Fugitive Fiancée (15 page)

“True. Especially after having to face down four hundred wedding guests and tell them there wasn't going to be a wedding. Then he insisted on inviting everyone to the reception, so all that food wouldn't go to waste. He left me to deal with the press, including that flaky columnist from the
American Statesman.
But I survived.”

“I assumed you would.”

Paul flicked a piece of lint off the sleeve of his shirt. “We told everyone you were ill. That the wedding was simply postponed.”

Mimi looked at him. “But that's not true.”

Paul took a step closer to her. “Surely you're not a stranger to deception, Mimi. For instance, your boss introduced you as Mimi Banyon. Is there a reason you didn't tell him your real name?”

“Fear of fortune hunters,” she snapped.

He smiled. “That's not the only lie you've told, is it? After all, you've had a lot of practice. Ten years, at least.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “I think you should leave.”

“I will. If you come with me.”

She couldn't believe his nerve. “Forget it. We're through, Paul. So you'll have to find some other way to make your fortune. Have you ever considered actually working for it?”

“Touché.” Paul hitched one foot up on the fence rail. “Actually, I am looking into a career in sales.”

“Planning to sell snake oil?”

He smiled. “No. Information. Very valuable information that I'm sure would appeal to your father. I just haven't decided on the right price yet.”

She tipped up her chin. “I'm not afraid of my father finding out where I am.”

“Maybe not. But are you afraid of your father finding out where your son is?”

She stopped breathing for a moment. “I don't know what you're talking about.”

“I'm talking about little baby Joshua. Born in Paris ten years ago. Rupert's secret grandson.”

Mimi sucked in a deep breath, trying to quell the panic rising within her. “You're wrong.”

“Cut the crap, Mimi.” Paul came one step closer to her. “It took quite a bit of digging, but I finally
found the birth certificate. You were listed as the mother of Joshua Andrew.”

Raw fear welled up inside of her. “No.”

“Yes.” Paul moved another step closer. “We both know Rupert is obsessed with passing on his legacy. He'd stop at nothing to get his hands on Joshua. A male heir to the great Casville dynasty.”

Mimi knew it was true. Even if her father didn't have any legal right to the child, he was rich and powerful enough to make the lives of Joshua's adopted family miserable for years to come. To traumatize her son with the fear of being ripped away from the only parents he'd ever known.

She'd read about enough custody battles in the news, pitting a biological relative against an adoptive relative, to know how ugly they could get. All the lawsuits for grandparents' rights. Ultimately, it was always the children who suffered.

And what would happen when she was brought into the dispute? If she took the side of Joshua's adoptive parents, would her son believe she was rejecting him? She closed her eyes, visualizing the nightmare of a court trial. Not to mention the media circus that was sure to occur. Worst of all, she'd have to relive the hardest, most painful decision she'd ever made in her life. A decision she still knew in her heart was the right one for her son.

But he was too young to understand all that. Only ten years old. His biggest worry should be getting a hit in a Little League game. Not wondering if his birth mother ever really loved him.

Garrett was living proof that those kinds of scars could last a lifetime.

Paul glanced toward the barn. “It's your choice. Play along and leave with me. Otherwise, I'll go straight to Rupert and make him one happy grandpa.”

That wasn't a choice, it was a nightmare.

She reached out and grabbed his forearm. “Please. If I ever meant anything to you, don't do this to me.”

The bawl of an angry bull pulled her attention away from Paul. She ran to the fence, unhitching the gate just in time for the twelve-hundred-pound Texas longhorn to shoot through it. Rowdy puffed and snorted, shaking his head in the air before making a lap around the corral.

She closed the gate and latched it, aware of the way Garrett was watching her. Then she sensed Paul's presence behind her and tried not to flinch when he laid one hand on her shoulder.

Garrett's eyes narrowed. “I take it you two know each other?”

“As a matter of fact, we do,” Paul said, his voice absurdly cheerful. “Mimi is my fiancée.”

M
IMI SAW
a muscle twitch in Garrett's tightly clenched jaw. The shock in his green eyes quickly dissolved into disbelief.

“Your fiancée,” he said at last, slowly peeling the leather work gloves off his hands. “Is that right?”

Paul squeezed her shoulder. A painful reminder to play along with his game or he'd destroy her son's life.

Paul smiled. “I want to thank you for giving Mimi an opportunity to play cowgirl for a few weeks. Now she knows what she really wants.”

Garrett folded his arms across his chest. “And what is that?”

“Me,” Paul replied.

Garrett snorted. “Maybe we should ask the lady her opinion.” He turned to Mimi, his voice gentler. “Did you know he was coming?”

“No.” Her voice sounded raspy to her ears, and she swallowed hard, trying to think of some way out of this untenable situation. Why hadn't she told Garrett everything when she'd had the chance? Before Paul was here to twist it all out of proportion.

But Mimi knew it didn't matter. She never could have found the right words to make Garrett understand. Not really. She'd been fooling herself, hoping
she could erase the past and live for the moment. Lose herself in the fantasy that she and Garrett were the only two people that mattered.

But now it was time to face reality.

“Mimi called me about a week ago, telling me where she was and begging for my forgiveness,” Paul said, lying so smoothly it made her sick. “Then she asked me to give her another chance.”

Garrett's eyes narrowed on him. “I'll give you one more chance to tell the truth, Renquist, or I'll stop your lies with my fists.”

Paul bristled at Garrett's threat. “Touch me and you'll find yourself on the expensive end of a lawsuit.”

Mimi was touched by Garrett's faith in her. But then, he was a man who believed in loyalty. A man who had taken her at her word almost from the very beginning.

And how had she repaid him?

She'd lied about her name. Practically forced him into giving her a job. Kept so many secrets. And now she was going to do the worst thing of all—walk out on him. Tears stung her eyes, but she blinked them back.

No matter how much she loved Garrett, she couldn't stay. She couldn't put her child at risk. And would Garrett understand her dilemma, given his feelings about his birth mother? Would he want her anymore? The answer seemed painfully obvious.

Garrett took an ominous step toward Paul, obviously fed up with his games.

“Stop it,” she said, stepping between them. She
could see Garrett's hands had formed tight fists, and she knew he was on the verge of losing control.

“Anything for you, darling,” Paul said, backing away.

A muscle flicked in Garrett's jaw. “Get the hell off my ranch, Renquist.”

“Gladly.” Paul held his hand out to Mimi. “Are you ready to go?”

“She's staying,” Garrett ordered.

Mimi looked at Garrett, savoring the love smoldering in his eyes. Love for her. She knew she'd never see it there again. Never see
him
again once she made her choice. As if she had a choice. Garrett's feelings for her would change once he knew the truth. He was a man who saw everything in black and white, not grays. A man who wouldn't understand—and could never love—a woman who gave up her own child.

A child Mimi loved. A child who mattered the most at this moment. Despite her feelings for Garrett, she had to make the right decision for her son.

Paul's mouth curved into a sneer. “Perhaps we should ask Miss Casville which man she wants.”

Garrett's brows drew together. “Miss
Casville?
”

She squared her shoulders. “That's my name, my real name. Mimi Casville.”

He frowned, taking a step closer to her. “Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because I wanted to be anonymous,” she said, her voice quiet but strong.

“Mimi is from a very prominent Austin family,” Paul interjected. “She's wary of men who just want to use her to get close to all that money and power.”

She took a deep breath, her chest so tight she could
hardly breathe. “I'm sorry, Garrett. I never meant for any of this to happen.”

A muscle along his jaw flexed. “You're not really going with him?”

“Yes,” she said simply, wanting this terrible moment to end.

“Don't worry, hon,” Paul said as Garrett stood staring dumbfounded at her. “I'm sure Mr. Lord won't have any trouble finding another ranch hand.”

She spun on her heel and hurried toward Paul's car, her strained composure on the edge of crumbling.

“Hold it.” Garrett closed the distance between them with three long strides. He grasped Mimi's elbow and whirled her around. “You're not going anywhere until you explain what the hell is going on here.”

She licked her lips, her mouth dry as dust. “There's nothing to explain. I'm leaving with Paul. But I want to thank you…”

He dropped her elbow and took a step away from her. “I don't want your gratitude.”

“I'm sorry,” she said again, her lower lip trembling as he turned away from her. “I know you don't understand, but it's the choice I have to make.”

She stared at his broad back and his stiff shoulders. Pride would prevent him from coming after her again.

Paul opened the passenger door for her as Hubert came running around the corner. He stopped long enough to mark a rear tire, then trotted up to her, his stubbed tail wagging as she settled into the leather seat.

Mimi bent down and placed a kiss on top of his
furry head. “Tell Garrett I love him,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I love him so much.”

“Get lost, pooch.” Paul shoved Hubert away from the car with his foot, then shut the passenger door.

Mimi watched Hubert prance toward Garrett, who stood with his back to the car, one white-knuckled hand curled around a fence post.

Paul settled into the driver's seat, switched on the ignition, then peeled out of the gravel driveway. “Now that we've got that heart-wrenching goodbye scene out of the way, I'll tell you exactly what I want.”

 

G
ARRETT GRADUALLY
became aware of a tugging at his ankle. He glanced down to see Hubert's jaws clamped around the hem of his pant leg. The little dog growled, then pulled on the faded denim with all his might. Garrett reached down and scooped him into his arms. Hubert lapped at his chin with his wet tongue.

“Thanks, boy,” he said, wiping dog saliva off his face. “I needed that.”

Hubert barked once, then looked at him expectantly.

“Yes, she's really gone.” He stared into the corral, watching the massive bull paw at the ground. Wispy white clouds floated in a bright blue sky. A hawk flew high above him, its wings spread wide as it drifted over the south pasture. Garrett had chores to do and cattle to check. This day was the same as any other day on the ranch.

Yet he knew in his heart that nothing would ever really be the same again.

What was it about him that made women want to leave? Last night, Mimi had been warm and loving in his arms. He'd truly believed he'd found his soul mate.

Today, his soul mate had left with another man.

It's the choice I have to make.
Her words reverberated in his ears. Obviously, deciding between a rich city slicker and a cowboy who got his hands dirty working the land had been an easy choice for her to make. After spending a few weeks seeing how the other half lived, she'd chosen to let her fiancé whisk her back to a life of luxury.

He set Hubert on the ground, his anger building as he watched the dog chase a butterfly. Hell, he hadn't even known her real last name. A game. She'd been playing a silly game these past few weeks. And playing him for a fool.

Yet she'd found his past for him. Earned his respect as a cowhand. Touched his heart with her concern for a one-hundred-year-old love affair.

It wasn't all a lie. He knew in his bones that Mimi cared about him. But it obviously wasn't enough.

He wasn't as slick or as polished as Paul Renquist. And he definitely didn't move in the Casville social circle. His adoptive parents had left him with a more than comfortable inheritance, but he was determined to make it on his own. He'd never yearned to even rub elbows with the rich and powerful. Or spend any more time in the city than absolutely necessary.

He just wished Mimi had left before he'd fallen in love with her.

Garrett rubbed one hand over his eyes, too exhausted to think clearly. He wanted nothing more than
to fall into his bed and surrender to unconsciousness. Then maybe he could block out the memory of Mimi's eyes. Her kisses. Her soft gasps when he touched her in just the right places.

The screech of the hawk brought him back to reality. He watched it swoop down on its prey, then rise again in the sky, a hapless mouse clutched in its powerful claws.

Chores awaited him. Life would go on as it had before. Early mornings and lonely nights. Nothing had really changed.

Garrett Lord had survived without Mimi before. He'd damn well find a way to do it again.

 

“T
HIS IS IT
.” Paul hesitated outside the door to Rupert Casville's study. “Can you at least smile or something? You hardly look like a blushing bride-to-be.”

Mimi stared at him, unable to conceal her disgust. “You're blackmailing me into marrying you. What exactly do I have to smile about?”

“I think the arrangement I proposed is more than fair. We'll have a marriage in name only in exchange for no prenuptial agreement.”

She looked at him. “Money? Is that the only reason you're going to all this trouble?”

“Of course not.” He gave her a wry smile. “I happen to find you irresistible.”

She turned toward the door. “Let's just get this over with.”

“Let me do most of the talking,” Paul admonished. “I already called your father this morning and told him you were coming home. He doesn't know you
found out about his incentive program. And I think it's best if we keep it that way.”

Mimi arched a brow. “Best for whom?”

“Little Joshua, of course.”

Apprehension skittered over her skin. “This isn't going to work. My father isn't a stupid man. He'll want to know why I've been gone so long.”

“I've already handled it.”

“How?”

“I simply confirmed his suspicions that you came down with a case of cold feet and were staying with an old college friend because you were so embarrassed.”

“He bought that?”

“Of course.” Paul smiled. “I think you're underestimating his desire for a grandchild. Questions and doubts might cause a delay. He wants nothing more than for us to be married as soon as possible.”

She tilted her head at him. “And what do you want? It's more than just money. It has to be.”

“You're right. It's something that's eluded me all my life. Something that people don't give to the son of an alcoholic father and a mother who makes her living cleaning public rest rooms.” He squared his shoulders. “I want respect.”

“You can't buy respect, Paul. You have to earn it.”

He snorted. “That's a good one, coming from you. What have you ever had to earn?”

She knew the answer, though she didn't voice it. Garrett's love. Garrett's respect. She'd won both in a few short weeks. And lost them both in just one day.

“Marrying into the Casville family will give me
the respect I deserve,” he continued, straightening his tie. “Paul Renquist will finally be somebody.”

“This isn't the way, Paul.” She found herself almost feeling sorry for him. “It's not too late to walk away.”

“Yes, it is.” He opened the door to the study. “Look who I found, Rupert.”

Her father looked up from his desk, then dropped the pen in his hand. “Mimi.”

Her throat tightened. Despite his betrayal, he was still her father, and she loved him. “Hello, Dad.”

“Hello, Dad?” He rose slowly to his feet, then rounded the desk. “Is that all you have to say to me? How about a hug?”

Mimi walked into his arms, inhaling the familiar bay rum scent of his aftershave. He seemed thinner than before, and a little grayer. She closed her eyes as he held her tight.

The urge to tell him everything was almost overwhelming. But would that help matters or only make them ten times worse? For her son, Mimi knew she simply couldn't take that kind of risk.

“I've missed you,” he whispered against her hair.

“I've missed you, too,” she replied, and meant it.

Paul cleared his throat, effectively ending their hug. “Mimi and I have some wonderful news.”

Rupert held her at arm's length. “You do?”

Paul came up behind her and circled his arm around her waist. “We plan to be married this Saturday.”

“That's wonderful!”

Mimi's heart sank at her father's delighted expression. Paul was right. Her father was too caught up in his obsession with having a grandchild to question her
abrupt return. Probably because he was afraid to hear the reasons she'd left.

Rupert rubbed his hands together. “Five days isn't very long. We'll have to call the caterers and contact all the guests.”

“No,” she said abruptly, then steadied herself. “I want something simple this time. Just family.”

Paul walked up behind her. “I told Mimi she could have whatever she wanted.”

“Of course.” Rupert smiled at his daughter. “Whatever makes you happy.”

“There's something else,” Mimi said, anxious to escape to the refuge of her room. She needed time to think. Time to figure some way out of this mess. “I don't want Paul to sign a prenuptial agreement this time. It's…very important to me.”

Rupert frowned. “That's ridiculous.”