Cassandra paid the cab driver the exorbitant fee and waited as he lifted her overnight bag from the trunk.

“Nice place,” he said conversationally, slamming the lid.

She smiled nervously and glanced around, half expecting to get thrown off the property before she had a chance to explain.

“Yes,” she murmured. “It is.”

Especially now, with the sun low on the horizon casting an orange-red haze that stretched out across the hills and bathed the hacienda in a warm, welcoming glow.

At least she hoped she would be welcomed as the cab sped out of sight. It had been five interminable days since she’d accompanied Jeff back to Las Vegas and canceled their wedding plans. Days of tough conversations, tears, and even regrets. But, as she’d explained to her surprisingly complacent father, now that she’d met Matt she realized what a mistake it would be to marry Mr. Good Enough when Mr. Perfect was right there, if she could only gather the nerve to go after him.

Jeff’s family were hurt by what they saw as her desertion of their beloved child, but they were also surprisingly supportive of her decision. As they put it, “Better now, then later.”

It took a bit more to convince Jeff. He’d begged her to not give up on them, to give them another chance. “After we’re married you’ll see, this was just pre-wedding jitters. It’s nothing we can’t overcome. We’re a team, Cassandra. You and me forever, remember?”

Yeah, she did. That’s what made breaking up with him so hard. They were good together. But it wasn’t the magic she’d felt with Matt.

It was as complicated and simple as that.

She entered the courtyard where Matt had first brought her what seemed like a lifetime ago. So much had happened in such a short time, her head was still whirling. Her dad had offered to come with her as support, but she’d told him she was fine. And she would be; just as soon as Matt appeared and assured her this wasn’t a dream. That what they had was rare and real. So very real.

Heart pumping faster, Cass strode to the broad oak door and rang the bell. The gong resounded hollowly from the other side and a few moments later the door knob turned. She sucked in a sharp breath, shaking, unprepared now the time had come.

Consuela’s round face split into a wide smile. “Señorita, you come back. Señor Matt will be so happy. He’s been like a bear with no honey for days now.” She waved Cass into the cool entry. “Come, come. You hungry?”

Cassandra relaxed, warmed by the maid’s welcome. “No, thank you. I ate at the airport.” She let go of her luggage to give the older woman an impulsive hug. “I’m glad to be back. How is Mrs. Shaughnessy?”

Consuela led the way into the house, stopping near the spot where Madeline had fallen. “Much better, Miss. Would you like to see her?” She started down the right-hand hall, hesitating when Cass remained in place, her attention fixed on the opposite hall, the one she’d stayed in. The one that led to Matt’s bedroom.

“Maybe you would like to visit Mr. Matt first, sí?”

Cass nodded, her heart in her throat. The sooner she got this over with, the sooner she could breathe again.

Consuela smiled, obviously picking up on her anxiety. “Don’t fret, he’s been missing you bad.” She nodded down the hall. “He’s there, don’t keep him waiting. I’ll go and add another plate for dinner.” She turned, then glanced over her shoulder. “Good luck, Miss.”

Luck. That’s how she started this journey. What she’d thought was a bad twist of fate when her dad lost that bet, had turned out to possibly be the best thing that ever happened. She’d know for sure in the next couple of minutes.

Time to roll the dice.

* * *

Matt lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, arms crossed behind his head. He hadn’t moved much since returning to the ranch and finding Cassandra gone. She was getting married in just a few short hours. He’d picked up the phone a dozen times with the intention of calling to wish her the best, but couldn’t bring himself to go through with it.

He’d gambled on love and lost, end of story.

At least his grandmother was on the mend. Since her stay in the hospital, her color was much better, the cancer if not beaten, was at least on hold. Every day was a gift; they all knew that and took pains to spend as much quality time with her as she would allow. He smiled faintly, remembering her warning earlier that morning.

“You kids need to quit molly-coddling me. I’m not going anywhere for a good long while yet. I’m sure you have things to do, so do them.” She’d hugged each of her grandchildren in turn, then waved them away. “Now scat. You’re giving me a complex.”

That was his grandma, tough to the core.

There was a light knock on the door and he raised his head. “Yeah? Who is it?”

He waited a moment, but didn’t hear an answer. Concerned it was Grandma, he leaped off the bed and hurried to open the door. His stunned gaze came into contact with a shapely body in a form-fitting red dress. Nope, not grandma.

Cassandra.

She stared back at him with a light in those gorgeous blue-green eyes he’d seen in his dreams.

“Hi,” she said. “Can we talk?”

Matt had the urge to rub his eyes, sure he’d conjured her out of his imagination. He stepped back, giving her room to enter when in reality he wanted to grab her and never let go.

“Sure. Come in.” His glance went to her left hand, but it was tucked out of sight behind her back.

“Um, how are you?” she asked, looking endearingly awkward in the center of his room.

“I’ve been better.” He closed the door, trapping her in his sanctuary. “Care to explain why you left without a goodbye?”

She’d been staring at the crumpled covers on his bed, but yanked her gaze to his face at the words. “It wasn’t like that, Matt. I had to go, surely you understand.”

Yeah, he got it. It didn’t make him feel any better though. He paced around the room, hyper-aware of her watching his every move. “Why are you here, Cassandra? Shouldn’t you be getting into your wedding gown about now?” He made a show of glancing at his watch.

“Well, that’s the thing,” she said, and held out her left hand.

He froze. She was wearing his ring, the make-believe engagement ring that he’d ended up pinning his heart to. He whooped and swept her into his arms, twirling them round and round before letting her down to plant a kiss on those laughing lips.

“You don’t know how much I wanted to come and beg you to choose me instead of that guy,” he muttered, spreading kisses from one side of her trembling mouth to the other. “He might be better for you, but he’ll never love you the way I do. You are my heart, and I’ll treasure you for the rest of our days.”

He looked from that trembling hand to her love-filled eyes, and knew sometimes life really was all about the luck of the draw.