A TEMPORARY MARRIAGE: PART THREE (AVALON BAY ROMANCE SERIES Book 3) Read online

  A TEMPORARY MARRIAGE

  PART THREE

  VICKY DEAN

  AVALON BAY ROMANCE SERIES

  PUBLISHED BY:

  GOLDMINEGUIDES.COM

  Copyright © 2015

  VickyDean.goldmineguides.com

  This book is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is entirely coincidental. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and situations either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used factiously.

  All rights reserved. No parts of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means without written consent from the author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ONE

  Cassie blinked her eyes, waking up and feeling in a dreamlike state. The night had been just that. A long overdue reunion from her heart’s perspective and the acknowledgement through physical actions that Richard did care and that he wanted her despite his deliberate attempts to keep her at bay. Yet there they were, her body pressed against his and his arm wrapped around her protectively, making sure she didn’t escape.

  Please, may he not regret this, she thought. Cassie had to know and she rolled her body over to see his face. The movement made Richard wake but it took a moment for him to open his eyes and she soaked him in, feeling so much love for everything about him as Richard the man, and Richard the lover.

  “Good morning,” he said with a sleepy smile and then he realized the position that he was in and Cassie felt his body stiffen just a bit.

  “Good morning to you,” she said, smiling at him and not daring to take her eyes off his. She wanted to see every reaction and emotion that may be relayed through them. She had to know, what next?

  “I, uh, I’m sorry,” he fumbled.

  Her heart fell but she knew she had to fight for this and show what she wanted if it was to work. Otherwise, he’d retreat like a wounded animal again, leaving her feeling vacant once more. She didn’t want that. “Don’t be. I’m not. I’m not sure how it happened, but it seems like we both wanted it when we didn’t let our stupid brains get in the way.”

  Richard paused and breathed in, looking at Cassie with a serious expression. Eventually, it turned into a soft smile. “I can’t deny that I wanted it, I did even when I was telling you we couldn’t.”

  “Really?” Cassie asked, feeling relief leave her body and hope enter.

  “Really,” Richard said.

  He leaned forward and kissed her softly, his finger brushing her shoulder and making her feel so alive, so in tune with him. Yes, they were finally thinking alike—willing to try and see if there was something real—something between them that was stronger than the legal contract.

  After the kiss was done, Richard leaned up on his elbow and stared at Cassie. “So, are we going to give this relationship a try?”

  “I want to,” Cassie replied earnestly. “But, it’s not just up to me.”

  “I want to, but I’m scared as hell. I’m not good at these types of things, Cassie. You deserve someone who won’t disappoint you.”

  “If you’re willing to give it your best, that’s all I can ask for. I don’t have the best record, Richard. But the past has nothing to do with this moment. This is about us.”

  “Brains and beauty. I’m a lucky man.”

  “That’s the spirit.”

  An update to the contract had been made, one signed with their hearts and not their hands, but the result was a delicious feast of their hands exploring each other and celebrating their potential.

  Cassie looked up at Richard as he walked out of the bathroom, showered and ready to go back to the hospital to see Patrick.

  “Are you sure you don’t want me to come over there right now?” Cassie asked.

  “No, I’ll call you later. I’m not even sure if he’ll be up yet.”

  Cassie took note of the worry on his face and felt badly for Richard. He had such little family left, and while he seldom got to see his cousin, he knew that Patrick was someone Richard cared for a lot. And she was certain that Patrick’s accident was a brutal reminder of the accident so long ago that took his parents and siblings from him.

  Richard came and kissed Cassie on the forehead in an almost fatherly way and put his hand behind her head. She looked up into his intense eyes and smiled. “Just give me a call if you need anything—anything at all.”

  ***

  Richard walked into the hospital room and saw that Patrick was asleep. He took a seat in the chair in the corner and just looked at him, his thoughts going in a rhythm to the constant beeps of his heart rate monitor. His leg was suspended in the air and he was so still that if not for the equipment saying he was alive, Richard thought he might be dead.

  A lifetime of memories swirled through Richard’s mind as he sat there waiting for Patrick’s eyes to open. He thought of the fun they’d had as children whenever they got together—always pulling practical jokes. Like the time when they’d gotten a bunch of earthworms after a rainfall and put them into a small trinket box that his sister Joanne owned. Then Patrick went up to her and gave her a ring from a Cracker Jack box, knowing that she’d go put it into there. The two waited around the corner for her response—which was a scream, followed by Joanne stomping out of her room with the box and charging right into Richard’s room and dumping the worms on his bed. She’d gotten the last word in on that, and sadly, it had just been two weeks later that she died.

  “Earth to Richard,” a voice said, snapping him back to reality.

  Richard looked at Patrick, who despite being so dinged up had that same crooked grin on his face he always wore when he was amused. “Wow, I’m not sure what you were thinking of, but you went through all the emotions.”

  “Just reflecting on all the memories we had when you’d visit Avalon Bay. Those were good times, weren’t they?”

  “Ah yes, they were. It’s been too long,” Patrick said.

  “We should change that,” Richard said.

  “Not sure I’ll be traveling all too much over the next few months, Richard.”

  “Look Patrick, your brownstone isn’t really equipped to handle you during recovery. No elevator. Four flights of stairs. You’re going to have a hard time getting around for quite a while, much less up and down stairs…”

  “Your cousin is right,” someone said.

  The two men looked up and saw the doctor standing there. He came in and swung the door closed, just short of it latching.

  “Don’t say that, Doc, you’ll give him a big head,” Patrick said with a lighthearted smile. Then he grew serious. “How long is it going to take, exactly, for me to rebound back to normal?”

  “Conservatively, at least four months, assuming you are a good patient and follow your physical therapy schedule.”

  “What? That’s a long time. I have to be on crutches that entire time?”

  “At first you’ll be in a wheelchair. Both of your legs are broken, Patrick. Multiple breaks in your fibulas and tibias on each. When you’re asleep right now, the nurses switch which leg is elevated, because it hurts. It won’t be easy, but you’ll be fine. You just have to be patient.”

  “Said the doctor to the guy who has never really specialized in patience,” Patrick grumbled.

  Richard watched this interaction and felt so bad for his cousin, but at least he was alive and none of the damage seemed to be permanent. It made him feel determined to help Patrick realize that coming to the ranch at Avalon Bay was the only option for him. It would be great to have him there and he was lucky that Cassie had as much as said so already.

  Cassie, ah, she was so amazing, Richard thought. His grandfather had at least picked a good person to enter into a contract with. Now that it was more than that, should make for a whole lot of interesting dynamics in the months ahead.

  The doctor examined Patrick briefly and Richard waited outside until it was done. Then, as the doctor left, he walked back in. He was greeted by a very glum looking Patrick. There was no effort to feign happiness on his face, at all.

  “Honestly, Patrick, you should come back to Avalon Bay. You can have Gramp’s old room. It’s on the first floor, a great view of the bluffs and ocean, and would be ideal for you. Glenda would love to see you, too. And her cooking, it would help you whip back into shape in no time.”

  “The doctor talked about physical therapy,” Patrick protested weakly.

  “Seriously? You don’t think they have physical therapy in Cali. Give me a break,” Richard countered.

  “I guess it’s either that or trying to find a ground floor apartment to rent here,” Patrick said miserably. “But you’d better run it by your wife. She might disapprove.”

  “Cassie will be fine with it, I promise you.”

  Patrick just sighed.

  “Is something wrong aside from your physical worries right now, Patrick?”

  “I guess I’ve still been too much of a chicken to go back to Avalon Bay since…well, you know. That accident was so…I guess I just never thought an accident would be what took me back
there,” he finally spit out.

  “It hasn’t been easy, but I’m finally starting to realize that the memories are what we have and the pain, well, it’s less when you think about what was good,” Richard said.

  “That sounds pretty wise for a tough guy like you,” Patrick said. “Cassie must really be doing a good job of whipping you into shape.”

  “She’s so good, not like anyone I’ve ever met before,” Richard confessed.

  “Sounds like the contract has a bit more meaning to it,” Patrick said.

  “Remember, though, no one else can know. It’s a small club of people that know the truth,” Richard cautioned.

  “No worries,” Patrick said. “Your secret’s safe with me.”

  “We can get you all set up with your technology, too, so you can work from your room, the back veranda, or wherever you want. It’ll be nice. Probably do your best blogging work ever,” Richard said optimistically.

  “You saying that Chicago is stifling to my style and thoughts?”

  “Well, no fresh air. It only makes sense,” Richard retorted.

  “I’m not sure how much longer I have to be in here before I get discharged,” Patrick said.

  “We’ll figure it out. If you make me a list of things you need, I’ll go to your place and pack it up, ship what needs shipping or else Cassie and I will carry the rest back on our flight.”

  “Cassie? She’s here,” Patrick said with a huge grin.

  “She is. When she heard, she wanted to come and help,” Richard said.

  “How convenient,” Patrick said. Then he laughed loudly and Richard couldn’t help but do the same. It felt good to laugh.

  “I’ll bring Cassie by later to meet you, Patrick. You’ll like her a lot. She’s pretty great.”

  “I’m sure I will,” Patrick said.

  Richard and Cassie walked into the hospital room and Patrick was sitting up, staring at the stock market report on the television’s business station, shaking his head. “I knew it.”

  From behind Cassie, Richard shouted, “Knew what? That we were going to grace you with our presence.”

  Patrick turned and looked, stopping to focus on Cassie.

  “Patrick, this is Cassie.”

  “So, you’re Richard’s better half,” Patrick said with a smile. “It’s nice to meet you, Cassie. You’re a strong woman to put up with this guy for a year—or for however long.”

  Richard frowned at Cassie playfully when she started laughing. “And you look like you could be Richard’s twin. I didn’t realize how similar in appearance you two were,” Cassie replied.

  Richard protested. “Hey, I know I’m tired, but I’ve got to look better than this guy.”

  “Real nice to hit a guy when he’s down,” Patrick said.

  ***

  Cassie watched Richard and Patrick banter back and forth, saying something occasionally, but quite distracted. It was nice to see Richard with Patrick. The guy seemed to loosen him up a bit and…what was it…keep him grounded. Yes, that was it. Philip and Richard could talk and relax, but it never seemed to be casual. There was always something—business, making connections, and even the marriage contract. Those types of things seemed to be their common ground, but in this situation, the appreciation between the two cousins was apparent.

  “Patrick, I’m excited that you’ll be joining us at the ranch,” Cassie said. “Maybe Richard will be inspired to take a few more hours off here and there.”

  “If I were him, I’d take a year of vacation to spend time with my new beautiful wife.”

  “You’re sweet,” Cassie said. The way Patrick had said that she almost forgot that he knew about the deal, too. “Even if Richard did take that long off, I actually have quite the schedule, too. Did you spend a lot of time at Primrose House when you were younger?”

  “Did I ever. Loved playing hide and seek in that house. Once, I wasn’t found for six hours. Had to finally come out when I heard my mom saying she was going to call the police. They’d really thought I left. When I crawled out from the small trunk that was in that room, she just about fainted.” Patrick laughed.

  “That trunk is actually in my study now,” Richard said. “Definitely couldn’t fit in there anymore, though.”

  “Well, I’ll be excited to show you the renovated Primrose Inn, Patrick.”

  “I’ve read the reviews. It’s definitely highly acclaimed right from the get-go. You must be very good at what you do, Cassie.”

  “It’s my dream, pays to give it my all. But without Richard, my dream wouldn’t have become a reality so soon. I’m so thankful for it.”

  “And I’m thankful for you,” Richard said.

  Cassie smiled and felt a bit of a blush. There was honesty, openness, and sincerity in his words. It felt great to hear them. Maybe they’d really made it past the “contract only” hurdle they’d had.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Preparing for Patrick’s arrival in Avalon Bay turned into a project that Cassie was mostly taking on, but she didn’t mind. She did it happily and with the way she and Richard were getting along, she really felt like she was doing it for her own family. So, not only was it the kind thing to do, it was the natural thing to do.

  Everyone was excited and in action mode when they received the word—exactly one month after the accident—that Patrick was being released. Mrs. Quinn had started to prepare a bunch of food that she knew he had liked when younger and Cassie made sure the ranch would be a home to him for his extended visit. Plus, she was eager to relieve some of the stress that Richard had. By chance, he had a few “must keep” deadlines, making it tough to even go and meet Patrick in Chicago. Cassie was going to do it all, and James Perkins was glad to take on the extra hours at Primrose Inn. Really, he was a lifesaver to Cassie for his professionalism and commitment to the establishment.

  Cassie showed up at the hospital in May and found the dismissing nurse waiting for her in the room with Patrick, ready to go over instructions and then that would be it. The return flight was in just a few hours so there was no time to spare, which was maybe a good thing. It had to be hard for Patrick to feel so immobile. And unfortunately for him, he was still on orders to use his wheelchair until after he met with his physical therapist in Santa Maria for the first time. He’d be going there three days a week, which was going to present some challenges, but Cassie was up to it. She’d do everything she could to make sure Patrick had all that he needed. And Richard was even more dedicated to that than her.

  “You look good, Patrick,” Cassie said after the nurse left. “Your color’s back, too.”

  “Aw, you say that to all the guys who need your help,” Patrick teased.

  “Only the good ones,” Cassie retorted.

  “Richard’s lucky to have you. Have a twin anywhere?”

  “I can work on setting you up, Patrick. For now, you won’t be able to run away so the time might be perfect.”

  And from there, the banter continued all the way to the airport. On the flight, Patrick dozed off, still tired from his medications and the trauma of the accident, and Cassie used that time to go over the numbers from that month for the Inn.

  When the plane landed, Cassie and Patrick got to get off first, as they were considered “special needs.” This was clearly something that he was uncomfortable with so Cassie tried to blow it off, but Patrick kept a frown on his face until he was safely away from the terminal and they were headed to luggage.

  “Should we take a cart to luggage, or do you want to wait for the elevators?” Cassie asked.

  “What, walking isn’t an option?” Patrick asked sarcastically.

  “Not today, and not if I don’t want Richard to be mad at me. He follows the rules more than I do,” Cassie said. Then she winked, making them both laugh.

  Back at the ranch, Richard was waiting for Patrick and Cassie to show up. He was tossing the ball to Aly and although she was old, she was doing a decent job of keeping up.

  Patrick smiled and looked around. “It’s been a long time since I’ve been here. Is that Aly?”

  “The one and only,” Cassie said.