“Let’s not pretend,” he said. “We both know I’m not a solid citizen with a spotless record. The thing is, no matter what happens, you’ll get a sizable profit from the timber sale. That much is guaranteed.”
She released his arm with an exasperated sigh. “It’s not about the mill!”
“Let’s not drag this out. You don’t need to make excuses.”
“I’m not making excuses. And this has nothing to do with your record, spotless or otherwise. It’s not about you. It’s about me. I’d like to help you, but you see, I don’t own the deed to Stone’s End.”
He shifted impatiently. “Would you care to explain that?”
“Ira’s will contains certain conditions I haven’t been able to meet.”
He raised a skeptical eyebrow. “Such as?”
“Marriage.”
“As in love and marriage?”
She burst out, “You see how impossible it is.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “Good old Ira.”
She stiffened. “This isn’t funny.”
“Isn’t it? What would you call it? Ira’s still controlling fate. And there’s not a damn thing you can do about it.”
“Yes, there is.” She buried her trembling hands in her pockets. “I don’t have to break the will—I can meet the conditions. I can always get married. Then there would be no legal hang-ups or question of ownership.”
Drew’s eyes narrowed. “I didn’t realize you were involved with anyone. Who’s the lucky guy?”
She met his gaze. “You are.”
He stared at her. “Are we actually talking marriage here?”
“Can you think of a better solution to both our problems?” Before he could say anything, she went on. “I suppose I could give up the farm, and you could give up any chance of reopening the sawmill, but what would that accomplish?”
“This is insane! Apart from everything else, your family would never approve. And with good reason. We’re practically strangers.”
“Of course, I care about Jared and Jessie. They’ve been very good to me, and I would never do anything to hurt either of them.” Her voice revealed affection.
“But I don’t intend to live my life to suit them.”
Drew noticed she didn’t use the word love, even in regard to her brother and sister. From the bits and pieces she’d revealed about her early childhood, he could understand her need for security.
He tried to issue a warning. “Olivia, there are things you should know about me.”
She lifted her chin. “I know enough, and nothing you say can change my mind. I know this is right. I feel it.”
She felt it.
So did he.
He wanted to trust her. He wanted to believe.
“You will let Jared know about our plans beforehand?” he asked. That would give her brother an opportunity to raise any serious objections.
“If you think I should.”
“Don’t you?”
She frowned. “I suppose you’re right. So does that mean you agree? Why should we both lose out when sharing my inheritance and combining forces would solve all our problems? This is the most practical solution.”
Drew could see all sorts of problems rising out of their marriage, but he wanted the sawmill—and Olivia—badly enough to settle for a business arrangement. To acquire both he had to accept that a marriage of convenience was the only way to Olivia’s heart. She was a Carlisle all right—ready to sacrifice all for Stone’s End.
“It’s a deal.” Drew weighed his next words with as much objectivity as he could muster under these extreme conditions. “As long as you realize there are no rules against mixing business with pleasure.” And to demonstrate exactly what he meant, he kissed her—long and slow and deep.
Olivia couldn’t resist the gentle persuasion of his mouth as he coaxed her lips apart, then explored within. All her plans had gone awry. But at the moment, all that mattered was this—this feeling of everything inside her rushing to meet him.
The following day, Drew stopped by the sheriff’s office to inform Seth of his plans. “I’ve got some news.”
Seth was poring over some paperwork on his desk. “I’m glad to see you’re still in town.” He leaned back in his chair. “I was afraid you’d leave without letting anyone know.”
“I thought about it,” Drew admitted. “But then I found a better reason for staying. I’m getting married.”
The desk chair rocked when Seth sat up abruptly. “Run that one by me one more time?”
Drew folded his arms, then leaned against the corner of the desk. “You heard correctly. I’m going to marry Olivia. How about being my best man?”
Seth shook his head in apparent consternation. “Aren’t you forgetting she’s a Carlisle?”
At the reminder, Drew smiled tightly. “How could I?”
“You’re not in love with the woman!”
“Why not?”
“Let’s slow down a minute.” Seth tossed his pen aside. “As I recall, you always swore to avoid the marriage trap. Now you’re planning to marry someone you barely know. You’ve done some foolhardy things, but this makes no sense at all!”
“The reasons don’t matter.” Drew smiled. “Maybe I never found the right woman.”
Openly skeptical, Seth shook his head. “So Olivia’s the reason you’ve decided to stay in Henderson?”
Not prepared to spill his guts when he didn’t fully understand his own motives, Drew stood. “There’s also the sawmill. I’d like to get the place operating again. Most of the loggers are independents. Hopefully they’ll come back. I’ve got a friend who’s looking for a job.”
“Who’s that?” Seth asked.
“Some guy I met in prison.”
“Do you think that’s smart?”
Drew shrugged. “I owe Jack a favor.”
Seth shook his head. “Well, since you’re determined to go through with this, when’s the big day?”
“Soon.”
Two weeks later Olivia stood on the courthouse steps. She looked at her watch again. Anxious to get past the formality of a marriage ceremony, she was a few minutes early. For the first time, she worried, what if Drew didn’t show up?
Caught in a whirlwind, she hadn’t told anyone of her plans, not even Jared. She ’d decided to wait until after the ceremony. He’d only attempt to stop her from rushing into marriage with a stranger, a man with a past. She couldn’t bear to examine her motives too closely. There would be plenty of time to deal with those, as well as the inevitable inquisition, once the merger was complete.
When Drew’s dark green Blazer SUV pulled up at the curb, she breathed a sigh of relief. He climbed out of the car, then looked up and saw her. Unsmiling, he looked tall and formidable, and incredibly handsome in a dark-gray suit.
His expression remained shuttered as he climbed the steps to join her.
She noted the new car. “I hardly recognized you without the sports car.”
“I traded it in for something solid, not flashy.” He smiled rakishly, thoroughly confusing her. “All part of the new image.”
Was it only an image?
He handed her a corsage. “This is for you.”
She couldn’t look away, couldn’t move, couldn’t breathe. She tried to smile, but failed miserably. They’d agreed on no fuss. But here she was in her lacy shawl and white wool dress, and he’d brought her a delicate corsage of tiny red roses and baby’s breath. At the sight of them, something in Olivia crumbled.
Drew threatened to breach her defenses. Instead of facing the frightening possibility that her heart was more involved with this man than she cared to admit, she buried her face in the flowers. She breathed in the sweet scent, restoring her courage.
This was no time for sentiment. She was close to getting exactly what she wanted, everything she deserved—Stone’s End.
And nothing more.
While she absorbed that monumental realization, she managed a wobbly smile. “
Thank you.”
Drew stole her breath as he pinned the corsage to her dress. His knuckles grazed the rise of her breast, and her heart lost a beat, then started to race. At her helpless reaction, Drew met her gaze. Both looked away.
Drew took a deep breath and completed the task. “Ready?” He took her ice-cold hand.
She nodded. “If you are.”
When they went inside, Seth was waiting. They exchanged stiff greetings. Aware of his disapproval of the proceedings, Olivia felt a growing sense of dismay.
A clerk looked up from her desk. “May I help you?”
“We have an appointment with the judge,” Drew said.
“Oh, yes, a wedding. Do you have the license?”
So businesslike.
In a few minutes, they would exchange vows. It didn’t have to mean anything, did it? As a child, Olivia had attended her mother’s weddings—all of them. Avis had always claimed to be madly in love with the current man in her life. Someday her daughter would understand.
Well, Olivia was twenty-three and she still didn’t comprehend how love could rob its victim of self-control, then self-destruct. But she knew it terrified her. Thank goodness, this marriage was only a legal formality. None of this was real. It didn’t have to mean anything.
Like a litany, she repeated it over and over in her head.
The clerk ushered them into the judge’s chambers. The room was large. Tall narrow windows let in the pale-gray light of a cloudy day. Artificial lights cast a harsh glare on the sparse furnishings.
Seated behind an official desk, the judge gave them an impersonal nod. “I understand you two want to get married.”
Recognizing the man who presided over his trial, Drew stood straighter. “Yes, sir.” The judge had thrown the book at him.
This time Drew was prepared for a life sentence.
He wasn’t sure if what he felt for Olivia could be termed love, but he knew she didn’t love him back. Surely love couldn’t exist under such adverse conditions. Olivia was prepared to sacrifice her freedom for Stone’s End. And he was prepared to gamble on his future. How could he lose? He was acquiring the sawmill. A bride was an unexpected bonus.
The judge looked over the license. “I’m going to assume that everything’s in order. That you’ve given this decision careful consideration.”
“Yes.” Drew’s collar tightened a notch. He was wearing a charcoal-gray suit he’d found hanging in his closet at Oakridge. A thorough dry-cleaning had eliminated the odor of mothballs.
At Olivia’s silence, the judge pinned her with a stern glance. “What about you, young lady? Have you thought this over?”
She cleared her throat. “I have.”
“All right then.” He got to his feet. “Let’s get on with it.”
Drew could feel Olivia trembling.
Under the circumstances, the rite of exchanging vows wasn’t remotely romantic. And yet, each word bound them together.
The clerk served as a second witness. Drew repeated his vows firmly. Olivia murmured a shaky, “I do.”
No one raised an objection.
With a few more words, they were married. “I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
After it was over, Seth stood by, looking awkward. “Well, I should be going.”
“Thanks,” Drew said.
The two men shook hands. Seth kissed the bride.
Drew opted not to kiss his bride. Olivia looked so delicate and fragile. So tempting. But under the circumstances, kissing her might not be wise. This was about business. They had an arrangement, not a marriage. It was legally binding, with no room for emotional ties.
Drew placed his hand on her elbow and ushered her from the judge’s private chambers. Moments later she stood outside. A blustery wind sent a chill through her.
“It’s over,” Olivia whispered.
Finally free of the soul-destroying resentment she’d felt since Ira’s death, she felt curiously empty and at a loss to understand why. At the end of his life, Ira had given her a close-fisted share of Stone’s End with a set of conditions that had driven her to find an extreme solution.
Ignoring caution, she’d married Drew, making it clear that he was merely a means to an end. But he was also her husband. Until this moment, she’d conveniently pushed that life-altering reality to the back of her mind, where Drew felt less threatening. How long would he be content to stay in that neat little compartment?
Chapter Eight
Once outside, Drew released his bride. His ego felt bruised and battered. Olivia had been completely honest; she’d married him for business reasons only. So why did he feel let down?
An edge crept into his voice. “All right. What’s next?”
Her eyes widened at his tone, but she answered politely, “I made an appointment with my lawyer in Bangor.”
“Right.” He didn’t really need a reminder.
With the auction deadline fast approaching, they had to stick to practical matters. They couldn’t waste time in finalizing the legal conditions set in Ira’s will.
She explained further, “We have an appointment with him first thing tomorrow morning. That was the only time he had free at such short notice.”
“That doesn’t give us much time to get there, unless we travel today.” When she made no objection, Drew said, “Then I’ll make hotel reservations for an overnight stay.”
The day was relatively mild for fall; nevertheless, she shivered. Despite all the denial, he felt protective, possessive. He frowned at the crocheted white wool shawl she wore over her dress. “Is that warm enough?”
She nodded, wrapping it closer. “It’s more practical than it looks.” In her simple white wool dress and shawl, she was a tantalizing mix of sophistication and innocence—unconventional, but surprisingly bridelike.
“Olivia, are you okay with this?” He searched her eyes for any sign of regret. “Because if you’re not, we can end this right now. It’s only on paper.”
A paper marriage.
She stared back, her eyes a dark troubled gray. “It’s too late. We’re married. Besides, it’s the only way.”
A few scattered raindrops struck her face. They gleamed against her skin. She seemed shattered.
“Congratulations,” he said. “I know Stone’s End means a lot to you.”
“You don’t understand. You’ve always known who you are and where you came from. I never have. When I first came to Stone’s End, I thought I’d found all that under one roof.”
“And did you?”
She answered indirectly. “For the first time in my life, I knew why my eyes were gray, instead of pale blue like my mother’s. Ira insisted that it would always be my home. Then, at the end, he added conditions.” She clenched her hands into fists. “Why should I give all of it up without a fight?”
Caving in at the evidence of her vulnerability, Drew took her hands in his, gently opening her fists until her palms rested against his. “It’s going to be okay.”
He knew his voice betrayed the same doubts she was obviously feeling. Had he made a terrible mistake?
Another one?
It was too late to turn back now.
After the ceremony, Drew went to Oakridge to pack a few things for the overnight trip.
Olivia went home to Stone’s End. She’d already packed, but she wanted to change her clothes into something more casual for traveling. She climbed the porch steps, noting that the icy breath of an autumn frost had scorched the flower beds.
All the summer roses were gone.
She entered the silent house. For the first time in her life, she felt a sense of ownership. Stone’s End was hers.
She slowly toured the rooms one by one, straightening a pillow here, a curtain there. In the front parlor, she found the family Bible. It held special meaning for her. As a bride, the first Olivia, her great-grandmother, had pressed a rose from her bouquet between the pages. Since then, each bride had followed suit.
Olivia removed the flo
wers from her lapel, then placed a red rose between the pages. She ran her hand lovingly over the gilted letters. Her eyes misted at the thought of all the Carlisle brides.
Perhaps she wasn’t the most romantic or best-loved bride in the history of the family, but she’d done what she had to do in order to keep what was rightfully hers.
She turned at the sound of someone entering the house and calling out, “Olivia?”
“Hello, Fred. In here.”
He entered the front parlor. “There you are.”
Ramon Morales, who managed the farm, was with him. “Good day, Olivia,” he said in his dignified way. “We got a better price on that last load of produce.”
“That’s good.”
Fred said, “We just got back from the brokers. We stopped by to pick you up, but you’d gone out. Everything okay?”
“I had something important to do.” Olivia took a bracing breath of air. “Actually I’m glad you’re both here, because I have an important announcement to make.”
Fred’s gaze drifted to the Bible in her hand, then narrowed with open suspicion. “Well, spit it out.”
“I got married.” Olivia closed the Bible, trapping the rose between the thin, age-worn pages.
Half an hour later, when Drew arrived at Stone’s End, Fred was there, along with Ramon. Both were seated around the oak claw-leg table in the kitchen. Neither was pleased to see Drew. The feeling was mutual.
A man of few words, Fred didn’t beat around the bush. “Looks like you got a bargain. Proud of yourself, are you?”
Drew bit back a few choice words. The cockiness of his youth had yielded to caution. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
The older man bristled. “You saw a golden opportunity to get your hands on Stone’s End. You took advantage of Olivia’s soft heart!”
Drew’s mouth went taut. “I’m sorry you feel that way. But that’s not the way it happened.” He knew better.
Beneath that fragile exterior, Olivia had nerves of steel and a brain that didn’t allow much room for sentiment. He’d married her knowing all that, yet hoping her heart would make room for a husband eventually.
The Wedding Bargain Page 9
