The knowledge came too late.
While Olivia stood, trying to sort through her emotions, Jared opened the second envelope to reveal the contents—the official deeds to both Stone’s End and the Pierce properties.
With a confused expression, Jared ran a hand though his hair. “He’s signed everything over to you,” he said, but his suspicion died hard. “What the hell is he up to now?”
“Well…” Fred shook his head in consternation, then pronounced his verdict. “Now we’ve got a real mess on our hands that needs some straightening out. You know what I always say—”
Olivia interrupted with a bitter “I know, a skunk never sheds its stripes.”
With a wounded look, Fred shook his head. “I was going to say—every man deserves a second chance.”
“Fred’s right,” Jared agreed, in a complete about-face. “If these mean anything—” He indicated the legal papers that had engineered Olivia’s marriage.
“—then I’ll grant you, maybe Drew didn’t want Stone’s End, after all.”
After that faint endorsement, Olivia stared at her brother. The Carlisle stubborn streak must be a curse! Jared had inherited it from Ira, and so had Jessie. And Olivia. Rather than risk her heart and let love speak for itself, she’d let her pride come between her and Drew.
Why was it so impossible to accept the simple fact that he loved her? Why had she made such a tangle out of her emotions? At the very moment Drew needed it most, she’d withdrawn her trust, her faith. And what was faith but believing that the impossible was possible? Could she believe in Drew?
First she had to believe in herself.
Apparently Jared had her and Drew all figured out. “All right, maybe I was wrong about Drew.” he said. “Maybe he didn’t want Stone’s End. The old Drew would never walk out on the prize without so much as putting up a good fight.”
“It’s much more complicated than that.”
Jared sighed. “Then uncomplicate it. Drew might be a lot of things, but he’s no quitter. Even I know that much about him. Maybe I misjudged him.”
“Maybe?” Olivia repeated the obvious understatement in disbelief. “Well, right or wrong, Drew’s gone now.”
“Look,” Jared said. “The guy’s obviously crazy about you. The point is, what are you going to do about it?”
Olivia wanted to run and hide and nurse her wounds. “It’s too late. Besides, I wouldn’t know what to say.”
Until then, Rita had been silently observing. Now she said softly, “That is simple.” She demonstrated, circling her heart with a closed fist turned outward. “Tell him you are sorry.” She smiled gently. “If he loves you, that will be enough.”
After taking care of some business at the bank and saying goodbye to Jack and Reggie and a few others, Drew got a later start than he’d intended.
A few morning flurries had turned into an afternoon squall. They were possibly due for a nor’easter, and Drew was hoping to get as far as Presque Isle before it got really bad, hopefully before nightfall. He was almost to the county line when he heard a police siren. A blue light pierced the whitening world around him. Drew checked—no, he wasn’t speeding.
He pulled over, relieved when he saw Seth getting out of his car and walking toward him.
Drew climbed out of his car, too. “I’m glad you caught up with me. I was hoping to see you before I left.”
Seth said, “And I’m hoping to change your mind about leaving Henderson. You’re making a big mistake.”
“Look, if Abby sent you, it’s too late. I’ve thought it over and made up my mind.” Leaving Henderson was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do in his entire life! And Seth wasn’t making it any easier. “I’m doing what I think is best for everyone concerned.”
“I think you’re wrong about that. There are a lot of people who are counting on you to stay and finish what you started. And I’m not just talking about the sawmill. By the way, Abby didn’t send me.” Seth confessed, “But I did bring reinforcements.”
“Not Olivia!” Drew shot back with a pained grimace that revealed the depth of his emotions.
“No,” Seth said. “Jared’s with me.”
With that brief warning, Drew stiffened when he saw Olivia’s brother climb out of the patrol car.
Jared approached, stopping a few feet away. “Olivia got your note,” he said coolly, his opinion of Drew’s behavior obviously low.
Drew braced himself against the bitter disappointment. “In that case, why isn’t she here, instead of you?”
For a moment, Jared looked completely baffled. “Is that what you expected? That she’d come running after you?” He shook his head. “I’ll say one thing, you’ve got a lot of nerve. You’re the one who’s walking out.”
“Just to set the record straight,” Drew bit out, finally losing his temper. “I never asked for anything from Olivia that she wasn’t prepared to give. And I wouldn’t be fool enough to leave if I thought there was a chance in hell that she wanted me to stay! Does that answer your question?”
Jared smiled. “Yes, it does.”
The smile infuriated Drew. “Don’t look so damn smug!”
“I can’t help it. If you feel that way about Olivia, why the farewell note? Why not tell her how you feel?”
“Olivia doesn’t really want marriage—she never did. I was just a guy who happened along. She wants Stone’s End.”
“All right, if you say so but I think you could be wrong.” With that surprising admission, Jared had another argument. “I shouldn’t have interfered between you and Olivia. As a matter of fact, Rachel warned me, but I didn’t listen. Anyway, I’m willing to bury the hatchet, if you are.”
The offer caught Drew off guard. Nevertheless, he nodded, accepting Jared’s apology.
Jared said, “I’m ready to admit that you’re the right man for Olivia. Don’t you think you owe her more than a scribbled farewell note?”
Drew said dryly, “Do you want it written in blood?”
“No, I simply want my baby sister to be happy—which she isn’t at the moment. Plenty of marriages get off to a rocky start—I should know,” he added with a smile that revealed more than he probably intended. “But it can be the best thing if you work at it. And if you find the right woman. I don’t want the breakup of Olivia’s marriage on my conscience. Don’t you think you owe each other a second chance?”
“How does Olivia fit into this?”
“She’s agreed to meet with you.”
Drew slowly absorbed that. Maybe his heart felt just a little lighter. “Do you realize that if Olivia and I work things out, that will make the two of us related?”
“Brothers-in-law!” Jared looked as if he was having trouble swallowing that. “I guess I can handle that. Does that mean you’ll give the marriage another shot?”
Drew wasn’t convinced that a last-ditch effort to salvage his marriage would work. “I think you’re wrong.”
“What do you have to lose?”
Everything.
He’d gambled on Olivia and lost. He’d made so many mistakes. He’d needed collateral to buy back the sawmill, and she’d needed a husband to meet the terms of Ira’s will. Then he’d complicated it by falling in love with her.
For some time, he’d known she meant more to him than a contract, a signature on a piece of paper. But he hadn’t been prepared to accept the strong emotions she aroused in him from that first meeting. He suspected Olivia had shared his feelings. Afraid love wouldn’t stand the test of time, they’d rushed into marriage, emotionally challenged, using a financial partnership as an excuse not to wait. They’d never given love a chance.
Drew wished he’d understood that a lot sooner.
Was it too late to undo the damage?
Drew was skeptical, yet he wanted Olivia badly enough to try one more time. “All right. You and Seth are obviously working together on this. What’s next?”
Drew knew he’d been set up when Jared said, “It’s all arranged. Y
ou and Olivia meet on neutral ground.”
With the temperature below freezing and a fierce wind driving the heavy snowfall, Drew could barely see six feet in front of him by the time he turned down the rough track leading into the woods and the cabin where Olivia had agreed to meet with him, apparently at Jared’s suggestion. All around him, the woods were silent, muffled by snow. Every defect, every flaw was hidden. The scene looked so peaceful, so pure.
It mocked the turmoil in his heart.
He didn’t want to argue with Olivia; he didn’t want to hurt her any more than she’d already been hurt by the facts surrounding their marriage. And what exactly were those facts? He’d married her because he wanted her, but she’d probably never believe that now.
She was obviously convinced he’d only married her in order to get his hands on Stone’s End. The thought had never entered his mind, but he could see how his actions might appear suspicious to Jared, Fred and the others. And Olivia.
How could he convince her that he didn’t give a damn about anything else? He’d given her the deeds. What more could he give? It had taken every ounce of determination to leave her. Now here he was—right back where they started.
Drew climbed out of the car.
This meeting would only prolong the agony. How many times could he walk away from her? Maybe he wouldn’t have to. He opened the door, then walked in.
Olivia stood in the shadows. She clasped her hands behind her back. “I’m glad you came.”
She didn’t look glad.
In fact, she looked miserable. At the sight of her pale, troubled face and stricken eyes, Drew knew she was there under duress—just as he was. Apparently Jared and Abby, and who knew how many others, had been busy matchmaking.
Taking a minute to collect his thoughts and plan his next move, Drew stomped the snow off his feet. “Jared said you wanted to talk.”
Olivia came forward and took his jacket. “I think we should, don’t you?”
Drew decided to make things easier for her. “Look, this wasn’t my idea. I’m damn sorry about all this. None of this is your fault.”
Hugging his jacket to her breast, she said, “Then whose fault is it?”
Trying to control his disappointment, he responded coolly, “Obviously a few of our well-meaning friends and family have decided to play Cupid. They cooked up this ridiculous attempt at reconciliation, but it isn’t going to work.”
In a very small voice, she said, “It isn’t?”
Although they stood only feet apart, he didn’t dare reach out and touch her. Her gray eyes were filled with doubt. How much more evidence did he need? “I know Jared is your brother, and he means well.”
She wouldn’t accept that. “But he shouldn’t have interfered.”
Drew looked at her in surprise. “He admitted as much. I imagine he tried to convince you there’s something left to salvage in our relationship. Some things can’t be fixed—and our marriage is one of them.” When she said nothing to dispute his version of their relationship, Drew reached the natural conclusion. “I think you’ll agree that it’s best this way. We can each go our separate ways. You’re free.”
She was free.
He was free.
To do what?
Wasn’t that exactly where they’d started?
Moving away, Olivia set his jacket to dry on the back of a chair near the fire. Snow melted and dripped, steaming when it hit the grate.
“I see,” Olivia whispered.
Although each word from his lips had created a deeper chasm, she didn’t know how to stop what was happening. Shouldn’t the fact that she’d swallowed her pride and come here be enough to end any further talk of his leaving? If Drew loved her, wasn’t he supposed to sweep her into his arms, then beg her forgiveness for not telling her about his courtship of Jessie? Instead, he was looking at her as if he didn’t like her very much. Maybe she deserved it. Wasn’t she the one to break faith?
In that case, she had to make the repairs.
She took a first step toward him. When she moved away from the fire, he noticed the table set with candles and wine, and his voice stopped her. “What kind of game are we playing now?”
Although the cynicism in his eyes almost crushed her, she stood very straight, reminding herself that she’d helped put it there. “It’s no game. I asked Jared to bring you here.”
She saw his eyes lift in shock. “You did!”
She nodded. “This was the only way I could think of to stop you from leaving before I had a chance to explain a few things.”
He groaned. “There’s nothing to explain.”
“But there is,” she insisted, willing him to listen with his heart. “When I first met you, I was all caught up in breaking my father’s will. It was almost a contest—his wishes against mine. All that blinded me to everything else, even you. Then, when we got married, I hid behind the legalities and I never stopped. Because it felt safe.”
“How safe?”
She smiled. “Not safe enough, apparently, because I fell in love with you.” She watched his eyes darken, but when he didn’t say anything, she continued, her confidence faltering just a bit. “After Jared came, I should have listened to what you were trying to tell me. I realize there was never anything between you and Jessie that could possibly threaten what we have now.”
To her disappointment, Drew latched on to one point. “I should have told you about Jessie sooner—that was my mistake.”
“I’m so sorry for not trusting you. But it really wasn’t you. It was me. Can you understand—it was never faith in you that was missing, but faith in myself? I didn’t think you could love me.”
He sighed. “And I don’t know how to convince you.”
Setting a lifetime of disappointments aside, Olivia put every ounce of courage into her voice as she said, “On the note, you said you loved me. Is that true?”
Did he love her?
Of course, Drew knew the answer, but he needed to be sure that Olivia was ready to hear it and accept the new terms of their relationship. From this point, there would be no turning back. He looked at Olivia, hoping to find the answer.
Wearing a pensive frown, she stood by the fireplace, where the flames shed light, playing over her delicate body. She looked small and defenseless. But the same flame that melts butter forges steel.
Reminded of that, Drew knew that Olivia was made of something strong and enduring. He didn’t know anything about her mother, but he knew Olivia had inherited her father’s strength. She was her father’s daughter, which meant that she could be a formidable opponent in any contest, even the game of love.
Did he love her?
His resistance cracked. “Yes, it’s true,” he said so she would never get confused again. Then he took the next step—she’d come far enough, so he’d meet her halfway. He crossed that room, and the space shrank with each step, each word. And finally he took her in his arms. “I love you more than life,” he whispered, against her lips. He crushed her to him, shocked at how close he’d come to losing her. Her mouth was hot and lush and open to him, welcoming him inside.
There were tears in her eyes when he released her. “I was so mixed-up about so many things,” she blurted, anxious to erase all their differences; every obstacle fell with each word. “Even Ira. He must have known I was far too stubborn to marry anyone I couldn’t love.”
“And I love you,” she whispered, her eyes glowing, promising him a world they would create together. She frowned slightly. “There’s just one small detail. Did I ever mention the small print in the will?”
Drew groaned, “More conditions?”
“Mmm.” Her eyes shining with hope and faith, Olivia described the terms. “We have to stay married for fifty years, maybe more,” she said solemnly while her eyes offered untold delights. “And we have to have lots and lots of children.”
Sweet, sweet lies.
Drew just smiled. “Good old Ira.”
Olivia smiled back. “I think h
e would approve, don’t you?”
Recognizing the importance of his response, Drew said, “I know he would. If the will is what it took, then I have Ira to thank for you.” When she smiled, he murmured huskily, “I love you.”
Sometimes, a man has to wander far to find his way home. And sometimes, he has to lose everything to find what he needs most. Finally Drew could accept Ira’s generous gift. Olivia.
The shutters rattled, reminding Olivia that a storm raged outside.
Feeling safe and secure, she decided to spill out the rest of her plot to seduce him, if necessary, to make him stay.
“I called Walt,” she said, then watched Drew’s eyes cloud with confusion until she added, “You remember—the mechanic from Stillwater?”
“How could I forget Walt?”
“Well, I asked Walt as a special favor if he could deliver a full-size bed. He couldn’t come today, but he promised it would be here by tomorrow.”
“In the meantime, we’ll make do with a cot and a sleeping bag,” he said with a crooked grin.
“Mmm.” Before she could add anything, Drew silenced her with another ravaging kiss.
Perhaps for the first time in her entire life, Olivia forgot what she was going to say. With a soft smile, she wrapped her arms around him, surrendering all that she was and all that she could be to this man.
Finally he pulled away to gaze lovingly into her eyes.
“We’ve got plenty of food and wood for the fire,” she murmured. “Maybe we’ll get snowed in.” She was obviously not too concerned.
He smiled rakishly. “We can only hope.” He shook his head in admiration. He wondered what was coming next from her mixed bag of surprises. Life with Olivia promised to be unconventional and filled with excitement. “The first time I set eyes on you, I knew you were trouble.”
“And I decided you were great husband material.”
He laughed shortly. “You did not!”
Her eyes glowed with love. “Oh, yes, I did.”
And he believed her.
ISBN: 978-1-4592-4025-4
The Wedding Bargain Page 19