“I’ll get Walker’s Island. It’s a beautiful Island of ten square miles that still is basically untouched. It’s beautiful.”
“You have plans for it?” Cyrus raised one eyebrow in curiosity.
Gabe nodded. “I do. I was thinking I take one half of the Island and make it into a Resort. It would be a place where people could come as sort of a health spa, but also a place that would really go hand-in-glove as an incentive for my personal development training. I’m still flushing out ideas, but I think it has real potential.”
“Hmm, that is a good idea Gabe.”
“Once you have it built, we’ll be one of your first customers.” Anna smiled and winked. “That’s good that you have your goals laid out clearly. I’m sure it won’t be long now until you’re happily married.”
“Watch out, Gabe. It’s my wife’s mission in life to see everyone she knows happily married.” Cyrus chuckled as he squeezed his wife’s hand. “But on a more serious note, here’s some fatherly advice. You’ll know when you’ve met the woman you love because you won’t be able to get through one day without thinking about her and doing everything in your power to make her happy. When you meet her, don’t wait. Marry her and make her yours.”
“Thanks Cyrus. I appreciate the advice.” Gabe nodded, shifting in his seat and took another long drink from his glass of water.
“I think we’re making Gabe uncomfortable, Cyrus.” Anna looked at her husband who grinned.
“You may be right. Well we can switch to another topic, because I do have an idea I wanted to run by you Gabe.” Cyrus waited until the waiter set the dessert and coffee around the table. Once everyone was enjoying their dessert, Cyrus spoke again. “I wanted to ask you if you’d be willing to be my keynote speaker for the conference I’ve scheduled for the managers and employees of the Noble Hotel chain.”
Gabe stared at him for a full minute before answering. This was something he had only dreamed about, never thinking that Cyrus Noble would actually ask him to speak at one of his hotel conferences.
“Gabe, what do you say?”
“I’m truly honored that you would ask me, Cyrus. Speaking at one of your conferences would be an honor. That’s something I’ve always wanted to do, but never thought I’d get the chance.” Gabe grinned at his mentor.
“Good, good. I’m glad we’ll be working together, son. I’ll get you the dates of the next set of conferences as soon as my conference manager has them confirmed.” Cyrus nodded and then turned to his brother Adam and asked him about his latest software.
Gabe’s head was still spinning excited at working closely with Cyrus Noble. His mind whirled even as the speaker the benefit spoke.
Finally, the speaker finished. Cyrus and Anna were immediately surrounded by a crowd. Gabe waved at them and walked toward the exit with his brothers and their wives.
“It was great to talk with Cyrus and Anna tonight.” Gabe looked up at Jack, who had this strange expression on his face. It was almost like he was deeply pondering something. “I was slightly uncomfortable with all the questions about finding a wife, but that’s okay I’m getting used to it.”
“So, have you found a wife?” Jack’s questioned.
“I’m not sure.” Gabe stood beside Jack and loosened the bow tie of his shirt as they waited for their limousine drivers to arrive. “There’s one woman I’m attracted to more than any other. Since my birthday is coming rather quickly, I’m thinking about following in your footsteps. Maybe a marriage-of-convenience is what I need to do to get my inheritance. It worked for you and Adam.”
“True. But take it from me. You need to figure out what she really needs so she’ll agree to marry you.” Jack studied him with those probing hazel eyes. Gabe pondered his words, realizing the one thing Rory needed more than anything was to move out of that cottage so she’d be safe.
Gabe’s fingers rubbed his jaw. Maybe he could convince her, she needed him as much as he needed her. He only hoped Rory would see it the same way he did.
Jack’s pirate smile was back in full force. “Gabe, you have the same look as you did when you’d win against Dad in another one of those pinewood racing car tournaments years ago.”
“Yeah. It feels about the same.” Gabe felt that familiar flutter of warmth whenever he talked about the special moments he had with his Dad.
Gabe saw his limo driver arrive, and he pulled Jack into a quick hug. “Thanks, Jack. I needed that.” He quickly hugged Bella, Elle and Adam and hurried out to the waiting car.
It looked like he had a few things to take care of before he went back to Walker’s Island. He only hoped Rory would agree to this plan.
Chapter Four
Arianna Romano stood behind the counter of her family’s bakery, looking at the clock on the wall. It was almost eight in the morning. Soon he would be here. For the past three weeks, ever since he had moved back to their small town, Jared Berkley stopped by every weekday morning to get a half dozen muffins. He was the guy in High School whom she’d always dreamed of dating, but nothing had ever happened. It didn’t help that Jared was three years older and that he’d come from the right side of the tracks where the wealthy families lived.
She had always lived on the poor side of the town. They’d never had any friends or anything else in common.
In fact, Arianna was convinced Jared didn’t even know she existed.
He’d left town to go to college. But six years later, he’d started a coffee shop franchise and suddenly moved back to their small town. The best news? He had come back single.
She hoped she would get to serve him again today.
“Arianna, please go clean table number five.” Her papa, a proud Italian man, was a stickler for cleanliness in their family-owned bakery. Her parents had moved to this small town to start their bakery. Arianna was their only child, as the doctor told her mama she couldn’t have any more children. It was just the three of them running the bakery and she noticed her parents needed her help more and more each year they grew older.
“Yes, Papa.” Arianna hurried to find the disinfectant and clean cloth and walked over to the row of tables near the front window. Wiping around the napkin holder and salt and pepper shakers her thoughts were so filled with the handsome blonde and blue-eyed man, that she accidentally dropped the glass pepper shaker to the floor.
“Oh no.” Stooping down she grabbed a couple of napkins from her pocket and reached to the linoleum floor to clean up the shattered glass.
“Allow me.” A deep voice whispered and a large hand reached over and covered hers.
Startled, Arianna turned her head, only to look into the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen. He the same man who she’d daydreamed about kissing her. Then, almost as if he could read her thoughts, his gaze moved downward to her lips. Arianna caught her breath, anticipating the sweetness of his lips on hers…
Loud barking shattered the silence.
It was jarring to suddenly switch from writing a scene where Gabe — er, the hero of her romance Jared — was almost kissing the heroine only to be interrupted by the loud bark of a dog.
Rory stopped writing and quickly set her laptop down on the cushioned window seat in her bedroom. She turned to see her brown labrador dog run from the door and jump onto the soft seat beside her, and following close behind as usual was his playmate.
“Mocha, hush.” Rory scolded the brown lab and sternly eyed the golden haired lab beside him. “You too, Latte. Their tails wagged as their big round eyes stared out the window at the scene below.
Rory turned to see what they were looking at.
Her lips formed a large smile as she saw the men carrying the ladder and leftover cable back to their truck.
It looked like they were finished installing the satellite. One of the guys who installed it had shown her how to set it up so she could access the Internet.
She grabbed her computer and was soon signed in and able to email her friend.
Hey Raz. Can meet tomorrow for
lunch? Aunt Merrie and I will be coming to Paradise Lake.
It didn’t take long before Raz replied.
I’d love to. Meet me at the gift shop and we’ll go for lunch.
Great! I’ll see you then.
The next morning Rory’s alarm went off early. She hurried through the shower. By the time she got downstairs, Aunt Florrie was already in the kitchen.
“Sorry I’m running behind. I’ll just grab a toast.” Rory kissed Aunt Florrie on the cheek.
“Already done. I heard you running around upstairs and I’ve got the toast already made for you.”
“Thanks Aunt Florrie.”
Aunt Merrie fluttered into the room and soon they were both eating.
“Here’s the list of groceries and other supplies.” Aunt Florrie handed a long list to her sister. Aunt Fawn leaned heavily on her cane.
“Let me help you Auntie.” She pulled out the chair and helped her aunt to sit down.
“You’re a good girl, Rory.” Her Aunt expelled a low groan as she sat down and Rory brought a cup of coffee to her. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. Take it easy today while we’re gone, okay?”
Aunt Fawn simply nodded a pained look on her pale face.
Rory and her Aunt slipped their jackets on and with a last goodbye hurried outside and toward the pier where the ferry would meet them.
They hurried down the familiar trail between the trees that led to the beach where Walker Stevenson had built his long pier. Sure enough the orange and white boat was waiting.
Jerry Waterman the ferry captain, stood at the helm of the small ferry that held twelve cars and fifty passengers. He waved at them and Rory waved back as they hurried onto the boat.
The motors rumbled and the ferry gained speed. Rory loved watching all water rippling as they moved faster. She’d done this since she was six years old and never got tired of it.
“It sure was good of Walker Stevenson to plan all those years ago for us to have a weekly ferry service from the Island to Paradise Lake.”
Aunt Merrie nodded. “He sure did take good care of us. Even now that he’s passed away, he’s continued to see to our needs. He was a good man.” Her aunt looked over, a secret smile lighting up her face. “And so is his great-grandson Gabe.”
Heat curled in her belly, stretching up her neck to warm her cheeks. “I know. But before you get any ideas, we’re just friends.”
“Hmm.” Her aunt began to hum and Rory knew she didn’t believe a word she’d just said.
Rory silently shook her head, knowing it was useless to argue with her aunt. Didn’t Aunt Merrie realize Gabe Stevenson was way out of her reach? He was a billionaire who was well known across the nation. Not only that, but he only saw her as a younger sister.
She on the other hand had been raised on a small Island with her three aunts, and had only been to Paradise Lake and Seattle. And, she lived within a much smaller budget than Gabe. No, she was sure all they could be was friends.
Why did that thought make her wish for more?
As the ferry neared the Paradise Lake docks, Rory did her best to shake off the gloom that tried to pull her down. As they walked off the ferry, she was determined to have a wonderful time and a good visit with her best friend.
They took a taxi to main-street where Aunt Merrie got out. “I’ll meet you back here in four hours.”
“I’ll be here. Thanks Auntie.” Rory waved at her aunt and gave the driver directions to her friend Raz’s house.
The taxi stopped in front of a two-story house that was on the corner on the other side of Paradise Lake. The bottom half of the house was a gift and coffee shop, while the top half was where Razelle lived with her mother. Their house and business was located near the highway, which meant more people stopping by.
Rory paid the driver and entered the gift shop. Raz was busy wrapping a gift for a customer, so Rory walked around the shop exploring all the imported and rare items as she waited.
“You came. I’m so glad to see you.” Raz threw her arms around her. Rory always felt so special when her friend greeted her so enthusiastically. She was far more outgoing and Rory was quiet and subdued. Sometimes she wished she was more like her friend.
Rory stepped back, gazing into her friend’s sea green eyes that were framed by light brown eyebrows and eyelashes. Her long hair that her mother forbid her to cut, hung down past her hips in a thick light brown braid.
“I did. I’m so happy to see you.”
“I’m glad to see you too. Here’s let me just give Luella some instructions so that we can visit for a couple hours without interruption.” Raz went to talk with another woman who was busy taking gift items out of boxes.
“There. Now, let’s go to the coffee shop and we can have lunch there. Sorry, I wish we could go somewhere else today, but Mother insisted I stay nearby in case she needed me.” Raz gave her a helpless shrug and grimaced.
“That’s okay. I understand.” Rory could understand about having protective parents. After all, her three aunts were like three watchful parents who had hovered over her since she was six years old.
They walked into the coffee shop and Raz made a beeline for the table in the far corner. “If we sit here at least we have a little more privacy.”
“Sounds good.”
They ordered a simple lunch of finger food. When Raz’s mother brought the food over, she didn’t seem happy. “Here you go. I think you need to get back at it as soon as you finish eating, Razelle.”
“But mother you promised me two hours with Rory unless there was an emergency.”
Rory watched the play of emotions on Raz’s mother’s face. Finally she sighed, “Oh, all right. But then you should go upstairs after you have lunch so my customers don’t see you sitting around. I really don’t want my customers thinking my daughter is lazy.”
“We’ll leave right after we finish eating.” Raz promised.
Her friend’s mom walked away and Rory and Raz hurried to finish their food and went upstairs.
On entering Raz’s bedroom in their two bedroom upstairs apartment, Rory sank down on the bed. She set the shoulder bag down on the floor and lay down on her friend’s bed. Raz’s white cat Sunbeam hopped on the bed wanting to play.
“So Rory, tell me all about what’s been happening with you? Your message sounded a little mysterious.”
Rory, had been friends with Raz ever since they’d started music and swimming lessons together when they were seven years of age. Rory’s aunts had sacrificed so that she could learn and get to know other kids her age.
Raz and Rory saw each other every week for three months for the lessons. Throughout the years they had become the best of friends.
So when Rory sent her a message, Raz was eager to see her.
“I guess it sounded that way. I just wanted to talk to you about everything that’s been happening these past few weeks.” Rory went on to tell her friend about the unexpected fire and that it destroyed all her hard work.
“Oh Rory, I’m sorry. Especially after all the work you put into setting that up.”
“Yes it was very difficult. Now I don’t know how I’m going to get all the tools and plants setup in time for the upcoming end of summer festival. I already promised. Not only that, I need to get more plants harvested and mix together for my skin care formula. But I need a large amount of seaweed, kelp and brown marine algae in the next three weeks and I don’t know how I’ll manage to get that.”
“Maybe what you should do, is make a list of everything you need and then brainstorm ideas of solutions for each item.”
Rory nodded. “That would help.”
“So you got the fire out and everyone’s okay?”
“Yes, thank God. Gabe Stevenson showed up unexpectedly to help. He said something about doing what he could to make Walker’s Island safer.”
Raz eyed her for a moment. “That’s good.” Her best friend grinned. “Hmm, so that’s why you have a new sparkle in your eye
s.”
Rory could feel heat creep up her neck to her cheeks. “Maybe I’m just grateful for his help.”
“Yeah right. Don’t forget I’ve seen how sad and gloomy you’ve been every summer after Gabe Stevenson left Walker’s Island.” Raz teased. Her friend knew her well.
“I just miss his company. Gabe’s a good friend. But, he sees me as his little sister.”
Raz laughed out loud. “Have you seen yourself lately? You are beautiful. You have curves in all the right places and you are kind and generous. You are not his sister…. and I’m sure by now he’s realized that.”
Rory smiled at her friend’s encouraging words. “Well, I don’t think he sees me that way.” Rory sighed. “Anyway, I’m not going to think about that. My biggest concern right now is how to keep my aunts safe from whoever is doing these strange things on the Island. Also I need to figure out how to get my skin care back up and running, now that I’ve lost my supplies.”
Raz leaned over and squeezed her hand gently. “It’ll work out. I’m confident of that.“
“Maybe.” Rory looked at her watch. “I need to be going. Aunt Merrie will be waiting. Thanks for taking time out of your busy day to chat.”
“Anytime. Especially if you want to talk about your love interest.”
Rory folded her arms across her chest and grimaced when her best friend who waggled her eyebrows suggestively. Rory stood up and walked to the door.
“We’ll see what happens. For now, I’m only going to think about how to keep my aunts safe and figuring out a way to get my skin care solution working again.”
Rory thought about their conversation all the way back to the Island.
Rory was still thinking about her conversation with Raz the next morning as she walked to the beach carrying a blanket and her tote bag. She’d already spent the morning hand picking more seaweed and had put it on makeshift wooden boards. She decided she would try a new way of doing things as an experiment. But she still needed proper containers and more botanical oils. Well, she’d do some research tonight. Now that the Satellite was setup on the Island, she had access to the Internet and research was much easier.
The Billionaire's Marriage Promise Page 5