Million Dollar Marriage

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Her eyes popped open wider and she sat up in the chair. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Nope. I’m dead serious.”

Something in her belly clenched just a little. “I…didn’t realize you were seeing anyone…special.”

“I’m not.”

“Then…then who’s this woman you’re planning to marry?”

Holden shrugged. “I haven’t decided yet.”

She frowned at him. “Excuse me?”

He sent her a look of exasperation. “My father’s will came with a catch. I can’t inherit until I marry a—and I quote—‘woman of good reputation.”’

She tried to stifle a snort of disbelief, but it came out all the same.

“Yeah. I thought it was pretty unbelievable, too,” he said.

“Hell, Holden, what’s unbelievable is that any woman of good reputation would have you.”

He slanted a narrow gaze on her. “I’d take offense at that remark if it wasn’t the God’s honest truth.”

“At least you admit it.”

“So, you wouldn’t even consider it, huh?”

It was not a proposal. She knew that. It was sarcasm. But it still made her heart do an odd little flip-flop in her chest. “Not on your life,” she replied, her tone level.

He shrugged. “Hell, it was worth a try.” He sighed deeply, shaking his head. “So what would I have to do to make a woman of good reputation give me a shot, do you think?”

“Oh, come on. The greatest Romeo in Texas is asking me for advice on how to win a woman?”

“Well, yes. A real woman. I don’t need any help with bimbos, you know. Real women are a whole other breed.”

She tilted her head to one side. “At least you’re aware there’s a difference.”

“So?”

Lucinda leaned back again. “So…you’d have to change your ways, I suppose. Promise not to cheat. Real women, as you call them, are not fond of sharing.”

“It would be an effort, but I could give it a try.”

She rolled her eyes. “I imagine this woman you choose would have a lot of trouble with all the others you’ve had. You know, she’d probably believe you were constantly comparing her to them. You’d have to convince her she was…special. So special that the first time you were with her you forgot every other woman you ever had.”

Holden’s brows lowered. “That would be piling it on a bit, don’t you think?”

“Maybe. For you. I guess the most effective thing you could do would be to actually love the woman, but I suppose that’s beyond your…range, as well, hmm?” He only stared at her blankly. She sighed. “I thought so.” Then she shrugged. “I guess my best advice to you, Holden, is to make a business arrangement with some woman. Find one you think you might be able to stand for, uh, how long would you need to be married to inherit?”

“A year,” he said.

“A year, then. I’m sure some woman somewhere would be willing to play the part of happy bride for a year, then let you off the hook. For the right price, I mean.”

He nodded slowly. “So you think the only way I could get a decent woman to marry me would be to pay her?”

She shrugged. “It was just a thought.”

Soft footsteps outside made Lucinda look up. The door opened and Lily peered inside. “Holden, Sheriff Grayhawk would like to speak to you now.”

He glanced at Lucy, then at the two in the bed. “I don’t really want to leave you here alone,” he told her. “If they wake up again…”

“I’ll stay with her, Holden,” Lily said softly. Holden looked at her, looked at Lucy, lifted his brows.

“We’ll be fine,” Lucinda assured him. “The sedative shouldn’t wear off for hours anyway.”

“All right. If you’re sure.”

“I am.”

Holden started for the door, then paused. “Lucy…do me a favor and don’t leave for a while. I’d really like to continue this conversation.”

She shrugged. “If my beeper goes off, I don’t have much choice in the matter,” she said. “But I’ll hang around as long as I can.”

“Good,” he said, looking at her oddly. “Good.” He left the room and closed the door.

Three

“Do you mind if I give you some unsolicited advice?” Lily asked in her soft voice.

Lucinda sat back in her place, watching Claudia and Matthew closely, though she didn’t expect either of them to wake anytime soon. “Advice? About what?”

“About Holden.”

Lucinda blinked and quickly averted her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re—”

“I’m not blind, Lucinda. And you don’t have what I would call a…poker face.”

Lucinda shook her head slowly. “You’re imagining things, Lily.”

“Be careful with him,” she went on. “He’s trying very hard to be just like his father. And his father was…not a nice man.”

Lucinda’s brows went up. “You knew him well, then?”

“Cameron? I knew him. Thirty years ago when I first came here to work for the family. He and Ryan—they couldn’t have been more different. Cameron used women and threw them away.”

Lucinda tilted her head, facing Lily squarely. “And you think Holden is the same way?”

“I think Holden has reached a crossroads. Time will tell which path he chooses. But right now, he’s dangerous, Lucinda. Particularly to a woman who might be…vulnerable to him.”

Lucinda lifted her brows. “Well, I certainly don’t fall into that category.”

With a gentle smile, Lily said, “Good. He can’t hurt you, then.”

Taking a deep breath, thinking twice before she spoke and then deciding she had no reason not to, Lucinda said, “I thought it was Ryan you fell in love with way back then.”

“It was.”

“Then why do I get the feeling it was Cameron who broke your heart?”

Lily’s eyes widened slightly before she averted them. Lucinda’s beeper went off in her pocket and she grabbed for it quickly, shut it off, and looked toward the couple in the bed. But the sound hadn’t pierced their drug-induced sleep. Glancing down at the beeper, she saw a familiar number on the digital readout.

“It’s the hospital. I have to go. They wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t an emergency.”

Lily nodded. And she looked almost…relieved. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine here.” Lucinda glanced worriedly at Matthew and Claudia. “If you’re concerned,” Lily went on, “then send Ryan up on your way out.”

She nodded. “All right. I’ll do that. Tell Holden…” She paused as Lily’s brows went up. “Never mind,” Lucinda said, and she hurried out of the room.

It was a crazy thought. An utterly ridiculous idea. Ludicrous. But Holden couldn’t get it out of his mind. It lingered there. Even while his mother was opening up the doors to admit Sam Waterman, a private security consultant Uncle Ryan had used before. Even while Sheriff Wyatt Grayhawk filled Sam in and the two of them concluded their questioning of the guests and gave the last of them the okay to leave. Even while the local cops were checking the trunks and back seats of the cars one by one before letting them pass out through the front gates.

As soon as the sheriff and Sam finished questioning him, Holden headed back upstairs to Matthew and Claudia’s room. But when he burst through the door, he saw Uncle Ryan standing near the window, Lily wrapped in his arms.

They looked up when he entered, and Holden could see the tear tracks on Lily’s face. Less evident, but still visible, was the worry in his uncle Ryan’s. “How are they doing?” Holden asked, glancing toward the bed.

“Resting. I hate to think about what will happen when they wake.” Ryan shook his head. Holden nodded in full agreement and took another look around the room.

“She had to go back to the hospital,” Lily said.

He glanced at her sharply. “Who?”

Lily just scowled at him. “You know perfectly well who. Lucinda Brightwater.”

“Oh. Her.” Holden averted his eyes. He disliked Lily’s opinion of him, though he did nothing to discourage it. She seemed to agree with his own conclusion that he was too much like his old man to be trusted. Especially with nice girls…like Lucy.

“Has the sheriff learned anything new?” Ryan asked.

“No, not yet.” Holden looked at his cousin Matthew as he began to stir. “It’s still so soon. Look, something’s going to turn up.”

Matthew’s eyes opened. He looked around, disoriented, blinking. Then he closed his eyes tight again. “Oh, God, Bryan…”

“It’s all right, Matthew.” Lily rushed to the bedside.

“It’s not all right. God, my son—” Matthew sat up in the bed, his head in his hands.

Holden went to him. Moving Lily gently aside, he took Matthew by the shoulders. “Listen up, cousin.”

When Matthew didn’t respond, Holden gave him a shake. Lily started to protest but Ryan held up a hand and she went still. “Dammit, Matthew, listen to me. You have to pull yourself together. Look around here. Look at your wife, for God’s sake.”

Matthew looked sideways at Claudia. She lay curled in the fetal position, her eyes moving rapidly beneath lightly closed lids, her hair mussed, her breathing uneven and jerky.

“She’s gonna need you, Matthew. She’s gonna need you solid and strong. This thing could take some time, and it’s gonna be rough on her. You go falling apart, and she’ll never get through it, you understand me?”

Matthew lifted his head slowly, eyeing Holden. “Yeah. I understand.”

“No more smashing glass or swinging shotguns around like a lunatic, then.”

Matthew nodded. “What the hell do you suggest I do instead?”

“Wait,” Holden said. “Your father has Waterman and Grayhawk turning over every rock. The FBI is going to be getting involved, as well. There’s not a damn thing any of us can do beyond what’s already being done. At least not until the kidnappers make contact again to set up an exchange.”