“Come on,” he said, releasing her long enough to bend for her bag. He offered her his free hand. “Let’s go.”
Gabby watched him, stupefied. “Billionaire? Seriously?” No wonder a hundred dollars had seemed like pocket change to him.
A shrug.
Smirking with flurries of disbelief, she took his offered hand. Whether he was serious or not, she supposed she had some time to figure it out.
Chapter Twenty-Five
THE CABIN NESTLED IN THE trees was exactly as she’d remembered it. Beams of light sprayed between branches, adding a glow around the place, making it that much more picturesque. Adrian got Gabby’s car door, and they strode hand in hand down the path. She waited for him to unlock the door, and together, they entered the place where they’d first met.
It was perfectly staged and secluded in a way that invited them to settle in, to get cozy and stay that way for a while.
“Well?” Gabby said, circling. “We’re here. Are you going to tell me why now?”
Adrian set his bag on the floor. “Remember the day I found you here?”
“Like I could forget it,” she said with a grin.
He lifted the flap on his leather bag and removed a square lockbox. “This is what I was looking for that day. It’s what my father left me in the family trust.”
“Ah, so you did lie to me.”
He froze, his eyes widening.
“You said it was lottery tickets.” She folded her arms, swimming in the delight of making him squirm.
He released a relieved chuckle. “Ha ha,” he said, tapping her nose.
“Where did you find it?” she asked, stepping closer to inspect his lockbox.
“Danica had it.”
Gabby touched her throat. “Do I want to know?”
“Probably not.”
He padded to the sitting area, set it on the coffee table, and then glanced at her expectantly.
Adrian offered her a hand. “I wanted to share this moment with you. I think that’s why I could never open it before now.”
Gabby joined his side. Her body temperature ticked up a few notches, the way it always did when this close to him. He placed a hand on her low back as though comforted by her place at his side.
“Are you sure about this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you sure you want me here?”
His eye registered the question. He tilted closer. “I wouldn’t be doing this now if I wasn’t.”
She found herself seeking his hand and weaving her own with it. “Okay.”
Clearing his throat, Adrian retrieved the small key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and turned. It responded with a click. He exhaled and lifted the lid.
Inside were several wads of paper, along with what looked like a letter. Adrian rifled through, confused.
“May I?”
Adrian nodded.
Gabby opened the topmost folded paper to reveal a stained, red border surrounding large calligraphy below an eagle with open wings. A name dubbed it Deer Lodge Railroad Company. Another similarly designed certificate was labeled, Montana Land Trust.
“Are these—?”
“Old stock certificates,” Adrian said, perusing another.
“Are they worth anything?”
“Most stock is tracked online these days,” he said. “The least I can do is see if any of these companies exist anymore, but the chance is unlikely. Look at some of these dates.” He pointed to several corners where dates ranging from the late 1800s to early 1900s, even 1950.
Gabby watched his expression for several moments. His forehead was furrowed, his lips downturned.
“This isn’t what you were expecting, is it?” she asked softly, resting a comforting hand on his arm.
His breathing was escalating. He spoke without looking at her. “I don’t know what I was expecting. He left my brothers useable things like places in the company, like the ownership of horses and land. And he gave me a bunch of expired stock.”
“Maybe he thought they still had value,” she suggested, trying to comfort him.
Adrian sniffed and glanced upward to the ceiling. “I feel like he’s still mocking my career choice. Showing me how quickly something valuable can expire.” He pushed the lockbox to the center of the coffee table, disturbing the certificates scattered across the white fabric, and ran his hands through his hair.
“I was never good enough for him. I was only ever focused on money, and this is his way of shoving that in my face, to show me it doesn’t last.”
Gabby couldn’t see how this was any different than the inheritance his brothers had received. Each of their gifts had monetary value as well. Though she hadn’t even known the man, she suspected their father had the best intentions when he’d given these to his oldest son.
She placed herself in front of him and took his face in her hands. His body was trembling, his face pained. She waited to speak until his eyes rested on hers.
“I don’t care what your father thought of you,” she said. “Because the Adrian I know is kind and good. He’s driven and ambitious and dead sexy. All traits any father should be proud of, and all things money can’t buy.”
A glint of amusement softened his pain. He stroked her cheek. “Especially the sexy one.”
“I know. I mean, it’s first on my list of Most Important Attributes.”
“Then why didn’t you say it before?”
A shrug. “I was going for suspense here. I like to keep you guessing.”
Adrian stroked her jaw with his thumb and leaned in, searing her with his closeness. “Always keep me guessing.” He smoldered at her beneath long lashes before sinking in and pressing a promise kind of kiss to her lips.
Though his lips met hers, the kiss itself was more widespread, reaching down her spine and into her low belly. It stoked a fire in her chest, urging her to grip his shoulders that much tighter, to pull him that much closer.
His breath was racing when he pulled away and rested his forehead against hers. “Man, my memories of this place just keep getting better and better.”
“Adrian?”
“Hmm?”
“I know your father hurt you. I don’t understand all of it because I never saw your relationship, but from what you’ve told me, I think it was because you’re the oldest.”
“I was the guinea pig, you mean.”
“It’s just how things sometimes are, especially with more than one child in the family. The oldest always seems to get the largest load of responsibility. And where your choices led you away from his expectations, he didn’t have any of your other brothers to practice on.” She added a smile to the words, hoping he would read them as she meant them to be.
He considered this. “You think he did it because he cared about me.”
She stroked his cheek. “Yeah, I do.”
He sniffed. “That’s what my mom insists, too. I just have a hard time seeing it.”
“I’m sorry he didn’t give you something more valuable.”
Adrian turned away from her. “I don’t want something valuable from him. Not moneywise, anyway. I was hoping for—” He rubbed a finger under his nose. He was more fidgety than usual. She suspected it was his way of fighting off emotion.
She voiced what she thought he was trying to say. “You wanted to know that he loved you.”
His jaw ticked.
“It’s okay, you know,” Gabby said. “To admit it. I won’t think any less of you. Haven’t you heard? Emotions make a man more appealing, not less.”
“You’re saying you’ll make out with me if I cry?”
She laughed, though it was short-lived. Gabby stroked his back in soft circles. “I’m saying, your dad died. You’ve just found something of value, something he left for you. I know it’s affecting you, and if you need to, I won’t mind if you cry.”
It was why she’d wondered whether he’d really wanted her there or not.
His brow snapped. “What�
��s this?” He pulled an envelope from within the box. It was tucked in the top of the lid.
“Looks like a letter,” Gabby said.
He slid a finger beneath the seal and opened it. “‘Contrary to our many arguments, I had great pride in you. I hope you can see I invested in stocks also. Some belonged to Grandpa before me, but I hope this shows I didn’t think any less of you for your chosen business venture. I only wanted you to have a family because I knew it was where you would find the most joy life could offer. I’m sorry it never came across that way.’”
Adrian’s gaze lifted to hers. “Why would he write this all in a letter? Why not just tell me?”
“Maybe he tried to,” she suggested.
“Maybe.” He cleared his throat. “I wasn’t exactly a terrific teenager who would sit and listen to his every word. Every time he started in on my life goals, I shut down.”
“It’s not your fault, Adrian,” she said, resting a hand on his shoulder.
He read on. “‘Within this letter, you’ll find the deed to your own plot of land, something I know you once wanted and that I hope you will again. I’ve been saving it for you, for the right time. Maybe whenever you read this it will be the right time.
“‘I love you, Adrian. You know I don’t say that lightly. Dad.’”
Adrian folded the letter and pulled out the other slip of paper. It was a written deed for a plot of land, not on Rustic Ridge, but not far from it either.
“He left me land? Why would he do that?”
Gabby took his face in her hands. “He’s giving you an opportunity,” she said, “to decide what you really want.”
“You got the job,” he said. “Your life is in Chicago. My life is in Chicago.”
“It doesn’t have to be. School doesn’t start for another month. They have time to find someone else. I have time to apply in Two Pines. I’ll stay with you in Chicago if that’s what you want.”
“What about you?” he asked. “What do you want?”
“You,” she said. “I want to be wherever you are.”
“This plot of land,” he said, swallowing. “We could build a house. Not two doors down from my mom and Chase, but a drive away. This is what I always told him I wanted. My own land. My own space.”
“Our own space,” Gabby corrected. “Assuming you ever ask me.”
“Ask you?”
“Our lives are together, Adrian. Shouldn’t we make it official? I don’t want to live in a guest house on your land,” she added with a laugh. Not that she was complaining about his guest house in Chicago. It was nicer than any hotel she’d ever stayed at, including his family’s bed and breakfast.
“You’re saying you want to get married?”
“You’re the one who said I had to initiate everything,” she said with a shrug.
Adrian set the letter down and scooped her into his arms. “Gabrielle Bybanks, are you asking me to marry you?”
“What if I am? What’s your answer?”
He kissed her, long and hard. “Yes,” he said. “My answer is yes. As long as you let me do the official asking.”
She folded her arms. “What are you waiting for?”
“A ring? And maybe to ask your father for your hand.”
“You can do all of that later. I like princess cut, by the way.”
“You’re something,” he mumbled in that way she was becoming accustomed to when she said something that amused him.
Adrian knelt in front of her. “Gabrielle Goldie Bybanks, will you be my wife? Share my life in Chicago and Two Pines and wherever else life will lead us?”
She knelt in front of him in response. “Yes. You going to cry any time soon? I’m ready for that make-out session you promised me.”
He laughed, cradled her face in his hands, and kissed her.
EPILOGUE
Gabby had never traveled so much in her life, but with Adrian at the wheel--and with his ring on her finger--she couldn't say she minded. As far as honeymoons went, this was bliss. Every day together. No more nighttime goodbyes. Every morning in his arms.
They'd married in a little chapel in Baldwin. Bethany had made the trek from Montana to Wisconsin to celebrate. Tension had been high when Bethany had first arrived, but eventually, she and Gabby's mom hugged it out.
Things between the sisters still hadn't healed completely, but they were on the road to it, and if Gabby knew anything about being on the road, it was that--one way or another--you eventually got to where you wanted to go.
Gabby clutched her copy of Pride and Prejudice, chuckling to herself. Their honeymoon reminded her of regency weddings in books like this; weddings followed by long trips from London to "the continent," where the couple would whisk away for months to travel and sightsee. Since she hadn't traveled much before now, Adrian claimed he wanted to give her the world, starting with United States landmarks. They'd visited Mount Rushmore, ventured to Philadelphia for some historical sites, and had spent a romantic night touring Times Square and seeing several Broadway plays.
Bucket list, checked off.
Who knew where Adrian was taking her next? He intended this trip to be a surprise. She wouldn't mind if they made their way down to the Florida Keys, or even the Grand Canyon, though they were both clear across the country, in opposite directions.
But Vermont?
What in the world were they doing in Vermont?
"You still haven't told me what we're doing here," Gabby said, lowering her book just in time to spot the sign off the freeway exit. Westville. What was in Westville?
"We were close by," Adrian said, turning toward the little town. "I thought you might like to see something quirky and off the map."
Her mind raced. Quirky and off the map? Granted, Westville's gorgeous landscape was bursting with trees like much of the east coast. The little colonial homes, the wrought-iron-fenced yards, the tree-lined streets. It was like a hug, welcoming her to town. Making her never want to leave.
"This place is adorable."
"Just wait till you see where we're going." He slid her a smirk.
Oh, but he was a fox in his sunglasses. With one hand on the wheel, his casual posture, his free hand resting on her knee, and his dark hair swirled, she was a goner. Her heart literally throbbed. Was she really his wife?
Sometimes Gabby couldn't believe the turns her life had taken. Pinching herself seemed cliche, but she pressed a hand to her heart to make sure it was truly beating now, this moment.
Adrian was hers. She was here, with him, with his hand on her lap. How could she ever get used to that view--the lines of his face, the gleam in his eyes, the sound of his voice--every day?
As Adrian turned the corner, a theme park sprouted as if from nowhere. Still blocks away, the amusement park had to be huge if she could see it from here.
"What is that?" she asked. "Is that where we're going?"
"Wonderland Theme Park," Adrian said with a laugh, pausing at the stoplight.
Gabby straightened in her seat and clutched her book in one hand. "Wonderland Theme Park? As in..."
"Alice in Wonderland? Yep. Rumor has it, every single ride is based off something Alice encounters in the book. Everyone experiences their own journey down the rabbit hole."
"That sounds...amazing! Why here, though? I never pegged you as an Alice in Wonderland fan."
"I read it once," he admitted, accelerating again when the light turned green. "We were close enough to it. I thought you would like it."
"Quirky," she said, repeating his earlier word. She had to admit, it was intriguing. She beamed at her new husband. "I can't wait to check it out."
Adrian's phone pinged from the dashboard. "New message from Hawk Danielson," the aloof, female voice from Adrian's Hummer announced.
"Who's Hawk Danielson?" Gabby asked.
"An associate of mine," Adrian said. "He owns a chain of candy stores and has done impressively well with them. His corporate office is based not far from here." He tapped the screen, an
d the computerized voice read the message aloud:
"Since you're in town, why don't you stop by and we can meet to discuss the investment in person?"
Had Adrian told Hawk where they were? Was that the real reason he'd brought her to Westville? She dismissed the suspicion.
As Adrian turned the corner, Wonderland Theme Park came into view once more--closer this time. Staggering, wrought-iron gates created a perimeter around a massive amusement park, with token roller coasters and a Ferris wheel spearing into the sky. At the end of the expansive parking lot, ticket booths wearing top hats set off the park's entry point.
Gabby was immediately transfixed. The park had its own enticing charm, like a siren call to allure people to neglect whatever else they had planned and just go play for a little while. It called to her as well, but her excitement wavered.
Business, on their honeymoon? Granted, Adrian hadn't done much since they'd left Baldwin, though he had been in communication with a few of his clients and associates. She knew it was pouty and childish, but she wanted to explore Wonderland. She'd been to the Mall of America a few times, but never a theme park like this.
"He wants to meet up now?" Gabby asked, trying to mask her disappointment.
Adrian pulled off to the side of the road. For hosting a theme park, Westville was a relatively small town.
"Might as well stop by Hawk's candy store on the way to our hotel. It's not far. We can check in and then hit the park tomorrow. What do you think? Do you want some candy?" He waggled his eyebrows.
Gabby smirked. "You mean besides you?"
Adrian leaned in. The feel of his mouth on hers fizzled all the way into her stomach. He lingered, resting his cheek to hers long enough to add in her ear, "Indulge in me all you want, Mrs. Bear."
Stomach still burning, she nibbled her bottom lip. "I suppose a candy store sounds like fun."
Adrian grinned at her, planted another kiss on her mouth, and then texted a reply to Hawk. "You won't be sorry," he said to Gabby as he did so.
The drive to Ever After Sweet Shoppe on Seventeenth Street didn't take long. The shop was cutesy, marked by a black-and-white striped awning above the doors. The windows were painted with fall decals, hailing the upcoming change in the colors of the leaves. A tasteful display of brightly colored candy in fat, glass jars, staggered on shelves and set off with florals, made Gabby's mouth water.
Goldie And The Billionaire Bear (Once Upon A Billionaire Book 1) Page 16
