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An Excerpt from The Billionaire’s Marriage Barter…

Luke raised his glass. “Happy house warming Mom.”
“Hear, hear.” Gabe spoke up and everyone around the table chimed in with their congratulations.
Eliza Stevenson looked around at each of her sons, their wives and her grandchildren, a contented smile on her face. “You all have made me so happy today, just by being here. I’m grateful for each one of you.”
“Aww Mom. We’re thankful to have you nearby.” Luke spoke softly, squeezing his mom’s arm.
Moisture filled Eliza’s eyes as she reached over and squeezed his hand. “I know I’ll love it. More time with the grandchildren.”
Soon the grandchildren were busy eating cake with the help of their parents.
It didn’t take long before the little ones were tuckered out.
After the grandchildren fell asleep they were tucked into their toddler beds that Grandma had added to two rooms in the house. Therese offered to listen for when they woke up.
The adults sat on the deck, sipping their iced tea and enjoying the view of the orange-red glow of the sunset shining a narrow path across the lake.
Restless, Luke walked to the edge of the deck his gaze taking in the swirl of colors reflected on the water.
It wasn’t long before all four of his brothers joined him there.
Jack playfully bumped his shoulder. “How have things been going at Grand’s old cabin?”
“Good. I’ve renovated the inside and I’m almost finished the outside deck. It’s been a big project. But you know all about handling large projects.” Luke was reminded of Jack’s creative design business and his most recent project of the Adventure Park just outside of Paradise Lake.
“Yeah, I do. But you did this by yourself without hiring out. Dad would be proud.”
“It’s true.” Adam spoke up. “But I’m curious what you’re going to do about keeping that cabin and the land.”
“Yeah, big brother. Have you found a wife to marry yet?” Zach spoke up a teasing grin on his face.
The corners of Luke’s lips turned up and he stood for a moment not saying anything. “Maybe.”
“You know Luke, your one-word answers are going to be the death of us all.” Gabe, the talkative one of the bunch spoke up. “Exactly what do you mean maybe? Does this mean you’ve found a woman you love and want to marry?”
Luke expelled a breath. He couldn’t help it that he was the quiet one. He always had been. But, he supposed he should explain himself better. “Not love. But someone I could possibly marry.”
“Well, it’s a start. Remember, each us began our relationships with a marriage of convenience.” Jack looked at Adam and Gabe as he spoke.
“Yeah I know. Problem is, she’s refusing to go on a date with me so we can talk.” Luke looked at each of his older brothers, and shrugged.
“Did she say why?”
“Just that she can’t talk about it and that I’d be better off forgetting about her.” Luke ran a hand through his hair, his emotions all in a tangle about Razelle.
“Hmm. Maybe you need to go cave-man on her.” At Jack’s suggestion, all four brothers laughed.
“What exactly do you mean by that?” Shaking his head, he looked at Jack a frown etched between his brows.
Jack grinned. “You go to her house. Get her attention somehow, and convince her to marry you.”
“I might get in trouble with her Mother. I’ve been told she’s extremely strict and controlling.” Luke shook his head.
“So? Get creative.” Jack insisted. “Does she have a window to her bedroom? Leave a note or serenade her. Do something to get her attention without her Mother finding out.”
“That might work.” The more Luke thought of that idea, the more he liked it. “You’ve given me something to think about.”
“Well, you do want your inheritance from Grand right?”
Luke nodded.
“Sometimes to get what you really want, you have to be persistent and creative.” Jack nudged his shoulder. “Whatever you do, don’t give up Luke. If you like her, marry her.”
“Thanks.” Luke nodded and smiled at each of his brothers. “I’ll think on it.”
As Luke drove back to the cabin he made a decision. Maybe there was something to Jack’s advice.
He had no trouble being persistent and creative. He’d done that all his life.
He would do what it took to win her over, even if it meant using cave-man tactics.

***

“Hey, Hud.” Luke called his best friend the next day.
“Hi Luke. How are you feeling?”
“Better. You can tell your mom, my leg is healing fine thanks to her.”
“I’m glad. Waylon’s on the mend too.”
“Good.” Luke could hear the relief in Hudson’s voice.
“What’s up?”
“Well, I was wondering if you might have Cassie’s phone number or address? I need to talk to her. I need to know how I can reach her friend. Razelle’s gone all silent on me, and I don’t know how to get in touch.”
“Sorry man.” Hudson was rustling papers on his side of the phone. “Yes, I do have her cell number.” Hudson rambled off the numbers. “You could also stop by the coffee shop and talk to Razelle there.”
“I already did.” Luke sighed heavily. “Her mother is keeping her in the kitchen and won’t even let her come to the front counter.”
“That’s crazy.”
“That’s what I thought too. Anyway, I’ll see if I can get more answers.” Luke sighed. “Thanks man. Talk soon.”
Luke ended the call and quickly called Cassie.
There was no time like the present.
“Cassie here.”
“Hi Cassie, it’s Luke.”
“Hey Luke. How’s your leg doing?” Cassie sounded surprised to hear from him.
“It’s slowly healing.”
“Good.” Cassie sighed. “What’s up?”
Luke hesitated. “I wanted to ask you if you’ve heard from Razelle. I’ve texted and she hasn’t got back to me.”
“I haven’t heard from her either.” Cassie sighed on the other end of the phone line. “Sadly, my guess is that her Mother as taken her phone away and hasn’t allowed her contact with anyone.”
“What?” Luke was stunned. “Razelle is an adult. That’s… that’s barbaric. Parents aren’t supposed to do that to their adult children.”
“Well, Raz’s Mother is quite strict. Sadly, she’s done that and much more besides.”
Luke paced the small cabin and stepped out onto the deck needing some air. An unfamiliar protective instinct rose up inside of him.
“Then how am I supposed to talk to her or see her?”
“You could try leave a note tied to the string that hangs from the tree outside her bedroom window like I do. Or, you could try knocking on her window. But you’d want to do that at midnight or later, so her Mother doesn’t hear you.” Cassie spoke so matter-of-fact, like this is something she did all the time.
His heart pummeled against his chest. “You’re saying this has happened before to Razelle?”
“Oh yes, many times. That’s why we have a system figured out.”
Luke ran a hand through his hair. “Well, I’ll do that then.”
“Good. And remember you need to be really quiet. You don’t want her Mother to hear you.” Cassie said.
After he hung up, Luke stood on his deck, his one hand in a white knuckled grip against the railing. His mind was racing. He hadn’t known how hard it was for her. It was crazy that her Mother locked her up like some kind of dangerous animal.
His thoughts were rattled by what Cassie had told him.
It was pure nonsense, what was going on in Razelle’s life.
He needed to help her.
Walking into the cabin, he penned a note.
Tomorrow night I’ll be knocking on your window at midnight. We need to talk. L.
Luke waited until it was midnight before he drove to her house. He parked his truck a block away and walked down the back alley and quietly slipped into their backyard. A large oak tree that was nestled against the house and against Raz’s window.
Looking up, he saw all was dark in all three of the windows that faced the backyard on the second floor. He hoped she would see his note before he came tomorrow night.
He searched for the string and finally found it. He tied the note to a rock, making sure it was tied tight and then walked away.
As he walked away and drove home, Luke could feel his heart beat accelerate. He was really looking forward to seeing Razelle once again.

***

Razelle slipped into her pyjamas. It was eleven in the evening and she had just finished helping her mother fall asleep after one of her bad headaches. She’d given her a large pot of herbal tea to help her sleep.
She was glad Mother was at long last, quiet. Whenever her mother was asleep, it felt like she finally had a few hours of freedom.
Truth be told, freedom wasn’t something she had right now, not with her Mother’s enforced isolation.
But, she would make the best of it. Tonight she was happy to finally have a chance to stay awake for awhile and read.
Razelle got comfortable on her bed and dived into a favorite novel.
She got lost in the romance.
She was just enjoying the middle of a kissing scene, when suddenly a loud scratching sound pierced the stillness.
Setting her book down, she walked to the window.
As she moved the curtain aside, she gasped and put her hand on her chest.
Luke Stevenson stood outside her window.
Gently she pushed up the window, so she could talk to him.
What are you doing here?” Razelle whispered. She put an index finger to her lips to remind him to talk quietly. She was worried her Mother would hear them.
Luke grinned as he sat crouched on the slanted roof outside her window.
“I see you didn’t get my note.”
“What note?”
“Cassie told me to tie a note to the rope on your tree and you’d get it. But you must have been busy.” Luke stared into her eyes as if looking for something.
“Sorry I didn’t have time. It’s been a very long day.” Razelle crossed her arms over her chest. “Why are you here?”
“Cassie also said most likely your Mother took your phone and has stopped you from contacting your friends. Is that true?”
Razelle expelled a long breath. “Cassie talks too much.” She made a mental note to tell her friend, not to share so much of her personal life with men she didn’t know that well.
“So it’s true?”
“Yes, but why should that matter to you?” Razelle didn’t want to let down her guard. There was some part of her — deep inside — that somehow knew if she let down the walls around her heart when she was near Luke, she could so easily fall for him. She wouldn’t let herself go through the pain and heartache.

Luke cocked his head to the side staring at her silently for a moment. His warm brown eyes, like melted chocolate, affected her deeply — too deeply.
“You know why. I like you Razelle. And I really want to get to know you better.”
Razelle chuckled softly. “Even knowing all this?” She waved her arm encompassing herself and all her circumstances in that picture.
“Yes. So will you give me a chance?” Luke reached for her hands, holding them between his own.
Warm tingles shot up her arm at his touch. He was too charming by half. Could she do this?
“Sure we can chat now and again. But we need to keep this our secret.” Razelle didn’t want to experience another one of her mother’s outbursts.
“I promise.” Heat crept from her neck up to her cheeks at the intensity of Luke’s gaze.
“Okay then.” Razelle didn’t know what in the world she was agreeing to. It was crazy.
She nodded and smiled slightly.
“Good. I’ll be back.” Luke kissed her hands.
Her hands tingled where his warm lips touched her skin. She watched him climb down the tree and didn’t close her window until he slipped out of their backyard.
What had she just agreed to do?

***

Wiping the perspiration from her brow, Razelle hung up the mop. She surveyed the kitchen floor of the coffee shop, double checking that she’d cleaned every spot. Her mother had been especially tough on her and tonight she’d had to do a thorough cleaning of the fridge, the grills and mop the floor of the cafe. It was late and she was bone weary.
The creak of the stairway, warned Raz that her mother was coming. She’d just tidied up the bucket and hung up the wet rags, when her mother showed up in the kitchen doorway.
Her mother’s dark brown eyes were cool as she surveyed the work her daughter did that evening.
Razelle really hoped she wouldn’t force her to re-do it as she had many times before.
Finally, her mother looked at her and forcibly said. “I’m satisfied… for now.”
She knew better than to expect any thank you or appreciation for her work. Not once, in all her growing up years, did she remember her mother praising her or thanking her for something she’d done.
She’d learned long ago, that it was simply expected of her and she needed to get her work done or there would be trouble.
Nodding, Razelle hung up her apron and headed up the stairs to their apartment.
Her mother followed.
“Goodnight Mother.” Razelle spoke softly.
Her mother gave a curt nod, staring after her as she closed the door to her bedroom. Distrust and a simmering impatience in her mother’s words and actions had only gotten worse over the past few weeks.
Razelle didn’t know how much longer she could live under this pressure.
If anything she felt more unloved and fearful with each passing day.
The only thing that saved her this past week, was Luke’s handwritten notes.
Every night for the past six days he’d written her. He shared about what he was fixing in the cabin and about the housewarming they had for his mother. She had shared that she was exhausted after working really long days at her Mother’s cafe.
Raz even told him that someday she wanted to go see some of these places that she only read about in books.
They had got to know each other better through the messages they sent each other.
But Luke’s note last night, had been different.
After re-reading his note and even now as she waited, she was a pile of nerves. He’d written: I have something important to ask you. See you tomorrow night at midnight. L.
She lay in bed, pretending to be asleep when the door to her bedroom opened. She opened her eyes slightly, only to see her mother staring at her. When at last the door closed again, she sighed in relief.
Her mother had come to her bedroom to check on her almost every night since she’d begun her punishment.
Tears pricked her eyes.
She remembered a few times in her childhood when her Mother had been nice to her. But since she grew up, things had switched. Now she was expected to work and to help her Mother heal from those disabling headaches.
Now that she was grown up, it seemed her Mother thought her only daughter no longer needed affection.
But that couldn’t be further from the truth.
At the light tap coming from her window, Razelle jerked quickly out of bed.
Quickly wiping the tears from her eyes, she slowly opened the window.
Luke’s smile quickly faded when he saw her. “Why have you been crying?”
“It’s been a long day. I’m just tired.”
He was silent for a long moment, his expression serious as he looked at her. “I think it’s more than that. But, I’ll let it go. I’m hoping you will soon feel like you can talk to me about anything.”
What did he mean by that? Razelle wondered what he meant, but knew there was something else he wanted to talk about. Tonight, Luke had come here for a specific reason.
“Your note said you wanted to ask me something?” She waited, rubbing her hands up and down each arm to ward off the cool night air.
“Well first I need to tell you a cautionary tale.” She nodded and Luke began. He told her of his great grandfather death and about the stipulation in his will to marry by his twenty-seventh birthday if he wanted to inherit the land.
“When is your birthday?”
“I have two weeks left.” Luke swallowed.
“You’re right that is a cautionary tale.” Razelle shook her head, the corners of her mouth turning up in a slight smile. “Well, two weeks isn’t a lot of time to find a wife.”

“No it’s not.”
“Well then, what will you do?”
In a moment, Luke switched positions and went down on one knee.
Razelle backed away from the window, one hand over her gaping mouth. She silently shook her head. “No Luke. You aren’t asking me what I think you’re are…”
He nodded. “Yes, I am. Marry me Razelle. This will be a fake marriage and something that will help us both. You’ll have your freedom. Stay married to me for one year and I’ll give you one million dollars. After the year is up, you’ll have the freedom to do what you want.” Luke’s brown eyes searched hers with a sincerity that she found hard to resist.
Freedom. That word was like a foreign language to her. Something she’d never known. “A marriage of convenience. Do people do that sort of thing nowadays?”
“I don’t know. All I know is, it seems to be a thing in my family.”
She shook her head from side to side thinking of the craziness of his idea and her for considering it. All of a sudden she needed to hear from him again his plans. “And what exactly do you get out of this?”
“Grand’s land. I’ve wanted that land since I was a little boy visiting the place with my Great-Grandfather, Granddad and my Dad. It’s the one place I feel like I belong.” Luke shrugged and looked away and Raz could sense a vulnerability in him that she realized he probably didn’t share with many people.
The longing in Luke’s voice, resonated with the longing in her heart, but she couldn’t tell him that. It’s not like he was a complete stranger. One of her best friends had married Luke’s brother. She knew this man came from a family that were committed to each other and treated people well. Not only that, but he had already put his life on the line for her when they were at the camp.
Razelle believed she could trust him. But, it didn’t take away the fact that she was consumed with fear and guilt at the thought of leaving her Mother.
But, could do it?
“I just don’t know if I can do that, Luke.”
Luke leaned closer and whispered. “Just think about it Razelle. That’s all I’m asking. Will you do that?”
“All right. I can’t promise to agree to this crazy idea, but I can promise to think about it.” Her voice caught in her throat at his whispered words.
“Thank you.” Luke’s gaze swept over her face one more time as if memorizing the way she looked right now. “I have to leave town for a couple days, but I’ll be back in three days to take you away from here and marry you.”
Raz stood there dumbfounded by his bold confidence. Before she could say anything however, he suddenly leaned over and kissed her cheek.
“I’ll be back.”
Warm tingles began in her cheek where his warm lips touched her skin. She put her hand on her cheek, her eyes glued to Luke as he disappeared into the dark night.
She was stunned by his idea of a marriage of convenience.
Was she crazy to even consider it?

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