Silver’s face drained.
“Oh, no,” Fabiana said, her hands going to her mouth. “You did. I’m so sorry.”
Silver drew herself up, a resolute expression tightening her features. “It’s okay.”
No, it’s not okay, Ace wanted to shout.
Fabiana motioned. “Come over here, and give me a hug.”
Silver walked over and hugged Fabiana.
Fabiana looked past Silver. “Ariana, would you and Ace take Gracie to the nurses’ station, and see if they can find her some snacks? I’d like to have a talk with Silver … alone.”
Ace didn’t want to go anywhere, he wanted to stay right here and demand some answers.
“Go,” Fabiana ordered, making a shooing motion with her hand. The look in her eye reminded him that sick or not, she was still his mother and expected him to follow orders.
“Fine,” he said, feeling like he was a kid again, banished to his room.
When he got near Gracie, she flung her arms around him, giving him a fierce hug. “I’ve missed you so much, Ace.”
Surprised, he hugged her back. “I’ve missed you too.”
He caught the tortured look in Silver’s eyes. She was trying hard to hold it together, but looked like she might break into tears any minute. What in the heck had happened to her? It had to be related to Riley and Dinah. Had they threatened her? If so, why hadn’t she told him? He’d promised her they’d band together and field the opposition. Did she not believe he was good for his word?
Gracie took his hand. “I’m tired of the hotel.”
Ace looked at Silver. “You’ve been staying in a hotel?”
She nodded.
“But why?”
She only shook her head and looked away.
“I have workbooks … for school,” Gracie said. “And Saturday at six o’clock is Papa’s birthday party.” She thrust out her lower lip in a pout. “They have ice cream, but not fried.”
Ace felt like he’d been slapped. “Is she talking about Riley’s father? You’re going to Dinah’s house for a birthday party?”
Silver folded her arms across her chest, giving him a hard look. “Now’s not the time to discuss this.”
A harsh laugh escaped his throat. “Oh, really? Well, maybe I would’ve discussed it earlier, if you hadn’t up and disappeared.”
Gracie’s head shot up as she looked wide-eyed at him. Ace offered a reassuring smile. “I’m okay.”
“Go take Gracie to get a snack.” Fabiana turned to Raúl. “You too. I wanna talk to Silver … alone. Go, on. All of you,” she said when they just stood there, looking at her. She looked at Silver. “Pull up that chair and have a seat.”
Chapter 17
It was hard enough for Silver to hold herself together in light of the situation, but sitting beside Fabiana and getting probed by her perceptive eyes made it nearly impossible. Emotion clogged Silver’s throat as she coughed. She had to remain strong, keep her problems to herself. There was no way she could burden Fabiana with them. The poor woman had enough to deal with without Silver adding to the mix.
“So, you and Ace called it quits?” Fabiana began, disappointment sounding in her voice.
“Yes, it wasn’t going to work.”
Fabiana paused soaking it in before nodding, a grim look on her face. Her eyes locked with Silver’s. “Do you love him?”
Silver rocked back, clutching her hands together in her lap. Not the question she expected. She wrestled with how to answer. “Yes, I love him,” she admitted, then squared her jaw, resentment coating her throat. “But love is not enough.” She shook her head. “Believe me, if I could’ve found a way to make it work, I would have.”
Fabiana arched an eyebrow. “Well, love is certainly a good starting point. Do you remember what I told you on the phone, the night of Ariana’s party?”
“Of course.” Silver had lived by those words … until reality came crashing down around her.
“Look, I’m not trying to act like you don’t have problems.” Fabiana grimaced. “It’s called life.” She paused, collecting her thoughts. “It’s like I told you over the phone, there are two kinds of people—those that sit around waiting for their happily ever-after to come to them, effortlessly like it does in a fairy tale, and those who go out and make things happen.”
Her penetrating eyes cut into Silver’s with such intensity that Silver had the impression Fabiana was seeing into her soul.
“You strike me as the latter,” Fabiana continued. “Nothing comes easy in this world.” Her eyes sparked as she clenched her fist, her voice rising. “You have to go out, hunt that happily ever-after down, and drag it back, holding onto it with a death grip. Only then will you be successful. Don’t let fear keep you from being happy. Fight for what you want, because it’s only after the fight that you’ll truly appreciate it.”
Tears burned Silver’s eyes. Oh, how she wished those words were true. If only there was a way to fix this sordid mess—escape the impending doom looming over her head.
“It always gets worse before it gets better, but you have to keep moving forward in faith.” She smiled. “And prayer helps too. I know you’ll find a way to work through your problems. I believe in you,” she finished, her voice ringing with conviction.
Silver could no longer stay the hot tears streaming down her cheeks. “I’m sorry,” she said, wiping at them with the palms of her hands. She had to get out of here before she totally lost it. She stood. “Thank you. I’m sorry, but I have to go,” she squeaked.
Fabiana nodded in understanding.
Silver fled the room and had to freeze in her tracks to keep from nearly barreling into the back of Ace’s dad. She hadn’t realized everyone was waiting right outside the room. Her cheeks burned as she sniffed, trying to dry the tears.
Ace stepped up to her, touching her arm. “Are you okay?” He glared at the closed door. “What did my mother say to you?”
“Nothing,” she answered quickly. “It wasn’t her.”
She swiped at her runny nose. “Gracie, we need to go,” she squeaked, trying to salvage what little dignity she could.
“No, to Ace’s house,” she countered stubbornly. “The princess bedroom.”
Silver wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. Desperation clawed at her as she fought to keep her voice even. “That’s not possible, honey.”
Ace caught hold of her arm. “We need to talk,” he said, his jaw tightening.
“This is neither the time nor the place,” she countered, giving him a frosty look. She felt like she was coming unglued, hysteria gripping the edges of her mind.
“No,” he nearly yelled. “We’re talking right here, right now. We can either do it in private or right here in the hall in front of my family and the nurses. Your decision.”
They stared at each other, neither willing to back down.
“Gracie can stay here with me,” Ariana offered. She pointed. “There’s an empty conference room a couple of doors down.”
“Fine,” Silver muttered. She jerked her arm out of Ace’s grasp and stomped in that direction.
When they entered the conference room, Silver sat down at the table and folded her arms over her chest. Ace sat down beside her.
“You got your wish. Now talk!” Silver ordered.
Ace swore under his breath, running his hands through his hair. “Why did you leave like that? What happened? Did Riley or Dinah threaten you?” Anguish twisted his features. “Was it something I did?”
She took a deep breath. Her eyes were puffy and sore, and she felt like a total wreck. “No, it wasn’t you.”
He angled to face her, leaning forward. “Okay, then what?”
Her heart broke at that—shattered into a million unrecognizable pieces. Ace was right here in front of her, and she was powerless to go to him. She longed to touch his beautiful face, run her fingers through his hair, crush her lips to his. “It won’t work between us,” she said, her voice sounding insignificant in
her ears.
Ace’s face fell. “You don’t believe that.”
“I have to be practical, put Gracie’s needs before my own.”
“What does this have to do with Gracie?” A furious expression overtook him. “This is Riley and Dinah’s doing, isn’t it?”
He pounded the table with his fist. “It is, isn’t it?”
She saw the course she must take—rolled out before her like an endless funeral procession. If she told Ace the truth, he’d fight for her until he was battered and broken, his family destroyed. “I’m going back to Riley.”
Shock rippled over his features as he took in a ragged breath. “What?” His jaw worked as he grappled to make sense of her words. “I don’t believe it.”
“It’s true.” She was dead and empty inside. “I realized that leaving him was a mistake.” She felt like a prisoner of war, reading a rote script for the camera.
“You’re lying,” he muttered. “What did they do to you?”
Silence.
“What did they do?” he roared, knocking over a chair.
She flinched. “It’s over, Ace.”
“Don’t say that. You love me, as I love you.”
She had the curious sensation of being detached from the situation, watching someone else’s life implode rather than her own. “I’m going back to Riley. We’re getting remarried. Gracie needs to be with her father. The announcement will be made Saturday at Bruce Coulter’s birthday party.”
He let out an incredulous laugh. “Are you serious? Riley has never been a father to Gracie. You said so yourself. I don’t believe this!” He grabbed her arms. “I love you, Silver.” His eyes grew pleading.
“Let go of me,” she ordered.
He released her arms. “Don’t do this. Please. I can’t lose you again.”
A silent scream wrenched her throat as the room began to spin. She stumbled to her feet.
“Silver,” he yelled, as she pushed past him. “Silver!”
Her only thought was to get to Gracie and get as far away from Ace Sanchez as she could.
Chapter 18
Silver’s nerves were raw, her stomach tied in knots as she walked up the steps leading to the stately brick mansion with its neat rows of large windows, flanked by shutters. A gust of wind whipped through her clothes and rustled the leaves of the monstrous trees overhead. She looked up at the turbulent clouds. A storm front was moving in. Let it come, Silver thought.
“Ouch! My hand,” Gracie complained.
“Oh, sorry.” Silver eased up on her grip.
Gracie was bubbling with excitement over the birthday party and had been talking about it nonstop all afternoon. But now she huddled next to Silver for protection against the wind.
As Silver approached the door, she heard music and laughter coming from the back. She straightened her shoulders, her body going into a battle stance, as she punched the doorbell.
The silver-haired woman’s face lit in recognition as she smiled. “Good evening, Mrs. Coulter.”
“Good evening, Beth,” she said briskly.
“Come in.” She shivered. “Oosh, it’s windy out there. If it gets any worse, they may have to move the party indoors.”
Beth had worked for the Coulters for years. Normally, she wore regular clothes. But tonight, she was impeccably dressed in a conservative black dress, white apron, and black cap —the typical servant attire.
“May I take your purse?” Her eyes flickered over Silver. “What a beautiful dress.”
Silver had chosen a red sundress with bold white flowers for the occasion. “Thank you.” She’d planned on wearing black, but then a spirit of recklessness overtook her, and she chose the red instead, hoping it would help bolster her courage.
Beth motioned. “The guests are out back, in the garden.”
“Thanks.”
Gracie bounded ahead as fast as her little legs would carry her. Silver had put her in a red dress, so they’d match. She’d pulled her pigtails up high and tied red ribbons around them.
Just as she expected, the garden was decked out with strings of white lights and giant floral arrangements. Round tables with white linen tablecloths filled the grassy space. A microphone and stand stood at the back. To the left of it, a string quartet was playing an upbeat tune. And to the right, there was a long rectangle table—presumably where the family would sit. Silver’s heart started racing as she looked at the microphone. That’s where she would stand to make her announcement. She clutched her hands, willing herself to remain calm. A monstrous birthday cake was prominently displayed on the left. The garden was brimming with people and it was barely past six. Excitement buzzed through the air as servers dressed in black tuxedos threaded through the guests, carrying silver trays of wine and appetizers.
Silver tensed when she saw Dinah, laughing and talking—completely in her element. Bruce was standing a foot away from her, talking to a group of men. When Dinah saw her, she lifted her chin, her expression one of haughty triumph as she gave Silver a curt nod.
Silver scanned the garden, looking for Gracie. She spotted her near the cake. Riley was standing beside her, holding her hand. Had Riley not been there, preventing it, Silver was sure Gracie would have dived right in. When Riley saw her, he smiled and waved joyously like they were a happy couple. A bitter amusement roiled in her throat as she adjusted her dress.
One thing was certain—it was going to be an interesting evening.
Ace pulled out his phone and glanced at the time—6:20. Resentment churned in his gut. He was sure Silver had already made her announcement. Hurt splattered over him as he stared past the TV show and into space. The house had been silent as a morgue, the loneliness looming large and terrible. He closed his eyes, rubbing a hand across his forehead, squelching the angry tears. Silver had made her choice. The best he could hope for was the pain to stop so he could move on with his life.
“What are you doing, bro?”
He looked up to see Ariana standing over him, her hands on her hips. He’d been so locked in his own mind that he hadn’t heard her come in. She tipped her head, sizing him up. “You look like crap.”
“Well, I feel like crap.” He rubbed a hand across the stubble on his jaw. He’d not shaved the past couple of days.
She just stood there, looking at him.
“What?” he said irritably.
She reached for the remote and turned off the TV. “We need to talk.”
“About what?”
She smirked. “Don’t play dumb with me.”
He’d told Ariana about his conversation with Silver and how she was announcing her engagement at the birthday party.
Ariana plopped down on the sectional. “Are you just gonna sit there and let her go through with this?”
“What else am I supposed to do?” The hurt was slicing ribbons through him to the point where there would be nothing left. He’d have to refocus and put everything into football. That was the only way he’d survive.
“Go after her, you dummy!”
“Yeah, right. Like I’m just gonna barge in and proclaim my love, and she’ll drop everything and rush to my side. Is that what you think?”
She arched an eyebrow. “You can drop the sarcastic tone. And yes, I do think that’s exactly what you should do.” She eyed him, her eyes lit with determination. “Whether she rushes to your side or doesn’t, at least you will have acted like a man.”
He pushed out a hard laugh, shaking his head. “I tried, Ari. You don’t know how hard I’ve tried.” His voice broke, and he balled his fist, bringing it to his mouth.
“Are you really gonna sit there, wallowing in self-pity while you let Riley manipulate her?” She shot him a blistering look. “I thought you were better than that.” She growled. “If you could channel one-tenth of the grit you have when running the stupid football over the end-zone to score a touchdown into other facets of your life, you’d be unstoppable. You’ve spent too much of your life playing second string to Riley Coul
ter.” She tossed her head, her nostrils flaring. “You’re better than that entitled jerk in all the ways that count. You always have been, but you just didn’t know it back then.” Her voice quivered with indignation. “But now you’re all grown up. So, stand up and be a man. Silver needs you, and so does Gracie. Don’t blow it this time.”
For one tiny instant Ariana’s words lit a spark in him. If he thought he could win Silver back, he’d charge over there this instant. But it didn’t work the first time. Why would it work now? Silver was stubborn … determined to see this through. She had the noble idea that she was sacrificing herself for Gracie, when what she was really doing was putting them both in a pit. “It won’t work,” he said flatly. “Leave me alone,” he muttered, hugging his arms.
He heard Ariana rummaging around in the kitchen. And then, she was standing in front of him again. He saw her hand rise in the air, realized she was holding a pitcher, and then felt the ice water over his head. He yelped as he jumped up, furious. “What’re you doing?”
She got in his face, jabbing his chest with her index finger. “Getting your butt up. Now go get a shower. And hurry,” she snapped.
The promise of impending rain was in the air. Silver saw more than a few people casting worried glances at the darkening sky. Silver wished it would come a gully washer and drown out her futile desperation. It was astounding the lengths Dinah went to in order to put on a show. This party had cost a fortune, and Dinah had gotten Mary McClain Silver’s competitor to plan the event. Silver recognized Mary’s handiwork and had seen her earlier, talking to the caterer. Silver was sure Dinah hired Mary out of spite.
Just as Silver figured, the family was sitting at the rectangle table, facing the guests—lined up like royalty with Bruce sitting closest to the microphone, then Dinah, Riley, Gracie, and Silver. Riley had tried to sit beside Silver, but she placed Gracie between them. Gracie was bent over, her face a mask of concentration, as she colored. Thankfully, she was oblivious to the tension boiling inside Silver. She’d lain awake most of the night, thinking of this situation and remembering Fabiana’s words. Then she prayed that she’d be blessed to know if there was a possible solution—something she hadn’t considered before.
The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances) Page 18