“As soon as she can find herself a pretty white dress. I want to put a baby in her belly!”
Lily Mae had never been happier, and now with their wedding just a month away—Jace had agreed to let her plan an outdoor affair at the ranch—she was busier than ever with errands and planning.
Her first task on this warm afternoon was to meet the furniture delivery truck at her mother’s house. Jace had paid to have the interior painted and wood floors laid in hopes of boosting its appeal as a rental property. Then he’d suggested that Lily Mae boost its appeal further by redecorating it altogether.
As the furniture arrived, she was again overwhelmed by the generosity of the man she was to marry.
Lily Mae decided she’d show her appreciation by cooking a gourmet meal. The farmer’s market would be her last stop of the day, but first she had to go to the post office to mail some letters for Jace.
“Your timing is perfect!” A cheery voice greeted Lily Mae as she entered the post office, and she smiled at the postmistress, Miss Edmunds, who nodded to her from behind the counter. “I got a bunch of mail I was sorting to deliver to your mama’s house and I was afraid I was going to have to chase you down for one of them since it’s a certified letter.”
“Probably more stuff with the estate,” Lily Mae said wearily as Miss Edmunds pushed the stack of mail toward her along with a slip from the certified letter. Lily Mae scrawled her name on the slip without looking and pushed it back across the counter before handing Jace’s letters to the postmistress.
“Maybe,” Miss Edmunds said, “but I don’t know why somebody in California would have dealings with your mother.”
Lily Mae felt a sudden chill. “California?”
“Yeah,” Miss Edmunds said. “L.A.” She looked curiously at Lily Mae over the top of her horned-rimmed glasses before turning to wait on another customer.
Lily Mae walked to a nearby table and placed the stack of mail on top. The certified letter had been sent in an expensive vellum envelope. She immediately recognized the address; although it didn’t say so, it was from the corporate offices of Bayside Gentleman’s Club, Inc.
Her hands were shaking as she opened the envelope.
I suppose you thought you could just skip town and I’d forget about our deal, Lily. You should know better than that. You’ve tried my patience by changing your cell number and making me track you down, but it was easy enough after my people found your mother’s death notice in the paper.
You owe me seven thousand dollars and I expect to be paid. Of course, we can always negotiate the terms we discussed, but either way this will be settled.
Ordinarily, I’d accept a cashier’s check, but given that you’ve put me to all this extra trouble, I expect payment to be hand-delivered within a week from the day you receive this letter… If not, I’ll come to where you are and personally settle up. I’m sure your hometown is an interesting place. I’d love meeting your friends, too…
Tony hadn’t signed the letter. But it was hardly necessary. It was only when Lily Mae heard her name being called that she realized she’d caught the attention of the postmistress and her customer, who were both staring at her with concern.
“Bad news, honey?” Miss Edmunds asked.
“No.” Lily Mae wiped her nose and tossed the letter and envelope in the trash bin beside the table. The last thing she needed was to have Jace find it and start asking questions. “Just stuff with mom’s estate. You know. It still makes me emotional.”
“Yeah, sure…” Miss Edmunds offered a sympathetic smile and said something else, but Lily Mae didn’t catch it. She was already out the door and on the way to the truck.
The sunny day no longer seemed cheery. As she tossed the mail on the seat of the truck, she lowered her head onto the steering wheel, trying to collect her thoughts. A week. Tony had given her a week. She raised her head and punched the steering wheel with her hand. Why the hell hadn’t she looked at the letter before she signed the slip? Tony Orzo had likely sent it certified to her mother’s address on a hunch, and thanks to her complacency, the hunch had paid off.
Fresh tears began to fall as she pondered her situation. The words Jace had spoken to her that day in the pond came back with full clarity now. He’d said dishonesty was a deal-breaker, and even though she tried to tell herself this was a lie by omission, down deep Lily Mae knew a lie was still a lie.
Jace loved her, but not enough to forsake his standards. If he found out, he’d break it off with her. She closed her eyes, recalling the night of the proposal at the honky-tonk. His friends had cheered, but there had been more than a few women who’d cast wistful looks at her man. A man like Jace Whitaker could have his pick of any woman in Texas.
The drive home was a solemn one. By the time she pulled into the driveway, Lily Mae knew what had to be done.
“I’m sorry, baby,” she said, struggling to collect herself. “I’m so damn sorry.”
Chapter Ten