One Fake Fiance - Jennifer Youngblood Page 0,44

is he?”

“He’s swimming laps in the indoor pool.”

Lucas’s gut churned. He swallowed down his apprehension as he straightened his shoulders. He reminded himself that for all of his wealth and status, Benjamin Bentley was a man, same as Lucas. He put his pants on one leg at a time. Lucas would just have to talk to him man to man.

Kathleen rapped her knuckles against the closed door.

“Come in,” a voice commanded.

She edged open the door. “Mr. Bentley?”

“Yes?” he said in the put-out, cultured voice of one who had a short fuse. Even if Magnolia hadn’t prejudiced Lucas against her grandfather, he wouldn’t have cared for the man simply based on the haughty tone of his voice.

“Magnolia and Lucas Romeo are here.”

There was a slight hesitation, following the rustling sound of papers. “Send them in.”

Magnolia stepped through the door first with Lucas close on her heels. “Hello, Grandfather,” Magnolia said stiffly as a tight smile wound over her lips. Lucas expected the two to hug or at least shake hands, but they didn’t. Her grandfather merely nodded as he remained seated.

“I see you made it early.”

“Yes.” Magnolia turned. “This is Lucas Romeo, my fiancé.”

Lucas stepped forward and held out his hand as he reached over the desk. “Pleased to meet you,” he said as he clasped Benjamin’s hand. It was smaller than Lucas’s and smooth. When their eyes met, Lucas felt the older man’s disdain. Yep, he viewed Lucas as a gold digger. Lucas’s instinct kicked in. Normally, he would’ve told an egotistical man like Benjamin Bentley to go straight to the devil where he belonged. It would take all the intestinal fortitude he could muster to tamp down his temper and be civil. He had to do so for Magnolia’s sake.

Lucas took a quick assessment of Benjamin. He was medium build. With his snow-white receding hair, mustache, and closely cropped beard, he reminded Lucas of the actor Richard Dreyfuss. His glasses hung from a lanyard around his neck. His dress shirt, open at the neck, was white with pencil-thin blue stripes. He wore navy trousers and brown loafers.

Benjamin motioned to the two chairs facing his desk. “Have a seat.”

They did as he instructed. Magnolia reached out and grabbed hold of Lucas’s hand, lacing her fingers through his. Her hand felt like ice. Lucas was coming to learn that a surefire way to tell if Magnolia was nervous was to check her hands.

“How was the drive?” Benjamin asked.

“The roads were surprisingly clear,” Magnolia answered. She threw Lucas a cheery smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Benjamin lasered in on Lucas. “Tell me about yourself.”

“I grew up in Franklin, Tennessee. I work at a ranch owned by my uncle.”

Benjamin’s eyes narrowed slightly. “I see.” He reached for a handsome fountain pin resting in a gold stand. He twirled the pen between his fingers. “What type of educational background do you have?”

“I have an undergraduate degree in business, and a master’s in communication.” The blip of surprise in the old man’s eyes was gratifying. Lucas could sense Magnolia’s surprise. They’d never discussed his education. It hadn’t been pertinent to the situation. Just because Lucas loved working on the ranch didn’t mean that he was ignorant. His parents were firm believers in education, particularly his mom.

“You’re well-educated, and yet you choose to work on a ranch?”

Benjamin’s words were spoken with such disdain that the hair on the back of Lucas’s neck bristled. It took all the effort he could summon to keep his voice even. “While there are many worthy professions I could pursue with my degrees, I find great joy and satisfaction out of working the land.”

Benjamin seemed to absorb that bit of information before switching gears. “Why do you want to marry my granddaughter?”

Lucas looked at Magnolia. He wished he could ease the tension from her beautiful face. He felt for Magnolia, having grown up as she had with this cold, unfeeling man. “Because I care about her,” he uttered.

Her eyes softened as she smiled. They shared a long look.

“Do you love her?” Benjamin prompted.

“Yes,” Lucas answered. It astonished even him how his answer had flowed out with so much confidence, almost as if his heart already knew what his lips were just now willing to admit. “And, that love is growing exponentially each day.”

Moisture rose in Magnolia’s eyes. “The feeling’s mutual,” she uttered.

Benjamin’s sneering question cut into the moment. “And your feelings have nothing whatsoever to do with the fact that Magnolia will inherit a considerable sum of money when