Can't Buy Me Love (17 page)

“
But now you love me,” he breathed closing the scrapbook and cradling it to his chest. “Don’t deny it now.”

“
Step away from him, Paige.”

They both turned as Devin motioned Paige away with the barrel of small silver pistol.
She stood frozen in place, her mouth open, the words she was about to say lost forever.

“
Devin, what are you doing?” Blake asked.

Devin
’s hand shook as he motioned at Paige once again. “Get away from him,” he repeated, this time louder.

Blake tried to remain calm as the silent tears slid down
Paige’s pale cheeks. Her eyes were wide and filled with even more tears. He knew the fear she must be feeling, felt it himself when Devin swung the gun around and pointed it straight at him.

“
I’m going to kill you, big brother.”

Blake swallowed hard
, and his own eyes widened.

From her place near the dresser, Paige sobbed,
“No.”

“
Don’t act surprised,” Devin continued, with the confidence of a man who had nothing to lose. “I’ve been trying to kill you from the beginning.”

“
The beginning?” Blake stood still holding the scrapbook in front of him like a shield of love. He took a step toward his brother.

“
Oh, don’t be stupid. No one is that accident prone.”

“
You mean the sewing machine?” Blake took another step, trying not to think about all the time he wasted blaming Paige for the murder attempts.

“
Of course.”

“
What about the car?” Another step.

“
None other.”

“
The ham?” Blake stepped again. If he could just ease his way over to his brother, he might be able to...

“
Yes, and now the gun.” Devin waved the pistol in the air then leveled it back toward Blake’s heart.

Blake
’s feet felt nailed to the floor. Somehow he had to get the weapon away from Devin before someone got hurt. He dragged his gaze from the gun and met his brother’s angry stare. “Why, Dev?”

“
You didn’t really think I’d take this lying down, did you? A million dollars!” He snorted.

“
Some people would ki—” Blake looked from Devin back to the gun. No matter how imbalanced Devin sounded, Blake didn’t think his brother would actually fire the weapon at him, but there was no sense in planting ideas. “It’s...nothing to sneeze at,” he said instead.

Devin features formed into a mask of utter disbelief.
“It’s chicken feed,” he spat. “People win more in the lottery. If I kill you, all one hundred and seventy-six point five—”

“
Point three,” Blake corrected.

“
Point three, point five.” Devin shrugged. “The facts will remain the same. The money will be mine.”

Blake looked at the small pistol pointed at his chest.
It wasn’t a very big gun. Perhaps its very size was proof that Devin didn’t really want to kill him. After all, he had tried three separate times and all three attempts had proved unsuccessful. Blake knew his brother. All their lives Devin had been lazy and greedy, but that didn’t mean he was desperate.

“
I’m desperate,” Devin said, drawing Blake’s attention back to his masked expression. “I need the money. There are men who will kill me if I don’t have it.”

“
You can have the money. I’ll give it to you.” Luckily Blake had been in too big of a hurry to leave with Paige that the papers donating his inheritance to charity were as of yet unsigned.

Devin shook his head.
“I wish it were that easy, but if you try to give the money to me, then you don’t inherit. And therefore don’t have any money to give. No, killing you is the only choice I have.”

Paige stepped forward.
“If you kill him, the money will belong to me.”

“
Paige.” Blake started toward her, but Devin motioned him back toward the bed with the small silver barrel.

“
What do you mean?”

“
She doesn’t mean anything.”

Devin looked confused.
“If Blake dies while the will’s still in probate, then another heir must be found.”

“
Not always.”

“
Paige. He has a gun. Shut up.”

“
There’s a codicil to your aunt’s will. If you kill Blake, all the money goes to me.”

“
I’ll contest it. Then with no other living Caldwell to claim the fortune, the money will be mine.”

“
But there is another Caldwell. I’m pregnant.”

“
You’re what?” Devin and Blake turned to her at the same time.

“
I’m going to have a baby.”

Joy and delight and a thousand other happy emotions filled Blake.
“My baby?”

“
Of course it’s your baby,” Devin snapped. “Who else’s would it be?”

Blake felt himself turn pink.
“I mean. Now? You’re going to have my baby now?”

“
In seven and a half months.”

“
But you were going to leave. You were packing your stuff and...That’s who you were saving the scrapbook for. My baby.”

“
Hey,” Devin protested. “What about me?”

“
Our
baby,” Paige corrected.

“
You weren’t going to tell me, were you?”

“
Not at first.” Paige twisted her hands together and refused to meet his gaze.

“
Hel-lo!” Devin called obviously miffed that the center of attention no longer revolved around him.

“
Were you ever going to tell me?” Blake asked.

“
Yes.”

“
When?”

“
Hey!” Devin yelled again. “I had the floor first, and I still have the gun.” He lifted it into the air as if to prove his statement.

“
Before Devin came in. I was going to tell you that I love you.”

Blake felt his lips curve into a fool
’s smile. He had known it since he had seen the scrapbook, but he still needed to hear those words from her. “And you’re going to stay here, with me, and raise our family.”

“
I’ll consider it,” Paige said coyly.

“
Consider this.” Devin, at the end of his patience and temper, fired the gun into the air.

The shot resounded off the four walls of the room.
The bullet ricocheted and buried itself in the depths of the scrapbook cradled to Blake’s chest.

“
Blake?”

He could hear Paige
’s whispered, nearly pleading rendition of his name and the pounding of feet thundering up the stairs. But he couldn’t move. He was numb. He stood in the middle of the room, doubled over and waiting for the feeling to return and the pain to begin.

Then everything seemed to happen at once.

Dancy kicked in the bedroom door, her muscular legs leaving it swinging on the hinges when it wasn’t locked to begin with. In her hands she clasped a .357 Magnum like a woman who was both accustomed and prepared to use her weapon. Devin’s tiny derringer fell to the floor with a pitiful thunk.

“
Don’t move,” she shouted, pointing the cannon at Devin with a deadly intensity. “Julie, call 9-1-1.”

The shy maid picked up the phone from the bedside table and did as she was told as Dancy held the statue
-still Devin in place.

“
Blake?” Paige asked again.

He lifted his gaze to meet hers.
He no longer feared looking into her eyes for he saw the love and concern for him shining in their aquamarine depths. He smiled trying to be brave, but it wasn’t everyday his brother shot him—even if accidentally.

But still the pain didn
’t come. Cautiously, Blake loosened his hold on the scrapbook and looked to the front of his suit. Not a mark marred the Italian material. The bullet had lodged in the thick gray pages.

“
I’m okay,” he whispered, lifting his gaze to meet Paige’s once again. “I’m okay.”

The scrapbook fell to the floor as Blake wrapped Paige in
to his arms and held her close.

Epilogue

The Caldwell Family Scrapbook
.

From the
Tattler

August 10,
2013

Multi-millionaire Blake Caldwell is spending his thirty-seventh birthday in the US Virgin Islands on the sunny isle of St. Thomas with his beautiful wife Paige. Our sources tell us that the pair have never looked happier. Could it really be true love?

In April, Caldwell was reportedly forced to marry Paige Parker,
the daughter of an African missionary and supermodel Candace Cooper, in order to inherit over one hundred and seventy-six million dollars. But today our sources tell us that he donated his entire inheritance to charity and that the couple is very much in love. Rumors even tell us that Paige is pregnant with Blake’s child. The Caldwells were unavailable to talk with our reporters. Only time will tell.

From the front page of the
Chicago Tribune

August 14,
2013

Devin Caldwell jumped bail yesterday afternoon after being released on a one hundred thousand dollar bond.
Caldwell was arrested early last week and was being held on four accounts of attempted murder. Blake Caldwell, the brother and alleged victim of the accused, is vacationing in the Caribbean and unavailable for comments. Reports indicate that Devin Caldwell was wanted by the mob for outstanding gambling debts totaling over twenty million dollars.

Devin Caldwell is still at large.

From
the fashion pages of the
Chicago Tribune

January 15,
2014

Caldwell Manufacturing today unveiled their first new designs of the year. This new line designed by none other than Paige Parker Caldwell has been titled Valentine’s Day and Night consists of sequined evening wear and silk lingerie. These beautiful semi-formal to formal dresses and their lacy counterparts are perfect for any Valentine’s celebration and can be found in fine stores nationwide.

The Paige Parker Caldwell catalog will be
available next month and the PPC originals can still be made by appointment only.

Meanwhile, the talented Mrs. Caldwell will be designing the new spring l
ine of sportswear for Caldwell Clothing. And with what we’ve seen of her designs...Ralph beware!

From the
Tribune

March
22, 2014

Mr. and Mrs. Blake Caldwell of Chicago announce the birth of their first child. Virginia Gail Caldwell was born at two-thirty a.m. on March 20. Baby Virginia weighed seven pounds and six ounces. The first gifts for the new Baby Caldwell include a silver rattle, a set of crayons and an easel and a pink Mercedes.

When asked if he was disappointed that his first child wasn
’t a boy, the proud father was quoted as saying, “I have no reason what so ever to be disappointed with my girls.”

~*~*~*~*~*~

Abo
ut Amy

Amy loves nothing more than a good book. Except for her family...and maybe homemade tacos...and shoes. But reading and writing are definitely high on the list.

Fun and contemporary, whimsical and sexy, Amy's novels always have a guaranteed happy ending.

Born and bred in Mississippi, Amy is a transplanted Southern Belle who now lives in Oklahoma with her deputy husband, their genius son, two spoiled cats, and one very fat beagle.

When she's not creating quirky characters and happy endings, she's chauffeuring her prodigy to baseball games, guitar lessons, and kung fu. She also loves gardening, cross stitching, and generally anything that can get her out of housework.

Amy loves to hear from her readers. You can reach her at
[email protected]
or visit her on the web--
http://www.amywritesromance.com

Also by Amy Lillard