Page 31 of A Tempting Seduction (Protectors of Jasper Creek #5)

Chapter Seventeen

I could have stayed in Ford's arms forever, wrapped in the warmth of his love and the safety of his living room. But Lance was out there, in Jasper Creek, probably planning his next move. The thought of him wandering around my town, my sanctuary, made my skin crawl.

“So, when do we go see Lance?” I asked.

His brown eyes were steady and determined. “Right now, if you're ready.”

I wasn't sure I'd ever be ready to face Lance again, but having Ford beside me changed everything. I nodded and stood up from the couch.

Five minutes later, we were walking up the front steps of the Smokey Mountain Bed and Breakfast. The small Victorian house sat blocks from the town square, painted a cheerful blue with white trim, with a wraparound porch lined with rocking chairs.

Mrs. Patterson, who ran the place, had always been kind to me when I'd seen her around town.

The thought of Lance contaminating this sweet place with his presence made me angry.

Ford rang the doorbell, and Mrs. Patterson answered with a welcoming smile that faltered slightly when she saw my expression.

“Ruby, dear, what can I do for you?”

“We're here to see Lance Leeds,” I said. “He's one of your guests.”

Mrs. Patterson's eyebrows rose. “Oh my. He said he might have visitors. He's in the parlor.”

She led us through the entry hall to a cozy sitting room decorated with floral wallpaper and antique furniture. Lance sat in a wingback chair by the window, reading something on his phone. He looked up when we entered, and that politician's smile spread across his face like oil on water.

“Ruby, darling.” Lance stood, straightening his expensive suit. “I was hoping you'd come by.”

His eyes flicked to Ford with obvious curiosity. “And you must be the local carpenter I've heard about.”

“Millworker,” Ford corrected, settling onto the couch. “Ford Larson.”

I sat beside Ford, close enough that our thighs touched, drawing strength from his solid presence.

Lance's eyes narrowed slightly at our obvious unity before he forced his politician's smile back into place.

Lance had always been good at reading people, figuring out their weaknesses.

But Ford seemed completely unbothered by the scrutiny.

“Right,” Lance said, his smile becoming slightly strained. “Ford. Ruby's mentioned you.”

“Has she?” Ford's tone was conversational, but I caught the protective edge underneath. “That's interesting. She’s had little to say about you, and what she did say wasn’t good.”

Lance's composure cracked just slightly. “Well, that’s surprising.”

“Oh, for God’s sake, be real. I hate you. It’s not surprising at all.”

Lance turned his attention back to me, and I saw a flash of the man who'd once made me feel small and worthless. “Ruby, darling, surely we can discuss this privately. Family business doesn't concern outsiders.”

“Ford isn't an outsider,” I said firmly. “He's the man I love. He's my future. You're my past.”

The words came out stronger than I felt but saying them gave me strength. Lance's mask slipped completely for a moment, revealing something cold and calculating underneath.

“Interesting,” Lance said slowly. “And what exactly has Ruby told you about our relationship, Ford?”

Ford leaned back on the couch, completely relaxed. “Enough to know you're not welcome here.”

“Really?” Lance's voice carried a dangerous edge. “Because legally, Ruby and I are still engaged. She never formally ended our relationship.”

My blood turned to ice. In my panic to escape California, I'd never thought about the legal implications.

Wait a minute …

“What in the hell are you talking about? There are no legal implications. I left the ring at the house. I left. End of story. And now I’m telling you to your face, because you seem too dense to have figured it out before now.”

“It's not quite that simple,” Lance said, pulling out his phone. “There are contracts involved. Financial agreements.”

Ford's attention sharpened. “What kind of contracts?”

Lance hesitated, clearly weighing his options. “Family business arrangements. Political backing that was promised based on certain... alliances.”

I smirked. “Now I get it. This is about money. Shit, I should have known. Someone paid Horace, and part of the deal involved me marrying you.”

“Don’t be vulgar, it’s unbecoming.”

“Fuck you, Lance. And fuck the contracts. And fuck the money. Get the fuck out of town.” I grinned when he winced. This was getting fun.

“It's more complicated than that. You’ll come back to California if you know what’s good for you.”

Ford stood slowly, and the temperature in the room seemed to drop ten degrees. “How much more complicated?”

Lance looked between us, some of his confidence wavering. “My new position puts me under a microscope. Media scrutiny, opposition research. I can't afford scandals.”

“So, you need a wife to make you look respectable,” I said. “And I'm convenient because I come with political connections.”

“We could be good together, Ruby.” Lance's desperation was starting to show. “You always liked nice things. I can give you that life again.”

“I never cared about the money,” I said. “I cared about feeling safe and loved. Two things you never provided.”

“Don’t be na?ve,” came Lance’s smarmy response.

Ford moved closer to Lance, not threatening exactly, but making his presence felt. “She told you no, Lance. Multiple times. Time to accept it and move on.”

Lance's politician's mask cracked completely. “You don't understand what you're dealing with here. Ruby belongs to a powerful family. People don't just walk away from the Waters organization.”

“The Waters organization?” Ford's voice went dangerously quiet.

Lance realized he'd said too much. “I mean... the family has certain expectations.”

“What kind of expectations?” I asked, my heart beginning to speed up.

Lance straightened his tie, a nervous tell I remembered from our engagement. “Horace has significant investments tied to our union. He's not the kind of man who accepts defiance gracefully.”

Ford took another step forward. “Is that a threat?”

“It's a fact.” Lance's composure was fraying at the edges. “Ruby knows how things work in our family. People who oppose Horace tend to have unfortunate accidents.”

“What are you talking about, our family? We’re not family.” I all but shouted.

“That’s just a minor hiccup. I will be part of your family. Did you know Candice had a baby?”

I felt bile coating my tongue. “Horace wouldn’t…”

“He needs this marriage. Think about what happened to your father.”

My eyes narrowed. There was something more going on here. Murdering a baby? Just so I would marry this asshole? I looked up at Ford and he gave me a small nod. We were on the same track.

Ford took the final two steps, so that now he was towering over Lance, every muscle in his body radiating controlled anger. “I think you should leave Jasper Creek. Today.”

“This doesn't concern you,” Lance said, but his voice lacked conviction.

“Everything that concerns Ruby concerns me,” Ford said simply. “We're a team.”

Lance looked at me, something desperate flickering in his eyes. “Ruby, be reasonable. You know what Horace is capable of. Do you really want to put your boyfriend at risk?”

I jumped up from the sofa. “First Horace kills my father, then he threatens Candice’s baby, now you’re threatening my man, all so I’ll marry you? Jesus, Lance, how stupid do you think I am?”

“I’m just laying out the risks.” Lance was beginning to look really stupid as he had to stare up at Ford with his neck craned backward.

“Let me worry about my own safety,” Ford said. “You worry about getting out of town before I decide to make this conversation less friendly.”

Lance pushed himself up from the chair and ducked past Ford. Then he straightened his suit jacket with shaking hands. “This isn't over, Ruby. Horace won't give up, and neither will I.”

“Yes, it is over,” I said, moving to stand next to Ford. “It's been over for two years. The only difference now is that I'm not running anymore.”

Lance walked toward the parlor door, then paused. “You'll regret this decision. Both of you.”

After he left, Ford and I sat in Mrs. Patterson's parlor, processing what had just happened. She appeared with tea we hadn't requested, tactfully not mentioning the raised voices she'd undoubtedly heard.

“He's scared,” Ford said finally.

“I agree. But I’m more scared.”

He sat back down on the couch and put his arm around me.

“Did you notice how squirrely he got when I asked about the contracts? And the way he kept contradicting himself about why he needed you back?”

I had noticed. Lance was usually smooth under pressure, but today he'd seemed rattled and desperate.

“Ruby, what was most important to Horace when you lived in California?”

The answer came immediately. “His political career. He’s house majority leader, and I always thought he might want to become governor. But Diane let it slip once that Horace was grooming Lance for governor instead. She said they just needed enough backing.”

Ford's eyes sharpened. “Backing. Financial backing?”

“I guess so. But I never knew who was supporting them.”

“Every thriller book I've ever read says the same thing,” Ford said with a grim smile. “Follow the money.”

I thought about that, my mind drifting back to those awful political parties. “You know, after Dad married Diane, we suddenly had a lot more money. But Dad was never happy about it.”

“What do you mean?”

“I remember him having to schmooze with these wealthy men at parties. They were always slimy, the kind of people who made my skin crawl. Dad would come home from those events looking exhausted and angry.”

“Angry how?”

“Like he'd sold his soul and couldn't figure out how to buy it back.” I closed my eyes, remembering my father's haunted expression. “Ford, is it possible Dad was doing something as a judge that brought money to Horace? Something illegal?”