A Ring For Cinderella

Too bad making babies wasn’t part of the deal with Susan, he decided with a wry smile. The lady was one tasty morsel. But he’d had enough of women with cash-register hearts. He might enjoy a night spent with one every once in a while. Hell, he was a man. But he wasn’t about to give any of them legal or emotional control over him or anything that belonged to him.

But Gramp’s happiness was important to him.

That was why he was dressed in a sport coat, slacks, crisp white shirt and, worst of all, a tie. He hated those things. But tonight was important. If he’d come to the hospital in his jeans to introduce his fiancee, Gramp would be offended.

After paying his bill, he settled his Stetson on his head and headed for the rental car. Since he’d traveled on the helicopter with Gramp to Kansas City, he didn’t have his pickup with him. Instead, he had to fit his big frame into a four-door sedan.

He’d gotten directions from the concierge before leaving the hotel, just to be sure he had the right area of town. As he drove, the neighborhoods changed from the elegant to the barely habitable.

Pulling up in front of an apartment building with peeling paint and a small patch of grass that hadn’t been mowed any too recently, he frowned. Had he made a mistake? Susan had looked high-class, though he now realized she’d worn no jewelry other than plain gold earrings.

He got out of the car and locked the door. Checking the address once more, he headed for the stairs in the center of the building. When he found the apartment on the second floor, he rapped firmly.

The door swung open, and he had to drop his gaze to look at the person who had opened the door. A little boy stared up at him.

“Hello. I’m looking for Susan Greenwood.”

“Okay. Susan?” the boy called. “He’s here.” Then he turned back around to stare up at Zach. “I’m ready.”

That gave Zach pause. “Uh, okay. Where are you going?”

“With you. But I don’t want to.”

Chapter Two

“Paul, that was ill-mannered. Apologize to Mr. Lowery, please,” Susan called as she entered the living room of their apartment.

Then she looked at Zach Lowery.

Gone was the scruffy outdoorsman in his tight jeans and Western shirt. In his place was a cleans-haven, expensively dressed man. Handsome as sin.

She also realized she recognized him. His picture was in the society pages frequently. But he was usually dressed in a tux with a beautiful woman on his arm.

All that remained of the. cowboy she’d met earlier today was his hat.

“I’m sorry about Paul. but I couldn’t get a sitter. And I promise he’ll be well behaved.” She lifted her chin as she met his glare. Her arm stole around Paul’s thin shoulders, afraid the man would hurt her brother’s feelings.

Zach Lowery looked down at Paul, and Susan was relieved to see his glare soften. “I’m sure he will be. Are you ready?”

“Yes.” she agreed, releasing a sigh of relief. She picked up her purse. As Paul preceded her, she pulled the door closed behind her, making sure it was locked.

“How long have you lived here?” Zach asked as they went down the stairs.

She frowned. Why would he want to know that? She didn’t expect friendship from the man. In fact, she’d decided to keep anything personal out of their agreement. Then she wouldn’t feel quite so bad about taking his money.

“About four years,” she finally said when she couldn’t think of a reason not to answer. This place had been all they could afford after her mother’s death, but she definitely wasn’t going to tell him that.

“It’s not a very safe neighborhood.”

“I thought you didn’t live in Kansas City,” she said, not about to have an out-of towner criticize her home.

“We’re only about fifty miles out of town. I do come to Kansas City occasionally,” he assured her dryly.

“Yes, I’ve seen you in the society pages.”

He ignored her words and led the way to a shiny blue car.

“Wow,” Paul said with a sigh. “I like your car.”

Susan hurriedly hid her smile. Considering the wreck she drove, Paul’s enthusiasm was understandable. Zach Lowery probably couldn’t understand his reaction.

“It’s a rental, but thanks,” he said, smiling at her brother.

Maybe he was a nice man, after all. She hadn’t been sure after he had left the diner.

He came to the passenger side of the car and opened the door. Such attention flustered her. She wasn’t used to it. “Oh, I have to make sure Paul gets his seat belt on,” she said, not slipping into the seat as he expected.

“I can fasten my own seat belt,” Paul protested. He was definitely well past the helpless stage.

“Of course you can. And I’ll show you how these work. They’re a little tricky,” the man said with a kind smile. He waited until Susan had gotten seated, closed her door, then opened the door for Paul. Susan turned and watched over her shoulder as the two males conferred over the seat belt.

Once they were under way, she cleared her throat. After doing some thinking about the evening in front of her, she’d concluded she and her co-conspirator needed to get their stories straight. “I think we need to talk.”

“Want more money?” he asked in a low voice that she hoped Paul couldn’t hear.

“No! I meant we should match our stories. I don’t know anything about you. Or you me.”

“I’m thirty-three, been married once and divorced after three miserable years. No children. I live at the ranch. I attended Kansas University. I like sports, country-western music and beautiful women.” He clicked off his preferences in a rapid-fire fashion, leaving Susan stunned.

When she said nothing, trying to sort out the information he’d given her, he said, “Well? Aren’t you going to tell me about yourself?”

“Of course, I—I’m twenty-five. I work for the Lucky Charm Diner and Catering Company. I’m doing public relations and—and the advertising campaign. I graduated from the University of Missouri here in Kansas City.”

He pulled the car into the hospital parking lot. “And you have Paul.”

Susan realized he was under the misapprehension that Paul was her son, but what did it matter? Paul was hers, whether she’d given birth to him or not. And it eliminated the need to reveal her mother’s sordid past. That information was definitely personal.

“Grampwon’t have the strength to ask much,” he continued. “I’ll do all the talking. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll make one up. After all, he... it won’t matter what I say.”

The emotion in his voice was the sexiest thing about Zach Lowery, and that was saying a lot. He was a man who cared about his grandfather. to the point of doing anything to ensure his happiness.

She nodded.

“Is your grandfather sick?” Paul asked from the back seat

She started to hush her brother, but Zach answered first.

“Yeah, buddy, he is.”