The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances)

by Jennifer Youngblood

  “It seems too coincidental that both the school and this would happen on the same day.”

  Silence stretched between them for several long beats. “I’ve got to check on my parents. I know we were going to all go together, but under the circumstance …”

  She waved a hand. “Don’t worry about us. Go.”

  He gave her a peck on the cheek. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  “Okay.” Her chest burned as she watched him hurry away, the weight of the world on his shoulders. Was this Dinah’s doing? Some diabolic plan to hurt Silver by hurting those she loved? She was tempted to call Dinah this instant and give her a piece of her mind.

  “I can swim fast,” Gracie said. “Watch.”

  “Uh, huh,” Silver said absently, looking toward Gracie without seeing her.

  Silver’s phone buzzed. She went over to the table and picked it up. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was from Dinah.

  We need to talk. Meet me at The Break Café at 11:00 tomorrow. Come alone.

  Chapter 14

  “I’m here,” Silver said, giving Dinah a steely look. “Now tell me what you want.” She’d left Gracie with Ace and gone out this morning on the guise of scouting out a new location for an event, promising she’d be back shortly.

  Dinah rumbled out a velvety laugh as she made a flourish with her hand. “Let’s order first, then we’ll talk. I’m starved.” She picked up a menu and looked it over.

  A couple of minutes later, a young server approached the table with a cheery smile. “Hi, my name’s Tammy. I’ll be serving you today.” She placed a basket of rolls and butter on the table. “What would you like to drink?”

  “Unsweetened tea,” Dinah said.

  Tammy looked at Silver.

  “Water with lemon.”

  “Do you need a few minutes, or would you like to order?”

  Dinah pulled a hand through her stiffly sprayed hair. “I think we’re ready. I’ll have a house salad with vinaigrette dressing. Hold the cheese and croutons.”

  Tammy scribbled in her pad. “And you?”

  “A cheeseburger and onion rings,” Silver said to thwart Dinah. The woman was a twig, afraid to eat a bite of anything with substance for fear of gaining an ounce.

  “How would you like that cooked?”

  “Medium well.”

  “Okay, thanks.” Tammy collected the menus. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.”

  Dinah sat back in her chair, a glint of amusement in her eyes as she drummed her red fingernails on the table. “Eating a little heavy these days, aren’t you?” She clucked her tongue. “I’d be careful. Once you start packing on the pounds, it’s awfully hard to get them off.”

  Silver kept her voice silky smooth as she smiled. “What’s wrong, Dinah? Afraid I’ll get fat and spoil your version of the perfect trophy wife for Riley? What on earth would the women at the club say about that?” Silver got a perverse sense of satisfaction when she saw Dinah’s lips go tight with fury.

  “Watch it,” she snapped her gooey-sweet façade melting faster than the pat of butter on the table.

  As usual, Dinah was impeccably dressed in an outfit that cost more than their poor server made in a month. Her hair was puffed up high and big like the crest of a rooster. She was eternally brown from baking in a tanning bed. And her breast implants were hoisted so high it was a wonder they didn’t jump up and hit her in the chin. Dinah sat up straight in her seat as she cast a haughty look at Silver. “I don’t know what you think you’re playing at, but this thing with Ace Sanchez has to stop. Immediately. Do you understand me?”

  Silver couldn’t stop the laugh rumbling in her throat. Did Dinah really think she was so high and mighty that she could sit there and bark orders like she was the Queen of England? “What’s it going to take for you to realize that who I date is no longer your or Riley’s concern. We’re divorced, remember?”

  Dinah leaned forward, her voice lowering to a hiss. “You’re making a laughing stock of our family, and I won’t allow it. Moving in with Ace and traipsing all over town with him.”

  “First of all, I didn’t move in with Ace. I’m only staying with him because my ceiling’s being repaired. Not that I owe you any explanation,” she mumbled. It was Silver’s turn to go on the attack. “I got a call yesterday from The Wexton Academy.” Anger bubbled over her when she saw the look of triumph on Dinah’s face. “How could you sabotage your own granddaughter? What kind of monster are you?”

  Dinah clucked her tongue. “I’d watch that temper, honey. It does nothing for you.”

  “So, you’re outright admitting that you’re interfering with Gracie’s schooling?”

  Dinah took a sip of her tea. “That’s not the question you should be asking. Rather are you going to be the cause of Gracie’s lost opportunity because of your own selfishness?”

  Silver wadded the napkin in her hand. She’d never considered herself a violent person, but at this moment she wanted to jump up and shove her napkin down Dinah’s skinny throat. “You’re pathetic.”

  Dinah took another drink of her tea, seemingly unaffected by Silver’s rant, like she had ice water running through her veins.

  “I don’t care about The Wexton Academy.”

  Dinah blinked a couple of times, then clutched her napkin.

  Silver felt a surge of power as she looked at the aging woman across from her. She wasn’t as untouchable as she liked to pretend.

  “You’re lying,” Dinah said, eyes narrowing.

  “No, I’m not.” She lifted her chin. “As much as I wanted Gracie to attend The Wexton Academy, I’ve come to realize that a school won’t make or break Gracie,” she said, remembering Ace’s words. “Gracie’s a smart girl. She’ll do just fine with or without The Wexton Academy.”

  “Here you are,” Tammy said, returning with the plates and placing them on the table. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “I don’t think so, but thank you,” Silver said, offering a polite smile.

  Dinah just sat there, and Silver swore she could almost see steam coming out of her ears. Silver reached for her burger and took a large bite, relishing every bit. She could tell she’d rattled Dinah. It felt good to have the woman scurrying for the hills for once, instead of the other way around.

  Dinah pushed lettuce around her plate with the fork before taking a bite. She washed the bite down with a long drink of tea, then blotted her lips with the napkin, leaving red smears. “I was so sorry to hear about Ace’s family’s restaurant.”

  The hair on Silver’s neck rose. “How do you know about that?”

  She chuckled, taking another bite of salad. “The whole city knows about it. It’s all over the Internet, and I even read something about it in The Rising Star this morning.”

  Silver caught hold of the arms of her chair. “You’re behind this, aren’t you?” A pit settled in her stomach, and she suddenly felt nauseated. It was astounding how ruthless and cruel Dinah could be, having so little regard for anyone other than herself and Riley. “Ace is a good man. His family doesn’t deserve this. They’ve put their hearts and souls into their restaurant, and I won’t stand by and see you ruin it.” She leveled a glare at Dinah. “Leave them alone.”

  Dinah laughed. “It’s not my fault they were stupid enough to drop a shard of metal in someone’s food.” She clucked her tongue. “The negligence is reprehensible.” She gave Silver a censuring look. “I would think you’d be more worried about that poor woman who swallowed the metal rather than those people.” She spoke the word people like it was something foul.

  There was no winning with Dinah. She played by her own set of rules, would never see the humanity in others. “I pity you.” Silver put down her napkin, reached for her purse, pulled a twenty-dollar bill from her wallet, and placed it on the table. Then she stood. “We’re done here.”

  Dinah half-stood and grabbed Silver’s arm, her claws digging into Silver’s flesh. “No, we’re not. Sit back down,
” she ordered through clenched teeth.

  “Take your hand off me. Or I’ll remove it myself, and it won’t be pretty. The days of me cowing to you and your pathetic son are over.”

  A cruel smile twisted over Dinah’s face as she released Silver’s arm, her tone going syrupy sweet. “And that’s where you’re wrong, darling. If you value your daughter, you’ll sit down and listen to what I have to say.”

  A trickle of apprehension ran down Silver’s spine as she reluctantly sat back down.

  Dinah sighed. “I’d hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but alas, it has.” She shook her head in mock sadness as she reached in her purse and pulled out her phone. She pressed on her screen and then handed it to Silver.

  “What’s this?” It was some sort of video.

  “Press play.”

  What in the heck was Dinah up to this time? Whatever it was, it couldn’t be good. She could tell from the smug look on Dinah’s face.

  Silver went stiff as her mind tried to comprehend what she was seeing. The video was of Silver … in her bedroom … throwing things around in a rage, then crumpling down in a heap beside her bed, weeping—her face buried in her hands. Her throat went thick as the memory of that particular day came rushing back with a vengeance. It was the first time she learned Riley was having an affair. Somehow, she managed to find her voice. “H-how did you get this?”

  Dinah shot her a triumphant look. “I had a nice talk with Alisha Evans the other day.”

  Silver jerked. “My babysitter? Is she the one who filmed this?” Anger spiked through her. Yes, Alisha had been there that day. At her wits’ end, Silver had called Alisha to come over and watch Gracie so she could deal with her emotions.

  “Alisha’s willing to testify to the abuse that’s been going on in your home for quite some time. And we have plenty of other videos to prove it.”

  “What?” Silver felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Alisha had been her babysitter for years. She’d thought Alisha was a nice person, someone who cared about Gracie. But she’d been working for Dinah all along. She dropped the phone on the table with a loud plunk.

  “As much as I hate to say it, poor Gracie doesn’t need to be in that environment.”

  White lights exploded around Silver as her throat closed. She reached for her water and gulped a drink. “I don’t know what videos you think you have, but I have never done anything to hurt Gracie. I’m a good mother.” She felt like a noose was closing around her neck, cutting off the air. Her eyes filled with angry tears. “Why are you so evil?”

  Dinah grunted. “Not evil, just practical.”

  “You would really try and take Gracie from me?”

  She took a bite of her salad. “Well, that certainly wouldn’t be my first choice, but you’re not giving me many options.”

  Silver tightened her hand, her fingernails digging into her palm. “What do you want?”

  Dinah put down her fork and took a long drink of tea, like she had all the time in the world. “Here’s how this is going to go down. You’ll stop seeing Ace Sanchez immediately and move out of his house and back to your own.”

  Silver felt like she was having an out-of-body experience, standing above herself, seeing this from a distance. Heat blistered over her, and her collar felt tight as she tugged on it. How could Alisha do this to her? She’d trusted her—thought she was her friend. “No court would believe I’ve abused my daughter.”

  “You sure about that? A babysitter’s testimony can be convincing, especially when combined with certain videos. Not to mention the concerns of your ex-husband, a prominent builder.” She tipped a smile. “And me, of course, the concerned grandmother.”

  Silver wanted to rush at her, claw her eyes out. Or better yet, wrap her arms around her treacherous neck and squeeze until her head popped off.

  “If necessary, I’ll spend every last dime I have to protect my granddaughter.”

  “What do you want?”

  Dinah placed her napkin down and pushed away her plate. “Next Saturday, I’m hosting a garden party for Bruce’s birthday. I want you and Gracie to be there. You’re going to announce that you and Riley are getting back together.”

  The words were devastating blows, coming at her with such force she could hardly stand it. “Why are you doing this? You hate me. And you don’t even like Gracie. You think she’s inferior, I can see it in your eyes.”

  Dinah pulled out a tube of lipstick and applied a fresh coat to her lips. “You’re right,” she said, dropping the lipstick back into her purse. “I don’t like you. I never have.” Her eyes locked with Silver’s. “But for some strange reason, which is beyond me, Riley loves you.”

  “Riley wouldn’t know love if it hit him between the eyes.”

  “Riley loves you,” Dinah continued as if Silver hadn’t spoken. “And it’s destroying him to see you with Ace Sanchez.” Her eyes sparked. “I won’t let you destroy my son. The minute you married Riley, you sealed your fate. For better or worse, you’re a Coulter, and there’s no getting out of it.”

  Silver’s temples were pounding with a furious roar. “No,” she exploded.

  Dinah frowned. “What do you mean, no?”

  Hysteria pricked at her. “I won’t do it.” She shuddered. “I can’t go through that again.” She’d fought so hard to stand on her own. Built her business from scratch. Found Ace. “You can’t keep bullying me.” She squared her jaw. “I’m done cowering to you.”

  A hard amusement glittered in Dinah’s eyes. “You don’t want to go toe-to-toe with me, darling. I’ll destroy you and everything you love.”

  Silver was sick to her stomach and sick at heart. “You’re a horrible woman,” she muttered.

  “No, I’m a mother looking out for her son. And if you have any sense in that dim-witted head of yours, you’ll see that I’m offering you a deal you can’t refuse.”

  A high-pitched laugh escaped Silver’s lips. “Is that what this is? A deal? Let’s just say hypothetically that I cave to your demands.” Her voice rose, causing the people at the table beside them to glance in Silver’s direction, but she was beyond caring. “What happens the next time I step out of line? What will you require of me then? You never stop!” She pounded her fist on the table. “You’re pathetic.”

  Dinah’s voice had the control of a python slithering around its prey. “Come to the party and announce that you’re getting back together with Riley. When the two of you get remarried, I promise you, I’ll never threaten to take Gracie away from you again … providing that you keep your word and stay married to Riley, and stay away from Ace Sanchez. You have my word.”

  Silver felt her heart squeeze to the size of a stone. “Your word? Like that’s gonna stick.”

  Dinah held up her finger. “I kept my word the first time, when you married Riley.” She tipped her head, studying Silver. “Remember? I swear to you, I’ll keep it again.”

  Silver’s voice shook as she spoke. “Does it not bother you in the least that I detest your son?” Desperation oozed from her pores, spilling out and becoming a sticky glue, binding her to her chair, forever holding her in Dinah’s clutches.

  “Probably no more than I detest my husband,” Dinah muttered. “When you grow up, you’ll come to learn that marriage has very little to do with love.” She flicked her wrist, sounding bored with the conversation. “You don’t have to give me your answer today. When you show up at the party and make the announcement, our deal will be sealed. It starts at six o’clock at my home. Don’t be late. Oh, and I wouldn’t count on your football player to swoop in on a white horse and save you. Ace has enough on his plate with his own family to take on your problems.” She gave Silver a look that could melt metal. “And regardless of how much you think he loves you, he’ll choose his family in the end. Family always wins.”

  Silver was on her feet, unable to take another word. She grabbed her purse, her mind a jumble, as she stumbled out of the restaurant. She made it as far as the street before
she leaned over and vomited up the contents of her lunch.

  Chapter 15

  Ace poured the protein shake into a glass, then put the blender in the sink and ran water in it. He took a swig of the shake, hardly tasting it. Something was wrong. Ace could feel it. For the past two days, Silver had been distant. At first, he hadn’t noticed because he’d been too preoccupied with problems over the restaurant. Things had gone from bad to worse in a matter of a few hours. News of the lawsuit somehow got leaked, and the news media outlets were having a heyday with it, especially considering he was an NFL player. Ace’s parents were distraught to the point of concern for their health. He tried to tell them that even if the restaurant went belly-up, he’d take care of them, help them start a new restaurant. But the problem ran deeper than that. The restaurant symbolized their hard work and making something from nothing in this country. Ace’s parents felt their integrity was being questioned—their good name ripped away. Plus, there was concern over the lawsuit being exorbitant and drawn-out because Ace had money. He was worried about that aspect, although he’d tried hard not to convey that to his mom and dad. No sense adding to their stress.

  Ace blew out a weary breath, running a hand through his hair. He’d invested, tried to be a good steward over his earnings, but he wouldn’t continue to earn millions each year. The average career for a running back in the NFL was two and a half years. He was going into his fourth year—already living on borrowed time. He stayed on a regimented training schedule to keep himself in top physical condition, but he couldn’t keep performing at an optimum level forever, and there was always the risk of an injury. One wrong hit could put him down for the count, and then where would he be? He brushed off the negative thoughts, realizing worry wouldn’t help the situation.

  He looked over at the kitchen table where Silver was sitting, her face illuminated by the glow from her computer screen. She looked as haggard as Ace felt. Her eyes were sunken and hollow like she hadn’t been sleeping well, the faint lines around her eyes and mouth more pronounced. His stomach knotted. Something had changed. He kept asking Silver if she was okay, and she’d answer with a wan smile that she was just tired. She’d still hold his hand and respond to his kisses, but he had to initiate the physical contact. She was here in body, but her mind was elsewhere.