Miles rolled his eyes.“Oh, let it rest, Grandmother.She’ll come home when it suits her.”
Eudora frowned as she fanned, although the small square of fabric did little to stir the air.“I’m just sick about this.What if something awful has happened?”When no one echoed her concern, she sank into a nearby chair, dabbing at her eyes.“Poor, dear Casey.”
“Poor, dear Casey, my ass,” Erica muttered, and sloshed a liberal helping of Jack Daniel’s into her iced tea and sat down near her twin.Ice clinked against crystal as she swirled the liquid before lifting the glass to her mouth.
Lash glanced at his watch and dug his own handkerchief from his pocket, mopping at a fine line of perspiration that kept breaking out across his brow.Time was running out.If she didn’t show soon, his worst fears would be realized.Miles and Erica would be in control of the Ruban fortune and Lash’s dreams to resurrect the Marlow estate to its former glory would be dashed.At this moment he didn’t know whom he hated worse—Delaney for causing the fuss, or Miles for the possum-eating grin he’d been wearing all day.
Never one to let a good silence extend itself, Eudora tucked her handkerchief into her cleavage and rang a small bell near her chair.
Moments later a tall, dark-skinned man dressed in virgin whites entered the room.Still straight and handsome at sixty, the only evidence of Joshua Bass’s age was the liberal dusting of gray in his hair.
“Yes, ma’am?”
Eudora pointed toward a nearby table.“Joshua, we’re all out of tea.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He picked up the tray and started out of the room when Eudora remembered.
“Oh, Joshua!”
He paused.“Yes, ma’am?”
“Have Tilly put some lemon in the tea this time.I do believe lemon helps cut the miasma of July.”
Casey entered on the tail of Eudora’s order, countermanding it with one of her own.She took the tray out of Joshua’s hands and set it down, then to the continuing dismay of her family, gave him a huge, breathless hug, which he gladly returned.
Casey smiled up at Joshua, taking comfort in the love she saw there in his eyes.“Forget the tea, Joshie.Bring a bottle of Delaney’s best champagne instead.We’re going to toast my marriage.”
Joshua looked startled, and his first thought was what his Tilly was going to say.Casey was as close to their hearts as if she’d been born of their blood and here she was about to drink to a marriage they knew she didn’t want.
Miles’s face turned an angry red.Erica choked on a piece of ice, and Eudora clasped her hands to her throat and started to cry.
As for Lash, he went weak with relief.Not only was Casey back, but she seemed willing to celebrate their upcoming union with no remorse.He went toward her with outstretched hands.
“Casey, darling, I’m so glad you…”
And that was the moment they realized Casey had not come alone.The unexpected face of a stranger at Casey’s back, never mind his trail-weary appearance, startled them all into sudden silence.
“Everyone…this is Ryder Justice.”She glanced at Ryder.To her surprise, he seemed calm, almost disinterested.“Ryder—my family.”She pointed them out, one by one, starting with Eudora.“This is my Gran.”She glanced at Miles and Erica and the expressions on their faces said it all.She sighed.Some things never change.“The two beautiful blondes with the fabulous scowls are my brother and sister, Miles and Erica.”
As she smiled at Joshua, her voice softened.“And this is Joshua Bass.He and his wife, Tilly, helped raise me.”
Ryder nodded.“It’s a pleasure, sir,” he said quietly.“And, I’d say you and your wife have done a fine job.Casey is quite a woman.”
She gave Ryder a quick look of surprise.The praise was unexpected.
Joshua grinned, pleased to have been recognized as part of the family.
“Casey, really!He’s one of the help,” Eudora said, and then flushed, embarrassed that she’d been put in the position of having to remark upon the differences in their stations in life.
Casey’s chin jutted.“Unlike the majority of this family, Joshua has a job.I have a job as well.I fail to see the difference.”Then she softened her rebuke by winking at Joshua.“Joshie, hurry and bring that champagne.We have some celebrating to do.”
Lash had more on his mind than sipping champagne and social niceties.He glanced at his watch.There were a million things to do and so little time.
“Casey, dearest, we’ve been so worried.When you didn’t come home last night I even called the state police.We all realize the will came as a terrible shock to you, but if you’d just waited a bit, I could have saved you from all this turmoil.You know how I feel about you.It was only a matter of time before you came to your senses and did what was best for everyone.”
When he reached for her hand, Casey took an instinctive step back, right into Ryder’s arms.
