Free Cinderella Busted (The Cinderella Romances #1) by Petie McCarty Page A

she said she was just here on Friday afternoon.”
    “Do you have a name?”
    I would have said it outright if I did, moron .
    She had been so focused on getting to Rhett at the party and squeezing the blonde out of the way, she hadn’t paid any attention to the woman’s name. It was Lily something. Delia’s father would find out eventually, but she hadn’t felt like waiting. Delia wanted Rhett back now .
    She had grown even more worried when she’d gone by Rhett’s house that morning—late morning—and he wasn’t there. The mansion had looked deserted. Even his housekeeper was gone, and Rhett only gave the housekeeper time off when he left town. Delia had worked herself into a frenzy. Rhett better not have slept with that blond bitch.
    She waggled her fingers at the dirty gardener. “It was Lily something .”
    He grinned. “ Something is her last name?”
    She narrowed her eyes at him. “No, I don’t know her last name.”
    “Like I said, ma’am, we get hundreds of folks through here every month, and I don’t see them all.”
    “You can’t even recollect who came through here Friday afternoon?” she snapped.
    He stiffened.
    Delia moderated her tone significantly. If she angered this man, he wouldn’t help her. “Look, the woman talked to Rhett Buchanan when he was here to inspect trees, of all things. Surely, you know who he is.”
    “Yes, I know who the man is,” the young man said evenly. “I’m the one who pulled his order, but the only Lily I saw talking to Mr. Buchanan was Lily Foster.”
    “That’s it!” she exclaimed, suddenly remembering the introduction on Friday night. “That’s her name.”
    He frowned. “She’s no client. She’s the owner.”
    “The owner of what?” Delia asked, exasperated.
    He grinned. “This nursery.”
    She suddenly felt lightheaded.
    “Are you all right?” the grubby gardener asked and grabbed hold of her elbow.
    She snatched loose from his grimy hand. “I’m fine, just a little overheated.”
    “Well, there’s a water cooler in the office. You should go have a drink and sit down for a bit. You can leave the scarf there, too. Lily lives in the cottage at the back of the property.” He hooked a thumb over his shoulder.
    Delia followed the direction of his thumb-point and spied a small blue clapboard cottage beyond the greenhouses. The house wasn’t big enough for chauffeur’s quarters.
    “She can pick up the scarf the next she comes up to the office,” the gardener was saying.
    “I, uh, I didn’t bring the scarf with me. I’ll have to come back later.”
    “Suit yourself.” He went back to his watering, obviously considering his assistance to be at an end.
    Delia hemmed in her emotions and didn’t dare squeal aloud or do a crazy victory dance. The grubby man would ask questions. She settled for one huge and very smug grin that felt as though it stretched from ear to ear.
    If Rhett thought his little slut was a customer, he no doubt assumed she came from Jupiter money. Wait till he found out his latest conquest was a dirt farmer who had to live right on her farm.
    She let out a contented sigh. The blond slut was after Rhett’s money, and Delia could not allow that to happen. She would have to protect Rhett. For his own good, of course.
    Rhett had more than one New York surprise up his sleeve, and their moonlit carriage ride the first night only stepped off the whirlwind fairy tale. He spent every spare minute he could with Lily, filling her days and nights with a happiness she had never felt before—a baseball game at Yankee Stadium, trips to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty, and a soul-stirring kiss at the top of the Empire State building, much to the delight and eventual applause of the other visiting tourists.
    Wherever they were, they talked. About everything and about nothing. About favorite things and about their dislikes, too. The scary part for Lily was that their favorites and dislikes matched well. Too well, in fact. Well