One Fake Fiance - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,38

in.

Sam waved a hand in dismissal. “You’re no trouble.” He held up a finger. “Oh, I almost forgot. Lillian called and spoke to Arthur Vinson.”

“Who?” Lucas asked.

“The man who’s selling the ranch. Lillian has some information about it for you.”

“That’s great. Thank you.”

After saying goodnight to Sam, Lucas and Magnolia went up to their room. A nervous energy buzzed between them as Lucas inserted the old-fashioned metal key into the lock. They stepped into the room, closing and locking the door behind them.

“So,” Magnolia began. Her voice shot up several notches as she clasped her hands. “What now?” Color rose in her cheeks as she glanced at the heart-shaped bed. “Does it feel hot in here?” She removed her coat and draped it over the foot of the bed. “I’m sweltering.” She turned to Lucas, a halting laugh issuing from her throat. “I can’t believe how over-the-top this room is.” She sat down on the bed and removed her boots. She let out a long sigh. “It has certainly been an interesting day.” Her voice had a squeaky edge to it as she forced a laugh. “The hoodlums with the knife, the storm …” she looked around “… this crazy room.” Her eyes met his. “Us.”

Lucas went over and sat down beside her on the bed. He reached for her hands. They were ice cold. A sudden thought entered his mind, tying his stomach in a hard knot. Was Magnolia having second thoughts? Everything had been going great between them, until the kiss. Maybe she’d not felt the same fire in her blood as he had. He’d been under the impression that Magnolia cared about him, but maybe he was wrong. Maybe Magnolia was still hung up on her cheating ex, and this was solely about the trust fund. He shouldn’t have let his guard down. He shouldn’t have let himself believe that he and Magnolia could craft a life together. Just when he thought things were turning around, everything went up in a ball of smoke. Well, at least he would get the ranch. He pushed out a hard breath. “I shouldn’t have kissed you like that. I shouldn’t have confused the situation. This is a business deal, nothing more.”

Her face fell. “What?” She barked out a hard laugh. “What happened to all of your talk earlier about standing by me?”

“I will stand by you, just like I said.”

“You are unbelievable,” she seethed.

He was startled by how quickly her anger had come on.

“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Her voice dripped with venom. “Just when I manage to break through that sky-high wall you’ve built up—” her voice caught “—every time we start to get close, you push me away.” Her head swiveled back and forth. “I don’t know why I even try,” she muttered, pulling her hands from his.

Confusion lassoed a tight circle around him as his brows shot down in a V. “I’m not pushing you away.”

“Yes, you are,” she argued, thrusting out her chin. “You’re pushing me away just like you did when we connected at the drive-in.” Her eyes flashed fire. “Don’t try and deny it!”

His brain raced to connect the dots. “Are you saying that you care about me?”

“Of course, I care about you!” she snapped. “I’ve always cared. If you had an ounce of sense in that bull-headed brain, you’d realize it.” Her voice hitched. “What does a girl have to do to get you to open your eyes?”

A swell of relief ran through him. He rubbed his neck. “I guess I misread the situation. When we came into the room, you were as jittery as a frog hyped up on a pound of sugar.”

“A w—what?” she laughed in surprise.

He rushed on. “I assumed that you were having second thoughts about us.”

Her eyes lasered into his. “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No.” Even as he spoke the word, the truth of it settled into his bones. “This thing with us … it caught me completely by surprise.”

A hint of a smile peeked beneath her frustration. “Yeah, I know what you mean.” She paused. “If you must know, if I was acting a little jittery it was because I’m worried about tomorrow.”

“Are you afraid that we won’t get there in time?”

“Yes, I’m worried about the weather. I’ve been praying that it will clear.” Apprehension clouded her eyes. “But that’s not all.” She began fiddling with her hands.

“What else?” he prompted.

She clasped her hands together, holding them tightly in her lap. “Tonight