The Princess And The Cowboy Read online

  Frankie nodded. “I know, which is why I was astounded when my mother told me the boys had agreed to go along with Harry’s scheme. But I’m sure Justin already knew he was in love with you. Besides—” she shook her head “—I’m not sure Justin wouldn’t have cooperated even if he didn’t have you and Ava. I understand Harry threatened to take away the ranch, and you know how Justin loves that place.”

  “Yes,” Lily said. “I do know—he’d do anything to keep from losing it.” She swung around on her stool and stood. “Let’s join him, shall we?”

  “Oh, yes.” Clearly unaware she’d just spilled family secrets, Frankie smiled with delight and led the way to the ballroom.

  They circled the crowded room, Lily following in Frankie’s wake, since it was nearly impossible to walk two abreast in the throng.

  “There they are.” Frankie paused to point out a group standing near the French doors leading to the balcony.

  Lily skipped over the two older women, a gray-haired man she didn’t recognize, the taller, distinctive and unmistakable figure that was Harrison Hunt, and reached Justin.

  He wore a classic black-and-white tuxedo with the same casual ease as the worn Levi’s and shirt he’d worn at lunch earlier. Even in a crowd as well dressed and powerful as the one packing the ballroom, he stood out.

  Her heart sped up, threatening to shatter the bubble of anger that shielded her from any feelings beyond outrage. For a brief moment, she was afraid the pain she knew was sure to arrive when the anger wore off would overwhelm her. But then she shored up her defenses, focused on Justin as they neared the group, and felt her anger surge.

  She knew the instant he saw her. Surprise and pleasure brightened his face but were quickly replaced by concern. Before he could step toward her, however, she and Frankie reached the group.

  “Hello, Justin, how lovely to see you…here.” Before he could respond, Lily turned to Harry. “And how nice to see you again, Mr. Hunt.” She looked pointedly at his thick mane of hair. “You left the Mariners hat at home this evening, I see.”

  “Lily,” Justin began, his voice controlled.

  “Don’t worry, Justin, I don’t plan to make a scene.” She met his gaze with a level glance. “I just wanted to clarify a couple of things with your father.” She turned back to Harry. “Is it true you threatened your sons to force them to marry and have children?”

  Beside her, Justin cursed under his breath. Lily held Harry’s gaze, ignoring Justin and everyone else in the small group of elegantly clad people.

  “There’s a bit more to the story, but yes, that’s the crux of our agreement,” Harry agreed in a gruff voice.

  “And did you also agree to modify the rules for Justin when you learned he already had a child?”

  “Yes,” he admitted.

  “But the clause requiring him to marry the mother of his child or lose his ranch is still in effect, is that correct?”

  “Yes.”

  Lily looked away from Harry at last to meet Justin’s dark gaze. “Mr. Hunt,” she said to Harry, her gaze still fixed on Justin. “I will never marry your son. Under no circumstances will my daughter and I be pawns in whatever game you’re playing.” She drew herself up, steeling her spine against the swift flash of pain that moved across Justin’s features. Then his hard face became expressionless once again.

  She swept the small group with a swift glance. The older couple, presumably the Paxsons, looked confused and intrigued. Frankie’s and Cornelia’s faces reflected shock and distress, although Lily thought she saw a glint of approval in the older woman’s direct gaze. Harry, too, seemed pale beneath his tan.

  “And you—” she glared at Harry “—should be ashamed of yourself. My daughter isn’t another asset to add to your business holdings.”

  With that parting shot, she spun on her heel and left them, wending her way with determination, and sped through the crowded ballroom toward the exit. She snapped open her cell phone and called a cab.

  Assured the driver would be waiting for her in front of the hotel, she rang off and dropped the phone back into her bag.

  “Excuse me,” she murmured once more as she tried to slip past a large group of people.

  A hand closed over her upper arm. She knew without looking that it was Justin.

  “Let go of me.”

  “We need to talk.”

  “No.” She halted abruptly and turned. With precise motions, she pulled her arm from his grip. “We don’t.”

  His mouth tightened, a muscle flexing along his jawline, but he didn’t protest when she spun toward the exit.

  She knew he followed close on her heels, but she refused to acknowledge him.

  “I know you’re angry, Lily. You have a right to be. I can explain.”

  His voice was a deep rumble at her ear.

  She didn’t reply and kept walking.

  She reached the long flight of marble steps that led to the lobby below.

  He caught her elbow and gently but determinedly halted her on the landing, halfway to her destination.

  “Lily, at least listen. Two minutes, that’s all I ask.”

  She narrowed her eyes at him. “One,” she shot back, glancing pointedly at the clock above the registration desk across the lobby below them.

  “I apologize for not telling you my meeting wasn’t in a corporate boardroom. But I didn’t lie to you, tonight was all about business for me.”

  “I’m not finished with you because you didn’t tell me you were coming here tonight, Justin,” she said impatiently. “I’m furious with you because you lied to me about wanting me and Ava in your life.”

  “I didn’t lie about wanting you, Lily. I’d want you even if there were no Ava and if Harry had never dreamed up his damned Bride Hunt.” His voice was intense, his face reflecting the frustration he felt.

  “You may be telling the truth,” Lily told him, suddenly exhausted and on the verge of tears. “But I’ll never know for sure, will I?”

  He stared at her, his eyes bleak, his broad body tense.

  “My cab’s waiting. I have to go.” She turned away, descended the marble steps and crossed the lobby to the exit. She didn’t look back as she left the hotel.

  She was in the cab, doors closed, before she allowed herself to cry.

  Justin watched Lily as she moved across the lobby and through the exit without pausing or looking back.

  This was the second time he’d had to watch her walk away from him, he thought grimly, and it was the last time.

  He went back upstairs to look for Harry and found him in the nearly deserted hallway outside the ballroom.

  “Cornelia and Frankie are still inside, saying good night to the Paxsons,” Harry told him. “Our cars are being brought around to the front entrance.” His keen gaze held remorse. “I’m sorry, son,” he said, his normal brusqueness tempered with regret. “I never meant to cause trouble between you and Lily.”

  Justin’s anger deflated like a pricked balloon. He dragged his fingers through his hair in an unconscious gesture of frustration. “I know you didn’t, Harry. But the end result is the same, regardless of your good intentions. I’m going to do whatever it takes to convince Lily to marry me—which is why I’m dropping out of the Bride Hunt. You can do what you want with the ranch. I hope you won’t penalize my brothers for my decision—in fact, I’m counting on your sense of fair play to waive the clause that requires all four of us to stay in the game until it’s over.”

  “You’d give up the ranch for her?” Harry asked slowly, his keen eyes studying Justin.

  “There are other ranches. And I’m wealthy in my own right, I’ll buy another.” Justin ignored the wrench of pain as he said the words. “But there’s only one Lily.”

  A slow smile lit Harry’s face. “Congratulations, son,” he said, his voice husky with emotion. “You really love her, don’t you.”

  It wasn’t a question, but Justin responded, anyway. “Yeah, I really do.”

  “That�
��s all I really wanted for my sons,” Harry told him. “I didn’t find a woman I could share my life with, despite trying four times. I think your Lily is a woman you can trust.”

  “Yeah, but can she trust me?” Justin muttered.

  “What do you mean?”

  “The men in this family are workaholics—we just naturally put business before family. What’s the likelihood I won’t let Lily down at some point?”

  “Son, all married people let each other down at some point. You apologize and try not to let it happen again. Not that I’m an expert on marriage, but I’ve heard Cornelia tell her girls that becoming a husband or wife doesn’t mean you’re perfect, it just means you keep trying to do your best, regardless of the circumstances. Besides,” Harry grinned. “You put Lily and Ava before business just now—you gave up the ranch for them.”

  “Yeah, I guess I did.”

  “And because you did it for them,” Harry went on, “I’m going to void your part of the contract and agree to let you bow out of the Bride Hunt without penalizing your brothers. I don’t want them to know I’ve made an exception for you,” he cautioned. “And I’ll sell you the remaining acres of the ranch for current market value.”

  “No.” Justin held up his hand and shook his head, adamant. “No, if Lily knows I benefited from this in any way, she’ll always doubt my motives.”

  “All right.” Harry nodded in agreement. “Then I’ll give them to Ava on her next birthday.”

  “Harry—” Justin shook his head and gave in, a small smile of admiration curving his mouth “—you’re incorrigible. Do what you want with the land—just don’t do anything with it that makes Lily distrust me any more than she already does.”

  “It’s a deal.” Harry held out his hand.

  “Deal.” Justin shook his father’s hand and said good-night.

  He drove home, making a mental list of all the things he needed to do tomorrow to set in motion the only plan he had left. He refused to consider it might not work, because he couldn’t contemplate the alternative—losing Lily for good.

  Thank God for Ava, Lily thought nearly once every hour over the next week. Caring for the toddler, together with a sudden rush of orders at the boutique, kept Lily busy during the days following her confrontation with Justin. The nights, however, were another story entirely. Despite working to the point of exhaustion, she couldn’t seem to fall asleep, and even after she slept, Justin tormented her dreams. She woke in the morning feeling as weary as when she’d gone to bed.

  She felt as if a part of herself had been torn away, her dreams shattered and her life as gray as the rainy Seattle sky. Despite the pain and grief that were her constant companions, however, she was determined to soldier her way through the days and not let Ava or her friends know her heart was broken. While Ava may have been fooled, Lily doubted she was as successful with Meggie.

  To her surprise, Justin didn’t call, nor did he appear at the shop. The Gazebo continued to deliver beautiful bouquets every three days, right on schedule, and she carried them next door to her neighbor, Mrs. Baker, who was delighted by them.

  Exactly eight days after that fateful night at the Collins Hotel, Lily juggled Ava, her purse, keys and diaper bag and stepped out of her town house, heading for work. As she pulled the door closed and locked the dead bolt, she heard the door of the town house just beyond hers open.

  “Good morning,” she called over her shoulder, adjusting Ava on her hip as she turned, expecting to see the young couple who were her neighbors. Instead, a familiar tall, broad-shouldered, black-haired man with blue eyes stood on the porch. Just seeing him stole her breath and made her heart hurt.

  “Good morning,” Justin replied.

  “Da-da! Da-da!” Ava burst into a long string of unintelligible chatter, punctuated by several repetitions of “Da-Da.”

  “Hi, punkin, how are you?” Justin’s somber face lightened with a crooked grin.

  “What are you doing here?” Lily asked, staring at first him, then the door to the town house.

  “I live here now.”

  “But the Hargreaves live there.” Lily couldn’t get past the shock of seeing him in person when she’d been seeing him in her dreams all week. The reality was so much better.

  “They used to. I bought the town house from them. They moved out two days ago and I moved in late last night.”

  “I didn’t even know they were planning to sell.”

  “They weren’t. I made them an offer they couldn’t refuse,” Justin said.

  Lily stared at him, her brain finally beginning to resume its normal ability to function. “Why?” she asked, before the only possible answer hit her. “You’re going to have me watched so you can sue me for custody, aren’t you?” Unconsciously she tightened her grip on Ava.

  Her words clearly startled Justin. “No, what makes you think that?”

  She gestured at the town house. “Why else would you buy the town house next to me? No matter how many detectives you have following or watching me, you’ll never prove I’m a bad mother.”

  “Lily,” he said soothingly. “I’d never try to do that—besides, it wouldn’t be possible. You’re a wonderful mother to Ava—no court of law would ever say you weren’t.”

  Her heart slowed its pounding. “Then why did you buy the town house? You have an apartment downtown.”

  “I bought it to be closer to you and Ava. I know you don’t trust me, Lily, and I understand why. But as God is my witness, I don’t want you because of Harry’s ultimatum that all of his sons marry. I told him he can do what he likes with the ranch, I’m out of the Bride Hunt, as of last night.”

  Lily’s traitorous heart leapt. Could it be true? Don’t be a fool, the cynical side of her bruised heart replied, you can’t trust him.

  “I don’t believe you,” she said.

  “I know you have cause to doubt me,” he acknowledged. “Which is why I’m here. I’m staying for as long as it takes to prove you can trust me.”

  Lily could only stare at him, nonplussed. Maybe he was telling the truth.

  “I have to go to work,” she said finally.

  “Then maybe I’ll see you tonight,” he responded. Without asking permission, he jogged down his steps and reached her in a few strides. He held out his hands for Ava, who nearly launched herself at him. He smiled, catching her and dropping a quick kiss on her cheek. “Can I carry the bag for you?”

  “No, I’ve got it.”

  Moments later, Lily drove away from the curb, Ava securely belted into her car seat. Glancing in the rearview mirror, Lily saw Justin disappear back into his town house.

  Unsure how she felt about this latest development, Lily spent her day trying not to think about Justin, and failing abysmally.

  When her doorbell rang just before 6:00 p.m. that evening, she hesitated. She’d thought about this moment all day long. Should she let Justin in? Or should she ignore him? Reluctant though she was to allow him even a small foothold in her life, she knew they’d returned to square one and needed to work out a visitation schedule for Ava. And just as in the beginning, if they could reach an amicable decision between them before getting their attorneys involved, it would be better for Ava.

  Besides, she had to admit Ava was overjoyed when she saw him this morning, she thought.

  Scooping Ava off the floor, Lily carried her to the door with her.

  “Hello.” Justin’s lazy smile made the single word a caress and a promise.

  Lily refused to give in and smile back. “Come in.”

  “How was your day?” he asked, holding out his arms to Ava. As usual, the toddler nearly lurched out of Lily’s hold.

  “Fine.” She gestured at the family room. “If you’ll watch Ava, I need to put a load of her clothes in the washer.”

  “Sure. We’ll play with the train.”

  Lily headed for the laundry room off the kitchen, glancing back to see Justin sit cross-legged on the floor, Ava balanced on his lap. He dragged the to
y chest nearer and the two began to search through the wicker holder for the toddler-size Thomas the Tank train pieces.

  When Lily returned with a basket of laundry to fold, Justin was stretched out on the floor, Ava sitting next to him, and both were deeply engrossed in pushing the trains in a circle. Ava mimicked the engine whistle sounds Justin tried to teach her.

  Both adults purposely set aside deeper issues for the moment. But when Ava was tucked in bed at last, they returned downstairs to the family room, the air heavy with strain.

  Lily leaned against the island counter and Justin remained standing as well, the kitchen cabinet counter at his back, his arms crossed over his chest.

  “We should talk about visitation hours for you with Ava,” Lily said.

  “All right,” he said slowly, his eyes darkening as he searched hers. “Have you thought about a schedule you can live with?”

  “I’ve thought about the need for an arrangement,” Lily admitted. “But I haven’t come up with a plan that I believe will work for me. Have you thought of a schedule that’s acceptable to you?”

  “The only schedule that’s ever going to be acceptable to me is to have us all living under the same roof, married to each other,” Justin said bluntly.

  “You know that’s not going to happen,” Lily said firmly, refusing to look away from his fierce eyes.

  “Not yet.” Justin pushed away from the counter and paced away several strides, hesitating before returning. “I know you don’t want to hear anything approaching an apology or an explanation from me, Lily, but I’m asking you to listen. Please,” he added.

  She was torn. Should she listen to him again? Don’t be a fool, whispered her cynical side.

  “I want to tell you why I left two years ago. You were right, you need to know. Otherwise, you’re not likely to trust me again.” His voice was rough, filled with conviction.

  “I’m too curious not to hear you out. But just because I’m listening doesn’t mean I’ll change my mind about us,” she warned him.

  “Understood.” He returned to his former position, facing her across the narrow aisle between the island counter and the kitchen cabinets. “I don’t know how much gossip you might have heard about my mother, but whatever you’ve heard,” he said grimly, “it’s probably true. She married Harry to trick him into getting her pregnant so she could sell the baby to him for a few million, which is pretty much what his first three wives had done. Somehow, her plan went wrong. When she told him she was pregnant, he didn’t believe her. They had a huge fight and he threw her out.