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She gasped at the huge glittering diamond set in a gold band with diamonds on either side. “Will, that is shamefully large.”
“No, it isn’t. I want you to have it. I love you, Ava.”
He slipped the ring on her finger. “Let’s have the wedding soon.”
“Very soon,” she whispered. She studied the beautiful ring. “I can’t wait to call my sisters and tell them. They’ll have to be in my bridal party.”
“Fine. I’ll have my brothers and Garrett and another close friend, Tyler.”
“Will, what about this half sister your family has discovered? Perhaps you can invite her?”
“She didn’t even have an interest in inheriting a fortune. She won’t be interested in meeting us or coming to a wedding. My brothers and I are still trying to contact her, but I’m not trying again until after the wedding and our honeymoon. I don’t have time for such a big distraction right now. Also, before I announce the news of our impending nuptials to my brothers, I want to tell Caroline.”
Ava smiled. “She’ll be so happy.”
He nodded. “I sat her down this morning and told her I was going to ask you to marry me and if I could come see you instead of her. I told her whatever you said, I would come back and get her.”
“Oh, my goodness. She may be anxious and waiting. Let’s go tell her,” Ava said, stepping out of bed. “I’ll shower and we’ll go.” She gathered her clothes and looked at him. He lay with his hands behind his head, a smile on his face as he watched her. She yanked clothes in front of herself. “Will, get up. Let’s shower and tell Caroline.”
“I won’t miss this.”
She tried to cover herself, smiling all the way down the hall.
“Will, I can’t stop looking at this ring,” Ava said on the ride over to the mansion.
“Look all you want while I look at you,” he said, pulling her close against his side.
They found Caroline in her playroom with Muffy and Rosalyn. Will had already called Rosalyn to tell her the news and that they wanted to share it with Caroline. The moment they arrived, Rosalyn greeted them with a big smile and headed upstairs.
Caroline’s eyes were questioning and she looked intently at Will. He picked her up and put his other arm around Ava, pulling her close.
“Caroline, I told you I wanted to ask Ava to marry me, which I did. She accepted.”
Caroline grinned broadly, looking at Ava. “Will you live here again?”
“Yes, I will live here again,” Ava said, putting an arm around Caroline so they formed a circle. “You will be my little girl.”
“Caroline, your daddy will always be your daddy, but if you want to just call me Will, that might be easier for you. And if you want, I’m sure it would be all right with Ava if you call her Mommy.”
Caroline looked at Ava who nodded as she smiled again. She glanced back at Will. “I’ll call you Daddy Two.”
They all laughed while they hugged. Ava had tears of joy that spilled over her cheeks. “Will, Caroline, this is the happiest day of my life.”
“Let’s pick a wedding date. Caroline, you can be our flower girl.”
The little girl beamed.
Epilogue
Ava stood in the narthex of the church, holding Caroline’s hand. Her sisters and close friends waited until the signal and then they began the walk down the aisle. The friends went first, next Summer and finally Trinity, who was maid of honor.
After Trinity, Ava bent to kiss Caroline. In her silk-and-tulle dress, the same shade of blue as the bridesmaids’, Caroline looked like a doll. She smiled at Ava and started down the aisle with a basket of rose petals on her arm.
Ava’s heart beat with joy while she watched Caroline carefully scatter rose petals as she walked down the aisle.
When Ava kissed her father’s cheek, he patted her arm. “I hope you live long and happily,” he whispered and she smiled in return.
Trumpets sounded and the wedding march began. Rising to their feet, guests turned while the wedding planner motioned to Ava to start down the aisle.
The groomsmen in their black tuxedos were handsome, all tall and each one smiling. When her gaze flew to Will, her heart skipped with joy. Her handsome husband-to-be stood smiling at her, his gaze locked with hers. They would bind their lives together forever and Caroline now would be her little girl, too.
Joy reigned supreme as Ava could not stop smiling. She paused to give her mother a rose. Will’s mother had been unable to attend, something he accepted without surprise. Ava gave another rose to Rosalyn, who sat alone on the opposite side of the aisle.
Finally, Ava’s father placed her hand in Will’s and she went through her vows in a daze of happiness.
Afterward at the country club reception, she danced with Will. “This is the happiest day of my life.”
“Mine, too. We have a week to ourselves and then we’ll come back to get Caroline and take her to Florida where she can meet all the princesses she wants.”
“Will, this is paradise. I am so happy.”
“Not half as happy as I am. You’ve given us so much joy and I am so in love with you, I shock myself. Caroline is radiant with our marriage. She loves you and loves having a mother.”
“I know. I love her.”
“Do we really have to stay for this reception?”
She laughed. “Of course, we have to. Everyone is here to see and talk to us.”
“No, they’re not. They’re here to eat and dance and have a good time with friends. My brothers and Garrett are here for the reasons I just named.”
“Maybe your family, but otherwise, they are here to see us, so we stay.”
“I’ll try, but I can’t wait to get you alone. I want to peel you out of that dress and kiss you from head to toe.”
“Will, you stop that now. Smile and dance and behave.”
“Impossible.” He grinned and spun her around.
“Will, I want Caroline to have a little brother or sister.”
“We will get started on that soon. Very soon,” he said, his arm tightening around her waist.
She laughed, thinking she was the luckiest woman on earth to have such a handsome, wonderful husband and an adorable little girl.
The Reluctant Heiress
Twice Garrett had been on the verge of confessing his identity.
“What about you and marriage?” Sophia asked, breaking into his thoughts.
“I’m a workaholic, I suppose,” he said. “I haven’t ever been deeply in love, and I don’t feel ready for marriage.”
As he gazed into her eyes, he wondered what it would be like to come home to her every night—to make love to her night and day. His thoughts surprised him.
He hated not telling her about the Delaneys, yet he had heard the bitterness in her voice when she spoke of her father, felt her anger smoldering.
He realized she was staring at him with a quizzical smile. “What?” he asked.
“You haven’t heard one word I’ve been saying, Garrett. What are you thinking about?”
He focused on her lips before looking into her eyes again while desire consumed him.
He didn’t want to admit the truth yet and the burden of guilt was becoming unbearable, but one way to avoid both was to stop her questions with kisses.
Dear Reader,
This second story in the LONE STAR LEGACY series involves the celebration of two people falling in love in spite of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Love and romance are wonderful, breathtaking, sometimes overwhelming. The road to romance is a fascinating journey.
Set in glittering Dallas and the snow-covered Rockies, The Reluctant Heiress shows how the Delaney brothers discover a half-sister who has to be brought into the family. To achieve this goal, the brothers turn to a trusted friend and valued employee, Garrett Cantrell.
The first meeting between the handsome Garrett and striking Sophia Rivers ignites fires in each of them. Sophia cannot resist Garrett even though she knows she should. Trust is fundamental, and forgiveness is a part of Sophia’s and Garrett’s story.
Some of the most exciting moments in life happen when two people fall in love. Romance is universal, sought after and just plain fun. Come enjoy Garrett’s and Sophia’s story.
Thank you for choosing this book.
Sara Orwig
About the Author
SARA ORWIG lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.
Many thanks to Stacy Boyd and
Maureen Walters.
Prologue
“I don’t have a clue why I’m here,” Garrett Cantrell, company CFO, said at the family gathering in the Dallas office of Delaney Enterprises.
“Because Sophia Rivers is our father’s child. She’s as stubborn as Dad ever was,” Will Delaney stated, combing his fingers through his black hair.
“We won’t give up. There’s too much at stake,” Ryan Delaney added, resting one booted foot on his knee. “We can be as stubborn as she is. There has to be a way to reach her.”
“We need to outsmart her instead of the other way around,” Zach Delaney grumbled.
“Right,” said Will. “That’s why I asked Garrett to join us.”
“I’m sure finding out you have a half sister at the reading of your dad’s will was a shock,” Garrett said, “but you should face the fact that she doesn’t want to meet any of you. I’d say give it up.”
“If we don’t get her on the board of the Delaney Foundation, we can kiss our inheritances goodbye,” Zach snapped. “Also, she’s family. We have a sister—all these years.”
“I agree,” Will added. “She’s part of our family and we’d all like to know her.”
“Even if she doesn’t want to know you?” Garrett asked.
“I think that’s because of Dad and not anything we’ve done. We just want to unite this family and we don’t stand a chance if she won’t speak to us,” Will said. “Each of us has tried and failed to make contact with her. I think the next thing is to send someone neutral.”
Garrett straightened in his chair, his good humor vanishing. “Go through your dad’s lawyer. She communicates with Grady.”
“Her attorney communicates with Grady,” Will replied drily. “Grady has never met the lady.”
“The bottom line is, we want our inheritances,” Ryan stated. “She’s costing each of us four billion dollars. Too much to blow off.”
As Garrett looked at the Delaneys, he reflected on how his life had been tied to theirs from the day he was born. His father’s life had been closely linked with the family patriarch, Argus Delaney. Besides ties of work and family, Will Delaney, the Delaney CEO, was Garrett’s best friend. Garrett had been raised to feel indebted to the Delaneys, just as his dad had felt obligated. As he thought about what they were about to ask of him, his dread grew exponentially. “I suggest the three of you try again to meet her,” Garrett said.
“C’mon, Garrett. You can contact her because your name isn’t Delaney. Spend time with her, get to know her, find out why she’s resisting, and we’ll take it from there,” Will said. “Just open the door for us. Go to Houston. You have a family business and a house there. It’s a perfect plan.”
“I own the property management business in Houston—I don’t work there. Give it up, guys. Don’t ask me to do what you can’t do.”
“We think you can do this,” Will argued. “You’ve been our spokesperson many times. We’ll make it worthwhile for you. Help us get her on the board and it’s another five hundred million for you.”
Garrett was already wealthy— He didn’t care about the money. But he couldn’t turn down the brothers because his obligation to the Delaneys ran deep. He sighed as Will handed him a manila folder.
Garrett looked at a picture of a raven-haired, brown-eyed beauty. Maybe their request isn’t so bad after all, he thought.
“If she cooperates, she will inherit three billion dollars. It’s not like you’re trying to cause her trouble,” Ryan pointed out.
“How can she turn down that kind of money?” Zach asked, shaking his head.
“She must be angry as hell,” Garrett remarked. “That kind of anger isn’t going to change easily.”
“We have to try,” Will stated. “Will you do it?”
Garrett glanced at the picture again. He had just inherited three billion from their father. Will was his closest friend. How could he refuse to help them now?
“Garrett, we’re desperate. And we have a time limit,” Ryan said.
“All right,” Garrett replied reluctantly. “I can’t say no to any of you.”
There were thanks from all and a high five from Will, who grinned. “Everything’s going for you. You’re not a Delaney.”
“I might as well be one,” Garrett grumbled. “I don’t think your half sister will be one degree happier with me than she was with any of you.” Garrett shook his head. “Meeting Sophia Rivers is doomed from the start.”
One
Sophia Rivers sipped champagne and gazed beyond the circle of friends surrounding her. Her small Houston gallery was filled with guests viewing her art and helping her celebrate the second anniversary of her gallery’s opening. The crowd was the perfect size, and she was completely satisfied with the turnout.
