Rocky Mountain Bride (Roberts of Silver Springs Book 4)

by Nadia S. Lee

  “The prenup stipulates that, in case of divorce due to infidelity, the wronged party gets seventy-five percent of the other party’s assets. You would’ve cleaned him out,” Catalina said. “Did Sam bother to point that out?”

  Lina exhaled roughly. “I don’t believe this. Is that how you justified what you did? Do you think I care about Jared’s money? I spit on him and everything that he has.”

  “If you weren’t going to join the firm,” her father said, “this is the least you could do to help out the family.”

  “I know you need at least one point seven million dollars,” Lina said. “I’m not giving you any of it.”

  “We’re family.”

  “Family don’t push each other to marry scum like Jared for financial gain. Family don’t belittle other members of the family because they didn’t happen to go to a pre-approved college and law school. Family don’t try to sabotage each other when they’ve found the true love of their life!” Her voice grew shrill toward the end.

  “Oh come on, Bambi.”

  “Don’t you ‘come on, Bambi’ me!” She wiped tears from her face. “All I wanted was love and acceptance. Sam’s given me both. He makes me want to be a better and stronger person than I ever thought possible. He’s my true family and my future. I’m done!”

  “Lina!”

  She hung up, turned off her phone and buried her face in her hands. She didn’t know how long she remained that way, but sometime later she felt Sam pulling her into his arms. His back resting against the headboard, he cradled her and let her have a good, soul-cleansing cry.

  “Sorry I’m such a mess,” she said finally when she had some control over her emotions again. “My family’s a mess, too.”

  His thumbs brushed away the tears on her cheeks. “I thought I was your family.”

  She laughed a watery laugh. “You are.” Then she pulled back. “Were you listening?”

  “You got kind of loud, so I came up to see if you were okay.”

  She sniffed. Maybe she had gotten a bit loud. Her parents knew how to push her buttons.

  “I know you’re upset with them now, but…are you really not going to forgive them?”

  “You know me. I probably will…although not for a while. I want them to really take time to think about how much they hurt me, even if they didn’t mean to.”

  He kissed her on the forehead and tear-stained eyelids and cheeks. “I knew it.”

  “Why? Do you want me not to forgive them?”

  He shook his head. “I want you to do whatever makes you happy, and I know you can’t hold on to your anger forever. After all, no matter what, they’re still your parents, and holding a grudge isn’t like you.”

  “I’m just so…disappointed. And hurt.”

  “Me too…but I’m also grateful they gave birth to someone as amazing as you.”

  She smiled. Leave it to him to cheer her up.

  “And you’re wrong when you said I’m the one who made you better and stronger. You’re already perfect. You just never had a chance to realize how amazing you are, and I’m glad I’ve been here to see you blossom.”

  She kissed him on the mouth. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He grinned. “Now. When do you think would be a good time to invite everyone over?”

  She gasped. “Gosh, they’re going to want to see my ring!”

  “That they will.”

  “Okay, so…” She thought fast. “Tomorrow, when I’m more presentable. Let’s have an impromptu dinner and show them.” She extended her hand to look at the ring. She would celebrate the engagement with her new family.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  – Three months later

  Sam waited at the outdoor altar in a black tuxedo, his heart pounding.

  The weather was absolutely perfect, the sun bright, the breeze just cool enough, and late summer flowers blooming wildly in the field on the other side of the altar. Birds chirped, and a few sparrows hopped around before taking off.

  The ceremony was small, as Lina wanted. Only friends and family—the people who truly cared about them and wanted them to have the best—had been invited. Well…and Lina’s parents and Jolie, although Jolie hadn’t come. Sam was certain her parents hadn’t quite forgiven him for digging up their trick in the prenup.

  A small quartet started playing the wedding march. Sam saw Lina on the other side of the virgin road. She was gorgeous, her golden hair shining and the fitted white lace gown hugging her curves just so. He felt like his chest would burst with pride as she started her walk toward him. Every day she made him want to be a better man. His mother joked that he was so good these days, if he kept it up he’d be canonized.

  Lina had made up with her family, even though their relationship was still strained. Still, Sam had known she would never be able to hang on to her anger for long. She was too loving.

  And she’d made a grand plan for the money she’d inherit upon marriage. “Save some for our children so they won’t have to get any student loans to go to school. Just imagine how your life would’ve ended up if you’d had a huge payment every month,” she’d said over dinner once. “But other than that, I want to use it for the betterment of the town. Maybe a legal fund for people who need help, or a bridge loan for small businesses who need emergency funds to get through a rough patch…stuff like that. I want to help the community somehow.”

  And Sam adored her even more for thinking of others.

  She stopped when she reached him. He extended a hand, and she rested hers on it.

  “Hello, groom,” she said with a wide grin.

  He squeezed her hand, then winked. “Hello, bride.”

  Then they turned to face the minister who would bind them in holy matrimony, to love and cherish each other for the rest of their lives as man and wife.

  ——

  I hope you enjoyed Rocky Mountain Bride. The Roberts of Silver Springs series continues with Rocky Mountain Promise.

  If it’s your first time reading my book and want to check out my backlist, please note that any titles written as Nadia Lee (note the absence of the middle initial S) are not sweet or clean.

  If you’re enjoying the Roberts of Silver Springs series, we’d love for you to join the Silver Springs Society, a Facebook group for fans to discuss the books, chat with the authors, enter exclusive contests, and other fun stuff!

  Rocky Mountain Promise

  Rex Snyder faces an impossible decision. What’s a guy to do when his best friend, the man who saved his neck three times in the middle east, asks him to liquidate and sell his grandparents’ home? The home that happens to be in Silver Springs, Colorado. The one place he swore he’d never return to, the place he joined the Marines to escape, the place that the once love of his life lives. There is no choice.

  Ally struggles to live up to the Roberts name. With successful siblings and an even more successful and respected father, she can’t face shutting the doors to her antique store. When Rex Snyder enters her shop, offering to contract her to sell antiques that would garner her a fortune and save her business, she has to make a choice between her business and her heart.

  Excerpt

  Ally Roberts sank into the plush Victorian walnut parlor chair under the weight of the sweltering heat, her father’s phone call, and her spreadsheet of overwhelming financial losses. She eyed the rugged Rocky Mountains through the large storefront windows and longed to be hiking or swimming or doing anything besides facing her failing business.

  Her best friend, Melinda Walters, propped open the front door with a brick. “Do you think your father is sending Bri here to convince you to close up shop?”

  Ally twisted her hair back and flopped it behind her shoulders. “No, I think he’ll tell me that in person when he gets home from their trip. Mom wouldn’t let him bother with something like that on their big vacation. Whatever reason he had for sending her, it’s not good.”

  Mel grabbed an eighteenth-century French lace fan and
waved it like it was from a dime store. “We need a window unit in here. It’s stifling.”

  “Can’t afford one right now. Besides it’s the first day it’s been this hot for as long as I can remember. Tomorrow it’ll be better. Tomorrow is always better.” At least it would be if Ally’s plan worked.

  Mel plopped down across from her. “What are we going to do? You’re the business girl behind this shop. I’m just fluff.”

  “Stop, you do half the work around here.”

  “Then why don’t I get half the pay? I mean, I’m cheap labor and all, but how are we going to make enough to pay rent at the end of the month?”

  “I’ll think of something.” Ally smirked. “Perhaps you can work for free?”

  “I love you, and I love our shop, but not that much.” Mel returned the wry smile while fanning her pink cheeks. “Why don’t you get out of here for a while? I can man the store.”

  “Nope, I need to be here. I’m working on a plan to put us in the black by the end of next month.”

  “Really? Can I have a raise?” Mel picked up speed on her fanning.

  “Um…I said in the black, not how far in the black, so that’s a pretty big maybe.” Ally scooted her laptop closer. “Sorry we’ve been struggling so much, I know this place was my idea.” Ally glanced around at the store and rested her gaze on the antique jewelry case on the front counter filled with old watches, old necklaces, and an old promise ring. Her old promise ring.

  “Oh no, don’t tell me you’re seeing them again?”

  “Seeing what?” Ally tried to act innocent.

  “The Ally McBeal monsters. I thought we were done with those. Why did we watch that show growing up? I swear it took ten years to stop seeing Great Green Jealous Monster, Mr. Hopeless, Harold the Hate Monster, Mr. Embarrassed, Mega Fear, Ally Anxiety, and a few others.” Mel stood and paced the room and glanced out the front windows.

  “Don’t be silly, we’re not kids anymore.” How could Ally tell her they still hung around? Even if they weren’t real, they still had a hold on her. She didn’t want people to think she was crazy, well, not certifiable anyway. Her elite Roberts family already saw her as a failure. At least that’s how Ally felt. Mr. Hopeless shook his massive disapproving, hippo looking, blue face at her from the other side of the jewelry case. He always liked to toy with her mind.”

  She stuck her tongue out at the old nemesis and then willed him to back into the corner out of her direct view.

  Mel returned to her chair and fanning. “Fine. Then whatcha got cooking in that creative brain of yours?”

  Ally typed in the password to her new website. The beautiful image of the ornate French, antique chair she’d restored, illuminated the screen. “You know Mrs. Kelley passed. Do you remember seeing the inside of her house on prom night?”

  Mel snapped the fan closed and tapped it to her chin as if in deep thought. “Ah, yeah. You know David Kelley, her grandson, was my date. He was best friends with…”

  “Rex. Yes, I know.” Ally forced an it-doesn’t-bother-me-anymore smile. “She’s our ticket to turning this place around, but I’ll only continue with your approval.” Ally took a steady breath. “I don’t want to dredge up horrible memories for us both, but this might be our only shot.”

  Mel waved her free hand at me. “Please, it was eight years ago.”

  Ally stiffened, then forced her shoulders to relax. “That’s why you still have David’s picture in your top drawer.”

  “And you have the promise ring Rex gave you in the display?”

  “So, at least I’m trying to sell it.”

  “Nice try. You’ve got it marked up so high no one would ever buy it.”

  Ally blew a large amount of stale, once hopeful air from her lungs. “Touché.”

  “To answer your question, I’ll do anything to save our shop. You know that,” Mel said, but her pitch lowered to her upset tone.

  Ally fidgeted with the peeling sticker on the corner of her laptop. “Well, her antiques are gonna save us. I’m trying to locate David to find out if he wants me to purchase her furniture. If she still has it, some of them are very rare. I’ve found a niche market for high priced antiques that are rare finds. I could sell a few of her pieces, pay off our business loan, and afford an actual meal out.”

  “How are you going to reach David? He’s in the military still.” That time Mel’s voice dropped to an I’m-not-able-to-face this tone.

  “I’m not sure. I thought—”

  Mel tossed the fan on the desk with a loud clack. “Nope, not happening. Besides, I have no more connections than you do. You want to find the men, you reach out to Rex.” She eyed Ally with a lift of a brow challenge.

  “Sorry, thought you wanted that raise. Guess I was wrong.” Ally quipped.

  Mel leaned back with a mischievous smile. “You know, if you went on a date you wouldn’t have to eat in all the time. Mark sure would like to take you out.”

  Ally ignored her and turned her laptop around to show her the website she’d spent all night constructing.

  “Wow, that’s nice.” Mel retrieved the fan again and flipped it open. “I hate to rain on your hope, but there are two problems. One, I mentioned. Both men are in the military somewhere over in God knows where. Two, it’ll take a few months to get things sorted and sold. Rent’s due later next week and neither of us have a dime to float this place again.” Mel scrunched down in her seat. “I love you girl, and you know I want this place to work, but maybe it’s time for us to move on.”

  Ally caught her double meaning of store and life. Even the mention of the name Rex tightened her belly until she had to fight not to double over in anguish like he’d disappeared yesterday instead of eight years ago.

  Ally propped her elbows on the secretary desk and held her head in her hands. “I’m not holding on. I’m making my dreams come true. The ones I can control.” Ally mumbled, her eyes closed and fingers massaging her temples.

  “I’m not talking about the store. I see you still eyeing your spot on the ridge, the one he promised to marry you on before the creep up and disappeared on you.”

  Ally cleared her throat and her mind of anything Rex. She’d moved on from him, it was just the talk of prom and visions of their beautiful night together that put her in a nostalgic mood. No more thoughts or conversation would be wasted on him. “I know how I can make rent.”

  “How?”

  She swallowed her pride and said the one word she swore would never cross her lips. “EBay.”

  Mel gasped. “You’re not serious.” She dropped the fan onto her lap. “You said EBay was the evil cheap shopping demon that would suck all the beauty out of antiques. That it’s an online hell for shop owners.”

  “I know, I know. But drastic times call for—”

  “Drastic measures.”

  “No, selling your pride to the highest bidder.” Ally picked up the other fan, the antique, hand painted matador Spanish fan and waved it like she just didn’t care. “I’m not talking about our special stock, I’m talking about mid-century pieces and knock offs that we purchased at flea markets.”

  “I think I’ve worked out having a tour bus drop off right in front of the shop. Perhaps that will help,” Mel said, with a hint of hope in her voice.

  “We’ll hang onto our Victorian furniture and hand crafted pieces. If we could land some more stellar antiques perhaps we could open a specialty online store.”

  Mel flipped the fan open once more. “You’re always coming up with an original way to save our butts. I guess I lucked out with a one of a kind business partner.”

  Tap. Tap.

  They both looked up to see Ally’s cousin, Bri, at the front door of the shop.

  “Oh, you’re one of a kind alright.” Bri entered the store with a tentative, crooked Roberts’ smile and a cousin teasing tone. Not a good combination.

  “How you doing?” Mel said in her best imitation of Joey-from-Friends tone.

  Bri shrugged her shoulde
rs. “Fine. How are you doing?” She faced Ally with a sympathy head tilt.

  That wasn’t a good sign. If only Ally could be more accomplished like the rest of her family, perhaps she wouldn’t be facing the family firing squad of bad news sent by her father. “Spill it cuz. Is Dad sick? Am I dying? Are you opening a chain of B&B’s across the world?”

  “What? No. What are you talking about?” She huffed and leaned against the desk, crossing her arms over her chest. “I came here to warn you.”

  “Warn me about what?” She squared her shoulders and waited for the bad news. “Just say it.” A thousand thoughts swarmed in her head. Someone was sick, her B&B burned down, the family didn’t want to meet for lunch this week since her parents were out of town.

  A large shadow loomed at the open front door, warning of a new customer.

  “Excuse me, I’m looking for the owner,” a man said. Not just any man, the man. The man who broke his promise to love her forever. The man who disappeared without a word.

  Bri’s gaze shot from Ally to Mel to the front door. “Rex Snyder is in town.”

  Ally didn’t stand, didn’t speak, didn’t breathe.

  Mel was the first to move. She smacked Ally’s leg to jolt her to reality. “What are you doing here? You’re not welcome in this town.”

  The room heated another ten degrees closer to summer-sending-a-girl-to-a-mental-hospital temperature. She gulped hot air and scooted her chair back. For eight years she’d waited to tell him off. To swear like an injured bronco rider, kick like a wild mustang, throw things like an angry, abandoned ex-girlfriend. Eight years of thoughts swarmed and buzzed and stung for release, but only two words managed to break through.

  “You’re late.”

  Mel and Bri eyed Ally and then Rex. The room stood silent, except the horns honking outside, a child’s laugh from a park across the street, the chime of the town clock. It all sounded far, far away.

  Rex stepped inside, keeping his distance from Bri and Mel. The over six-foot-tall, thin, yet strong man with a winning smile and empty promises skirted along the wall to keep from being beat down by two small girls.