Divided Interests Read online

  Divided Interests

  Book 3 Southern Bride Copyright © 2020 by Kelly Elliott

  ISBN EBOOK 978-1-943633-62-3

  ISBN PAPERBACK 978-1-943633-63-0

  Cover photo by: Shannon Cain

  Photography by Shannon Cain

  Cover Design by: RBA Designs, www.rbadesigns.com

  Interior Design & Formatting by: Elaine York, www.allusiongraphics.com

  Developmental Editor: Elaine York, www.allusiongraphics.com

  Content Editor: Cori McCarthy, Yellow Bird Editing

  Proofing Editor: AmyRose Capetta, Yellow Bird Editing

  No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without the written permission of the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

  For more information on Kelly and her books, please visit her website www.kellyelliottauthor.com.

  Other Books by Kelly Elliott

  Prologue

  Chapter 1 – Paige

  Chapter 2 – Paige

  Chapter 3 – Lucas

  Chapter 4 – Lucas

  Chapter 5 – Paige

  Chapter 6 – Lucas

  Chapter 7 – Paige

  Chapter 8 – Lucas

  Chapter 9 – Paige

  Chapter 10 – Lucas

  Chapter 11 – Paige

  Chapter 12 – Lucas

  Chapter 13 – Paige

  Chapter 14 – Lucas

  Chapter 15 – Paige

  Chapter 16 – Lucas

  Chapter 17 – Paige

  Chapter 18 – Lucas

  Chapter 19 – Paige

  Chapter 20 – Lucas

  Chapter 21 - Paige

  Chapter 22 – Paige

  Chapter 23 – Lucas

  Chapter 24 – Paige

  Chapter 25 – Paige

  Chapter 26 – Lucas

  Chapter 27 – Paige

  Chapter 28 – Lucas

  Chapter 29 – Paige

  Chapter 30 – Lucas

  Epilogue

  About the Author

  Other Books by Kelly Elliott

  Other Books by Kelly Elliott

  Boggy Creek Valley Series

  Coming summer 2020

  Stand Alones

  The Journey Home

  Who We Were*

  The Playbook*

  Made for You*

  *Available on audiobook

  Meet Me in Montana Series

  Never Enough

  Always Enough April 7, 2020

  Southern Bride Series

  Love at First Sight

  Delicate Promises

  Divided Interests

  Lucky in Love June 9, 2020

  Cowboys and Angels Series

  Lost Love

  Love Profound

  Tempting Love

  Love Again

  Blind Love

  This Love

  Reckless Love

  *Series available on audiobook

  Boston Love Series

  Searching for Harmony

  Fighting for Love

  *Series available on audiobook

  Austin Singles Series

  Seduce Me

  Entice Me

  Adore Me

  *Series available on audiobook

  Wanted Series

  Wanted*

  Saved*

  Faithful*

  Believe

  Cherished*

  A Forever Love*

  The Wanted Short Stories

  All They Wanted

  *Available on audiobook

  Love Wanted in Texas Series

  Spin-off series to the WANTED Series

  Without You

  Saving You

  Holding You

  Finding You

  Chasing You

  Loving You

  Entire series available on audiobook

  *Please note Loving You combines the last book of the Broken and Love Wanted in Texas series.

  Broken Series

  Broken*

  Broken Dreams*

  Broken Promises*

  Broken Love

  *Available on audiobook

  The Journey of Love Series

  Unconditional Love

  Undeniable Love

  Unforgettable Love

  *Entire series available on audiobook

  With Me Series

  Stay With Me

  Only With Me

  *Series on audiobook

  Speed Series

  Ignite

  Adrenaline

  COLLABORATIONS

  Predestined Hearts (co-written with Kristin Mayer)

  Play Me (co-written with Kristin Mayer)*

  Dangerous Temptations (co-written with Kristin Mayer)

  *Available on audiobook

  Lucas

  I STARED AT the old man. There had to have been some sort of mistake. I had heard him wrong. My stomach clenched as I let the words sink in.

  “I’m sorry,” I said with a bemused chuckle. “I thought I heard you say I was a co-owner of my grandfather’s ranch house here in Johnson City.”

  He nodded. “That is what I said, Lucas.”

  With a sharp shake of my head, I stated, “This is a mistake, Lou. I’m the only grandchild of William Foster. If granddad didn’t leave it to either of my parents, who did he leave it to?”

  The old man attempted to hide his smile and failed miserably.

  “Fifty percent of the home located at 4547 Ranch Road 175 has been left to one—” I swore he paused for dramatic effect—“Paige Miller.”

  I closed my eyes, let out a soft groan. “Now I for sure heard you wrong. What name did you just say?”

  Without opening my eyes, I could hear the lawyer’s humor in his reply. “Paige Miller, formally of Johnson City, moved to Arkansas to attend the University of Arkansas with a degree in International Business with a…”

  “Minor in French. I know who Paige is, Lou, and you know I know! Why is she named in my grandfather’s will?”

  The old man, who also happened to be my granddad’s best friend, leaned back in his oversized leather chair and gave me a smile. “I’m afraid the only person who knows is your granddad.”

  I forced a smile. “That doesn’t help me any, Lou, when the man was buried three days ago.”

  His smile faded. “That is true… Where were you again?”

  Guilt hit me square in the chest. I’d never forgive myself for missing granddad’s funeral. Fucking Bianca.

  Sighing, I replied, “Fiji.”

  He snapped his fingers. “That’s right. Your momma said you and your girlfriend went there. Heard the girlfriend was expecting a ring. Did you ask her to marry you?”

  “No, I did not. Can we please get back to this…mistake?”

  “Ms. Miller was in my office two days ago and picked up the keys and a letter your granddad wrote to her.” He pulled out an envelope from the file and slid it across his desk. “This is your letter and your key.” Then he placed a single key on top of the envelope.

  I stared at it. If I touched it, I might combust and set the whole damn office on fire.

  Then I laughed, rubbed the back of my neck and looked at my granddad’s oldest and dearest friend. “This is a joke, right? Granddad pulling one over on me from his grave because he loved his jokes? I know he adored Paige, and always said I needed to get my shit, er, st
uff together, but he wasn’t serious.”

  He didn’t crack a smile at all. He actually looked a bit pissed off. “Trust me when I say this is not a joke. William knew exactly what he was doing. Read the letter, Lucas. All the answers you’re looking for start with that letter.” He jerked his chin toward the envelope.

  I grabbed it and stood. “Half of the house is mine, the other half is Paige’s?”

  “That’s right, as well as the land.”

  A sinking feeling hit me in the middle of my gut. The land as well. Mother-freaking-effer. My first impulse was to sell it. Every time I stepped into that house I thought of her. Of Paige. The woman I now owned it with. Jesus Christ, this was messed up.

  “Thank you for your time, Lou.”

  As I made my way toward the door, he called out, “Welcome back to Johnson City, son.”

  I placed my hand on the door. A part of me grew angry that my granddad had tried to force my hand. The plan had always been for me to go to college, then come back and work alongside my father and granddad in the family construction company. That all changed the summer after I graduated high school. I didn’t want that house or the memories associated with it.

  “As soon as I buy Paige out and sell that house, I’m headed back to Austin, Lou.”

  He frowned. “That’s a damn shame. We could use a man of your many talents here in town.”

  I laughed. The idea that Bianca would even entertain the thought of living in Johnson City was a joke. She was already bitching about staying at the bed and breakfast down the road, which I actually thought was nicer than any expensive hotel we had ever stayed in.

  “I won’t be staying, but thanks, Lou.”

  Before the door shut, I swore I heard the old man chuckle and say, “We’ll see about that.”

  Paige - Three days earlier

  “PAIGE, SWEETHEART, THANK you so much for coming. William loved you like a granddaughter and missed you so.”

  I wiped a tear from my cheek and forced a smile as Lynn Foster placed her hands on my upper arms and gave me a onceover. She’d always done this, for as long as I could remember. When I had walked into the home of Lynn and Carl Foster, my heart had been hurting. I had loved Carl’s father, William, like he was my own grandfather.

  “I had no idea he was sick, or I would have come to visit,” I stated. “It’s been months since I’ve seen him.”

  She shook her head. “Don’t you even, young lady. You talked to him every week. You stopped by last Christmas and played dominoes with him and helped him decorate the tree outside the old house. He went on for days about how you decorated that tree.”

  I smiled warmly at Lynn, but I couldn’t ignore the way my chest ached. I had planned on coming home to see my father, brother Tom, and William. I’d used the excuse that I was so busy with work and never made the journey. Coming home to Johnson City always brought with it a blanket of sadness. The memories and lost dreams often made it hard to breathe.

  Lynn gazed at me with a loving look. I’d always adored her, and it had nothing to do with the fact that her son, Lucas, had been one of my best friends growing up, along with Milo Elliott and Jen Adams. I had dated Lucas all through high school. He had been my first love. My first real French kiss. Hell, my first with every sexual encounter—until I left Arkansas eleven years ago when I was eighteen.

  “I’m going to miss him.” I glanced around, looking for her son. I hadn’t seen him in a few years. Each time I was in town, he wasn’t. And even though we both lived in Austin, we never once ran into each other.

  That was a lie. I had stumbled across him a few times, but always managed to slip away before he could see me. Of course, we ran in different circles now. He never did forgive me for going to Arkansas and not to the University of Texas. I had dreams of opening my own business, and Lucas had dreams of staying in Johnson City and taking over his family’s business. It wasn’t that I didn’t love my hometown; I did. But I was young and wanted to see what else was out there besides small-town Texas.

  This was the whole reason I chose an international business degree and minored in French. The idea of living in France had always been a dream, one I shared with Lucas a lifetime ago. He had been all for it, but when he found out I didn’t want the simple business degree Texas offered, he got upset. A part of me thought maybe he wanted a break; we had dated all through high school, after all. But he gave me an ultimatum and that was the breaking point. If I didn’t go to UT with him, we would have to break up because he couldn’t do a long-distance relationship. The truth was, he obviously didn’t trust me, and that broke my heart in two.

  “Paige, before you leave to head back to Austin, would you mind stopping by Lou Howard’s office tomorrow? You were named in William’s will.”

  “Me?” I asked, my voice sounding as stunned as I felt.

  “You know he loved you. He’d hoped you and Lucas would have found your way back to each other by now.”

  I forced a smile. A part of me had thought maybe we would, as well. I’d never had feelings for any other man like I had for Lucas. It took me nearly my whole freshman year of college to get over him, and even to this day, my brain tells me he’s old news, and my heart argues back.

  “Where is Lucas?” I asked, trying to be nonchalant.

  Lynn’s face went into a scowl. “Fiji.”

  My eyes widened. “I’m sorry, did you say Fiji?”

  For a moment, I thought a growl came from Lynn. She rolled her eyes. “I should say he is on his way back. Once things turned for the worse, and I realized William was not going to get any better, I called Lucas. Bless his soul, no matter how hard he tried to get back in time for the funeral today, it wasn’t going to happen. They somehow missed their flight.”

  Lynn looked around, took my arm and led us both out to the back porch. Fewer people were gathered out there and we could speak more openly. Once we were outside, she leaned in close to me and whispered, “Bianca conveniently couldn’t find her passport.”

  I raised a brow.

  “Yes. On purpose! Lucas should have left her selfish ass on that island.”

  The back door flew open and Linda May Hacker strolled out. “Oh Lynn, darling, I’m so sorry to hear about William, and that Lucas couldn’t make it back in time.”

  I covered my smile at Lynn calling her son’s girlfriend out like that. I watched as she plastered on a smile and turned to Linda May. I was positive she was still the go-to person in Johnson City for gossip.

  “Linda May, thank you so much for coming,” Lynn said, as sweet as apple pie.

  They hugged, then Linda May looked my way. “Is that little Paige Miller?”

  I nodded. No matter how old you were, when you came back to your small hometown in Texas, you were the same little girl who ran around in pigtails. I was still a fan of pigtails, don’t get me wrong; I just didn’t wear them out in public anymore. Okay, that was a lie, I did on occasion. When I had an extra pep in my step. I also wore them Friday nights when I changed into my PJs and crawled into bed at eight to watch the latest Netflix obsession. Yes, my life was that exciting.

  “It is, indeed,” I said, giving Linda May a quick hug.

  Almost all southern women were huggers. I still hadn’t figured that one out yet. There had to be a reason. My momma used to say it was because they wanted to see how much weight you’d gained since the last time they saw you. Or if the rumor about the breast lift was true or not. Regardless, hugging was mandatory as soon as you set foot in this town.

  My heart pained as I thought of my momma. She had been gone for four years, and there wasn’t a day I didn’t miss her or wish I could pick up the phone and ask for a bit of advice.

  “Four years,” I murmured.

  Lynn looked at me with confusion. “Four years, what?”

  I waved my hand in front of my face as if I was losing my mind. “I just remembered that’s how long it has been since I’ve seen Lucas. Four years. Momma’s funeral.”

  Lyn
n tilted her head, as did Linda May. I got that pity look that southern women had perfected down to a freakin’ T. Some meant it, some didn’t. Currently, I was one for two. Lynn meant it, Linda May didn’t. She and my momma had hated each other.

  “That’s right. I know he was so happy to see you. He often asks about you,” Lynn said.

  I wanted to laugh. Lucas was anything but happy to see me, and I knew his pride wouldn’t allow him to inquire about me. He didn’t understand my desire to do something different, to see the world, and I couldn’t understand why he didn’t want the same things. Moving back to Johnson City was his idea of a dream, and yet my own dreams weren’t as valid. When I was younger, I thought about nothing but traveling the world.

  And I did travel. I got a job with a large corporation straight out of college and traveled to Europe often. My minor in French came in handy. I’d had amazing opportunities, as well as experiences I would never forget. Regretting my decision never entered my mind, even though the result had been my broken heart. I’d hardly dated at all since Lucas. A few casual dates, one serious relationship which ended recently when I realized that Jeff was not the man I wanted to settle down and raise a family with. Everything had seemed…off lately. I needed a major change.

  I had worked for that company for two years, traveling ninety percent of the time as an analyst, before my mother was diagnosed with cancer. I took another job in Austin to be closer to her and my father. She died shortly after I moved back to Texas. My daddy had been so lost without my momma. He was a rancher, fourth generation. Needless to say, my older brother Tom had been a huge help to daddy when our mother was sick. I loved the ranch, but running it was not my dream; it was Tom’s. He and his wife Kate were perfect together. Kate loved ranching and was right there alongside my brother when it came to helping Daddy run the ranch. I admired her for so many things. She was a mother to my beautiful niece Callie and nephew Tom Jr. She helped Tom do everything, from plowing fields to castrating a bull. Then she made it back home in time to whip up some fabulous dessert to bring to the PTA meeting that night. She had her shit together and kicked ass at life. That’s not jealousy at all; simply me recognizing one badass woman.