because he was so blunt and outspoken. He didn’t give a rip what anyone thought of him. While Magnolia admired that about him, it wouldn’t fly in the Bentley world.
Magnolia had hoped that she and Lucas would be able to get together at least a time or two after their shopping trip to Atlanta, so that she could coach him about how to act around her grandfather and Eric Stanford. However, Lucas claimed that he needed to work extra hours at the ranch to make up for the time he’d be taking off during Christmas. Magnolia reminded him that after their marriage, money would no longer be an object for either of them. However, Lucas insisted that he couldn’t leave his uncle Knox in the lurch. Try as she might to explain to him the necessity of them getting together to go over their game plan, Lucas refused. He was the stubbornest man on the planet!
Now, here they were, on the road to Asheville. In a few short hours, she would be introducing Lucas to Grandfather. They had to put on a convincing act. Their entire future hinged on it. They needed to come up with a plan, make sure their stories synched. Rivulets of sweat rolled between her shoulder blades. She fanned her face. “Can you turn down the heat? I’m roasting.”
He turned down the dial.
“Thanks,” she mumbled.
Silence.
Okay, enough of this! She angled to face him, squaring her jaw. “I know it’ll kill you, but while we’re at my grandfather’s house, you’re going to have to act more affectionate towards me. You know, hold my hand, at least pretend that you like me a little.”
His expression didn’t change. He kept staring at the ribbon of road in front of them that split the landscape in a somber bookmark. Was that how it would always be between them? This friction? This animosity? The highway stretched too far in the distance for her to see the end.
She swallowed. What was her deal? This situation with Lucas was a business arrangement, nothing more. The sooner she got that through her thick skull, the better. She’d not expected her old feelings for Lucas to resurface. Every time he acted terse or disinterested in her, she felt the sting of rejection all over again. She couldn’t figure out why Lucas Romeo elicited such strong emotions in her. He always had. She’d been crazy about him as a kid. And then, those few dates that they’d gone on after high school left her feeling like she was walking on air. For one wild moment, Magnolia thought she might’ve found the right guy for her. Then, when Lucas started retreating, she was furious. Her adoration was replaced with an acerbic resentment, much of which was still leaking out, years later.
With Roman, things had been more even keeled. Deep down, Magnolia had known that she wasn’t in love with Roman, but their relationship was fun, easy. Roman was from a world that Magnolia understood. He’d gotten his undergraduate and MBA from Columbia and was planning on getting his doctorate so that he could be a professor. For Roman, making a good impression on the Bentley Family and Eric Stanford would have been a walk in the park.
“The left lane is for passing only,” Lucas growled.
Magnolia about jumped out of her skin. For a second, she thought Lucas was lashing out at her. Then, she realized he was talking to the car directly in front of them.
“Get over!” He threw his hand into the air, barreling up on the car’s bumper.
“Take it easy,” Magnolia warned, holding onto the dash. The last thing they needed was to get a ticket. Or worse, have an accident. The driver in the car looked elderly from the back. Magnolia didn’t want Lucas to scare the man and cause him to have an accident.
Lucas glanced in his rearview mirror, the muscles in his jaw pulsing. “Cars are backing up behind us. This idiot needs to get over.” He looked like he was furious enough to chew through metal. Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the car did get over into the right lane. Lucas punched the gas, blowing past the car.
That did it! A molten spark of indignation split through Magnolia’s head as she whirled around. “What are you doing?”
“Driving.”
“You’re acting like an imbecile! You need to slow down,” she ordered.
He smirked as he punched the gas, making them go even faster.
“You’re such a moron,” she seethed. “That’s it! We’re done here!”