The Billioniare's Bought Bride (Contemporary Romance)

by Michele Dunaway

  Dylan slammed the phone down. As if he gave a damn about money. He had more than he knew what to do with, even if Maddy took more than half.

  Being a prince with all the riches in the world meant nothing without his princess. He’d become a pauper if it meant having her back by his side. He grabbed his heavy coat and strode from the office. He had a journey to make.

  Dylan’s SUV crunched up the snow covered driveway of Summerhaven. He parked the vehicle and got out, the icy wind slapping him in the face as if Mother Nature herself was angry with him.

  Well, she wouldn’t be the only one, Dylan thought. On the drive up he’d discovered he was pretty angry with himself as well. The lawyer’s address had been in Rice Lake. That meant there were only two places Maddy could be.

  The lodge still remained tightly locked up for the winter, and he took out a key and opened the padlock holding the outer wooden door closed. The door creaked from lack of use, and Dylan strode thorough the porch and unlocked the door to the kitchen.

  The lodge was cold and dark, and as Dylan walked through it, memories assaulted him. This was Stephen’s house, and if Dylan signed divorce paperwork, Summerhaven would be his. How wrong he’d been. Owning this property wouldn’t make him happy.

  He went from room to room, noting an occasional mouse dropping. He’d have to remind Melvin to set some more traps.

  Then again, without Maddy, who cared what happened to the building? To Dylan, this lodge and its occupants had always been a symbol of old money, the thing he’d never be. It had represented white Anglo-Saxon protestant aristocracy and summer cottages, making clear the differences between society’s haves and have-nots.

  But Maddy had been different. She’d never cared about his skin, or his family heritage. Except for the moment she’d disowned him to save her land, that summer he’d met her, she’d always viewed him with respect.

  She’d loved him with the purest heart.

  He’d taken that gift and tarnished it.

  As he stood there in the semi-darkness, the way he viewed the lodge changed. The lodge became a symbol of hope, of love.

  He’d first shared a bed here with Maddy. Even then, he could now see she that she’d loved him for who he was, not what he was. She’d always loved him, even when hating him when she’d believed he’d caused her grandfather’s death.

  He’d been a fool not to realize what he’d had, a fool to let a determination to fulfill useless vows get in the way of true happiness.

  He groaned aloud, his breath forming a misty cloud in front of him. He’d had everything he ever wanted. Summerhaven was nothing without her.

  His boots clicked over the wood floor as he left. He shut the inner door, and after locking it, he secured the outer door.

  The wind again attacked, and he hurried to the residual warmth of the SUV. He’d left the vehicle idling so that the engine didn’t freeze up. He backed up slightly. One more place to check, the place that he expected her to be.

  Instead of turning left for the direct route to the main road, he went straight, down the narrow, little used lane that circled by Aunt Gail’s cabin.

  He could see the light green cottage through the bare trees, and he slowed. There was smoke coming from the chimney. She was there, she had to be. His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He wanted to whoop with joy, and run in and kiss her. Part of him also wanted to go in there, guns blazing, and demand she return home. But he knew those tactics wouldn’t work. Anger would not win his wife back to his side.

  He climbed slowly out the car and went to face her.

  Madison let the curtain slide back in place. She exhaled, unaware that she’d been holding her breath. Dylan was walking toward the cottage, his boots crunching over the compacted snow.

  How did one prepare for the arrival of the man you’d loved and left? She heard the door to the glassed-in porch open, and then footsteps on the wooden floor. She opened the door before he knocked, stopping his glove-covered hand mid-air.

  “Maddy,” he said, his breath visible in the cold.

  “Come in. Don’t let the heat out.” She backed away from him. Dylan stepped into kitchen, his boots heavy on the welcome mat.

  “Should I take them off?” he asked, eyeing her floor.

  “You won’t be here that long,” she said, her gaze roving over him faster than a thirsty man spying much-needed water. Despite her resolve, she found she’d missed him.

  He’d changed. There were dark circles under his eyes, and those obsidian orbs didn’t seem nearly as sharp or bright as they’d once been. His hair was longer, wilder, as if he wasn’t worried about social conventions. His demeanor seemed haggard, as if he hadn’t slept in months. A few wayward pieces of snow melted onto his wool trench coat.

  Her heart cried out to him, but Maddy had learned to use her head. She would not let emotions rule. “Why are you here, Dylan?”

  “I could ask you the same question. It’s taken me quite a while to find you.”

  “I didn’t plan on being found.”

  His voice notched up as if the past few months had taken a huge toll. “And that’s love? Walking out without a word? Did you ever consider that I might have thought you’d been kidnapped?”

  The words sliced through her. In her quest to escape him, she’d never considered that angle. Still, she couldn’t let his anguish affect her. Like him, she’d made her choices and they couldn’t be undone. She knew what she’d done had hurt. Pain and regret had become her constant companions.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “But hindsight is twenty-twenty and it doesn’t change the present. Since you’re here, I’m assuming you received the divorce papers?”

  “I received more than that. Do you have any idea what you’ve put me through? The worry? And just when I think it can’t get any worse, I get a phone call from a Doctor Manqué’s office and learn you’re pregnant.”

  His gaze dropped to her belly, but the warm throw she’d wrapped around her shoulders draped like a tent and concealed any changes from his view.

  “We made a child. How could you run off and not tell me? That’s inexcusable, Maddy.”

  She jutted her chin forward. “What you did was inexcusable. You used me! You sued my brother without my knowledge.” Maddy’s chest heaved and she attempted a deep, calming breath. “It’s pointless to go back over this.”

  “My point is that you also lied. Everything you accused me of, you acted the exact same way the moment you left without telling me we’d made a child.”

  He had her cornered there. Maddy made fists and released them. How simple movies made it look. Just apologize and hug. But life wasn’t that simple, and for once Maddy knew she had to hold firm to her convictions.

  “Fine. Tit for tat. We’re even.” The fight left her. “It doesn’t matter. I’m not coming back. Go back to Chicago, sign the papers, and let’s go on with our separate lives. That’s what I want.”

  “You can stand there and tell me you don’t love me?”

  She hesitated. “No, I can’t,” she finally admitted. “Part of me will always love you. But that part of me has died. I can’t trust you, I can’t believe you, and I cannot stay with you and remain married under those circumstances. Nothing you can say or do will change my mind. It’s best we separate and never see each other again.”

  “You expect me to walk away when you’re pregnant?”

  “Yes I do. Children aren’t possessions, Dylan. You seem to have trouble distinguishing between possessions and people with real emotions and needs.”

  “You stand here and dare to play judge and jury with our lives, Maddy. Our child’s life. I’m going to fight you on this.”

  She shook her head. “You’ll do what you vow to do, Dylan. That’s what you always do.”

  He jerked a hand through his hair. “I made marriage vows. God, Maddy, I love you.”

  She wrapped the throw more protectively around her. “You have proved how worthless those words are. This is not gett
ing us anywhere.” She leaned against the kitchen counter for support.

  “Maddy, you are my wife. We must make this work.” His words were underscored with a desperation she’d never heard before.

  “You’re just upset that you’ve lost what you thought was yours. That’s all. Well, you can’t have everything. If we must, I’m sure the lawyers will be able to work out some sort of equitable visitation schedule.”

  “I am not agreeing to a visitation schedule. I want my wife and my child. I want my family.”

  The pleading broke her heart, but she’d been lied to too many times.

  “You don’t love us, Dylan. You just think you do. You don’t know how to love. Love is sacrifice. It’s not convenient. It’s not a means to an end, and it’s not fulfilling a vendetta.”

  “I love you, Maddy. I’m sorry you don’t believe me. I’m sorry I can’t grovel enough, make you see how devastating my life is and will continue to be without you. I’m sorry I can’t make you understand that my loving you is not about this land.”

  She stood there so stiffly, wanting to believe but unable. It was all words. “Dylan, I’m giving you all my land. That’s how important this is. Just let me be free. I’d rather have nothing and be happy than have all the land in the word without love.”

  His full lower lip quivered once. “I’ve always vowed to give you what you want.” He drew on his gloves. “Of course, you’ll never believe that either. Tell me, Maddy, what do you do when someone will never believe you?”

  “I don’t know,” she said, her voice cracking.

  “I thought so.” He reached forward and a leather-covered finger stroked the side of her face. He turned and opened the door. Within seconds he was gone, the SUV pulling away and driving off.

  Once he’d left, the shock came, and Maddy trembled. She moved to stare out at the lake. The lake was a serene, cold white, empty and barren. Just like her heart.

  Someday I won’t love him anymore. She placed her hand on her stomach, and fought back the tears. How easy it would have been to have thrown her arms around Dylan, hug him, and ask him to make everything all better somehow. He would have swept her up into his arms, made love to her until her body was exhausted. He would have done everything in his power to give her what she wanted.

  But it would never have been enough. He couldn’t give her the unconditional love she required. He hadn’t changed. He’d fall into old patterns of behavior, and she’d be back to square one. It was a risk that she couldn’t take.

  It’ll be okay little one, she told her baby. I’ll love you enough for both of us. And then she let loose and cried.

  Chapter Twelve

  Wisconsin winters are long and harsh, and four days after Dylan’s departure, Madison found herself missing the sunny Florida beach that she and her grandparents had usually wintered on for the Christmas holidays.

  She found herself wondering, for the tenth time that day, what Dylan was doing. She’d have to stop doing that.

  She trudged back from the library, the last of her stops. She unplugged Melvin’s SUV from the outlet hanging from the lamppost. She’d never lived anywhere where the engine would get so cold that the oil would actually freeze and turn to sludge. Since she’d had to visit the doctor, her post office box, and the library, she’d hooked up to the electrical outlets provided on the main street. When the engine block was plugged in, the one-ten current kept the engine oil from freezing.

  She shivered. She had no idea how cold it was, but at least it wasn’t snowing and the streets were clear. Quickly she started the engine. Melvin’s heater worked great, and before too long the interior was toasty.

  Summerhaven was approximately twelve miles from town, and Madison drove carefully along the freshly plowed Highway 84. All around her the dairy farms slumbered under the blanket of white, and she enjoyed the peaceful, if slow, drive back.

  She crept along the back way to Aunt Gail’s cottage, ignoring the wider road that led in front of Summerhaven. Maddy didn’t want to see what she’d given up. Once she left Aunt Gail’s cottage in the spring, she was never coming back to this area again. The memories were too painful.

  She parked the truck next to the cottage, leaving the engine running. She shut the door and moved as fast as possible over the cleared walkway. The air bit into her exposed cheeks and the plastic bags bumped against her snow pants covered legs.

  As if on cue, Melvin’s wife Cindy opened the door wide. Cindy had been Aunt Gail’s housekeeper and good friend. “All finished?”

  “Done. Thank you for lending me the truck. I enjoyed being out.”

  Cindy quickly shut the door and Madison shrugged out of her snow clothes. Three weeks ago Cindy had come by with Melvin, and she’d guessed Maddy’s condition. From that moment Cindy had treated Maddy like a daughter. Cindy had even insisted Madison get into the clinic and maintain her prenatal care. Madison sniffed the air. Something smelled good.

  “So everything went well?” Cindy pulled homemade bread out of the oven. She dumped the pan over, freeing the loaf.

  “Yes. The doctor said everything is fine. I’m a bit underweight, but he expected that was from all the morning sickness. I’ll know the results of my blood work in two days, and he’ll know if I need additional iron.”

  “You’re on prenatal vitamins, right?”

  “Yes.” Madison inhaled again. Fresh wheat bread. “You’re going to spoil me.”

  “You should be spoiled. Consider it an early Christmas present. How’d you like Dr. Ross? He’s cute, isn’t he? And he’s very single.”

  Madison ripped off a chunk of the steaming bread. She blew on the morsel and popped the warm piece in her mouth. “Ooh, this is great.”

  “I’ll teach you how to make it. You can bring some to your next appointment with Dr. Ross.”

  “You know I’m married.”

  Cindy scoffed. “Really? I don’t see him around here.”

  “Okay, got me there,” Madison replied, attempting a laugh. She switched subjects. “I heard the heartbeat today.”

  “Awesome isn’t it?” Cindy handed Madison a tub of butter and a knife.

  “I don’t have words to describe it. Incredible falls short. Anyway, I told him my previous doctor wanted another ultrasound at fifteen weeks, and I made an appointment for next week.”

  “Got cabin fever or do you just want to see the nice young doctor again?”

  Madison blushed. While Dr. Ross was a cute blond of Scandinavian descent, he didn’t raise her temperature like a certain Italian did. Then again, she had to stop comparing every man to Dylan. None had ever measured up, and she had to change that or she’d never move forward.

  She straightened, putting her hand on the slight mound that was beginning to protrude. Her baby was kicking.

  “I think she’s moving,” Madison told Cindy. Cindy came over and put her hand on Madison’s tummy.

  “I always loved this. Wait until she’s a little bigger. Melvin and I would sit around and just watch each of our babies move. We called it baby Olympics.” Cindy colored, and stopped for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

  “It’s okay. I’m getting used to the idea that I’ll be a single mom. Thanks for letting me get out of here for a while.”

  “You call me if you need me another break. If not, I’ll see you in two days to take you to our house for Christmas. You are not going to spend the holiday alone. Oh, by the way, Butch dropped off a package.”

  “Butch?”

  “Oh, he’s the county sheriff slash local courier. You were supposed to sign for it, but I convinced him to leave it with me instead. I hope you don’t mind that I signed your name. Anyway, he has a newborn at home and I didn’t think he should drive out this way again. Hopefully you got something good.”

  “I’ll find out,” Madison replied. She walked Cindy to the door. “Thanks again. I’ll see you in a few days.”

  Once alone she retrieved the package. The large envelope had a return address in Milwaukee
. Madison frowned. She didn’t know anyone in Milwaukee.

  Curious, she opened the envelope. Enclosed were papers folded over several times. As she unfurled them, a small scrap of paper fell out and fluttered to the floor.

  She squatted and retrieved the note. Straightening, she unfolded the paper and recognized Dylan’s handwriting.

  My dearest Madison. There is no way I can prove to you that I love you. Hence, like the eagles that soar over the lake, you must be free too. None of this matters without you. It will be a just a small part of my penance. Be at peace Maddy. Dylan.

  Chills ran down her spine as she set the note down and flattened out the bunched up papers. “Oh my God.” Her hand flew to her mouth, and she sunk down into a heap on the floor. The documents cascaded off the counter and into her lap.

  Shaking, she gripped their edges and read the words again, disbelieving what she actually held in her hands.

  Not only did she hold the deed to Summerhaven and the Lawless acres, but she also held the deed to the access strip and every additional acre Dylan had ever bought surrounding her home and Knollwood Lake. Over two hundred acres of property. All hers.

  She owned Little Lake, the shoreline, and the forest beyond. She owned it all, for sitting in her lap were also signed copies of the divorce petition, and a legal document from Dylan forfeiting all rights to further interests in her property or the ten million dollars she now had in a trust fund that he had set up in her name.

  She reached for the cover letter that she hadn’t noticed earlier. She unfolded it, seeing the Milwaukee address of a legal firm.

  Dear Mrs. Blackwater, my client has requested that this material be delivered to you. Mr. Blackwater has deeded you all his property in Knollwood County. You own this free and clear, and in accordance with the laws of the state of Wisconsin, this land is not tainted and is not considered common property. Please also find signed divorce documents for your consideration. Notice my client has provided support for your child, yet given up all rights to visitation. I have notified your attorney, and he will be contacting you shortly to coordinate the filing of the deeds and finalization of the divorce, including delivery of your personal possessions to a location of your choice. Sincerely Adam Fox.