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Chapter 39
Last Updated:
2023-08-29 07:38:06
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The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 40
She wanted to want to go to Bible Study, and her hesitation brought about the nagging guilt that slipped up her back like a snake. Sissy and Lindsey had invited Celina to their weekly Tuesday night Bible Study, and she truly had wanted to go. Instead, she’d said she’d think about it, and she had. When she mentioned it to her mother in passing, she was relieved her mother had offered to keep Emma for an hour on a weeknight. She’d told Gabe the day before that she had plans and wouldn’t be home. He’d sounded disappointed, but she kept telling herself he would enjoy a night off. So why was she feeling guilty? She was aware that her inability to be away from her daughter for over eight hours was unhealthy, and she knew Emma was well-taken care of with her parents. The uneasiness in the pit of Celina’s stomach was because of Saul. Celina still hadn’t told her parents about his recent visit or the phone calls. They’d become more frequent lately, and he was growing increasingly desperate.
Last Updated : 2023-08-29The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 41
After the meeting, Celina called her mom and mentioned the invite to Rusty’s. “That sounds like fun. Just go on, and Emma can stay with us tonight.” Celina shook her head as she slid into the driver’s seat of her car. “Actually, I was wondering if you’d like to come and bring Emma.” “Hmm, well, Em’s already in her pajamas, so I think we’ll skip it.” “Then I’ll just come get her. I don’t need to be out anyway.” The clock on her dash read seven fifteen. Emma’s bedtime wasn’t for at least another hour. “No, no. Just let her stay. We’ll have fun. Go on and tell Gabe I said hello.” “I told you Natalie invited me,” Celina corrected, starting the car and adjusting the heat. “Yeah, but I bet Gabe’s there, especially if he knows you’ll be there.” Celina ignored her mother’s insinuation. “Are you sure it’s okay?” “Of course. You want to talk to her?” Celina listened as Emma gave an excited account of a game Paw-Paw was teaching her and promised to call her again before bedtime to say
Last Updated : 2023-08-29The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 42
Gabe. Gabe was certain he’d never felt as stupid as he did when he’d driven away from Celina tonight. He banged the heel of his hand against the steering wheel and huffed. How could he have done that to her? He wanted her to know he would never leave her, not walk away when things got rough. Gripping the steering wheel, he pushed the accelerator closer to the floor. He needed to see her face and tell her again how sorry he was. He really would wait for her. Sometimes, the fear that she wouldn’t let him in got the best of him. When he pulled into her driveway, his headlights fell on an unfamiliar, beat-up truck, and he parked beside it. A man was pushing on Celina’s front door. Without hesitating, Gabe jumped from the vehicle and ran. Only a few long strides separated him from the man, and the darkness did him no favors. Why hadn’t he replaced the burned-out porch light sooner? When his heavy boot hit the wood of the porch, the man abandoned his mission to push the door in and turn
Last Updated : 2023-08-29The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 43
Gabe. Gabe stared at the cards in his hand. Seven two off suit. “Raise.” He slid two chips into the pile and let his cards fall facedown. Gabe played poker most Wednesday nights with his friends, and the understanding was that if you could win the hand with seven two off suit, presumably the worst hand in poker, everyone at the table owed you five dollars. It was the only actual money exchanged in their poker games. They played with numbered chips, but no one ever went home richer on Wednesday nights. They’d been playing the same way since high school, and Gabe was thankful. He still hadn’t learned how to win the game. Measurements, construction, electrical wiring—you name it, and Gabe could figure it out. Poker was a mystery, right along with foreign languages and spreadsheets. Tyler called, then Dakota followed suit. Ian cracked a rare smile and called. Sissy stepped up behind Tyler and leaned over his shoulder to kiss his cheek. “We’re off to Celina’s.” Lydia stood beside her
Last Updated : 2023-08-29The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 44
“An inflatable house and slide?” Celina stared at the enormous blow-ups in her parents’ yard on Saturday morning. Celina’s dad was finally up and about, and he’d agreed to watch Emma until Celina and her mother could get the decorations up. Her mother met her at the car to help unload the party supplies. “She’s gonna love it! Gabe went all out on this one.” “This was Gabe?” Celina asked, although she wasn’t surprised. Her mom grabbed a box of gift bags from Celina. “He rented them for the whole weekend. She can come back over and play after church tomorrow.” “I can’t believe he did this!” She couldn’t have afforded the rentals on her own, and they were even a bit out of her parents’ reach as well. Celina dropped off the boxes in her parents’ living room. “I’ll be right back.” Stepping outside, she pulled her cell from her pocket and called Gabe. Gabe answered, “Matthews Rentals where the fun never ends. How can I be of service?” Celina laughed. “Mr. Matthews, I seem to have tw
Last Updated : 2023-08-29The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 45
The next Friday night, Celina and Gabe finally managed that date she’d agreed to. Emma was spending the night at Celina’s parents’ house, and Gabe had picked Celina up at six o’clock, just as he’d promised.Gabe reached for her hand as he drove along a quiet, country backroad away from town. “You nervous?” he asked.“A little,” she admitted.Nervous was an understatement. The skin of her hand tingled where it touched his. The only worry she had for the night was that their dynamic would change without Emma around to lead the conversation. Celina knew a lot about Gabe, but it wasn’t because they’d been able to get to know each other in a conventional way.He lifted her hand and kissed it. The sun was sinking behind the tall pines as they drove, and the lengthening shadows stretched across the road. She wondered if she should’ve insisted they go somewhere more public. Being alone with someone meant that every moment that wasn’t spent in conversation held a quiet that sounded like the de
Last Updated : 2023-08-31The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 46
Gabe.Gabe had assumed she’d have a beautiful voice, but he hadn’t known it would shatter his world to hear her.It was the sound he’d been searching for his whole life. He was in awe. His hand had taken on a mind of its own when it reached out to feel the song, and she’d let him.He’d been on dozens of dates, and most of them ended without the sparks. It wasn’t something he could put a label on, but he knew when it wasn’t right.When he’d met Celina, she’d felt different from the start. Maybe it’d been her insistence that she wanted to fix her own leaky sink. Her determination had been admirable. Then he’d seen her with her daughter, and he’d been a goner ever since.But that voice. He’d known from the moment he’d heard her voice that he wanted to hear it again and again.He’d been overcome with the need to hold onto it, and she’d let him. When she sang that first word, he knew he’d never be the same again.She finished the song, and his hand had drifted to her cheek. He wanted to ki
Last Updated : 2023-09-02The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 47
Gabe. “One. Two. Three. Ding, ding, ding!” Celina shouted. Emma jumped up, raising both fists straight into the air. Gabe lay lifeless on the living room rug, tongue hanging out one side of his mouth in mock defeat. He’d been teaching Celina self-defense in small doses since the last time Saul stopped by, but he’d been worried Emma would get the wrong impression if she saw him “attacking” her mother. Their lessons quickly became matches where Gabe was teaching Emma the theatrical art of wrestling WWE style. Emma turned to her mother as they celebrated her win. Gabe, resurrected from his comatose state, growled and grabbed for Emma’s ankles. A squeal followed by a laugh filled the room. Celina grabbed Emma’s wrists and began tugging. When Gabe had pulled Emma to him, Celina released her daughter into Gabe’s care as he tickled the toddler into a fit of giggles. “Okay, okay. It’s time for bed, little missy.” Celina squatted next to them and helped Emma regain her footing as she cr
Last Updated : 2023-09-03
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The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 117
NOAH Camille glanced over both shoulders as if checking to make sure the coast was clear before extending both hands, palms up, toward Sprite. “Take your pick, pretty lady.” One hand offered an apple and the other a sugar cube. Noah wasn’t sure who liked treat time the most, his girlfriend or the horse. Dixie circled Camille’s legs, begging for attention. He’d just watched from the tailgate as Camille rode Sprite through the pasture by the stable. “Sugar. Always a good choice.” Camille waited for the blue roan to finish the treats before nuzzling noses with the big softie. It’d been a week since Noah was released from the hospital, and he was still getting used to needing help completing small tasks. The bandages were cumbersome and needed to be changed often. Not to mention small things like showering and putting on pants had become a chore. Camille spent every moment she could helping him. He didn’t mind it when she helped, but it was an unspoken truth that any “help” from his b
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 116
“There’s a lot you don’t know about Nathan, but none of it excuses what he did,” Bonnie said. Bonnie went with Camille to her house to change clothes and pack a bag of extras, in case Noah stayed at the hospital overnight. She planned on staying there until he came home. She’d called Anita and rounded up some things she needed too. Now, Camille and her mom were back on the road, and they had a lot to talk about. “Nathan was adopted when he was four years old,” Bonnie began. “He was neglected as a child, and he had a handful of health problems that had never been treated. By the time he was taken from his parents, he was malnourished, dehydrated, and had several broken bones and bruises.” Camille turned away from her mother. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever heard this story before, but her heart told her she hadn’t. “Your grandparents didn’t have any children, but they had been in touch with the local foster care system and were contacted when Nathan was still recovering. They adopted
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 115
Her foot rested heavy on the accelerator as she drove from Cody to Blackwater. Anger and betrayal built within her with every mile that passed beneath her tires. Twisting her hands on the steering wheel, she ached for a distraction. Something to calm the storm of her emotions. How could Nathan do something so horrible? She called Jenny and let the ringing in her car speakers drown out the roiling in her ears. “Hey. What’s up?” “Noah is in the hospital in Cody. A bear attacked him this morning.” “What?” Jenny screamed. “Is he okay?” Camille’s voice shook. “He is now. It looked so bad after it happened, though. It clawed his leg up good.” Rustling sounded on Jenny’s end of the line. “Do I need to come?” “No,” Camille assured her. “He’s doing okay. They stitched him up and he’s conscious now, but he lost a lot of blood. He’ll be in quite a bit of pain while it heals.” “I can’t imagine.” “They were cleaning up a dozen cows that were shot last night when the bear attacked.” Camill
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 114
She couldn’t lose him. Not again, and not like this. Camille raked her hands through Noah’s hair while his head lay in her lap. She was trying to be brave. It wouldn’t do either of them any good to break apart right now. Noah needed her to stay alert and strong for him. “I’m glad you’re here.” His words were faint, but she’d heard him. Whatever reason he had for breaking up with her didn’t matter now. A tear slid down her face as she prayed. “Lord, please lay Your hand on Noah. Help us get him to the help he needs in time. Help me to be strong. Help us.” Her words cracked at the end, and she squeezed her eyes closed. “Please, Lord. I don’t want to lose him.” Tears burned her eyes when she opened them. He was lying still—too still. She looked to Lucas. “I think he’s unconscious!” Lucas held the injured leg stationary. “Almost there.” She turned and stretched her neck to see the main house over the next rise. The red-and-white ambulance was parked in front. The paramedics carefu
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 113
NOAH Noah tried to hold his ground, but the bear was running toward him now. He lowered the phone from his ear and yelled, “Micah!” He took two steps backward on instinct. He wasn’t running, but he was pretty sure it was the better option right now. On the third step back, his heel snagged on a fallen branch. He fell backward, arms flailing, and his phone went soaring through the air. “Micah!” Noah couldn’t take his eyes off the advancing predator to see if his brother was coming to help, but he prayed he’d yelled loud enough to be heard over the running tractor. The bear slowed as it approached Noah lying on his back. The fall had knocked the wind out of him, but he wasn’t breathing anyway. The bear’s large paw lifted and swiped down faster than any animal that large should’ve been able to move. Noah cried out once more as the claws sliced across his thigh. “Micah!” A boom filled the air, followed by another, and the bear jerked backward and fell onto its side. Noah could hear
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 112
NOAHNoah drove through the gates at Blackwater Ranch in a daze. His shift at the fire station had started the morning after he’d gone to Camille’s, and it had been a long two days.His shifts were always tiring, but this time he hadn’t been able to sleep or eat like he should to keep his energy up. Losing Camille felt like a constant, nagging hunger. His insides were empty, but he couldn’t get filled.He’d been praying, but no answers had come. Was he supposed to fix this on his own or wait for the Lord to show him how to mend his broken heart?He topped the slight hill before the main house, and a sinking feeling hit him in the chest. There weren’t any trucks parked out front. It was breakfast time. Everyone should’ve been there.Noah hastily parked by the door and ran inside, forgetting to take off his shoes.“Mom. Dad,” Noah hollered into the empty dining room.His mom stepped out of the kitchen and wiped her hands on her apron. “They’re all out,” his mom said in a shaky voice.“W
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 111
NOAHNoah closed Camille’s door behind him, but it didn’t block out her sobs. He couldn’t move his feet to walk away from her just yet. What had he done? He’d made things worse with Nathan tonight, and then… this.Remembering the look on Camille’s face had his gut twisting. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. He’d been given the chance to be happy again, and it had all been taken away too soon.Anger built in his chest as he sat on the small step on her front porch. There was a roaring in his ears, but he could still hear Camille’s wails behind him.He wanted to go back inside and hold her and tell her they would make it through anything together.But he couldn’t do that when it was probably a lie. How could he save his family and keep Camille in his life? It was too much to hope. He’d been allowed to enjoy the best times of his life with her, and the stretches of time in between were just filler.Sitting alone in the dark night outside her door, he hung his head and prayed.
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 110
Camille leaned closer to the screen of her laptop and squinted. “Those might work,” she mumbled to herself. The boots on her screen resembled the ones Noah and his brothers wore around the ranch, but finding the female equivalent had proven to be a challenge. Plus, ordering shoes online was always hit or miss. She ran the heart pendant of her necklace back and forth along the chain as she added the boots to the shopping cart.She’d wised up with the wide-brimmed cowboy hat already, and good boots were a must at this point if she planned to keep working with Noah around the ranch on her days off.A knock sounded at her door, and Camille jumped in her seat, bumping her knees on the desk. “Oww.” So much for assessing the stranger at her door before revealing she was at home.She pushed away from the desk and padded over to the door in her bare feet. Peering through the peephole, she saw Noah standing on her doorstep with his hands in the front pockets of his jeans.Camille fumbled with t
The Millionaire's Bride Chapter 109
NOAHCamille’s parents’ house was a log and brick monstrosity with wooden columns along the front side thicker than Noah had ever seen. Two stories of walls and windows stretched into a double-decker garage on one side. A twenty-foot-tall statue of angels and cherubs sat imposing in the grassy area along the circular drive.He’d put off coming here for long enough, but it was time to talk. If Nathan wasn’t home, he’d just sit in his truck and wait for him.Noah had always felt small when he came here. The size of the place dwarfed anything around it except the mountains. He knew from days past when he would visit Camille that there was a heated pool in the back along with a fire pit, an outdoor grilling area, and a guest house.The old truck door groaned and creaked as it closed behind him, and Noah threw his cowboy hat back into the cab through the open window. There wasn’t any sense in stirring the pot. His boots thudded loudly against the sturdy boards of the porch as he approached
