The Billionaire's Secrets (35 page)

He held her to him, unable to answer, his eyes full of tears of gratitude and love. How did he ever deserve this woman's love?

There was a light knock on the bedroom door. "It's me, Marcus. May I come in?" Not quite in charge of his voice yet,
Gaelan
murmured his permission. He had been so
concerned with Chloe's
safety,
he had almost forgotten that Marcus had been left not only to deal with Colleen but also with a houseful of
storm-marooned guests
and Chloe’s anxious parents
.

"Really, Marcus.
After this, I'm going to have to give you a raise."

Marcus smiled at him. "Your gratitude is all the thanks I need," he said jokingly. Like
Gaelan
, Marcus was dressed in tails
,
and he gave a mock bow, flicking the tails behind him in a comic gesture. They
all
laughed, glad to find some comic relief in the situation.

Marcus picked up one of chairs in front of the fire and turned it around to face the bed. "I think," he said as he sat down
,
suddenly serious again, "all things considered, you're going to be pretty
happy after I give you the low
down on my chat with Colleen."

"Good,"
Gaelan
said with relief.

Before embarking on a description of his discussion with Colleen, Marcus smiled gently at Chloe. "I'm happy to see you're feeling better."

"I'm sorry I worried everyone," she said meekly.

"Don't apologise. That was a terrible shock you had. We're all just glad you're safe." An hour after the wedding was to
begin,
Marcus felt it was time to tell the guests that Chloe was missing. The mood had turned immediately sombre
,
and Marcus had the terrible thought that the wedding might turn into a funeral. Marcus had never considered himself to be a religious person, but he prayed then to anyone who might care to listen.

"But I feel bad. All these people came to the wedding, and now they're stuck here."

"I wouldn't worry about them," he said.  "Now that they know you're safe, they're having a great time. Your mother and Windy are already best of friends, and
Sophia
is so happy with her puppy I don't even think she's noticed that things haven't gone according to plan."

"I really do appreciate everything you've done today,"
Gaelan
said, thanking Marcus again before asking him what happened with Colleen.

"Not much really. By the time I spoke to her, I think she realised that she had really gone too far this time. So I told her we could ruin her in a legal battle or she could simply agree to sign the divorce papers. Your lawyer faxed them over, and she signed them without protest. They now await your signature."

"She didn't mention more money?"
Gaelan
asked, surprised. Everything with Colleen had always come down to money.

Marcus shook his head. "You know, I don't even think she was here for more money. From what I can gather, she's done quite well with the money you gave her. Perhaps this isn't exactly the time to say this, but I felt a bit sorry for her by the time she left. She's a pretty
unhappy woman. I think she got a short-term high out of shocking you and Chloe, but in the end
she seemed to
realise
it was a pretty empty victory. I think she sensed how much you both were in love and how very much alone that made her."

Gaelan
was silent for a moment. "You could be right," he said. "She's a bitter woman. In the end, she even cut off Bowen." But
Gaelan
had an even greater concern. He tried to tell himself it wasn't that it was easier when he thought
Sophia
's mother was dead, but this was going to be difficult to explain to the girl. "Did she want to see
Sophia
?"

Again Marcus shook his head. "No. I'm not even sure the child exists to her."

It was hard to comprehend a woman having so little feeling for her own child, and Chloe vowed to herself that she would make up for it by being the best mother she could
to Sophia
. "Where’
s Colleen now?" she asked.

"She asked if I knew where Bowen was. When I told her he was still in Puffin's Cove, she asked me how she could get to him. I told her it wasn't safe to drive but she insisted on going. In the end,
Windy's
nephew took her
in his four
-wheel drive. I bet Bowen was pretty surprised to see her."

"I bet he was. And you know, despite all their faults, I think they really did love each other, until their greed got the better of them. Who knows, maybe after all these years, those two have learned their lesson."

Marcus shook his head in amazement. "That is incredibly charitable of you after all they've put you through. I'm more inclined to say that misery loves company."

"I don't know," Chloe said.  "I hope they can be happy together. He is your brother, and she is
Sophia
's mother."

Gaelan
sat down again on the edge of the bed. "You're the one who's wonderful. After everything you've gone through…" He kissed her hair.

"But what are you going to tell
Sophia
?" Marcus asked.

"We'll tell her in time,"
Gaelan
said, looking at Chloe "We'll find a way." With this wise
, beautiful woman at his side,
everything would be okay.

Suddenly the door opened
,
and
Sophia
herself burst into the room, a wide-eyed spaniel puppy pressed to the breast of her silk flower girl's dress.
Poor Ren
é
e
, Chloe thought,
she must be on the verge of a nervous breakdown by now
. This had to the craziest wedding ever.

"Daddy!"
Sophia
cried. "Thank you for the puppy!"
Gaelan
swept her, puppy and all, into his arms.

"Daddy," she protested. "You're squashing us!"
Gaelan
laughed and set her down again on the floor, listening attentively as she praised every aspect of the
dog
. One day
Sophia
would have to learn the truth about her parents, but not today.

When finally she stopped, she noticed Chloe wrapped in her dressing gown on the bed.  "Why aren't you dressed?" she asked in a puzzled voice. "You and Daddy
have to get married. Everybody’
s waiting."

Gaelan
searched quickly for an explanation
Sophia
could understand when Chloe said, "You know
,
I feel so much better now. It would be a shame not to get married today."

"Are you sure?"
Gaelan
asked, and Chloe could hear the excitement in his voice.

"More than ever," she said quietly. "It may not be exactly the wedding we planned, but I don't think I could stand another minute of not being your wife."

Gaelan
turned to
Sophia
, smiling "Looks like your puppy is going to get to come to the wedding after all."

* * *

Chloe knew she would never forget
any moment of
her wedding. The guests had cheered as she and Kathryn walked down the aisle, a beaming
Sophia
following behind, puppy clasped in her arms, flowers long forgotten. She and
Gaelan
exchanged vows and walked back up the aisle amid thunderous applause. She threw her bouquet to Kathryn. She had caught it
,
and Marcus had rewarded his girlfriend with a kiss. Chloe hoped they would be as happy together as she and
Gaelan
were.

It was
well past
midnight by the time they reached
the honeymoon suite of
their hotel room in St. John's. The storm had let up by early evening, allowing the plows to clear the roads. They had driven to St. John's through a winter wonderland, a shimmering blanket of white under the stars, so strangely marvelous at this time of year.

Gaelan
picked her up and carried her over the threshold, dropping her onto the bed and falling down beside her. "Mrs. Byrne, I don't think I have ever been so exhausted in my whole life."

Chloe drew herself up on one elbow and looked down into his
eyes. "That's a pity," she said
slyly.
"Because I still had some wonderful plans for the evening."

He reached up and started to unbutton her coat, drawing it off her shoulders, his finger tracing a tantalising trail down her back. "I will never be too exhausted for this," he said, kiss
ing
her, a long deep kiss that Chloe returned with all the love and passion she felt. When he broke off, his eyes were full of a deep tenderness, his voice both gentle and serious. "When I saw you out there in the snow
,
and I thought I had lost you…
I didn't think I could go on living. I love
you so much, Chloe. I know it may sound a little cliché, but I do mean this with all my heart. You have made me the happiest man in the world today."