The Texas Tycoon's Baby(47)

Zoe just laughed. “Yeah. I haven’t noticed how you and Chet are mooning over each other at all. And it can’t be easy on your part, with all the Greek tragedy going on in this family.” Nailed.

Zoe continued. “Take a word of advice from someone who knows what it’s like to fall for a Barron—just be patient. Things will calm down and life will go on. Tyler was just as angry and confused as Chet when the scandal first broke, and I swear, he was like a…” She smiled, as if deep in memory. “Well, like a horse that had to be gentled.”

“I’ve been trying to hang in there.” Mina smiled. “I’d do anything for him.”

She might’ve been embarrassed to tell that to anyone else—to lay out her heart so thoroughly. But Zoe had gone through this, too. She’d been the PR rep who’d controlled the Barron scandal, but then she’d become so much more to Tyler.

The other woman said, “Even Ty knew what’s been going on between you two a long time ago.”

Mina stopped reaching for her water glass. Had Chet told his brother that he’d ended up in Mina’s bed the night he’d heard about his parentage?

But Zoe put her fears to rest when she said, “It was in the way Chet acted around you at our wedding. The way Chet would light up whenever you called him on the phone. Not too hard to miss, even if you’re an alpha male who refuses to even watch a romantic comedy with his wife.”

Mina allowed herself to relax. Maybe no one knew just how far things had gone with her and Chet.

It wasn’t long before the bridal party entered the room to much applause and toasts. But nothing else seemed to exist as Chet headed straight for the bridal party’s table.

To Mina.

Her heart stuttered as she caught scent of him—the clover, the hay, the way no one else smelled and appealed to her.

When he took her hand under the table and squeezed it, she nearly flew with absolute joy.

A smile curved his mouth, and she didn’t have to ask about how this latest talk had gone with Eli.

And when he leaned toward her to whisper in her ear, she closed her eyes, thinking that she’d never felt so dizzy, so in love.

“Let’s scram as soon as we can.”

She nodded, unable to speak.

She would be doing enough talking soon, when they were alone and she dropped her wonderful bombshell on him.





Chapter Ten




It seemed as if time trudged by during the reception, but Chet was going to make the most of it, dancing the hours away with Mina until they could escape.

Until they could finally be alone, now that he’d cleared some of the webs from his life.

But by the time the bride and groom were ready to cut their wedding cake, Chet was done waiting.

Most of the guests were on the temporary dance floor that was surrounded by the dining tables; everyone was standing in front of the tall, white layered cake, complete with a bride and cowboy groom at the top of it.

Chet leaned down to Mina, brushing back her hair from her ear, whispering into it.

“Are you ready to scoot?”

She smiled, and when she looked into his eyes, it seemed that she reached right into him and pulled out everything he had, heart and soul.

His pulse sped up, and, in the back of his mind, he experienced everything around him going faster, faster than ever before.

The ink isn’t even dry on your new lease on life with Eli, yet here you are rushing headlong into a relationship with Mina?

But from the way he ached as she slid her hand into his, he knew that it was way past time.

Everyone cheered while Jeremiah and Ally fed each other the cake slices. Meanwhile, Mina whispered into Chet’s ear.

“Why don’t you grab a couple of plates and meet me at my cottage?”

Again, there was that out-of-control merry-go-round sensation of speed, of going too damned fast.

But he ignored it. “Will do.”

As the band began to play, the crowd started dancing again, this time to some awful yet peppy chicken song.

Mina slipped out of the throng, toward the exit, virtually unnoticed. Chet watched her, wearing his heart on his jacket sleeve.

The way she looked in that bronze-colored dress, which rivaled her hair in color and shine…the way the silk draped over her hips as she swayed out the door…

She really was the most stunning woman in the room, just as he had told her she would be. He doubted he would ever find another person as beautiful, inside and out.

Feeling more light-headed than ever, Chet casually grabbed two slices of cake from the tray of a passing waiter, who was depositing the desserts at each place setting. Then he stealthily made his way out of the room, the weird chicken music left behind him.

Perfect time to get going.

He made his way through the big house, out a side door, then took a path toward the nearby guest cottage with soft light burning through the windows.