The Billionaire's Marriage Promise

by Melody Archer

  He slowed the sailboat so that it floated beside the long pier that stretched out from Walker’s Island.

  Gabe nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek. “Okay. I’ll get back to you in a couple of days. I’ll check in with you before I go to my mom’s birthday party. You can give me your answer then.”

  He threw the rope so that it reached around the wood pillar that they used to tether the sailboat to.

  “All right.” Her cheeks were flushed red. Rory nodded quickly before she hurried off the boat and toward her home.

  As Gabe watched Rory walk away a sudden unexplainable loss filled his senses.

  Gabe realized he was missing her already. He looked forward to the next time. He only hoped Rory would say yes to his marriage proposal. He felt like that would give him greater liberty to do everything he needed to so Rory was protected and safe.

  Rory thoughts whirled at Gabe’s surprise marriage proposal.

  He had been the man she’d dreamed about marrying for so long she surprised herself when she didn’t say yes on the spot. But her dream had not been to get married because of a marriage-of-convenience agreement. She wanted a man to choose her because he loved her.

  She released a long sigh of frustration.

  Why did her life seem so topsy-turvy lately? Why did the things that she wanted, seem to come in different ways than she expected?

  Looking up, and past the tops of the tall poplar trees she said a quick prayer. She needed all the help she could get to figure out what to do. The confusion she felt at Gabe’s unconventional request had to get cleared up.

  What she really needed was to talk to Raz. Through the years, she’d often talked to her friend when she needed advice. She realized she needed to regain some perspective.

  Razelle was a good friend and would help her. Maybe she could set up a time when they could chat online.

  Rory hurried home, but as she neared home, she was surprised to see men working all around their cottage. They were setting up lights and rounded cameras onto steel poles that they’d placed around the perimeter of the yard. These must be the men that Gabe had hired.

  Looking at their cottage and the rest of their yard, it looked like there had been a large fire that had blackened the grass and ruined the outbuildings. To Rory’s eye it looked like their house and yard had been in a war zone.

  For the first time there was someone else who was helping to look out for them and it felt good. She hadn’t realized what a weight she carried with her fears for her Aunts safety. Rory realized she had a lot to thank Gabe for.

  For the first time, she wondered if maybe a marriage-in-name-only might be a good idea. It would solve her biggest concern of her aunts safety. Even if Gabe didn’t love her it would only be for one year.

  She was still pondering that thought when her dogs ran up to her each vying for her attention. They licked her hands and she patted their heads.

  Hurrying into the house, she spotted her Aunt Florrie standing at the kitchen island, mixing a batch of cookie batter.

  Rory reached a finger in the bowl, nibbling on the sweet batter. “Oh yum.”

  Her Aunt grinned and lightly smacked her hand when she tried to reach for more. “Don’t spoil your supper.”

  “Please, just one more taste?”

  “All right. I never could say no to your wheedling ways.” Her aunt eyed her. “Did you enjoy sailing with Gabe?” The twinkle in her aunts’ eye, made her want to play it down. Her aunts had always had such great hopes for her and Gabe Stevenson. She didn’t want to get their hopes up.

  “It was okay.” Rory shrugged and saw the disappointment on her aunt’s face. “We might go again soon. I need to re-learn how to sail.” Her aunt’ face brightened a little when she heard that. Rory reached her finger into the mixing bowl once more and licked the batter off her fingers. “Thanks. You’re the best.” She kissed her Aunt’s cheek and hurried up the stairs to her room.

  Quickly she changed into her old jeans and sweatshirt and sent a quick message to Raz. There was no response so Rory sent another message to ask if they could talk this evening.

  Since Rory didn’t know when her friend would get back to her, she decided today was a good day to mix the little bit she had left from the hand-harvested seaweed. She just needed to go to the green house, to see if she could salvage anything from the empty bottles she’d kept there.

  She noticed Aunt Florrie’s rosacea was acting up again as was Aunt Merrie’s excema. It was critical that she make more of the skin care mixture. Mostly for her Aunts, but the summer festival in Paradise Lake was in three weeks, and there were quite a few people who counted on her to bring the cleaners, moisturizers, toners, facial oils, serums and masks and treatments that she had formulated.

  Rory had ran out of the mixture since the fire and was desperate. Rory grabbed the bottles of essential oils she kept in her room and brought them downstairs to the laundry room. She would have to do her mixing here.

  After gathering what she needed she hurried outside. A loud crack of thunder split the sky and spurred her to hurry.

  The green house was all but destroyed since the fire, but Rory wanted to see if any of the bottles she had kept underneath a large steel galvanized bowl were salvageable.

  Stepping carefully into the blackened walls of what used to be the green house, she walked across the hard dirt toward the other end where she had kept it. Slipping gloves on her hands, she squatted and reached over to grab the edge of the bowl. Lifting the bowl she expelled a sigh of relief at the sight of the glass bottles for her skin care which were dirty but untouched by the fire.

  Dragging the galvanized steel tub toward her, one by one she put the glass jars inside. As she reached for the last one, she noticed a small piece of paper inside one of the jars.

  Pulling it out she turned it over and read.

  Rory your twenty-first birthday is soon. We won’t forget.

  Rory sucked in a deep breath. Her hands shook as she held the slip of paper and stared at the words. It was obvious this was the same person — or people — who had set the fire in the first place.

  Who would do this? It seemed fairly clear that whoever wrote this was someone who knew her or at least knew when her birthday was.

  Trembling she put the note in her pocket. She couldn’t let her aunts see this. It would only make them worry more.

  She stood on shaky legs and carried the tub filled with glass jars to the house.

  Rain began to pour down on her, like a forewarning of things to come.

  Rory opened the kitchen door and set the tub down in the laundry room. After changing into dry clothes she went to work mixing the skin care formula to give to her aunts. At her best estimate, this new mixture would last only about two weeks. She desperately needed to find somewhere where she could get a whole lot of seaweed and other sea plants in big batches. If there was a way to do that she’d have enough to create the organic skin care formula that would last for months. And she could bring boxes of bottled skin care formula to those people in Paradise Lake who were asking for more.

  After a few hours of work she was done.

  She checked if Raz had messaged her.

  Opening her computer, she smiled when she saw her friend’s familiar script.

  I’d love to chat.

  “I’m here now. Thanks for taking a few minutes out of your day. I have to admit, I’m a little frazzled today.

  “What’s up Rory?”

  “There’s been some weird things happening.”

  “Oh? Like what?”

  “Whoever destroyed our backyard also left a note. I found it today.” Rory went on to describe the threatening words.

  “Rory you have to let the police know.”

  “I will. But first I want to show the note to Gabe because he hired a Private Investigator to search for clues as to how the fire started. Maybe the PI will be able to help with this.”

  “Okay. That’s a good idea. This needs to be figure
d out before your birthday.”

  “Yes. But I feel like the PI will be the biggest help.” Rory hesitated for a moment. “Also, I need your advice.”

  “Sure. What’s up?”

  “Gabe took me sailing today. He shocked me when he asked me to marry him.” Rory explained Walker Stevenson’s will and about the marriage-in-name-only.

  “What? That’s sudden.”

  “It is. I’m still in shock.”

  “I think you should do it.”

  “Why do you think so?”

  “Rory, you’ve been in love with Gabe Stevenson over half of your life. He asked you to marry him and you said no?”

  “I said I’d think about it. Gabe said he needed an answer in two days.”

  “You should marry him. You would finally be married to the man you’ve dreamed of for so long.”

  “Yes, but will I be the only one in love? I wanted to marry a man who loved me too.” Rory wanted that love and sense of belonging so badly she could taste it.

  “I think he’s half in love with you already, but doesn’t know it. He has promised to protect you and he’s giving you money too? I wouldn’t be surprised if he’ll have a way to help you figure out a solution to get large batches of those sea plants you need.”

  “I suppose. Maybe I just need to think of this marriage-of-convenience the same way Gabe does. As a practical solution to get what we both need. If it will help my aunts then I will do this. Besides it’s only for one year.”

  “There you go. And just for the record my friend, I think you’re going to discover that you love being married to Gabe.”

  “Hmm, maybe that’s what I’m afraid of.” Rory texted back. In all honesty, it was one of her biggest fears to love a man who didn’t love her back. She still remembered being five and six years old and seeing her father disappear for weeks on end and how lonely her mom had been. Maybe her memories weren’t as clear as to what actually happened, but that was the impression she remembered as a little girl. Now those same memories caused her to think that any man she married might not love her and want to be with her as much as she needed him to.

  “No fear, Rory. Just watch and see what happens. It won’t be long before he realizes he’s in love with you.”

  “Not going to happen, but I appreciate the sentiment.” Rory saw Aunt Merrie open her bedroom door to tell her it was dinner-time. “Gotta go. Chat later?”

  “Of course!”

  Rory closed her laptop and sat for a minute thinking of her chat with Raz. Her friend seemed fairly confident that Gabe would marry her and then fall in love with her. Rory was just as certain that wouldn’t happen.

  It would have to be enough to agree to a marriage-of-convenience with Gabe and that he saw to it that her aunts were protected.

  Rory desperately tried to convince herself of this, but failed. She wanted so much more.

  Nerves fluttered all up her legs and arms as Rory approached Walker Stevenson’s Hunting Lodge. Morning dew clung to her shoes from last night’s rain as she trudged through the grass. It was a good mile walk from the cottage up the small hill to the large house that Gabe’s great-grandfather had built.

  Rory remembered Gabe had planned to talk to her in a couple days, but she couldn’t wait.

  Since finding that alarming note yesterday, anxiety weighed heavily in her belly. She had hardly slept last night because of it, and knew she couldn’t go another day without talking to Gabe.

  As she approached the Lodge, she saw the same workers who had been at the cottage the last couple of days were now setting up steel poles to hold the hidden cameras all around the perimeter.

  She walked around the building until she saw Gabe. He was talking with an older man who wore a hardhat and tool belt.

  Curious, she walked closer to Gabe and waited until he finished his conversation.

  It wasn’t long before Gabe spotted her.

  His gaze ran up and down the length of her and settled on her face. She hoped his wide grin and the hint of appreciation that glimmered in his blue eyes meant he wouldn’t mind her interrupting his day. She noticed the old pair of jeans he wore and the SeaHawks t-shirt that looked like it had seen better days. It annoyed her that he always looked good, even wearing ratty clothes.

  He walked toward her with his rogue smile firmly in place. “This is a nice surprise. I didn’t expect to see you until tomorrow.”

  “Yeah well, I didn’t expect it either. But it’s important that I talk to you today.” Rory looked around at the dozens of workers all around them before looking back up at Gabe. “Looks like you’re busy.”

  “Just making some plans to renovate this place as well as sorting out ideas for a resort on the other side of the Island.”

  “A resort, wow. That’s a big project.” Rory tried to imagine it in her mind.

  “Yes it is. That’s why I’ve been asking Bob, my general contractor, for his ideas on where we should start with such a big project.” Gabe nodded and grinned at the man with whom he’d just finished talking. He looked at Rory, a new glow in his eyes.

  “I can tell you’re excited.”

  “I guess I am. It’s something that’s been in the back of my mind for a year or two now.”

  Rory tried to ignore the sudden wave of apprehension that flooded her to hear Gabe talk about adding a resort to their Island. It was her home and she worried about being invaded by people all the time.

  Gabe folded his arms across his chest. “I know that look. Don’t worry, I intend to keep half of the Island private. It’s only the southern half of the Island that I’m thinking of making into a resort area.”

  “It’s annoying how you do that, you know.” Rory shifted on her feet a little intimidated that her very thoughts seemed to be an open book to Gabe Stevenson.

  “What? Read your mind?” He chuckled. “We spent a lot of summers together, Rory. I know you better than you think.”

  Belatedly she realized just how true his words were. She wasn’t sure why that made her uncomfortable. Maybe the fact that Gabe knew her better than she thought, made her feel like running for cover.

  The loud banging of a hammer in the background interrupted their conversation.

  Not wanting to compete with the noise, Rory leaned over and spoke in Gabe’s ear. “Could we go talk somewhere private?”

  “Want to get me alone already?” Gabe grinned as he saw her grimace and put her hands on her hips. He pointed in the direction of Grand’s old Hunting Lodge.

  Rory hurried beside him, heat rising from her neck to her cheeks at his teasing. Gabe opened the door and Rory spoke. “I have something serious I want to discuss with you.”

  He closed the large rustic wood front door behind them and leaning up against it he spoke, his tone contrite. “I’m sorry Rory. I don’t mean to get you riled. You’re just so easy to tease.” He held his hand out for her to walk ahead of him up the stairs and into the large great room.

  She nodded and gave him a half smile as her acceptance of his apology and walked into the inviting great room. “I’ve always loved this room.”

  “I know me too. I can’t bring myself to change anything about it. Too many memories, I suppose.”

  She watched as Gabe’s expression became nostalgic as if remembering.

  Rory had some pretty great memories of her own. “Your great-grandfather would invite my three aunts and I over to his place when he was on the Island. I still remember Walker Stevenson sitting in that easy chair over there by the fireplace, smoking his pipe or whittling on whatever new wooden toy he was making at the time. Funny, but I can still smell the scent of his pipe today.”

  Rory looked over at Gabe surprised to see the moisture in his eyes. “Me too.” He said in a hushed whisper. The somber moment seemed appropriate for both of them.

  Gabe walked over to the fireplace and added a log to the crackling fire. “Sit down and relax Rory. You look a little tense.”

  Rory grabbed a large cushion placing it fart
her away from the fireplace. Fire still filled her with fear and she’d preferred not to be too close. “Thanks.” She watched the flames get higher, her mind full with all she needed to tell Gabe.

  “Tell me what’s got you so worked up.” Gabe’s warm breath whispered in her ear. Rory turned, not realizing he sat so close to her. He handed her a glass of orange juice. She took a sip, and reached into her pocket handing him the note.

  “What’s this?” Gabe turned it over as he read the jagged words. She watched as Gabe’s face switched between serene to angry in a moment. “Who wrote this? It sounds like they are threatening you.”

  “I don’t know. But I wanted you to see it. I thought maybe you could show it the Private Investigator you hired.” She couldn’t help it that Gabe’s protective attitude toward her and her aunts, made her feel good inside.

  “Don’t worry, I will show it to him. Where did you find the note?”

  Rory explained about looking for more bottles in the burned out Green House.

  “Seems like whoever is doing this, has been watching you for awhile now Rory. They know where you keep things that are important to you.”

  A chill ran up her spine at Gabe’s words. She had avoided saying that out loud. Now that it was out there, it felt more real. Someone really was stalking her trying to hurt her. She stared at the flames, fear grabbing hold of her once again.

  “Do you know what they mean when they say they won’t forget?” Gabe’s soft voice, barely reached her so deep was her fear. With gentle fingers under her chin, he turned her head so looked deep into her eyes.

  A single tear ran down her cheek as slowly shook her head no.

  “It’ll be okay Rory. Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and she cried softly onto his wide shoulders. All the pent-up tension began to drain from her and she wept softly. His arms drew her closer so she was sitting on his lap and he kissed the top of her head. “I’ll see to it that you and your aunts are protected. Don’t worry.”

  “I know you will.” Rory pulled back a little and wiped her eyes. “Sorry I didn’t mean to get all weepy on you.”