A Bride's Tangled Vows

by Dani Wade

  The temper churning in those chocolate eyes should not turn him on. Luckily, Balcher couldn’t see it.

  “But I understand Blackstone Mills is special.” Balcher said, a small grin stretching his full lips. “And this house would fit me just perfect. I figured, after everything I heard about Aiden, we could come to some sort of compromise.”

  “I see,” Aiden said, not giving the other man any clues. “What sort of compromise did you have in mind? After all, I think the manager, Bateman, is getting a little suspicious.”

  “Suspicious? What’s there to be suspicious of? This is business, pure and simple.”

  Aiden saw Christina, now angled slightly behind Balcher, open her mouth to protest. He knew what she was thinking. That this wasn’t business, it was people’s homes and lives. He understood. But he needed to get information more than he needed to make a point Balcher wouldn’t get.

  He shot a warning glance in her direction before he said, “Well, you know that and I know that, but others don’t. I can’t stop Bateman from getting the authorities involved for long.”

  Balcher shifted his bulk from one side to the other. “Authorities?”

  Maybe Aiden could push a little harder. “Well, you aren’t exactly known for clean tactics, but equipment tampering could actually get someone hurt. If proof got into the papers, it could be seen as going too far. By some.”

  Aiden honestly thought Balcher’s eyes would bug out of his pudgy, round face as he shot to his feet, but he slowly regained control. He thought hard for a moment before he said, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but if this little problem gets to be too much for ya, I’ll be happy to take it off your hands.” He glanced out the window, absently rubbing his belly as if he was hungry. “It and all the perks that come with it.”

  “That’s a shame, because it’s not in the best interest of the mill or Black Hills for me to sell to a man like you.” He grinned as he remembered something. “Oh, I’m sorry you’ve wasted your time.” There, niceties observed.

  Just as he made his way around the desk to escort Boss Hog to the door, it opened, and Nolen appeared. Was everyone listening in on this conversation?

  “I’m just asking you to consider—” Balcher blustered as Aiden crowded him toward the exit.

  Aiden must not have made his point clear. “I know what you want. We’re not selling. Now get out.”

  Aiden didn’t miss the satisfied expression on Christina’s face. He only wished he’d had a more intimate role in putting it there. Too bad they shouldn’t sleep together. Ever. Again.

  But Balcher recovered fast. Reaching out, he offered Aiden a business card. “Well played, son. But you’ll change your mind soon enough, when the problems only get bigger...and more expensive. Here’s where you can reach me.”

  Aiden didn’t hesitate. The card easily tore in half.

  “I see,” Balcher said. His eyes narrowed, his frown and frustration slipping through the good ol’ boy facade. He turned slowly to look at Christina where she stood near the opposite window. Then he turned back to Aiden, the smile once more firmly planted on his face. “Just figured family would be the most important thing to you right now. Not some ol’ business.”

  This time Aiden’s inner alarms blared. Was that a personal threat? Was Balcher willing to get filthy dirty in order to get what he wanted? He glanced at Nolen, who had narrowed his gaze on their visitor.

  Christina seemed to sense something, too, and all her sugary sweetness melted away. “Just what is that supposed to mean?” she demanded as she stalked closer, glaring with the same quiet stubbornness she’d used on James in his sickbed.

  “Nothing, ma’am,” Balcher said, all flashing teeth and concerned appearance. “I just know a brand-new husband like yours would be in full protection mode, that’s all. I just figured he’d want to do what’s best for y’all, town be damned.”

  Aiden wasn’t buying the false concern. That hint of steel underneath Balcher’s facade might make him harder to shake than he’d thought.

  “I am,” Aiden said, deciding he’d had enough formalities to last him an entire summer. “But I can protect my family and keep these people’s jobs. Instead of turning the plant over to someone who will shut it down and sell it off as scrap metal.”

  Christina added, “Just like you did to the Athens Mill. Last year, wasn’t it?”

  Balcher didn’t deny it, though he looked a bit startled.

  The businessman ambled slowly to the open door, ignoring Nolen. Maybe he was tired of beating his head against a brick wall. Or maybe he’d decided to retreat and reassess his new opponents, opponents who seemed to have done their homework. But before disappearing, he glanced back at Aiden. “There may not have been any love between you and your grandfather, but you’ve got a lot of the old man in you, I think.”

  Anger and denial roared through Aiden for long moments after the door closed on that parting shot. When the haze finally cleared, Aiden swung back to face Christina. “What the hell was that? Waltzing in here with tea and cakes like this was social hour?”

  Again that wide-eyed guilelessness, though Aiden detected a hint of uneasiness around the edges. “I don’t know what you mean. I was simply being polite.”

  “You were spying. On me.”

  “Don’t be ridiculous.”

  Some part of Aiden warned him he was taking his emotions out on an innocent, but he was tired of thinking when it came to Christina. He stalked closer, backing her up against the bookshelves. The soft smell of some kind of flowers wafted over him, but he ignored its soothing scent in favor of the anger driving him. Or was it something more, just as aggressive, but not as destructive?

  “Let’s get one thing straight, little girl,” he said, resorting to the derogatory tone from that long-ago, childish conversation. “I won’t be spied on, I won’t be manipulated and I won’t be played with. I got enough of that from my grandfather. I won’t tolerate it from a wife.”

  For a moment, he could have sworn he saw a hint of that same emotion he’d seen so many years ago. Like a lost puppy being run away from a place she’d thought to call home. But whatever he’d seen disappeared in the flood of something far more potent.

  Within seconds she was pushing back, practically standing on her tiptoes to get in his face. “Then don’t be someone I have to spy on. Be open like you were at the mill. Work with me like you said you would.”

  Something primitive inside him sat up and took notice...of the dilation of her eyes when he leaned closer...of the uptick in the pulse at the base of her throat...of the tongue that sneaked out to wet her lips. Careful. It would be all too easy to slip back into her arms.

  You did promise. Aiden wanted to ignore the thought, but he couldn’t. Because he wasn’t like his grandfather—no matter what Balcher thought. With a deep breath, he purposely moved their conversation in a safer direction. “I guess we do have a passable good cop/bad cop shtick goin’ on.”

  Her eyebrow arched skyward, affording her a superior look that told him she still didn’t trust him. She spoke in a low tone, but her words carried straight and true. “You could have sold it. Easily.”

  “To that guy? Unnecessarily cruel, I think.” Aiden knew he should step back. Move away. But he couldn’t.

  She searched his face, probably hoping for reassurance, but as with Bateman, she’d have to learn to trust him from his actions. He just needed to give her something better to work with. Of course, if the reading of the will went according to his expectations, there wouldn’t be a lot of time for her to learn. It was the reminder of the separation that was coming upon them so quickly that finally forced him to turn away.

  As he walked back to the desk, she murmured, “The servants aren’t the only ones good at figuring out what’s going on around here.”

  “Don’t you trust me?�
�� Aiden could have smacked himself. He’d just decided trust was up to her, so why was he begging like a dog at the dinner table?

  He barely heard her reply. “Should I?”

  With those two words she conjured up memories of things he should definitely forget. Warm skin. Eager hands. Willing flesh. Everything he needed to stay far away from.

  She glanced at her watch. “Look, I need to check in on Lily.”

  Something deep inside him protested. This might be his last chance to have her to himself. After their meeting with Canton... “What about you? Are you okay?”

  She turned her head toward him by slow increments. “Are you worried about me? Or whether I’ll make things more of a hassle for you?”

  “These past few days have been crazy,” he deflected. “They’re about to get crazier.”

  “Why?”

  “Now that James is dead, we can get this all sorted out,” he said, gesturing between them. “Behind us.”

  He could tell the moment she realized what he was talking about. Not because of the emotion on her face, but because all expression disappeared. She nodded. “You’ll be glad to get back to New York.”

  “It’s where I belong.”

  She studied him for the course of several breaths. “Are you sure about that?”

  Eleven

  Christina stalled as she entered the study. She was the last to arrive, thanks to lingering with Lily and Nicole for longer than she planned. Avoiding the inevitable, as if that was possible. After all, will or not, Aiden would leave. His smooth good looks and smoldering intensity had seduced her into forgetting that. Too bad his temperamental attitudes weren’t enough to cool her newly awakened libido.

  She paused beside Nolen, whom she’d been worried about since James’s death. “How are you holding up, Nolen?”

  The butler rested sad eyes on her. “I know it was his time, Miss Christina. But this will be a big change.”

  “Yes.” A delicate shudder shook her body. “Yes, it will.”

  Aiden moved closer, pausing nearby as if he wanted a word with her, but she studiously ignored him. The meeting with Balcher had been an emotional roller coaster, with another one directly in front of her. Coping with Aiden one-on-one wasn’t a good idea right now.

  As Canton gathered the papers out of his briefcase, Christina made her way to the couch and chose a seat next to Luke, who smiled in welcome. Let Aiden think what he would. It was way past time for her to stop caring.

  Only family was there—or what Christina would consider family. Each grandson, herself, Nolen and Marie. No outsiders. Her stomach tightened. Did that mean the will was James’s way of controlling them still? Had he refrained from airing their dirty laundry to others? Suddenly, her fears for the future were magnified.

  She’d never trusted him—never in life, and not in death. It was a chronic issue with her and the Blackstone males, it seemed. But with Lily as a factor, there was no way to turn her back on whatever was coming their way.

  Lily was all that mattered now. Not Christina’s breaking heart, nor Aiden’s damnable pride. Only Lily—the woman who’d sacrificed everything for those she loved.

  Chatter continued at a low volume until Canton tapped his stack of papers against the desk. “As you can imagine from your dealings with him in life,” Canton began, “James left extensive instructions about how things will continue after his demise.”

  Christina’s sense of unease escalated, growing even worse as those around her shifted in their chairs. Whatever was coming, Canton knew. The knowledge shone in those beady little eyes behind his glasses. Christina got the impression he was about to have a taste of the power he’d been hungering for while James was alive.

  She sure hoped that power was short-lived.

  “Would you like me to read the will verbatim or give you an overview?” The little weasel’s chin tipped up.

  “Just tell us how we can unravel this tangle James created...my mother, the mill, this marriage,” Aiden demanded.

  Christina tried not to care about being classified as part of a tangle, especially since she could understand why Aiden felt that way. Besides, people had viewed her as a complication her entire life. So she pretended it didn’t hurt worse than all the other times before.

  “Divorce proceedings are easy enough to initiate,” Jacob said.

  Christina sensed Aiden shift forward in his chair. “Yeah, but that could leave Christina in an awkward position when all is said and done,” he said.

  She breathed deep. This discussion had to happen, even if it hurt her. She’d rather it be in public than privately between just her and Aiden.

  Luke chimed in. “What about one of those annulment things?”

  “Would be even easier,” Jacob agreed.

  “Yes,” Canton said. “An annulment would be easy enough, provided you qualify.”

  He turned his gaze to her, staring as if he could tunnel beneath her cracking facade. In that moment, it felt as if every eye in the room shifted her way and heat flashed over her face. She wasn’t sure where her protest came from, but she wished she could take the little sound back with all her heart.

  Canton raised a superior brow, satisfaction in his small smile. “But I’m assuming the requirement that the marriage not be consummated makes this no longer an option...”

  Mortification burst over her, forcing her to lower her lashes. Having her sexuality discussed in this room full of seething testosterone was not at all what she wanted.

  “What about something to do with coercion?” Aiden asked.

  That brought Christina’s head up. Surely, he wasn’t inferring that she— But then he continued. “After all, James coerced me into this. Even though Christina volunteered, she was simply trying to help me, to help Lily. We’ll go at it from that angle.”

  She should thank him for thinking of her. If only he wasn’t fighting for something she wasn’t sure she wanted.

  “It doesn’t matter,” Canton broke in. “James wanted everything to continue as is. If you’ll just allow me to continue—”

  “Spit it out,” Aiden demanded, his voice sounding like a growl.

  Jacob and Luke nodded their agreement. Christina remained silent. She wanted nothing from this will. Nothing except to be left alone to care for her friend. If deep down she had hoped to have a chance to hold on to Aiden just a little bit longer, then she’d bury it under the shame of his abandonment and pretend it never existed.

  “James changed his will after Aiden’s return and his subsequent marriage.”

  Christina didn’t turn to look as Aiden mumbled curses under his breath. Luke’s sigh was an indication that all the men realized this probably wasn’t a good thing.

  “He wished the marriage—and your presence—to continue the full year. He also expressed his certainty that you would disregard his instructions should he die.”

  Christina’s stomach twisted, forcing bile up the back of her throat. James had known Aiden all too well.

  “So what’s the threat this time?” Aiden asked, exasperation tightening his voice. “He can no longer use Mother as leverage. Between us grandsons, money isn’t an issue. So what is it now?”

  Canton’s grin was reminiscent of the man Christina had both feared and loathed while he was alive. She had a notion those feelings were about to kick back into gear.

  “Who said Lily was out of the picture?” he asked.

  Christina gasped, jerking forward as pain shot through her. She barely noticed the warmth of Luke’s hand against the small of her back. Her entire focus was on the weasel behind the desk. “What are you saying?” she moaned.

  “I’m saying you will stay here and take care of Lily, and Aiden will stay to take care of the town. Just as James wanted.”

  That should have made her
feel better, but it didn’t. “Why?”

  “Because Lily’s guardianship now reverts to me. As does control of all Blackstone funding.”

  Curses rolled from the men around her as they jumped to their feet, but Christina remained frozen on the sofa. Her breath stuck in her throat so long she thought her chest would explode. Fear let loose like a runaway train—for Lily, for her future....

  But a small part of her brain—the part she refused to acknowledge—whispered, He can’t leave just yet...

  “Everything will remain as is, for as long as Mr. Blackstone wished. At the end of the year, all inheritances will be dispersed and Lily’s guardianship will revert to Jacob.”

  That was very little comfort to Christina. A lot could happen before the end of that year.

  Aiden stepped forward beside her, staring Canton down as if he could force his surrender with a singular glare. “What reason could you possibly have for controlling a woman who can’t defend herself, keeping her from her family and threatening her health. Much less threatening the demise of an entire town’s way of life?”

  “You can’t get away with this,” Jacob added. “When it comes to protecting our mother, we won’t hold back. We’ll find a way to stop you.”

  “According to this will,” Canton said, shaking the papers in his hands, “I can. You can fight it, but again, it will take time. More time than the year in which Aiden and Christina are to carry out the conditions. If they stick to James’s instructions, your mother will be perfectly safe from me.”

  “Wait,” Christina whispered, pulling to her feet. “Did you say all inheritances?”

  Canton’s gaze leveled on her once more. “Yes.”

  “Since they’re present, I assume Marie and Nolen receive something, as well? You’re saying they have to wait until we fulfill these requirements before you will give them their portions?”

  “It isn’t me, my dear. It’s the will. If his wishes are not carried out, James left instructions for his assets to be liquidated, Lily to be moved and no one to receive anything further. Guardianship will eventually go to Jacob, but the only inheritance will go to the university. The mill will shut down completely.”