This beautiful Island had been the only home she really remembered. She only had vague memories of the house she grew up in Oregon. They’d moved right after her sixth birthday party — the same party that ended with a house fire and her parents tragic deaths.
She shuddered and fingered the locket around her neck as waves of sadness rolled over her. Rory shook her head trying to dispel the horrible memories. She couldn’t think of that right now.
It had been right after she had lost her parents that her three aunts had finally decided to accept Walker Stevenson’s offer to live in this cottage on the Island. They had saved his life years ago, and he told them because of that he wanted to do something for them.
Gabe’s great-grandfather had assured them, they could live rent-free for the rest of their lives in the cottage on Walker’s Island.
So, when Rory was six years old, they moved to this beautiful Island.
Through the years Rory grew to love it here, even though at times it was a little lonely. It helped that twice a month they took the boat to the small town of Paradise Lake. It’s how she made a few friends her age like Bella and Razelle. They had been such good friends and had gotten to know each other well. They had even taken the time to help her with other things.
Bella had helped her find a publisher for her first romance novel years ago, and Raz had helped her research plants that would help create wonderful skincare creams to help with her aunts skin problems.
Turned out both the novels and developing the skincare had been just what Rory had needed to do. She never imagined her novels would become as popular as they were. The money she earned from novels had helped her aunts to fix the house she’d been able to get the equipment she needed to continue to develop the skin care products. It was a start.
She said a prayer of thanks that she’d finally had a breakthrough as she experimented with using seaweed, botanicals, marine algae and a mixture of essential oils. Her aunts skin care problems were getting better.
Glancing at the boxes of bottles and labels that were stacked near her desk, she shook herself out of her daydream with the reminder that the work wasn’t going to get done by itself.
Turning quickly, she opened her bedroom door and hurried down the hallway toward Aunt Merrie’s room.
“Aunt Merrie can I come in?” After several knocks she slowly opened the door knowing that sometimes her aunt got caught up in her work.
At the sound of the squeaky door, Aunt Merrie turned quickly placing her hand on her chest. “Oh my, Rory. You startled me.”
“Sorry, Auntie. You busy?”
“I promised your Aunt Florrie I would type up her recipes and make a recipe book out of it. But, I’m struggling to read some of her writing.” Aunt Merrie lifted a sheet of paper with scrawled writing toward the window. Pushing her glasses down her nose, she squinted trying to see the words better.
Rory leaned closer to try to help her. “It is hard to read. Maybe we should ask Aunt Florrie.”
“I think you’re right. Florrie is a good cook, but not so good at writing. I guess that’s why we sisters need each other, right?”
Rory hugged her aunt and opened the door. “Right. Hey, while you have a moment, could you help us to organize and clean the large piles seaweed?”
Aunt Merrie stepped down from the staircase after Rory, a mischievous smile on her lips and her hands on her hips. “Oh, this was just a ploy to get me downstairs, so you could put me to work?”
“Not very subtle, I suppose.” Rory grinned at her aunt Merrie.
“No. But I’m always happy to help you Rory.” Aunt Merrie squeezed her into a tight hug.
Rory squeezed back and then opened the kitchen door that led to their large backyard. They had made the backyard larger and added a tall wooden fence around the perimeter to keep out the wild animals. When Rory was starting High School, Aunt Merrie was her main teacher, and that’s when they had researched about the benefits of plants.
“Aunt Florrie you were supposed to wait for us.” Rory called to her aunt, who was busy as a bee setting the drying pans out so they could place the seaweed on top of them.
“Well I didn’t know when you’d be coming, so I thought I might as well get started.”
Rory grinned and hurried over to the garden shed to grab more drying pans. Aunt Florrie had always been a hard worker and usually got started quickly on most things. She kept them all organized so they got the work done.
Aunt Merrie followed and it didn’t take long before they had ten long horizontal rows lined up.
Working together they pulled out all the buckets of seaweed out of the garden shed. Rory had kept the seaweed in water over the past three days. They began layering soggy long green plants onto the drying pans.
Rory found a few tiny critters hiding in the long stemmed plants and used the garden hose to spray the plants clean.
“Well Rory, this is one of the largest piles of these slimy green plants you’ve harvested yet. You should be able to make a ton of those skin care potions from this stack.” Aunt Florrie wrinkled her nose as she sprayed the large plants she held up.
“What your aunt means to say is that we are very grateful for all your hard work researching and experimenting with these plants. You’ve managed to create a skin care product that has helped each of us.” Warmth flooded Rory as her gaze landed on Aunt Merrie’s bright smile, her cheeks now free of the rosacea that used to cover her nose and cheeks.
It felt good to have helped all three of her aunts with their skin conditions with her seaweed, botanical and essential oils. She wanted to do everything she could to help the three women who had raised her like surrogate moms after her parents died.
“You’re welcome, Auntie. I’m just happy we were able to learn about the helpful health benefits of all the green stuff in the sea.”
Rory giggled as Aunt Florrie’s hands got twisted up in the long green stems.
“There might be lots of health benefits, but sometimes it’s not so easy to handle.” Aunt Florrie had always been one to speak her mind.
“Let me help.” Rory hurried to stand beside her aunt and helped untangle the long strands of seaweed that clung together. When it was done she sprayed the last pile and set it on the drying pans. “All done. It should be dry by morning.”
They took off their gloves and aprons they used for the dirty work and hung them up in the small porch by the back kitchen door.
Aunt Fawn was just finishing setting the table when they walked in the door. “Biscuits will be done by the time you all wash up.”
Rory waited until Aunt Merrie and Aunt Florrie were finished and then hurried to clean up. But the time she sat at the kitchen table, her stomach had growled three times.
“Let’s first give thanks.” Aunt Fawn blessed the food and stood to ladle out the soup. “Rory dear, let me fill your bowl.”
Once everyone was served, then the chatter began.
“Rory, tell us about your interesting day. There must have been something interesting because you got home later than usual.” Aunt Merrie buttered her biscuit, one eyebrow tilted up in interest.
Her other two aunts sat there staring at her. “Well, an old wooden oar was sitting not far from the pier today. It might have been from that boating accident that was in the Paradise Lake newspapers ten years ago.”
“Maybe. Wouldn’t that be interesting?” Aunt Florrie ladled more soup for herself and others.
“I also found a few sea critters trying to hide under rocks. Last night’s strong winds must have brought the tide up and washed them ashore.” Rory grinned always thrilled to see new things pop up on the beach.
“Did you get pictures?”
“Yes, here they are.” Rory opened her old smartphone and scrolled to the pictures and passed it around the table. The old smartphone was the same one her aunts gave her years ago. She mostly used it for taking pictures here on Walker’s Island because they didn’t have access to the Internet. “I’ll print
off my next collection of pictures the next time we go to Paradise Lake.”
“We should get you another Scrap Book, Rory. You’ve already filled the last one.” Aunt Fawn loved pictures. “Every once in awhile I go through your photo albums and scrap books. I was just looking at the pictures you took when we went sailing that last time with Walker Stevenson and his great-grandson Gabe. I think you were sixteen Rory. Too bad those days had to come to an end.”
“As it turns out, those days might not be completely at an end.”
“Whatever do you mean Rory?” Aunt Merrie eyebrows lifted, in surprise.
“Just that I saw Gabe Stevenson today. He’s back on the Island.” Rory grinned at seeing her three aunts eyes widen and their jaws drop. “He wanted to you three, so I told him to stop by for lunch tomorrow.”
“Mommy where are you?” She woke up with a scream and sat straight up in bed, panic hitting her. Smoke filled the room and she could hardly breathe. Scurrying off her bed, she ran from her room out into the hallway.
“Daddy?” Her hands shook as she ran them along the wall that led to her parents bedroom. Fits of coughing soon followed. Where was Mommy? Why wasn’t Daddy answering her? How come she could hardly breathe?
She called again, only no one answered.
Sweat formed on her forehead as heat and flashes of fire spewed from the big crack in the door. She was about to touch the door, when someone grabbed her by the shoulders and carried her away…
“Rory.” In her nightmare she tried to shake the person off of her. She needed to save her parents from the fire. “Rory, wake up! We need your help!” Another shaking of her shoulders and Rory opened her eyes wide. Aunt Florrie stood over her like an avenging angel.
She sat up in bed scared by the harsh words of her normally calm Aunt.
All of a sudden it sunk in. “What’s happened? Are Aunt Merrie and Aunt Fawn okay?” Rory scrambled to get off the bed.
“Yes, your aunts are fine. But, you’d better come outside.” Without saying another word Aunt Florrie hurried out of her bedroom and ran down the stairs. Rory frowned and without bothering to change out of her pajamas chased after her down the stairs. Flying out the door, she was greeted by a haze of fire and smoke. Aunt Fawn had the water hose turned on high, spraying the hot house while Aunt Merrie hauled buckets of water, throwing it onto the garden shed. Both small buildings had flames shooting out the sides of them.
“What happened?” Rory asked Aunt Florrie as she grabbed another bucket to fill with water.
“We don’t know. Your drying pans and seaweed are ruined too. Sorry love.” Aunt Florrie hurried to throw another water bucket on the Garden Shed.
A truck door slammed and Rory turned to see Gabe running towards her. “I saw the smoke from the fire. Are you okay?”
“Yes we’re all okay. Just trying to put out the fire so it doesn’t reach the house.” Rory handed him a bucket suddenly relieved to see Gabe.
“Let’s form a line and keep dumping the water on the buildings faster.” Gabe suggested and her aunts were eager to comply. It didn’t seem to take long after that until the fire was out.
Rory’s wide-eyed gaze took in both small buildings where smoke and steam bounced off the rooftops. The Hot House looked ready to collapse, the drying pans were all wrecked and the seaweed she’d harvested scattered and torn all over their back yard.
Tears filled her eyes and rolled down her cheeks clearing a path through the dirt and soot. She’d had so many plans to experiment with a new mixture of botanicals and plants from the sea and now most of it was doomed to lie in ashes.
“Sweetie, we’ll build again and it’ll be even better next time you’ll see.” Aunt Merrie pulled her close, wrapping her in a big hug. Rory savored the comfort.
“I’ll go make a pot of tea, it’ll help settle our nerves as we figure out a way to solve this new problem.” Aunt Florrie kissed her forehead and made her way into the house. Soon Aunt Merrie and Aunt Fawn followed.
“I’m sorry this happened, Rory.” Gabe spoke softly as he came to stand beside her. Rory did her best to wipe the tears off her cheeks before she looked up at him.
“Me too. I don’t know what happened. All the tools I used were back in their place and everything was in order before I went inside last night.” Rory shivered a furrow puckering her brows as she worried over all the possibilities.
“I can tell you just thought of something. What has you worried?” Gabe tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear and Rory’s heart fluttered at the contact. He used to slip her hair behind her ears when they went sailing and would tell her he wanted to see her beautiful face. More than ever before, his gentle words and the warmth of his touch reached a place deep inside her heart. It scared her how vulnerable she was to Gabe.
Shifting from one foot to the other, she looked away and swallowed tamping down her emotions. Rory couldn’t let Gabe see how much his nearness affected her.
She refocused and peered up at him unsure of how much to tell him. “Well, there have been other strange things happening on the Island for the past year or so.”
Gabe crossed his arms, his eyebrows furrowing in worry. “What? What do you mean by strange things?”
Rory shifted her feet. “Just human footprints from our house, through the trees to the beach that were not from us. And little things like the greenhouse herbs being ruined and someone smashing all my jars that I use for making my skin care creams.”
Gabe’s lips turned into a thin line, a tick forming in his jaw. “Exactly when were you going to tell me?”
“Honestly Gabe, you don’t need to get upset. We thought it was a small thing. And besides where would we have found you to tell you anything?”
Her tone of voice came out sharper than she intended. This show of emotion on her part was unexpected. She finally had to admit that it really bothered her that he’d left suddenly almost five years ago. She knew he was busy with his speaking and training events. But she thought they had become friends and friends kept in touch. Why did Gabe expect to be informed of these strange incidents, when he hadn’t cared enough to talk to her in years?
Gabe expelled a breath and ran his hand through his hair. “You’re right, I haven’t really done much to earn the right to know what’s going on with you. I’ve done a terrible job at keeping in touch.” Her eyes widened that he’d read her mind. For a moment it seemed like time stood still. They could still read each other’s thoughts from all those summers spent together. “I’m sorry, Rory. I’m going to do better. I’ll do whatever it takes so you and your aunts are safe. Forgive me?”
“Sure. Of course I forgive you.” Rory said quickly. Inside she admitted she was still a little peaked at him, but her heart softened at his heartfelt apology. Her heart sunk as she realized that despite their apologies to each other, she still carried turmoil deep inside. She bit her lip to stop herself from crying as she gaze swept over the devastation and ashes in their backyard. Why did this happen to her and her aunts?
Gabe reached for her hand and squeezed it gently. She closed her eyes and sighed. In that moment hopelessness washed over her.
He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. “We’re going to find a way to protect you and your aunts Rory, I promise.”
“Thanks Gabe. I know you mean well, but how do we know when this person will strike again? From what I can see, the problem is that whoever is doing this seems to be targeting me specifically.” Her forehead puckered with worry before she looked up at him. “For some reason they want to harm me.”
Gabe put one arm around her shoulders for a moment and whispered. “Not on my watch.”
Rory shivered with warmth at his unexpected embrace. His arm trembled slightly and he kissed the top of her head. She was surprised at the swiftness and intensity of his protectiveness. Without warning, her heart began to remind her of that country song Gabe sang each time he took her out on his sailboat. Cowboy Take Me Away by the country band Dixie Chicks. He’d c
aught her singing and dancing to it one summer when she was thirteen and had teased her with that song ever since.
Her heart turned to mush whenever she remembered those few weeks every summer she spent with him.
Being so close to Gabe Stevenson, the man she’d dreamed about for years, made her dream of him taking her away. She just wanted to be with him.
Rory shut out that thought as quickly as it came. She couldn’t afford to let herself be drawn in to this man. Gabe was someone who was so famous and in demand. He would forever be out of her reach.
She needed to guard her heart. Don’t let yourself fall for him. He will always be a man who spends time with you and just as suddenly leaves you again.
With that sober reminder, Rory stepped out of his reach nervously tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ears.
“Well, this is something that won’t be solved in one day. Let’s go inside and have some of Aunt Florrie’s tea.”
Gabe nodded, his face pensive. “Sounds good. And I am going to have a talk with your aunts. We’ve got to figure out a way to solve this.”
Rory just nodded as she turned to walk toward the kitchen door. Walking into the kitchen they saw all three aunts talking at the table.
“We thought we’d join you three for tea.” Rory pulled a chair out for Gabe. “But first I’m going to wash off this soot and dirt. Be back soon.”
Rory hurried up the stairs to her room and took a quick shower changing into clean jeans and a t-shirt. Brushing out her hair she quickly put it up in a ponytail. Walking down the stairs she heard Aunt Merrie speaking in hushed whispers but Rory couldn’t hear what they were saying.
She stepped into the kitchen and saw Gabe pull out a letter from his pocket. “This is the letter Grand told me to give you. Sorry it took me awhile to bring it to you.”
Aunt Merrie read the letter from Walker Stevenson out loud: To my three good fairies. If you’re reading this, I’ve gone on to my reward. I want to tell you one last time, how much I appreciate the three of you gals for how you saved my neck all those years ago. You did me a good turn and now I want to repay the favor.
The Billionaire's Marriage Promise Page 3