The Persistent Groom (Texas Titan Romances)

by Jennifer Youngblood

  He walked over and sat down beside her. “How’s it going?”

  She offered a slight smile. “Okay, just getting caught up on some work.”

  He nodded, taking a drink of his shake. “How did Gracie do at bedtime tonight?”

  Instead of answering, she kept staring at her screen.

  “Silver?”

  “Hmm?”

  She didn’t even look at him, but kept her eyes glued to the screen. She hadn’t heard a word he said. This time, he touched her arm. “Hey?”

  She jerked as if coming out of a daze. Then she shook her head. “I’m sorry, did you say something? I’m trying to sort through a problem with a caterer.”

  “I asked how Gracie did at bedtime.”

  “She did okay. You know how hard it is to get her in bed.”

  Ace tensed, irritation trickling over him. “I know, that’s why I was asking.” Why was Silver acting this way? He certainly had his share of problems and could still make time for her. Why couldn’t she do the same?

  She shrugged. “Gracie did as well as she always does, I suppose.” She turned her attention back to her computer.

  Ace touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

  Silver sighed. “I told you, I’m having trouble with the caterer. We’ve had this luncheon booked for a month, and now the caterer’s telling us she accidentally scheduled two events for the same date and wants to cancel.”

  He tightened his hold on his glass, the cold from it seeping into his bones and going straight to his heart. “I’m not talking about your business. I’m asking what’s wrong between us?”

  She jerked, her mouth going slack.

  “Look at me.” For a second he thought she might refuse, but reluctantly, she met his gaze. He searched her beautiful eyes, trying to discern her secrets. “I know something’s wrong. I can feel it.” He caught hold of her arm. “Tell me what it is.”

  For an instant, her guard seemed to drop and he thought she might be forthcoming with him. Then she forced a smile so fake it looked like her face might break in the process. “I’m fine. How are things going with the restaurant? How are your parents holding up?” Her tone went soft, and he saw the compassion in her eyes.

  She was changing the subject so she wouldn’t have to talk about herself. He almost called her out on it, but didn’t want to start a fight. “They’re hanging in there, but it’s tough.”

  She nodded. “Does the woman who’s suing have a legitimate claim, or is someone else pulling the strings?”

  “No one knows. My attorney is handling it. He mentioned hiring an investigator to look into it.”

  She bit her lower lip. “That’s probably a good idea.”

  Early on, when Ace first got the call and was rushing out the door to check on his parents, Silver questioned if Dinah was behind the lawsuit, but that seemed farfetched to Ace—more of a Silver’s fears being manifested kind of thing.

  “I’m really sorry you’re having to go through this,” she said, her eyes softening around the edges. For a moment, it was like the old Silver was returning.

  He held her gaze. “Thanks.” He brushed a lock of her hair, leaning closer. “Maybe we should take a dip in the pool. Blow off a little steam. Whaddaya say?”

  The longing in her eyes evoked a slow-burn in his stomach, and he felt like she was coming back to him. But then she seemed to catch herself, a film of deadness coming over her eyes. “I wish I could,” she said mechanically. “But I have a busy day tomorrow. I’d better go to bed.” She closed her laptop and stood. “Goodnight.”

  He sprang to his feet, not willing to let her go without a fight. “Silver,” he uttered, touching her arm. “Don’t shut me out.”

  She looked down at the floor.

  He trailed a finger along her jaw. Then he traced the delicate outline of her soft lips. “You are so beautiful.” He leaned in and kissed her neck. In the process, her hair brushed against him and he caught a whiff of her strawberry shampoo, mingled with the essence of her scent. He slid his arms around her waist, pulling her close as he searched her crystal eyes. What was he seeing? Regret? Pain? But it was mixed with the spark of the same desire that wicked through him. “I love you,” he murmured, his lips claiming hers. The kiss was achingly tender as his lips moved lightly over hers, trying to pull out the hurt and doubt. But then the fierce need for her took over as he deepened the kiss. Her mouth parted in acceptance as she gave herself to him in the same way he was giving himself to her. All of Ace’s reservations melted away, and he felt the rejoining of the strong bond he and Silver shared. He ran his hands up her back, then through her hair, marveling how it slipped like silk through his fingers.

  When the kiss was over, he rested his forehead against hers, holding her tightly. “That was incredible.”

  “Yes, it was.” She drew back, scoping his face as if she were memorizing every detail. A smile tipped her lips. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you … for loving me.”

  He chuckled. “You don’t have to thank me for that.” Something about the direction this conversation was taking was unsettling. He frowned. “Are you okay?”

  She smiled. “I’m great, now that I’m here with you.”

  He relaxed. Maybe he was overthinking things. Silver was here, in his arms. Sure, they still had obstacles to overcome, but they’d take it one step at a time. He searched her face. “So, are you up for that swim?”

  “I’d love to, actually, but I really do need to get some rest. I’m feeling pretty worn-out.”

  “I hope you’re not getting sick.” Maybe that’s what this was about. They’d been going nonstop. Silver needed to rest.

  “Yeah, me too,” Silver admitted.

  He cupped her hands with his and brought them to his lips where he planted a tender kiss. “Okay, I’ll let you get some rest. I was thinking I’d like to take you and Gracie to Fossil Rim tomorrow in Glen Rose.”

  “Is that the safari place where you drive in and the animals come up to your car?”

  “Yes, and you can even feed them. Gracie will love that.”

  Silver smiled, but there seemed to be a hint of sadness to it. “Yes, she will. That sounds great.” She gave him a peck on the lips. “Good night.” She stepped away and picked up her laptop. As he watched her walk across the room, he wasn’t sure what to think of her mixed behavior. When she reached the hall, she paused and looked back over her shoulder. “Just so you know, for the record, I love you too.” With that, she hurried away.

  The next morning, Ace worked out his frustrations over the lawsuit with a long, hard workout. Normally, Silver came out by the pool while he swam. But this morning, he’d not heard a peep from her. He went into the kitchen and got a drink of water, trying to get rehydrated. Next, he’d shower and get dressed for the day. Silver’s door was closed. He walked up to it and listened. Not a sound. He tried the door handle. It was unlocked. Did he dare look in and check on her? He didn’t want to intrude on her privacy. Maybe he’d better wait. He took a few steps away, then changed his mind. Ever so carefully, he turned the doorknob and peeked in. His eyes popped, not believing what he was seeing. He gulped. Silver and Gracie were gone. The bed was made, the room tidy, like they’d never been there. His pulse began to pound when he saw the a-frame card standing in the center of the bed. He rushed over and picked it up. The outside was blank. He looked inside, his fist going to his mouth as he read the two words.

  I’m sorry.

  Chapter 16

  “Mommy? Why are you crying?” Gracie tugged on Silver’s hand.

  Silver smiled through her tears. “Mommy’s okay, sweetie. Just a little tired.”

  “Let’s go to Ace’s house. You rest. I watch TV with Ace.”

  Silver wanted to weep, but she had to pull herself together and be strong for Gracie. Leaving Ace was one of the hardest things Silver had ever done, but she didn’t see any other option. Even now, she longed for him body and soul. She’d
packed up everything in the dead of the night while Gracie was sleeping. At the crack of dawn, when she knew Ace would be preoccupied with his workout, she and Gracie had slipped out. Silver could only imagine how confused Ace must be and how devastated he was when he got her note. She’d written a dozen different ones, trying to explain the situation, but mere words couldn’t suffice. So, in the end, she’d kept it simple and to-the-point. She knew if she went to her house, Ace would follow her and talk her into going back with him. But she couldn’t do that and run the risk of losing Gracie. Dinah wouldn’t stop until she destroyed everything, including Ace and his family. Silver was sure Dinah was somehow behind the lawsuit.

  Her phone buzzed … again. Ace had been calling and texting repeatedly since she left. At first his messages had an angry tone as he demanded to know why she left so suddenly and where she was. But his most recent messages had been more pleading. “I just want to know where you are and make sure you’re okay,” he’d said.

  She thought about texting him to let him know she was okay, but didn’t want to open up a conversation with him. It was better this way. Ace would eventually forget about her and move on.

  It was two days until Bruce’s birthday party where Silver was supposed to make her big announcement. Dinah was all about making a big show. This was so her—force Silver to make a public announcement to keep up appearances. The very thought of remarrying Riley turned Silver’s insides green, but what else could she do? Maybe take Gracie and disappear? Then they would be runaways with no way to make a living. And Dinah would use all her resources to hunt them down like dogs and take Gracie away from her. A fierce headache pelted through her head as she rifled through her purse and pulled out a bottle of ibuprofen. She opened it and chugged down two capsules with a swig of bottled water.

  Gracie clutched her stomach. “I’m hungry.”

  That’s right. It was dinnertime. Silver had lost all concept of time. And she certainly wasn’t hungry. “Let’s order some cheese pizza, and we’ll watch a Disney movie on my computer. How does that sound?”

  Gracie shrugged. “Okay.” Her brows furrowed, her lips turning down into a deep frown.

  Silver touched her arm. “What’s wrong?”

  “Ace … the restaurant.” She thrust out her lower lip, which began to tremble.

  Silver couldn’t stop tears from escaping the corners of her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. “I miss him too.”

  “Let’s go see him, Mommy. Show him my new workbooks.”

  Knowing Gracie would need something to keep her busy while they were at the hotel, Silver took her to the store and purchased a couple of workbooks, saying Gracie could do those to get ready for school. Silver had to fight to keep her voice from trembling. “I’m sure Ace would love that, but we need to stay here tonight.”

  Tears pooled in Gracie’s eyes.

  “Hey,” Silver said tenderly. “Everything’s going to be okay.” Maybe if she kept repeating that mantra long enough it would eventually be true.

  “You’re sad.”

  Silver laughed through her own tears. “Yes, I have been a little sad, but I’ll get better.” She put her arms around Gracie and pulled her close, rubbing her back. A couple of seconds later, Gracie pulled away. Silver pushed Gracie’s hair from her face and smoothed it down. “Hey, guess what?”

  “What?” Gracie said, studying her.

  “On Saturday, we’re going to Nana and Papa’s house for Papa’s birthday party.”

  “Really?” Gracie instantly pepped up. “I want birthday cake and fried ice cream.”

  “I don’t know about fried ice cream,” Silver said, her heart twisting, “but you can have regular ice cream.”

  “What time?”

  “Six o’clock.” Gracie didn’t have a concept of time, per se, but the workbooks had a section on clocks. It stuck in her mind, and she kept asking Silver what time everything would take place.

  “O—kay,” she said, sighing loudly as her shoulders drooped.

  Silver’s phone buzzed. She thought it might be Ace again, but it was a text from Ariana.

  I’m not sure what happened between you and my brother, but my mom collapsed. She’s in the hospital, asking to see you. Please come. She’s at Harris Methodist Hospital in room 202.

  Silver’s mind whirled. Her first reaction was concern for Fabiana’s health, then came the splitting anger. If Dinah was behind this, she had a lot to answer for. It took her two seconds to reach a decision as she texted back.

  On my way.

  Seeing his feisty mother in such a ragged condition jolted Ace to the quick. Her skin was pale, the lines on her face more prominent. It was scary how much the impending lawsuit and negative publicity had affected his parents. For the first time, it hit Ace that his parents were getting old and wouldn’t be around forever. Fabiana was lying in a hospital bed with Raúl beside her, holding her hand. The doctors were keeping her for a couple of days to run tests.

  A nurse had come in earlier and expressed concern over the barrage of reporters camped outside the hospital like hungry wolves trying to get a hunk of fresh meat. The hospital was forced to call in extra security guards to manage the reporters. It was ridiculous how the media jumped on every little thing, blowing it way out of proportion. The whole situation turned Ace’s stomach sour. Ace rushed to the hospital as soon as he got the call from his dad, and Ariana arrived shortly thereafter. Ace’s younger brothers were staying with cousins.

  Ace paced back and forth, his thoughts vacillating between worry over his mom and concern for Silver. Where was she? Why had she just walked out of his life? No warning. Nothing. Then again, looking back, he realized she’d been trying to tell him the night before.

  “Stop it! You’re making me nervous,” Fabiana said, rolling her eyes. “You’ll wear out the floor at this rate,” she muttered.

  Ace halted in his tracks, his mother’s command bringing him out of his thoughts. “Sorry,” he said sheepishly.

  “Come and sit down,” Ariana said, patting the chair beside her.

  Reluctantly, he shuffled over and slumped down.

  Ariana gave him a sly look, linking her fingers, her palms facing out, as she stretched her arms, her knuckles cracking. “So, any news from Silver?”

  Ace scrunched his brows, eyes narrowing. “You know I haven’t heard anything.” After he’d gone searching for Silver and was unable to find her, he’d called Ariana and poured out his heart. “Why do you ask?”

  She shrugged. “No reason, in particular. I was just wondering.”

  He shot her a suspicious look. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing.” Geez. “Don’t be so sensitive, I was just asking, okay?”

  Raúl shot them a warning look. “Your mother doesn’t need the stress of you arguing.”

  “I’m not so fragile that I’ll break from the slightest word,” Fabiana countered, eyes sparking.

  Raúl brushed a hand across her hair. “I know, babe,” he cooed. “But you need to rest, without a lot of commotion.”

  Fabiana looked at Ace, concern etching her features. “Is everything okay with Silver.”

  “Everything’s fine,” he said evenly. Blast Ariana for bringing it up and worrying their mother!

  “Is she coming to the hospital?” Fabiana asked. “I’d love to see her.”

  “No, I don’t think she’s going to be able to make it,” Ace said stiffly, casting a dark look in Ariana’s direction.

  “That’s too bad. I’d love to see her … and Gracie.” A blissful smile curved Fabiana’s lips. “I love that little girl. She’s beautiful like her mother.” Fabiana looked at Ace. “You need to hold onto Silver, she’s a keeper.”

  He nodded, a bleak despair settling over him. He’d wait until his mother recovered to break the bad news.

  Ariana suddenly stood. “Silver,” she chirped brightly. “I’m so glad you came … and brought Gracie with you.”

  Ace stumbled to his feet. “Silver,” he g
asped. “What’re you doing here?”

  Silver’s features tightened, her mouth vanishing into a thin line. “I came to check on Fabiana.”

  It took all the self-control Ace could muster not to rush over to her, throw his arms around her, and kiss her. After that, he’d demand an explanation for how she’d acted. A shot of adrenaline raced through him as he wrapped his mind around what was happening. Silver was here. That was a start.

  Silver flashed an apologetic smile. “I didn’t have anyone to keep Gracie, so I had to bring her with me. The nurses weren’t happy about it, but I assured them we wouldn’t stay long.”

  Fabiana held out her arms. “I’m so glad you brought my beautiful girl to visit. Come here.”

  Gracie bounded into her arms as Fabiana gave her a kiss on each cheek, followed by a tight hug. “Are you sick?” Gracie asked, wrinkling her nose.

  “Just a little tired, honey,” Fabiana said. She looked at Silver. “This is a nice surprise. I’m so glad you came.”

  Silver frowned. “But I thought you were asking to see me. Ariana texted and said something to that effect.”

  The dots connected, and Ace realized why Ariana was acting strange. He’d not even thought about telling Silver that his mother was in the hospital. He’d been too overwhelmed to think of hardly anything. He wanted to throw his arms around his meddling sister and give her a big kiss.

  Ariana sprang into action, a nervous laugh gulping out. “Mom, you’ve been asking about Silver since you’ve been here.”

  “I was asking about you,” Fabiana said, “wondering why you weren’t here. From the way Ariana and Ace were carrying on, I was afraid you and Ace had a falling out.”