“True,” Ethan conceded, “but what if you need the money for something else … down the road?”
“I’m perfectly capable of managing my own finances,” she said stiffly.
“You’re not going,” Caroline said through gritted teeth. “I forbid it.”
Emerson laughed out loud. “Seriously? I’m not ten, Mama. You no longer have control over me. I’ll do what I want, when I want.”
The slap took her completely off guard, the sting of her mama’s hand reverberating across her jaw. Tears rushed to her eyes. “I hate you,” she muttered, holding her face. The emotional wound from the slap was much more painful than the physical hurt.
“Now, now, calm down,” Ethan said with a nervous laugh. He turned to Caroline. “Emerson’s right. She’s a grown woman and can make her own decisions.”
For a second, Emerson didn’t think she’d heard him correctly. “What?” She looked at her mama, could swear she saw steam coming out of the devil woman’s ears.
Caroline spun around, aiming her venom at Ethan. “Have you lost your mind?”
He put a hand on her arm. “Just hear me out. Emerson has every right to go to that auction, and even to bid on one of the players, if she so chooses.”
“Thank you,” Emerson said, giving her mama a vindicated look. “What about Finley? Do I also have the right to turn him down?” She looked at her daddy, his lower lip went loose like a limp noodle. Yes, she was backing him into a corner, but she couldn’t stop now. She wanted to get a commitment out of him here and now.
“Don’t push it,” Caroline warned.
“Go on to the auction, cupcake,” Ethan said, giving her a fleeting smile. “I’ve got some work to take care of in the study.” He turned and shuffled out, his shoulders hanging low, like he’d suffered a heavy defeat.
“See what you’ve done?” Caroline yelled, tears springing to her eyes.
A hard amusement came over Emerson. “What? Stood up for myself?”
Caroline slung back her head, nostrils flaring. “You’re so spoiled and ungrateful.” Her lower lip trembled. “I never thought I’d see that day when my own daughter would treat me this way.”
When the hostility failed to work, her mama went into the wounded routine.
Suddenly, Emerson had enough. “Save it,” she barked, turning on her heel and storming out the door.
No surprise. When Caroline entered the study, Ethan was making himself a Scotch. She strode over and sat down in an overstuffed chair. “You should’ve told her the truth.”
He turned to face her. Then he swirled his glass, the liquid funneling like a tornado before he downed the entirety of the drink in a couple of swigs. “Tell her what? That her old man’s a failure? That my business is a bust?”
“If Emerson knew the truth, she’d understand why it’s so important for the merger to take place.” Her voice went hard. “Instead, she’s headed off to squander her money on some stupid bachelor auction. You need to tell her, Ethan. If she hears it from you, it’ll make a difference. The two of you are as thick as thieves.”
He poured himself another drink. “No, I don’t want to put that burden on Emerson. Let her enjoy herself a little. Reality will set in soon enough.” He brought the glass to his lips, taking a long drink, a slight shake in his hand.
She folded her arms, eyeing him. “What do you think will happen if Finley, or worse, Kenton Landers, gets wind that Emerson is out bidding for a date with a football player? It could destroy everything.”
He let out a humorless laugh. “You always go straight to the worst-case scenario.”
Her jaw hardened. “I’m a realist.”
He came over and sat in the chair beside her. “Here’s the way I see it … there will be a room full of rich women bidding on a handful of players. Chances are, Emerson won’t even win the bid.” He gave her a censuring look. “If you keep riding her so hard, you’re bound to push her away. Then where will we be?”
Caroline let out a long sigh. “You’re right. I’m just worried.” This time, she didn’t have to fake the tears in her eyes. They were on the verge of losing everything. She couldn’t even fathom the thought of the merger not taking place.
Ethan placed his drink on the nearby table and patted her leg, giving her a reassuring smile. “It’ll be okay.”
“I’m not so sure.”
“Have I ever let you down?”
“No.” They’d come close to losing everything a few times over the years, but Ethan always managed to pull things back together. He was older now, though, not as confident and scrappy as he’d been in his younger years.
“Trust me.” He gave her a pleading look. “It’ll be okay.”
Finally, she nodded. “Okay.”
A pleased smile broke over Ethan’s face. “That’s my girl.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips, planting a kiss on the top. “I’ll always take care of you.” His eyes held hers. “I promise.”
A tear slipped from her eye and dribbled down her cheek. “I love you.”
“I love you too.”
She wished she could share Ethan’s optimism that all would work out. She had no doubt that if Emerson wanted one of those players, she’d spend her last cent to get him if necessary. At this point, Caroline figured Emerson would win a bid just to spite them. Dread churned in her gut. She got a bad feeling that they were heading for disaster.
15
Riker glanced at his reflection as he tied his bowtie. He wasn’t looking forward to going to the auction and being paraded like a peacock to the highest bidder. When he signed on for the Titans, he had no idea it would entail this. He wished Starr would’ve taken him up on his offer to let her bid on him. At least the proceeds were going to help vets. He smiled thinking about Starr. Maybe he’d call her after the auction was over and see if they could get together for dessert. They’d spent every evening together this week, and he didn’t want to break the trend. He wanted to get the silly date over with sometime this week so he could concentrate on his upcoming road trip with Starr. The thought of spending several uninterrupted days with her seemed like heaven.
He jumped slightly when his house phone rang. “Hello?”
It was the security guard from the front desk. “Mr. Dylan. You have a visitor.”
His pulse increased. Had Starr changed her mind about the auction?
“Trisha Pennington is here.”
Disappointment riddled through Riker. Why was Trisha here? He didn’t have time to deal with her right now.
“Should I send her up?”
He was tempted to say no. “Yes,” he heard himself say. A few minutes later, the doorbell sounded. He went to answer it. He forced a smile as he opened the door. “Hey.”
She looked him up and down as she stepped inside. “Why’re you all dressed up?”
He rubbed his neck. “I’m going to a charity event.”
“Is Starr going with you?”
The bite in her voice took him back. “No.” It hit him—the stark difference between Trisha and Starr. Sure, Trisha was beautiful, but there was no depth to her. She certainly didn’t light his world on fire like Starr. Had he met Starr years ago, there would’ve been no Trisha.
“Good,” she retorted.
“Just because she’s not going with me to this event, doesn’t mean we’re not together. I care about her … a lot.” He wanted that stated loud and clear so there would be no misunderstanding.
Her face hardened. “I figured that was the case, which is why I’m here.”
He grunted out a humorless laugh. “I don’t have time for this. I have to be at the conference center for an auction for the Titans.” He folded his arms over his chest. “If you came here to try to talk me out of dating Starr, you’re wasting your breath.”
She pointed to the sectional. “Mind if I sit down?”
Had she not heard a word he just said? “I don’t have a lot of time.”
“Trust me, you’ll want to hear what
I have to say,” she snipped.
Trisha was a piece of work. “All right,” he finally said, “you’ve got five minutes.”
“I think you’d better sit down for this.”
He didn’t know what her game was, but it was getting old. Reluctantly, he came around and sat down, making sure to keep a healthy distance between them. Trisha retrieved a folded newspaper page from her purse. She opened it and handed it to him. “This was in yesterday’s paper.”
He spread it over his lap. For an instant, his brain didn’t register what he was seeing. Then he looked at the bottom corner and saw the picture of Starr with another man. The air expanded and contracted in a hard punch, knocking the breath out of him as he read the caption.
Dynamic duo Emerson Stein and Finley Landers smile for the camera. Insiders say the two are practically engaged and are planning to wed soon.
Starr was engaged? His mind whirled. No! It couldn’t be! Then he processed what he’d read. Her name wasn’t even Starr, but Emerson Stein. Hurt sliced through him like knives. Why had she lied to him?
“As you’ve read, Starr’s real name is Emerson Stein. I did some research on her. She’s the daughter of Ethan Stein, a multi-millionaire cattle rancher.”
Trisha’s voice sounded like it was coming from far away, but he caught tidbits of what she’d said. Starr said her father owned a ranch outside of Ft. Worth. Bitterness spiked over him. Her name wasn’t even Starr! The woman he was falling for was a fraud. He’d fallen hard for her, was thinking of them in future terms. His eyes collected moisture as he crumbled the paper in his hand and threw it across the room.
“The guy she’s with is Finley Landers, son of the software billionaire Kenton Landers.”
He looked at Trisha who wore a sympathetic expression. “I’m so sorry.” She put a hand on his knee. “I just thought you needed to know.” Her voice took on a hard edge. “When I think about that woman deceiving you like that, it makes me furious.”
A fog had settled into his brain, like he still couldn’t fully grasp what was happening. The things he’d felt for Starr—Emerson had been so real. They were going away together. What reason could Emerson have for tricking him? He thought back to the rodeo announcer calling her Starr Andrews. It was most likely her racing name, but why didn’t she tell him who she really was? To cover up the fact that she was practically engaged to another man?
The way they’d met at the rodeo had been spontaneous, and now things were moving so fast. Maybe she wanted to tell him, but couldn’t find the words. No wonder Starr—Emerson didn’t want to go to the auction and bid on him. Her jig would be up. He reached for his phone to call her. She’d better have a darn good explanation!
Trisha put a hand on his arm and scooted next to him. Her brown eyes took on a luminous look. “I’m so sorry,” she began, trailing her fingers up and down his arm. She peered into his eyes. “I would never treat you the way that vile woman did.” Her eyes hardened, then went soft and pleading. “I love you,” she said softly. Her hand cupped his face. “I always have.” She leaned forward, her lips touching his.
Whoa! Hold the phone! He leaned back, mortified. “What’re you doing?”
Her eyes widened. “Comforting you.” She touched his hair, her long fingernails sliding into his roots. “Poor, baby. I’ll make you forget all about Starr,” she purred.
“Stop,” he warned.
Trisha only laughed. She moved in and pressed against him. “Playing hard to get, huh? I can deal with that. You know you want me too.” Her dark eyes radiated confidence.
He jumped to his feet. “No! I don’t want you!”
Her face fell, tears brimming in her eyes. “Why’re you pushing me away?” She stumbled to her feet. “I told you what kind of woman Starr is, brought you proof. And you’re rejecting me.” Her voice had a whiny sound, like a two-year-old who’d just gotten her favorite toy taken away.
It hit him. Regardless of what Starr—Emerson had done, he was falling in love with her. There must be an explanation for why she didn’t tell him the truth. He was pathetic. He should be fighting mad right now and he was searching for excuses for her. An image of Emerson flashed through his mind and he saw her soft, tantalizing lips, the fiery spark in her emerald eyes, her flaming hair. He straightened his shoulders. “I appreciate you coming here,” he said flatly, “but I think you need to leave.” He felt as weary as if he’d played an entire game.
The sympathetic mask slipped away as Trisha breathed out curses that would’ve been harsh even for a locker room. “How dare you throw me away like a piece of garbage!”
“No one’s throwing you away, Trisha. We’re not a couple.” He sighed heavily. “It was over between us a long time ago.” Rage twisted over her face, making him wonder how he could’ve ever thought he might one day grow to love her. Trisha was small-minded, vain, and a sore loser. He’d hoped they could remain friends, but now he doubted that. “I’ve got to get to the auction. You need to leave,” he repeated.
She flipped her hair, her eyes burning with indignation. “You’re making a big mistake.”
He tightened his jaw. “I don’t think so.”
She let out a disbelieving laugh, calling him more names. When she got to the door, she stopped and turned, a cruel smile curling her lips. “You know what? I’m glad Starr broke your heart. Now you know how it feels. Good riddance,” she snarled, stepping out and slamming the door behind her.
Even the air seemed to breathe easier with Trisha gone. He tried to think … what was the best way to handle this? Riker called Starr—Emerson, but it went to voicemail.
“Hey, it’s me. Call me. I just found out some disturbing news.” He paused. “Why did you lie to me about who you really are?” The hurt sounded in his voice and repeated through his ears as he ended the call.
Next, he sent her a text.
I know who you really are. Why did you lie? Call me!
He wanted to drop everything and hunt Emerson down this minute. Now that he knew her real name, she wouldn’t be hard to find. The entire time they’d been together he’d felt like she was holding something back, wondered why she didn’t want him going to her home. Now he knew the rest of the story, or at least the society page version. He thought of something else. She’d mentioned how controlling her mother was, and he’d thought that was odd. Was Emerson’s mother somehow connected to this?
It was time to leave for the auction. He couldn’t be late. As much as he hated it, this thing with Emerson would have to wait until later tonight.
Emerson turned into the parking lot of the conference center and turned off the engine. Her phone had binged a second ago, but she didn’t want to answer it while driving. Her heart lurched as she listened to Riker’s message. The wounded tone in his voice ripped her to shreds. A second later, she got his text.
Dede, who was sitting in the passenger seat, gave her a funny look. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”
Emerson dropped her phone back into her purse and pushed the strap over her shoulder. So, he knew. It was kind of a relief, actually. She could only imagine what Riker must be thinking. She realized Dede was studying her. “You want to tell me what’s going on?” She gave Emerson a steely look.
“Not really.” She flashed a tight smile. “It’s too much to tell right now. Let’s just go into the auction, so we can get a good seat.” Her plan all along had been to bid on Riker. He’d then learn her identity and she’d force him to go on a date with her. Now that he knew the truth, it was imperative that she win the bid, regardless of how much it cost.
“Okay, if you say so.” Dede flipped down the visor and did a last-minute check of her makeup. “Something’s going on with you, I can tell. I guarantee it has something to do with Finley.”
Emerson rolled her eyes as she opened her door and got out. She glanced at the hungry-eyed women walking in the same direction. They were high-society women like her, pampered and privileged—all determined to get a Titan player at any cos
t. An attractive brunette caught her eye and looked her up and down with a haughty sniff, like she was checking out the competition.
Dede saw the exchange and laughed in surprise. “What’s her problem?” she muttered, giving the woman a snarky look. “Is it just me, or does it feel like we’re surrounded by sharks going in for the feed?”
“No, I think you’re right on the mark.”
“I guess that makes us sharks too,” Dede grinned, her eyes dancing with the thrill of the chase.
One thing was for sure—tonight would be a bloodbath.
16
Riker cut off a section of his steak and placed it in his mouth. He chewed, barely tasting anything. It was hard to concentrate on eating while on display for the packed audience of mostly women sitting at the fifty or more round tables. As if it weren’t bad enough to be auctioned off, he and three other Titan players were sitting at a long rectangle table at the front of the room, their backs to the stage, facing the audience. A blonde caught his eye and winked, her lips going sultry. He offered her a brief smile and quickly looked away. The idea was to avoid making eye contact with any of the well-groomed predators.
The conference center was done in vivid greens and golds, reminding him of something out of the Wizard of Oz. Emerald, the color of Emerson’s eyes, with sparks of gold. The longing for her was nearly overwhelming. He flinched when he saw a blip of red hair on the back right-hand side of the room. His pulse shot up as he looked through the crowd. Was Emerson here? His heart crashed back to the ground when he realized the woman wasn’t Emerson. When she caught him looking at her, she gave him a hopeful smile. He nodded, smiling back, then looked away.
He glanced at Knox Sherman who was sitting beside him. A world-renowned defensive end and army hero with corded muscles and a perpetual scowl, it wasn’t hard to see why Knox was known as “The Beast.” When he first arrived, Riker had attempted to make polite conversation, but got mostly one-word answers in response. He didn’t blame Knox for being disgruntled about the auction. Heck, he felt the same way and was just better at hiding it.
The Hometown Groom Page 11