The Rival

by Joanne Rock

  “You have every right to be furious,” she said as soon as they were alone once more, her nerves wound past the point of tight.

  And maybe it was easier to speak to his back since she was intimidated by the coldness in his eyes.

  “Perhaps I do.” He turned to face her, his face a neutral mask. “But since anger won’t fix the situation, I have no intention of indulging useless emotions.”

  She drew in a breath, needing to explain what had happened. To apologize. But he continued before she could gather her thoughts.

  “Since my mother is about to be besieged by tabloid reporters looking to feed off this story, I need to be at her side for damage control.” His gaze narrowed, coldly assessing her. “And to personally apologize for my poor decision to trust you with sensitive information gleaned by my private investigator. How much does she know, by the way? Everything?”

  Regina closed her eyes for a moment. She couldn’t bear to see his disappointment in her. She knew he was hurt, and she hated that she’d been the cause. She ached to realize how badly she’d messed up. She’d been so resentful of his father for tearing apart her family. But now she was the one to cause pain.

  “Yes.” She wrenched her eyes back open. “I thought it would provide her the same closure as it has brought me.” She had gained more than self-awareness these last weeks. She’d gained forgiveness. And that had been a beautiful gift she’d hoped to share with her mom. “I really believed we could put it behind us finally.”

  Devon’s right eyebrow twitched, but his expression did not change. “Or else you believed you could finally have the revenge you’ve sought for years.”

  Crushed he would think that of her, she sensed there were far more emotions at work inside him, no matter what he said about not indulging them. She feared he was slipping away. That she wouldn’t be able to fix this.

  “I wouldn’t do that to you.” She’d grown deep feelings for him in a short span of time and she wouldn’t just throw them away like that. She pressed her case, needing him to listen. “I didn’t even know my mother had come to Montana until a few minutes before our date tonight. I panicked, but I thought I could stop her. With the benefit of hindsight, I can see I should have called you to help, but I didn’t know she was here, in this state, let alone what she was planning. At the time, I was just so fixed on intercepting her.”

  When she paused in her diatribe, she peered up into his eyes and saw his expression hadn’t changed.

  A slow, dawning realization blindsided her.

  “You really think I could stab you in the back that way, after everything we’ve shared?” Unshed tears pricked at her eyes as disbelief washed over her.

  The anger at her mother stopped mattering. The frostbite in her toes from running around the ranch in the snow ceased to be a problem. Because the only thing she felt was a pain knifing directly into her heart.

  Devon said nothing. If anything, his expression hardened a fraction, his lips compressing in a thin line.

  “You’re cutting me off.” The realization struck her as she quietly said the words out loud, and she felt the ground wobble under her feet. She reached for the closest coat rack to steady herself, her hand falling on rough wool and cashmere. “Just like my father did.”

  “No.” Devon’s eyebrows scrunched together as he shook his head slightly.

  But it was crystal clear to her. Her grip tightened on the wool coat and the wooden hanger underneath it, her reality rocking along with the seesawing garment.

  “You might not lock a physical door to bar me from your life. But you’re shutting me out just as effectively with the coldness and unwillingness to listen.” The strategy hurt her so much more this time. Maybe because she’d believed Devon was a better man.

  “That’s not true,” Devon responded finally. Starkly. But since he didn’t have any follow-up to the statement, she took it for what it was.

  A knee-jerk reaction.

  “It is, though,” she said softly, straightening herself despite the pain in her chest, desperate to hold onto her tattered pride. “And I’m more sorry than I can say. For both of us.”

  Awkwardly pivoting on her heel, she headed to the closest exit, knowing they were done. She’d taken the risk and put herself on the line like Millie had suggested, but it hadn’t paid off, because Devon didn’t love her the way she loved him.

  And she didn’t have any idea how she was going to recover from that.

  Thirteen

  How could it hurt so much watching Regina walk away when she’d betrayed his trust?

  Devon stood immobile as she strode from the cloakroom, achingly beautiful in her deep purple gown, half of her dark hair piled on her head while the rest cascaded in curls around her neck.

  Maybe it pained him so much because she might be telling the truth? Had her mother acted independently of her? Had Regina only been guilty of confiding in someone she should have been able to trust?

  And the most painful truth of all? That Devon had been no better than her heartless father, blaming her for something she couldn’t control.

  Except she could have controlled this situation. She’d even admitted to telling her mom about the PI’s report. Although if he could trust her reasons, Regina had said she did it in order to put the book in her past. For good.

  Had she been ready to move forward with him?

  Devon couldn’t afford to dwell on the knot of questions or the cavernous ache in his chest. Not when he had an event to get through. And, far more important, he had to reach his mother’s side to help her weather this latest Salazar scandal two days before her wedding, no less. Forcing one foot in front of the other, he began making his way back out to the party.

  Swearing to himself, he paused near a stack of unused folding chairs to check his phone before he departed the privacy of the storage area. He’d already missed a video call from his mother.

  His foreboding grew. Out on the dance floor he could see a few couples two-stepping, since the country band had taken the stage. He had to trust that his staff was keeping the event on track. Maybe his presence would only serve as a distraction since—inevitably—some of the media outlets would want a statement on the book.

  He tapped the button to return his mom’s video call, waiting in the shadows until the device connected. When the feed came through, he could see his mother on the other end. She appeared to be in the passenger seat of a vehicle wearing what looked like a cocktail dress with a heavy winter coat over it.

  “Devon, I’m so glad you saw my message,” she said in a rush, her phone unsteady in her hand and making the image shake. “I wanted you to be the first to know what’s happening.”

  He ground his teeth together, hating that she had to deal with the stress of his father’s mistakes. And Devon couldn’t dodge that he’d been a part of the cause for her pain by sharing the PI’s information with Regina.

  “Mom, I’m so sorry about that—”

  “Sweetheart, there’s no need for you to apologize.” His mother cut him off. “You can’t control the choices your father made. Besides, I think it’s going to be for the best.”

  “For the best?” Devon asked, confused as hell. He tucked deeper into the storage area to focus on the call, gladly letting the gala event unfold without him.

  A secretive smile curved her lips as she slid a glance to the driver’s side of the car. In the background, Devon recognized her fiancé’s voice.

  “Damn right, it’s for the best.” At the man’s gruff pronouncement, his mother laughed and glanced back down at her phone.

  “Bradley and I have decided to elope. Tonight.” She sounded genuinely excited. “We were getting ready for yet another one of Granddad’s parties that turn into glorified networking opportunities when we heard about that actress’s announcement.”

  From the other side of the car, Devon heard
his mother’s fiancé say, “And I said, to hell with it!”

  Devon couldn’t believe his ears. His mother was eloping? His grandfather would be furious. But if his mom was happy, that was all that mattered to him. Some of the knot in his chest eased a fraction.

  His mother laughed again. She sounded sort of giddy. Full of joy. “I think Bradley was only too glad to have a reason to skip town. So we’re going to Greece.”

  “I’ve said all along we should get married by a ship’s captain,” Bradley added, leaning into the frame quickly to kiss his future bride’s hand. “We met on a yacht, right? This was meant to be.”

  Even when Bradley shifted out of the image, their clasped hands remained on screen, a silent testament to their solidarity. Trust. It made Devon glad because it showed how much this guy understood his mom.

  Loved her.

  Of course Devon was happy about that. But at the same time, seeing the way Bradley stood by his mother made him realize how much he’d just screwed up with Regina by not giving her that same kind of support when she needed it most. He’d shut her out. Refused to listen.

  The pain in his chest worsened, a surefire sign that he had feelings far deeper for her than he’d been willing to admit.

  “Mom, I’m thrilled for you,” he said finally, grateful that she had someone looking out for her.

  “I knew you would be.” Her expression turned serious. “And I wanted you to know that there was no need to rush home to Connecticut for Christmas. Unless you really want to, of course.”

  She knew he’d never been close to his grandfather. And he appreciated the heads-up. If he didn’t need to help his mother navigate the renewed tabloid interest in her ex, he could stay in Montana for Christmas.

  He had to apologize to Regina. Make her see how sorry he was for being so rash in pushing her away. He would do whatever it took to show her how wrong he’d been. He could be a better man than her father.

  Or his.

  Especially when it came to the woman he loved. The realization pierced through the muddle of his thoughts, the one, clear, burning truth.

  “I think I’m going to stay right here.” Devon was already moving toward the exit. He didn’t care about the gala party without Regina at his side. Right now, he needed to find her and do everything in his power to make this right. “I look forward to celebrating with you both when you get home.”

  “Thank you, Devon. I love you, son.” His mom blew him a kiss. “Merry Christmas.”

  The video disconnected and he shoved the phone in his pocket. He had to find Regina so he could share everything in his heart with her. Tell her how wrong he’d been and how much he loved her, how much he wanted her in his life.

  And pray she would hear him out even though he hadn’t given her that same courtesy. Just thinking about it made him realize how much he’d need a Christmas miracle to pull this off.

  * * *

  After changing out of her party clothes, Regina found herself back in the stables at Mesa Falls Ranch. It was quiet there, with all the draft horses in their stalls for the night now that the sleigh ride portion of the launch event was done. The grooms had cleaned up well in the tack room, replacing the fancy dress tack on the hooks where it belonged. The scent of leather polish hung in the still air along with the sweet scent of hay. She’d been drawn here for the comfort of the horses after the heartache of the night.

  After the betrayal of discovering that her mother was more interested in a media spotlight than in resurrecting a relationship with her. And the even more formidable pain of losing Devon.

  She dragged in a sharp breath, stopping herself from dwelling on the memory of his cold rebuff. But the agony was still so fresh. The heartbreak so devastating. She caught sight of her reflection in a shiny halter plate bearing one of the horse’s names. The woman’s face staring back at her was growing more familiar as Regina Flores became more real to her.

  For all the hurts she’d experienced tonight, Regina was still standing. Not fragile Georgiana Cameron, the pampered Hollywood princess who’d lost the man she believed to be her dad. Not Georgiana Fuentes, whose birth father hadn’t wanted anything to do with a daughter who reminded him of his mistakes.

  But Regina. The woman who awoke from a car crash with a different face and a need for a name to go along with it. That woman was strong. And she was taking full credit for conceiving her, and for loving her. Because it would take all that strength to get over a heartbreak worse than she could have imagined. The heartbreak of losing a man who’d swept her off her feet in such a short time.

  Leaving behind the tack room, she shuffled back into the stable to stroke the nose of Evangeline, the Appaloosa mare she’d saddled for Devon that day she’d taken him on a tour of the ranch. Memories swamped her, making her wonder how she’d ever sleep tonight without sobbing her eyes out.

  She’d finally healed her past, only to be brought low by loving a man who didn’t return her feelings.

  “There you are.” The voice startled her and Evangeline, too.

  Hand falling away from the mare’s soft muzzle, she turned to see Devon standing in the stable door. A tidal wave of complicated feelings threatened to knock her off her feet and drag her under. She tipped her forehead to the horse’s cheek, taking strength from the animal’s calming presence.

  Devon cast a shadow over her since the only light she’d flicked on was a lantern near the entrance. He still wore his tuxedo from the party, though he now wore boots and a long duster over it. Snowflakes dusted the dark coat, and he stamped his boots to free them of icy bits.

  “Here I am.” She smiled sadly, unsure why Devon would seek her out but hoping she could hold back her emotions and save her pride if not her heart. “In the last place I thought I would see you.” She hadn’t wanted to run into him again before he left for his mother’s wedding. Especially since she was supposed to have been accompanying him. She’d told all her bunkmates that she was leaving for the Christmas holiday. “You’re going to miss your flight if you don’t hurry.”

  “I’m not going to Connecticut.” He hovered near the entrance, not getting closer, but not leaving, either. “My mother decided to elope instead.”

  Regina exhaled hard, twinges of guilt stinging her over the woman losing out on her special day. The news did little to alleviate her guilt. But then again, she hadn’t been the one to hold an impromptu press conference during the launch event, so why should she bear that weight? She’d done her best to stop her mother.

  “I’ve already apologized, but please know if this elopement has to do with my mother’s announcement, I’m sorry for—”

  “I know.” He hung his head for a moment before taking a step closer to her. “And I’m sorry I was too much of a stubborn ass to listen to you then.”

  Now that caught her attention.

  While it was hardly enough to soothe a broken heart, she liked to think maybe he knew how hurtful he’d been. She leaned on the wall between stalls, not trusting her shaking legs to hold her upright. “I’m listening.”

  “Regina, it was wrong of me to assume the worst of you.” Peeling off his gloves, he took another step closer. Close enough that she could see what looked like genuine anguish scrawled across his handsome features. “You gave me no reason to doubt you, and I got defensive right away.”

  She folded her arms across her chest to hold in the pain of the memory, needing to hear more from him before jumping in with both feet again.

  “I’m done being judged based on the actions of my mother.” She had thought she’d moved past the old tensions with her mom after the counseling sessions, but apparently, she’d needed this reminder to understand that sometimes you couldn’t trust people who were supposed to love you. “I really thought she and I could resurrect a relationship, but tonight proved to me how wrong I was. And that hurts.”

  “I hate knowing that I
only added to your grief after that painful realization.” He stepped closer once more, bringing him within reach. He lifted a hand to touch her shoulder, his grip gentle and warm. “I don’t expect you to forgive me for the way I behaved, but I had to find you to tell you how much I regret it. How sorry I am.”

  Hearing the heartfelt apology eased her misery a little. The physical contact helped, too, although she didn’t dare let herself think there was anything more at work here than just that olive branch. She’d been through enough tonight.

  “I appreciate you finding me and telling me that,” she said, the words sounding stiff and formal since she couldn’t let her guard down. Her gaze landed on his boots, which she now realized looked frozen. Her attention shifted back to his face. “How did you find me?”

  “By looking everywhere. This was the last building on my list, but I saved it for the end so I could get a horse and start riding the trails if I didn’t find you anywhere else. That was my next guess—that you took off on horseback.”

  “I thought about it,” she admitted, feeling begrudgingly moved that he’d searched the grounds for her personally.

  In a tuxedo. In December.

  His hand on her shoulder was softening her defenses, his caress reminding her how much this man affected her.

  “I should have come here sooner. I remember you saying how much you missed the Arabian of your youth, and that’s why you wanted to keep this job.” He shook his head. “But I ignored my instincts, thinking I should search the ranch more methodically.”

  It heartened her that he remembered her talking about the horse she’d had as a teen. She felt herself melting, hoping.

  “You’re a good listener,” she acknowledged. “Most of the time. And, for what it’s worth, I do understand what it’s like to be so rattled you make poor decisions. I know it had to be awful to hear my mom at the podium tonight.”

  His green eyes tracked hers as he lifted his hand to her face.

  “Nothing was as awful as losing you.” The words stroked over her as tenderly as his touch. “Nothing else even came close.”