Total pages in book: 35
Estimated words: 33020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 33020 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 165(@200wpm)___ 132(@250wpm)___ 110(@300wpm)
“Hello, Son,” he said.
It had been a long time since he’d seen his father.
“Dad,” he said.
He knew his old man hated when he called him that, but he refused to use his name. This couldn’t be happening. There was no way his dad would fall this low, to put a gun to Nora’s head, and yet that was exactly what he saw.
“What the fuck are you doing?”
“Well, you see, Son, you must learn to resort to drastic measures. Williams is in the toilet. There is no money. It is all gone, and your mother has left me.” His dad growled. “Took everything she could, exactly like my dad said she would.” He shook his head. “I’m out of options.”
“Leave her out of this,” Gabriel said. “She has nothing to do with this.”
“You see, Son, that is where you’re wrong. She has everything to do with this. I’ve seen the pictures. I’ve seen the way you look at her, and like my fucking dad said, she is the right woman. The one you want to spend the rest of your life with, the woman you want forever with.”
Gabriel hated this. His father had done some crazy stunts over the years, but nothing like this.
“Leave her alone.”
“I’m broke and there is no way I’m begging for scraps. No one is going to help me. The debt is too much. You’re going to give me your company, and in return, you’ll get Nora back.”
Gabriel stared at his father. He should have known he would get desperate. That morning, he’d seen the headlines about his grandfather’s old company. Even Lawson had phoned him and told him about it. This was insane.
Everything his grandfather built, and his father before him, and his father before him, was in the toilet. The debt had mounted. There was no chance of bringing it back from the brink. His grandfather had warned him, even told him to let it burn to the ground. That it was time for his father to see the consequences of his actions.
“Give me the paperwork,” Gabriel said.
“No, Gabriel, you cannot do that,” Nora cried out.
“Shut your fucking mouth. You see, I told you. He loves you so much he is willing to give up his company for you.”
Nora stared at him. “No, you cannot do this. This is your company, Gabriel.”
His father held out the paperwork. Gabriel took it and walked over to his desk. His father had taken the time to have it written up. The simple handing over of his company. Gabriel put his pen to the paper with every intention of signing, when he heard the thud.
He looked up and was shocked to see Trudy holding a wooden vase, and his father conked out on the floor.
“Don’t,” Nora said, rushing over to him.
Trudy grabbed the gun. “The cops are already on the way.”
“How did you know?” Gabriel asked, pulling Nora into his arms.
“I saw him.” Trudy shook her head. “He didn’t see me but I followed him. You were going to sign your company over to him?”
“I was not going to allow him to kill Nora,” he said.
He pulled Nora close and took possession of her lips.
“Why?” Nora asked.
“Don’t you get it, Nora Pierce, I love you,” he said. “I have loved you from the first moment I saw you, and that love got deeper when you fell on me.”
Her face went bright red.
Gabriel had intended to find the right moment over dinner, but now was as good a time as any. He sunk to his knee in front of her.
“Nora, marry me, and make me the happiest man on earth.” He did have a big speech prepared, but nothing could have prepared him for the chance of losing her.
“You’re serious?”
“Yes. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. You’re the right woman for me.”
He saw the tears in her eyes, and he didn’t want to make her cry. He loved her so damn much.
For the first time in his life, he saw a future. He saw a family, one he knew his grandfather wanted for him.
“Yes,” Nora said. “Yes, I love you, Gabriel Williams, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”
Epilogue
Ten Years Later
Nora carried out the tray of buns, as her two youngest followed behind. At three years old, they were into everything, but at least they were good when it came to food.
Esther and Lawson were already at the table, along with Trudy and her husband. Nancy and her husband were also there.
She looked toward the barbeque pit and saw Gabriel frowning. The man, even at his own barbeque, hated to cook.
Putting the buns down on the table, she didn’t even need to ask Esther and Lawson to grab her twins, Melanie and Marsha, as she made her way over to her confused husband.