tainted residue in his psyche that couldn’t be washed away by wishing or throwing money at the problems Rich had created. People had been hurt. And it was all Will’s fault because he’d been responsible for Rich coming to Royal.
His phone came to life in his hand. Startled, he glanced down at the screen before answering.
“Hey, Lucy, what’s up?”
“Just wanted to remind you that I’m heading out of town for a few days to deliver a couple horses and to check on some rescues in Houston.”
His stepsister was a talented horse trainer, specializing in rescues. She and her four-year-old son shared the main house at the Ace in the Hole with Will.
“I hadn’t forgotten,” he lied, realizing how preoccupied he’d become in the week since Lowell’s secret stash had been discovered.
To make the millions he’d plundered something he could easily conceal and move, Rich had converted the money to gold bars and hidden them outside Royal. No one understood why he hadn’t taken them with him when he’d fled months ago, but everyone agreed that he’d be back for the loot.
For many days Will had been convinced the discovery meant the imposter’s capture was imminent, but as the days dragged on with no sign of Rich, Will grew more and more frustrated.
“Are you still taking Brody?” he asked.
“The trip is going to go longer than I originally thought, so I decided it would be better if he stayed in Royal.”
“Sounds good. He and I will have a blast while you’re gone.”
“Ah...” Lucy began, sounding reluctant. “Actually, I was going to have him stay with Jesse and Jillian. Brody really loves being around Mac and you’ve got a lot going on...”
Jesse was Lucy’s older biological brother and Will’s stepbrother. He’d dedicated himself to running the family ranch, providing Will the freedom to pursue his passion for the family business. Since returning home, Will had watched Jesse fall in love with another of Lowell’s victims, Jillian Norris. A former Las Vegas showgirl, she’d become pregnant with Mackenzie after a one-night stand with Rich while he’d been impersonating Will. It had been her emails and phone calls to Will in the weeks before the fated fishing trip to Mexico that had led to his being attacked and nearly killed by his former best friend.
“Sure,” Will said into the awkward silence, making sure none of the gut-hit he’d just taken came through in his voice. “I understand. Tell Jesse and Jillian that I’m available if they need any help taking care of Brody.” Although even as he made the offer, he doubted anything would come of it. “Have a safe trip.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you in a week.”
He hung up the phone, trying to shake off the rejection that fouled his mood like cobwebs. In the months he’d been in Mexico, his whole focus had been on what he’d had to do to return home. He’d been eager to return to his life, focusing on close relationships with family and friends, the success he was having with his business ventures and general satisfaction with how great his life was.
Now, after spending months staying out of sight, watching those around him live their lives to the fullest—falling in love, being actively engaged in the world—he was feeling more isolated than ever. Once again, Will queued up his favorite contacts and stared at Megan’s name.
He wanted to reach out to her. She’d become important to him these last few months that they’d been thrown together while Richard Lowell was on the loose. Will’s brows came together. Why was he lying to himself? Playing it cool about his feelings for Megan to others was one thing, but denying the fierce desire that lashed at him whenever she was around was just plain idiotic.
Pain bloomed in his chest as he recalled their lovemaking after Jason’s memorial service. She was a fire in his blood, an addiction he never wanted to be free of. The desperate hunger in their kisses and near frantic coupling had transported him to a whole new level of passion.
Was he getting in over his head with her? Obviously. His emotions were all over the place where she was concerned. Nor did he have a good idea how she felt about him. That heated, wild encounter had been about coping with a loss neither one of them wanted to face alone. He shouldn’t expect that something born of grief could be the start of anything.
Yet for him it had been.
His intimate connection with Megan that night had launched a drumbeat of longing. Will wanted to have what his brother had found with Jillian. What Cole had found with Dani. Of the five women invited to his funeral as his supposed heirs, only Megan wasn’t with the love of her life. Had that man been Rich Lowell, pretending to be Will? Would she have fallen for Rich himself? He’d not asked any of these questions of her, unsure how her answers would affect him.
Before he could question his motives, Will pulled up his app and typed a message.
Cora Lee planning BBQ at the ranch next Saturday. We’d love to see you there.
As soon as he sent the message, he was overwhelmed by a sense of anticipation. No matter what his jumbled emotions, he and Megan were stuck with each other for the time being. In an ironic twist, Will realized that part of him hoped Lowell would continue to elude the authorities for a little while longer. Because until he was caught, Will could enjoy as much time with Megan as he could handle. He caught himself smiling for the first time in hours because when it came to the stunning Megan Phillips-Sanders, Will could handle a whole lot.
* * *
The sky outside her office windows was well on its way to becoming a vivid midnight blue by the time Megan finished looking over the numbers for this year’s fall shoe collection. Her staff had outdone themselves, and pride bloomed in her chest as she contemplated yet another triumphant season.
The success of her company had startled everyone in her family, herself included. Megan had started Royals Shoes to get out from beneath her brothers’ shadows. When she’d voiced her intention to get into the luxury shoe business, they’d initially been stuck on their perception of her as the tomboy who’d spent her childhood trying to keep up with her older siblings. That, she could understand. They were her big brothers, after all. But that they’d doubted her ability to start a company and make a success of it had stung.
In a state like Texas and a town like Royal, bigger was always better. Ranches, fortunes, personalities. It was hard to stand out in an environment where achievement was the norm rather than the exception. Striving to be noticed by her family had preoccupied Megan from the time she was old enough to recognize that her brothers were her parents’ pride and joy. Aaron and Jason had been at the top of their respective classes. And, as if that wasn’t enough for her to keep up with, they’d both excelled at sports, as well.
Megan sank into the leather couch in her office and lifted her feet onto the glass coffee table. The sight of her company’s stiletto pump with its wallpaper-inspired, broad black-and-white stripe and crystal-embellished buckle made her smile. Recognizing that to do well Royals Shoes had to stand out in a crowded luxury shoe market, Megan had decided that every single pair of her shoes would have a wow factor.
Her cell phone buzzed. A glance at the screen revealed a text from Dani Moore. The two women had struck up a friendship in their teens when Dani had been a freshman and Megan had acted as her senior buddy to smooth the transition into the academic and social challenges presented by high school. Despite the difference in their ages, they’d
