Lone Star Wedding. Sandra Steffen

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      “I see.”

      “Parker and I have been talking. I was just telling him that neither Cole nor I will try to influence you when it comes to your relationship with Ryan. I didn’t have a chance to tell him how I feel about prenuptial agreements. Perhaps you’d like to enlighten him.”

      “Parker’s just doing his job, dear.”

      It was hard to tell who was more surprised, Hannah or Parker, but it was Hannah who said, “You’re defending him?”

      Lily looked at Parker, but spoke to her daughter. “I believe Parker has Ryan’s best interests at heart. Ryan trusts him, and Ryan doesn’t trust just anybody.”

      Parker found himself at a rare loss for words. He was accustomed to receiving respect when he earned it, but there was compassion in Lily’s expression, too. It left him feeling raw, as if something was missing from his life. It made him uncomfortable. Almost as uncomfortable as unspent desire.

      Hannah linked her arm through her mother’s. Bidding Parker good-night, the pair strolled away. Parker watched until they rounded a curve and were out of sight.

      He finished his walk alone, deep in thought. He had to get hold of this situation. His fantasies had been playing tricks on him. Now that he’d kissed Hannah Cassidy, he could get her out of his system.

      He glanced at his watch. Coincidentally, his fifteen minutes were up.

      Parker strode out the back door of the business complex that housed Malone, Malone & Associates. Snagging his key out of his pocket, he pointed it at the ground-hugging Corvette parked between the Mercedes and the Cadillac. The push of one button unlocked his door. The touch of another started the engine. Pausing, he listened closely. The timing was off. He’d better make an appointment to have his mechanic take a look at it.

      Footsteps sounded behind him. “Parker,” his father called. “You’re just the man I wanted to see.”

      Parker stopped and slowly turned. Another minute and he would have made his escape. His car wasn’t the only one whose timing was off.

      “What is it, J.D.?”

      “I’ll make this brief. I just came from the Double Crown Ranch.”

      Parker acknowledged the information with a slight nod. “Any luck convincing Ryan to push that prenup?”

      Tucking his briefcase beneath one arm, J.D. shook his head. “He wants his divorce from Sophia, and he wants it now. All he can think about is marrying the Cassidy woman. He says he trusts her.” J.D. made a disparaging sound. “You’ve got your work cut out for you, son. I understand you’ve made contact with Lily Cassidy’s daughter.”

      Parker’s eyebrow rose a fraction of an inch, his only indication of surprise. “I suppose you could call it that.”

      “Think you can get close enough to her to make her see reason?”

      Parker knew how J.D.’s mind worked. By “reason,” he meant whatever suited him in his efforts to win the most money, the most assets, the lion’s share for his client.

      “I don’t think so, J.D.”

      “You kissed her.”

      Parker didn’t even try to hide his reaction to that one. Did the man have spies?

      J.D. smoothed a hand down the length of his tie. “I happened to be on that garden path last week. She looked pretty…shall I say, pliable.”

      Parker clenched his jaw. “She’s refusing my phone calls. The flowers I sent her were returned to me, wilted.”

      “So you’re already on it.”

      J.D. turned to go. Accustomed to his father’s dismissals, Parker quickly strode the remaining distance to his car door.

      “Parker?”

      He looked up, one foot already in the car.

      J.D. was watching him, eyes narrowed, his gaze cool and steady. His father had an uncanny ability to assess a person, a situation, a half-truth or an out-and-out lie. As a kid, that look had made Parker feel like a germ under a microscope. It still did.

      “Check your calendar and let me know when you have an evening free,” J.D. said. “I’ll have my cook broil some steaks. You look like you could use a cattleman’s cut, medium rare.”

      Parker hadn’t planned to smile. “I’ll do that, Father.”

      J.D. smiled, too, but only briefly. And then he headed for the office. The father-son moment was over. It was business as usual.

      An hour later Parker strummed his fingers on the steering wheel. His windows were down, but there wasn’t much air moving in downtown San Antonio today. Consequently, the plush leather seats felt at least a hundred and five degrees.

      Come on, come on. He was parked along Smith Street, two car lengths away from a storefront painted a subtle charming beige. Two women, probably a mother and her grown daughter, had left a few minutes ago, arms filled with books and bags, heads undoubtedly filled with wedding plans.

      It was twelve o’clock on the dot when he got out of his car and headed for the building bearing the sign The Perfect Occasion. A wind chime jingled softly when he opened the door, and air that was slightly cooler greeted him.

      Hannah glanced up, the ready smile on her face suddenly looking a little less steady. “Parker, what are you doing here?”

      He strolled farther into the room, the epitome of nonchalance, a hand on one hip, the other fiddling with a clasp he picked up off her desk. “I just happened to be in the neighborhood, so I thought I’d stop in and say hello.” He failed to mention that Ryan “just happened” to drop the name of Hannah’s business in passing that very day. He paused. “Is your air-conditioning on the blink?”

      “No, why?”

      His gaze made a quick trip over her sleeveless dress. She appeared cool and comfortable. “Never mind. I’m on my way to lunch. Care to join me?”

      He could tell from her expression what her answer was going to be. Raising a hand, he said, “Would it sway your decision if I told you how much trouble I went to and how much time I spent juggling appointments so I could just happen to be in the neighborhood right now?”

      “If you would have called first,” Hannah said, straightening pamphlets lying on her desk, “I could have saved you the trouble.”

      “That’s a marvelous idea. I should know. I’ve tried it. You won’t take my calls.” He waited until she looked up to grace her with his sexiest smile. “And I take it you don’t like flowers.”

      Her hands stilled for a moment, then resumed their task.

      “Come on, Hannah. I’ve been burning the candle at both ends for weeks. Even my father thinks it’s taking a toll on me. From the looks of all the brochures and swatches of material and files in this room, you’ve been busy, too. I have to eat. You СКАЧАТЬ