Fortune's Vengeful Groom. Charlene Sands

Чтение книги онлайн.

СКАЧАТЬ she’d missed the good life and was leaving him high and dry six years ago. Reese let her comment drop for the time being.

      He scanned the room again, this time with discerning eyes, noting the objects partially hidden behind draped fabrics. “So what is this place?”

      Eliza’s eyes brightened for the first time tonight. “It’s my studio. I do interior design. It’s something I’ve always enjoyed.”

      “Are you in business?”

      She shook her head. “No. Maybe someday,” she said on a wistful note. “I’ve decorated the third floor of the estate. And I use my talent for charitable events at times.”

      Reese forked another mouthful and chewed thoughtfully, wondering about Eliza’s life. Didn’t sound as though she lived on the edge anymore. The Eliza he’d known had been part risk taker, part sexy bed partner. She’d been carefree and happy—or so he had thought until he’d realized that he had been her entertainment that one summer.

      Now she spent her time raising money for good causes, but it seemed, from the light that sparked in her eyes just then, that she wasn’t pursuing her true passion. He’d noted the longing on her face when she’d let down her guard.

      He glanced at her full plate. “Not hungry?”

      She lifted a quick smile to him and picked up her fork, ready to stab the meat. Then she lowered the fork down none too gently. “Reese, why’d you make such a large donation last night?”

      He smiled. “Because I can.”

      Eliza’s blue gaze met his. He’d always thought she had the prettiest eyes. That hadn’t changed, only now he knew what kind of deceit those eyes could conceal.

      “How can you? What’s changed in your life?”

      “I told you one day I’d strike oil, darlin’.”

      She slumped back in her seat, stunned. “You mean…you did it? You actually…I never thought…”

      “That was the problem, wasn’t it? You never believed in me. You never thought I’d fulfill my dream. All you saw was a silver-buckled rodeo cowboy without a dime in his pocket.” His tone turned gruff. “But after you left, I made it my mission in life. I partnered up with my brother Garrett. We pooled our resources. With his business sense and my gut instincts we struck oil after two years. Now Parker Explorations is a successful wildcatting company in Montana.”

      “You own your own company?”

      Judging by the look of awe on her face, she appeared truly surprised. Reese had wanted that reaction from her, but now it seemed that her lack of faith in him achieving his goals just irritated him even more. He’d wanted to shock her and rub his success in her face to gain well-deserved satisfaction. He’d done all that, but it wasn’t enough, damn it. “Let me get this straight. You married a rodeo cowboy from Montana and never in your wildest dreams did you think I’d amount to anything. I had no money, and that just wasn’t good enough for you. After our little summer fling, you got tired of playing the penniless wife and headed for home. I get that now. But you should have stuck around. My company is one of the fastest growing in Montana, and now I’m finally setting down roots. I’m staying in one place for a change and building my own estate just outside of Bozeman. So let’s just call our marriage what it really was—a foolish notion. Or how did you say it in your note? A mistake.”

      Eliza blinked, then stared at him as if he’d gone raving mad. “Reese! What are you talking about? I didn’t run out on you because of money. And I certainly wouldn’t have married you if I hadn’t lo—”

      “Hadn’t what, Eliza?” he probed, shoving his plate away and leaning in with elbows braced on the table.

      She hesitated for a moment and then on a long-winded sigh finished, “Hadn’t thought it would last forever. I’d planned on staying married, but you…you were the one who made that impossible. How could you think I’d stay in a marriage to a man who’d been unfaithful? After less than three months together, Reese! I’d trusted you. And you, you…”

      Reese tossed his napkin onto the table and bolted out of his seat. “What?”

      “Don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

      “I don’t know what you’re talking about! I was never unfaithful.”

      Eliza sat perfectly still in her seat and spoke slowly. “I’m not a fool, Reese. But apparently you thought I was. That last night, when I left you to go home for my father’s surprise birthday party, I came back to our hotel room unexpectedly and saw her.”

      Completely baffled, he asked, “Saw…who?”

      “The rodeo queen. Suzette, SueBelle, Sue…something. She was in our bed. Our bed!”

      Reese slumped back into his chair as faded memories came back and he recalled that night. He’d kissed Eliza goodbye in front of the hotel, hoping she’d go home and finally have the courage to tell her family about him and their marriage. He’d met up with a friend from the rodeo named Cody Pierce and together they’d gone to the bar for a drink. Aside from missing his wife already, he’d had an event that next day so he’d decided one drink would have to be it. “Her name was Susanna.”

      Eliza nodded scornfully. “So you don’t deny it?”

      “Damn straight, I deny it. I never touched that woman. No, that’s not true. I did touch her….”

      Eliza’s expression blackened.

      He was so damn angry with her right now that he didn’t give a damn what she thought, but he hated being accused of something falsely. “I was at the bar with Cody that night. You remember him. He’s the big, good-looking bull rider who always managed to flirt with you.”

      Eliza opened her mouth to respond but clamped her lips together, apparently deciding against it.

      “We spotted Susanna in the corner, drinking herself into oblivion. She was really wasted. It seemed her younger brother had gotten in a bad car wreck and she couldn’t catch a flight out of town until the morning. She was pretty upset and then announced that she’d drive herself all the way to Texas if she had to. When she stood up to leave, she would have collapsed if Cody hadn’t caught her. We both knew if we left her, she’d do something stupid. Since you were gone anyway, we put her in my bed, talked to her awhile and waited until she fell asleep. I bunked with Cody that night.”

      “Sounds like a good story,” Eliza said bitterly, “except when I entered the room, she called out your name.”

      “And did I go to her? Did you see me? Hell, no. Because I wasn’t there. It was after midnight when we finally got her to sleep. And when I went to check on her just after dawn the next day, she was already gone. She couldn’t have spent more than a few hours in our room. I was never alone with her.”

      “But…but I thought…I came back so unexpectedly, and when I saw her…I assumed—”

      “I know what you assumed,” Reese said, barely managing to contain his hurt and anger. He’d given Eliza everything he had to give, but still she hadn’t trusted in him. She’d instantly thought the worst, without even bothering to stay and confront him to get to the truth. СКАЧАТЬ