His Convenient Virgin Bride

“Alec’s in love with Stephanie?” asked Melissa.

“Alec is saying goodbye,” said Alec, turning for the door.

McQuestin jumped into the fray. “Your father didn’t murder Frank Stanton.”

Everybody went silent and stared at McQuestin. Even Alec froze then turned back.

“It was self-defense,” said the old man. “Your mother had changed her mind. She refused to leave with Stanton. Stanton got mad and shot at your dad. He hit your mother by accident in the shoulder, and your father shot back. Your father was rushing her to the hospital when the truck went into the river.”

“Then why did Gramps hide the gun?” asked Jared.

“Make it look like a robbery.” McQuestin gave him a stern look. “Trials are unpredictable.”

And the affair would have been public knowledge. Alec didn’t agree with the action, but he thought he understood the motivation. Still, it didn’t change anything for him. His hope of a future with Stephanie was over. The sooner he got back to Chicago, the better.

The room went silent as everyone digested the revelation.

“I’ve got a plane to catch,” Alec put in. He didn’t exactly have a ticket, since he’d been hoping to stay here with Stephanie. But nobody needed to know that.

“If you leave,” Amber ventured, cocking her head sideways. “How are you going to shoot any man who touches her?”

“Nobody’s shooting anyone,” he returned. And Stephanie didn’t want or need his protection.

Royce came to his feet. “You’re just going to abandon her?”

“What part of marriage of convenience don’t you understand?”

“The part where you fell in love with my sister.”

Alec opened his mouth to deny it, but he found he couldn’t lie. There was no point in even attempting to salvage his pride. “She doesn’t love me.”

“Are you sure?” asked Amber.

Alec gave a sharp nod.

“Then change her mind,” Jared put in mildly. “Melissa didn’t start off loving me.”

Royce grinned. “And Amber took some convincing.”

Amber socked him in the arm. “I loved you, dummy. I just didn’t tell you about it.”

It was painful for Alec to watch the interplay. “It’s better if I just leave.”

“You sure?” McQuestin put in gruffly, his pale gaze boring into Alec. “Because if you’re wrong, and you break that little girl’s heart. I’m the one who’ll be shooting at you.”

Two miles from the main ranch, Stephanie jerked her car to the side of the muddy road and brought it to an abrupt halt.

Her hands were shaking. Her stomach ached. And she couldn’t seem to muster up enough strength in her leg to push the clutch and gear down for the hill.

What was she going to do?

She’d come home with such high hopes. But the days and nights at Brighton now seemed like a cruel dream. She’d fallen fast and hard for her husband, and it had seemed like he was falling for her. She’d even dared to hope it was love.

But he didn’t love her. He didn’t even like or respect her. Why else would he have stripped away her business?

There had to have been other options.

Why was it her who had to sacrifice everything?

She gripped the steering wheel, her anger reviving, blocking out her heartache.

But then she remembered Windy City Bizz. Amber loved that magazine. Yet, she’d quickly agreed to sell it. And Royce had offered up the jet. And Jared had spent years building up their Chicago property inventory. He had huge plans for construction in the next decade, yet he was looking at selling.

Stephanie swallowed, a horrible thought creeping into her mind. Had she just let her brothers down? Was this why they kept secrets from her? Did they think she couldn’t handle the hard truths?

She sat back, shoulders drooping, considering for the first time in her life that she might have some responsibility to turn a financial profit, not just to provide theoretical PR and goodwill. She had an obligation to her family. And she had an obligation to Alec.

Another ranch truck rocked to a halt beside her. But she didn’t even look up.

Moments later, Amber banged on the window.

“Stephanie!”

Stephanie blinked blankly at Amber. Her pride was in tatters and her heart was broken to bits.

She loved Alec.

She realized he wasn’t trying to hurt her. He was trying to treat her like an adult, a functioning partner. He’d done her the courtesy of telling her the hard truth about her stable, instead of trying to sugarcoat it so she wouldn’t get hurt.

She loved him, and he respected her. And she’d just destroyed any chance they might have had at building a future together.

“Will you open-” Amber grabbed the door handle and yanked the driver’s door wide. “You have to come back.”

Stephanie shook her head. She couldn’t go back. She was mortified by her behavior, and she needed to go home and bury her head.

“He’s leaving,” Amber rushed on. “He’s leaving now. McQuestin threatened to shoot him, but he’s still leaving.”

“What?” Stephanie managed to say, completely confused by Amber’s agitation.

“Stephanie.” Amber took a breath. “Listen to me. Alec wanted to sell the stable-”

“He was right,” Stephanie nodded, swallowing her pain.

“-to himself.”

Stephanie struggled to make sense of the words.

“He was going to buy it. You were going to run it. Hell, you were going to own half of it, since you’re his wife.”

Stephanie felt the blood drain from her face, while the roar of a hurricane pounded in her ears.

Amber grabbed her hand, tugging on it. “You have to come back. Now.”

Stephanie fumbled with her seat belt catch. “I don’t understand.”

“He loves you.”

“Who loves me?” Stephanie pushed off the seat, landing on the muddy road.

“Alec. He loves you.”

Stephanie didn’t believe that for a minute. And even if he had, he didn’t anymore. Still a little part of her heart couldn’t help holding out hope. “He said that?” she dared ask as Amber bundled her into the passenger seat of the other truck.

“He said he’d shoot any man who touched you.” Amber swung into the driver’s side and put the truck in gear.

“That’s not exactly the same thing,” Stephanie pointed out.

“It’s some kind of a joke. But Royce says it means he loves you. But he’s convinced you don’t love him. And he’s heading for the airport. From there, with his job, who knows where he’ll end up.” Amber glanced across the seat, voice lowering. “So, if you love him, Stephanie…”

Stephanie stared back. She slowly nodded.

“You need to tell him. And you need to do it right now.”

“I’m sorry,” Stephanie mumbled. “I wasn’t thinking. You gave up the magazine. Royce offered the jet. Of course I’ll give up the stable. I didn’t mean to sound so spoiled and selfish back there.”

Amber unexpectedly smiled. “Me giving up the magazine is nothing compared to you giving up the stable. Your brothers were never going to let that happen. Of course, as it turns out, that wasn’t what Alec meant anyway.”