, you pegged it. That’s exactly what it’s about.”

“How does your dad feel about the trust conditions?”

“He’s frustrated, same as me. But there’s nothing that either of us can do about it. My grandmother made sure that the specifics of the trust were ironclad. We’ve had scores of attorneys look at it. The only way I’m getting my inheritance is if I comply with all of the rules.”

“Does it bother you? That you’re being forced to get married and have a child?”

A hot acrid anger surged through her. “Of course it does! I mean, I’ve always wanted to get married and have a family.” Her voice cracked. “But I wanted it to be on my terms. I wanted to find someone who loved me for me, not for the money.” Emotion rose in her throat as she swallowed it back down. She forced hervoice to go light. “Anyway, it is what it is.” A thin laugh rose in her throat. “Many people would kill to be in this position. I’m about to become a multi-millionaire!”

They rode in silence until Lucas spoke. “Have you ever considered throwing in the towel? Telling your grandfather and the attorney to stick it where the sun don’t shine?”

A startled laugh pushed through her throat. “More times than you can count!”

He gave her a shrewd look. “And yet, here we are.”

“Here we are.” She swallowed.

“You could just wait until your father passes and then inherit everything.”

She chewed on her inner lip. “Yeah, I suppose I could, but I don’t want to wait until I’m old and wrinkled to get my inheritance. I want it now, so I can enjoy it.” She paused, gripping her hands. “I’m sorry I’m putting you in this situation. I don’t want you to get cankered by the money.” Lucas was a man of high principles. His life was simple. He went to work, earned a living. He had a good, caring family that was warm and open. He could be anyone he wanted to be—love whomever he pleased. Magnolia would like to hope that her father had been the same way once. After all, he’d defied her grandparents’ wishes and married her mom. And yet, he wasn’t strong enough to stay the course.

“You aren’t holding a gun to my head. I agreed to this of my own accord.”

“Because you want a ranch.” She held her breath, awaiting his response. Of course, that’s what he wanted. Her head knew this, but her heart kept holding out unreasonable hope that just maybe he might care a smidgen for her.

“Yeah, I want the ranch.” His gaze caught hers. “Amongst other things,” he uttered.

The look in his eyes jolted her to the core. For the tiniest of moments, she thought he might care. Her jaw about hit the floor when he reached over and caught hold of her hand, linking his fingers through hers. A sharp, fierce desire pinged through her with enough force to steal her breath. His warmth flowed into her skin, lighting her cells on fire. “You’re holding my hand?”

He winked. “I figured I’d better get used to showing you some affection. You know, for appearance’s sake.”

She laughed, feeling light enough to fly. “Just for appearance’s sake.” Her head argued that it probably was just as he’d said—for the sake of appearance. However, her thirsty heart was so eager for any amount of affection from him that she couldn’t help but drink up every last drop. She was pathetic, she knew. She’d always had a thing for Lucas. Obviously, not much had changed. The best that she could hope for at this point was that he would take careful care of her heart. Otherwise, she was headed for a big heartache, the likes of which she’d never before seen.

Chapter Six

The snow was getting worse. It didn’t help that they were on a narrow, winding road. An hour ago, Lucas had taken a detour off the interstate. He glanced over at Magnolia who was sleeping soundly, her blonde tresses trailing like spun gold across the back of the seat where her head was resting. She was a princess in every sense of the word and drop-dead gorgeous, to boot.

Contrary to what he told her that night at his parents’ house, it hadn’t been Jaxson or the incident with the feeder that prompted Lucas to take Magnolia up on her offer. Rather, it had been the things she said that night at the kitchen table, when she hadn’t realized he was listening. The tender wistfulness of Magnolia’s voice had evoked an ache deep inside him, making him remember for one brief moment what it was like to be loved. The way she’d looked at him that night on the porch, her eyes ablaze with hope, he couldn’t help but agree to go along with the ruse. She wanted a knight in shining armor to ride in on a white horse and save her. He’d thought that night that he had it in him to be that guy.

Then, afterwards, in the clear light of day, he had a freak-out moment. He’d called Lexi, telling her that there was no wayhe could marry someone for money. And have a child together? That was insane! Lexi talked him off the ledge, telling him that Magnolia needed him. “She’s desperate,” Lexi had said. “She’ll marry someone. It’s better for her to be with you. You won’t take advantage of her.”

His gaze drifted over to her heart-shaped face, tracing the delicate outline of her jaw. Her skin was milky and smooth, her dainty lashes fluttering faintly every so often in her sleep. There was something so childlike and naïve about Magnolia. He’d felt her watching him with hopeful eyes. The attraction to her was strong, making it hard to keep her at bay. However, he didn’t want to do anything to confuse the situation.

When Renee walked out the door, he’d plugged the hole in his heart with a stony disinterest. Sure, he dated, but he kept a clear line drawn, refusing to ever be put at the mercy of a woman again. Also, it wouldn’t be fair to Magnolia to misrepresent what this situation was. Lucas did want the ranch, so badly that he could taste it. Now that the idea had taken hold, it flamed like a fire inside him. His desire for the ranch made him feel guilty. He felt like he was taking advantage of Magnolia and the situation. Had her ex-boyfriend not cheated on her, she’d be getting married to him. Lucas didn’t know if he should be thanking the guy or punching his lights out.

His thoughts went to his parents. What would they think when they learned about the wedding? Would his mom be ticked because she didn’t know about it, or would she just be relieved that Lucas was finally settling down?

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