The Price of Passion (Texas Cattleman's Club: Rags to Riches 1)

“Hey, we’re the only ones who will know it’s a fake,” Zeke said. “To everyone else, it’s the real deal. I even bought her a ring.”

“Uh-huh,” Sutton interrupted. “And if being engaged isn’t enough to fulfill the demands of the will?”

Zeke grinned. “Then we’ll get married.”

“You’re crazy,” his twin muttered, loud enough for everyone to hear.

“We’re twins,” he pointed out. “So if I am, you are, too. Anyway, Reagan’s a good friend, and I want to help her out. If she can’t get the inheritance without a wedding, we’re going to have one.”

Okay. Beth stood up. There had just been way too many big announcements in the last week or so. The fire. The lawsuit. Gracie. Zeke. And don’t forget Cam, her mind whispered.

If only she could.

While the family talked about Zeke’s engagement and the fire inspector, Beth slipped out of the study. She’d had more than enough for the day, and all she really wanted now was a hot bath and bed.

But she wasn’t going to get it right away.

“Beth...”

She stopped at the foot of the sweeping staircase leading to the second floor. With one hand on the glossy walnut banister, Beth turned to watch Piper approach.

“What’s going on with you and Cam?”

“Nothing.” Short conversation, but what else could she say? As far as she knew, there was nothing real between her and Cam. Beth loved him, she could acknowledge that to herself. But given the fact that she hadn’t heard from him in a week, she suspected that his feelings for her stopped at the bedroom.

“Come on, sweetie.” Piper tipped her head to one side. “We both know that’s not true.”

“Fine. Do I love him? Yes,” Beth admitted. “Does that change anything? No.”

“Oh, Beth,” Piper said, sighing. “It changes everything.”

“Not always.” She had thought that they were finding their way back to each other, but in the last week Beth had realized she was wrong. A relationship couldn’t survive if only one of the people involved was in love.

“He hasn’t even called me, Piper.” Her fingers tightened on the balustrade. “In a week. Nothing. And he knows what’s going on with us right now. With me. If he gave a flying damn, wouldn’t he have come by or phoned, just to check in? See how I’m doing? Say hello?”

“You’re right,” Piper said. “He does know what’s going on. But he could think that calling

would be intruding on a family situation.”

“No.” Beth laughed at the idea and shook her head. “Cam’s never had trouble ‘intruding’ if he was going after something he wanted.”

“Fine. Then maybe he’s waiting for you to call him.”

Surprised, Beth looked at her aunt. “You think I should be calling Cam? I should be the one to go to him?”

“Would it kill you?”

“It might,” Beth argued. “He’s the one who left me, remember?”

“Of course I do. I also remember that it was fifteen years ago.”

“Oh, is there a time limit on betrayal that I wasn’t aware of?” Beth’s eyes went wide with faux shock. “Someone should have told me.”

“That’s not what I meant and I think you know it.”

“Okay, do you remember how well I handled it when Cam left?” Beth hated the memory of how losing him had practically destroyed her. Hated even thinking about it.

With her heart shattered, Beth had gone off to college and become someone she didn’t even know. She drank too much. Slept around. Drove too fast, laughed too loud and damn near flunked out of college. And then her father had arrived out of the blue. She’d fought him of course because she hadn’t wanted advice. Hadn’t wanted to think of anything but the next adventure she could use to bury her pain.