Million Dollar Marriage by MAGGIE SHAYNE Read Free Book Online Page B

him. “The sedative shouldn’t wear off for hours anyway.”
    “All right. If you’re sure.”
    “I am.”
    Holden started for the door, then paused. “Lucy…do me a favor and don’t leave for
     a while. I’d really like to continue this conversation.”
    She shrugged. “If my beeper goes off, I don’t have much choice in the matter,” she
     said. “But I’ll hang around as long as I can.”
    “Good,” he said, looking at her oddly. “Good.” He left the room and closed the door.

Three
    “D o you mind if I give you some unsolicited advice?” Lily asked in her soft voice.
    Lucinda sat back in her place, watching Claudia and Matthew closely, though she didn’t
     expect either of them to wake anytime soon. “Advice? About what?”
    “About Holden.”
    Lucinda blinked and quickly averted her eyes. “I don’t know what you’re—”
    “I’m not blind, Lucinda. And you don’t have what I would call a…poker face.”
    Lucinda shook her head slowly. “You’re imagining things, Lily.”
    “Be careful with him,” she went on. “He’s trying very hard to be just like his father.
     And his father was…not a nice man.”
    Lucinda’s brows went up. “You knew him well, then?”
    “Cameron? I knew him. Thirty years ago when I first came here to work for the family.
     He and Ryan—they couldn’t have been more different. Cameron used women and threw them
     away.”
    Lucinda tilted her head, facing Lily squarely. “And you think Holden is the same way?”
    “I think Holden has reached a crossroads. Time will tell which path he chooses. But
     right now, he’s dangerous,Lucinda. Particularly to a woman who might be…vulnerable to him.”
    Lucinda lifted her brows. “Well, I certainly don’t fall into that category.”
    With a gentle smile, Lily said, “Good. He can’t hurt you, then.”
    Taking a deep breath, thinking twice before she spoke and then deciding she had no
     reason not to, Lucinda said, “I thought it was Ryan you fell in love with way back
     then.”
    “It was.”
    “Then why do I get the feeling it was Cameron who broke your heart?”
    Lily’s eyes widened slightly before she averted them. Lucinda’s beeper went off in
     her pocket and she grabbed for it quickly, shut it off, and looked toward the couple
     in the bed. But the sound hadn’t pierced their drug-induced sleep. Glancing down at
     the beeper, she saw a familiar number on the digital readout.
    “It’s the hospital. I have to go. They wouldn’t be calling if it wasn’t an emergency.”
    Lily nodded. And she looked almost…relieved. “Go ahead. I’ll be fine here.” Lucinda
     glanced worriedly at Matthew and Claudia. “If you’re concerned,” Lily went on, “then
     send Ryan up on your way out.”
    She nodded. “All right. I’ll do that. Tell Holden…” She paused as Lily’s brows went
     up. “Never mind,” Lucinda said, and she hurried out of the room.
    It was a crazy thought. An utterly ridiculous idea. Ludicrous. But Holden couldn’t
     get it out of his mind. It lingered there. Even while his mother was openingup the doors to admit Sam Waterman, a private security consultant Uncle Ryan had used
     before. Even while Sheriff Wyatt Grayhawk filled Sam in and the two of them concluded
     their questioning of the guests and gave the last of them the okay to leave. Even
     while the local cops were checking the trunks and back seats of the cars one by one
     before letting them pass out through the front gates.
    As soon as the sheriff and Sam finished questioning him, Holden headed back upstairs
     to Matthew and Claudia’s room. But when he burst through the door, he saw Uncle Ryan
     standing near the window, Lily wrapped in his arms.
    They looked up when he entered, and Holden could see the tear tracks on Lily’s face.
     Less evident, but still visible, was the worry in his uncle Ryan’s. “How are they
     doing?” Holden asked, glancing toward the bed.
    “Resting. I hate to think about what will