Page 104 of Cowboys & Navy SEALs
Lillian’s eyes sparked fire. “Eric Stanford is a leech. My late husband Howard tried to warn Benjamin to cut ties with him, but Eric has his claws in too deep.” Lillian squinted her eyes in concentration. “Columbia, Harvard,” she murmured. “Roman Abbott. Why does that name sound so familiar?” She jerked, hereyes popping open wide. “Oh, my gosh! It just came to me! Eric has a sister named Rosalyn Abbott.”
Lucas’s breath caught. “Do you think that Roman Abbott is Eric’s nephew?” His heart began to pound as the implications began to take shape. He balled his fists. Hadn’t he known deep down that Roman was a fraud? He was too much of a slick talker, too repentant, too willing to lay down at Magnolia’s feet. He pushed a hand through his hair. “If Roman Abbott is Eric’s nephew, then I’ve been played.”
“What does Roman look like?”
“He’s tall with dark hair and dark eyes.”
“Is he a good-looking guy? A George Clooney type?”
“Yeah.” He swore under his breath.
“Don’t panic … yet. Let’s make sure that my hunch is correct. I’m friends with Rosalyn on Facebook. She always posts pictures of her kids.”
“When you said that you were friends with Benjamin Bentley, I didn’t realize that y’all were close enough that you’d be connected to his attorney’s sister on Facebook.”
“It’s a small world, especially where the wealthy are concerned.” She looked over her shoulder. “Would you be a dear and get me my laptop from my desk?”
“Sure.” He returned with it a minute later.
Lillian opened it and began typing away on the keys. A few seconds later, she turned her computer to him. “Is this the guy?”
An invisible noose tightened around Lucas’s neck, stealing his breath. He coughed, rage blistering through him. “What have I done? I’ve thrown Magnolia to the wolves.” A humorless laugh scratched his throat as he rubbed a hand over his forehead. “I shouldn’t have left. I never even told Magnolia I was going. I took off in the middle of the night. After what Oscar told me about his marriage, I panicked. I didn’t want to knock Magnolia out of her inheritance.” His voice cracked. “I didn’t want her toend up resenting me.” He ground his teeth. “Let’s face it, I was fighting a losing battle from the beginning. Even if Benjamin had given me his blessing, then Magnolia would always wonder if I was with her for the money. We should’ve just told Benjamin Bentley where to stick it.” Anguish twisted his gut. “We could’ve built a life for ourselves independent of the money.”
“It’s not too late,” Lillian interjected. “She’s not married yet.”
“She’ll never forgive me for leaving her.”
Lillian gave Lucas a sharp look. “You can’t sit back and do nothing while she marries a charlatan.”
“No, you’re right. Even if I’ve lost her, I still have to look out for her wellbeing.”
“Magnolia loves you.”
“And I love her,” he thundered, “but I will never be her equal. The money will always be between us.”
She gave him a speculative look. “What if there was a way to level the playing field?”
He frowned. “I don’t understand.”
A mischievous grin flitted over Lillian’s lips. “You know how I told you Sam and I were out looking for a Christmas tree when those teenagers jumped us?”
“Yeah,” he said warily. He’d known all along that Lillian and Sam weren’t telling the full truth, but he had no idea where this was going.
Her eyes twinkled. “I might’ve fudged the situation a smidgen.” She pressed her index finger and thumb together as she held up her hand. A minute later, she sat up straight, fixing him with a penetrating look. “How much do you love Magnolia?”
His throat thickened with emotion. “Enough to give her up when I thought it was best for her.”
She nodded. “Now that you know that you goofed, what’re you willing to do to get her back?”
Determination bubbled inside him. “Whatever it takes.”
“Good, I just wanted to hear you say it. And for the record, your value to Magnolia has nothing to do with money. It will only come between you if you allow it to.” She clasped her hands together with a renewed sense of purpose. “I just have one final question for you.”
“What’s that?”
A large grin broke over her face. “How are you at digging?”
“Digging?” he asked dubiously. “What does that have to do with anything?” Lillian was a nice person, but she was a bit odd. Still, he owed her a lot for helping him uncover Roman’s fraud. His insides burned with indignation, making him want to jump up this very minute, rush back to the Bentley Estate, and beat Roman to a pulp.
