Marriage of Convenience (The Raven Brothers 1)

The next day, Ash showed up with decadent pastry. We had coffee and pastry on the terrace. We talked a bit about loss and grief, and he spoke in a way that I thought he knew it intimately. Well of course he did, he’d lost his mother, but I had a sense that maybe he lost someone else too.

When Kade showed up the following day, I knew Chase had something to do with all these visits. Out of all the brothers, he was the one that I felt I knew the least. He was also the one that made me the most nervous. Not that he’d hurt me, but he was always so snarky and negative. He took me to a private lunch at his restaurant and taught me about the proper way to use formal dinnerware.

“Chase said you worried about it. Truth is, most people don’t know and don’t care what the fuck spoon you use,” he said.

Still, I appreciated the effort. I didn’t walk away feeling like I knew him better, except that he seemed to have a chip on his shoulder. He was bitter and resentful about something, but I couldn’t get a sense of what it was about. To me however, he was kind. I felt like a protected little sister.

When the buzzer rang announcing a visitor the next day, I knew it was Chase’s father.

“Mr. Raven.” I greeted him as the elevator door opened.

“Please, call me Cam. Or… Dad.”

I burst into tears. The truth was, in the few weeks I’d known him, he’d been more of a father than my own had ever been. He accepted me from the beginning and had stood up for me against my parents.

He hugged me. “Ah, my sweet girl.”

He took me on a day trip out to The Hamptons to a house he had out there, and told me stories about Chase and his brothers growing up.

“I wasn’t there for them like I should have been, and it shows in how they act sometimes. But they’re good boys deep down,” he said.

“They are,” I agreed. They were rough around the edges, but deep down, they had good values and strength of character.

“I have to admit, when Chase married you the week after I gave them my new terms of inheritance, I thought I’d made a huge mistake. He was going to ruin a young woman’s future. In the end it worked out. He loves you more than his own life. Thank you, Sara, for saving my boy from becoming like me.”

“You’re not so bad,” I said, holding his hand as we walked on the beach.

“Chase will be better. He won’t neglect you or any children you have.”

I flinched, as I still was raw from losing the baby. Even so, I knew someday Chase and I would have children, somehow.

“Now, do you have any girlfriends as patient and sweet as you? I have three other boys that need to learn what Chase has.”

I laughed. “Sorry, no.”

And now, six weeks after being so demoralized and experiencing the worst loss of my life, I was engaged to my husband. I woke the next morning in bed, reaching for Chase and hoping he’d make love to me again. The bed was empty and as I listened for him, I heard a lot of commotion going on in the house.

I rose from bed, put on the robe Chase left for me and headed out to the main area.

“Mrs. Raven. I have breakfast ready if you’d like on the veranda,” Matilda said.

“Yes, where is—”

“There’s my gorgeous wife and fiancé.” Chase wrapped me up from behind and kissed my neck. “How’d you sleep?”

“Perfect. Once we went to sleep.” The beach wasn’t the only place he made love to me the night before.

He turned me in his arms. “Me too.”

“What’s going on?” I looked around as people were busy setting up tables, hanging decorations, and scurrying about.

“We’re getting married.” He grinned. “Dad and my brothers will be here shortly.” He frowned. “I went to talk to your parents about coming, but—”

I put my finger over his lips. “You and your family are my family now.” I’d already accepted that. When I left Staten Island, I thought my goal was to build my life around a career. But what I really wanted and needed was the unconditional love I hadn’t had before. To that end, my dreams had come true.

“I want the perfect day for you, baby,” Chase said, his gorgeous gray eyes shining with such love and happiness.

I looped my arms around him. “Every day with you is perfect, Chase.”

He kissed me. “Have some breakfast and then Mathilda will show you everything you need to get ready to marry me.”

“That’s it? I don’t need to do anything?” I asked.

“Just walk up the aisle and marry me.”

“I think I can manage that.”