sat up with a yawn. “Good morning. What’s going on?”
“Talking to my client,” he said to her.
“Is that Jane?” Kyle asked. “Put her on. Let’s meet.”
Sighing, Gabriel put the call on speaker. “Jane, this is your cousin. Kyle, this is Jane.”
She got up, grabbed a cardigan from the floor, and put it on quickly. “Hello, Kyle. Great to meet you.”
“Great to meet you, too. Sorry about the circumstances. Are you safe and sound, Jane?”
“I’m safe,” she said, moving over to sit next to Gabriel.
“Good to hear. Now, I want you both to hear my plans for the castle,” Kyle said. “I can’t settle for fifty percent of the castle.”
“I hadn’t realized we were each being given half of the castle.” Jane said.
“Things move quickly when heirs start coming out of the woodwork,” Kyle said. “Anyway, the lawyers have all arranged it. Right down the middle. Half yours. Half mine.”
“I’m not forfeiting my half,” she said.
“Well, I am,” Kyle said.
“What? Hold on a second. Mr. Westen, what are you talking about?” Gabriel demanded.
“I don’t want the place. I’m not owning a property that’s had a double murder, okay? It’s creepy, which means it’s put me off,” Kyle said. “I’m willing to sell my share.”
“As your lawyer, I’m going to have to advise you to hold off and take your time with this,” Gabriel said.
“I don’t care. I don’t want the place. I’ll sell my half to you if you want it, Jane,” Kyle said.
“That’s generous, but I couldn’t afford it,” Jane said sadly.
“I’ll give you the rock bottom price,” Kyle said. “I just want this thing off my hands.”
“I’m sure I couldn’t afford even the lowest price,” she said.
“If you want the castle off your hands that badly, what do you say about selling it to Jane for a dollar?” Gabriel asked. It was insane, of course, but he had to find out how badly Kyle wanted to be rid of Wintergarten.
“Done. I’ll sign the paperwork and e-mail it to you. My half is Jane’s as soon as she signs and gives you a dollar bill, Mr. Ross. Give me five minutes,” Kyle said, and then hung up.
Her mouth fell open. “No way. Is that for real?”
“It’s for real. As long as you give me the dollar,” he said.
“Wait…” Her eyes were bright and shining. “The castle is going to be mine.”
“I don’t know how turning it into a hotel is going to work out considering… well, everything.”
“Are you kidding? People love infamy and ghosts and murder,” she said. “They’ll get a kick out of this place. Plus, I can give some of the proceeds to Otto and Timothy’s families.”
He wrapped his arm around her. “You’re an angel, Jane.”
“And?”
“And what?”
“That’s not all you want to say.”
“I’d like to help you run the place. As the castle’s lawyer,” he said.
“I can’t afford you,” she said.
“I’ll do it for free on one condition,” he said.
“Yes. I agree to your condition.”
“You haven’t even heard what it is,” he said.
“I can guess. But in case I’m wrong, why don’t you tell me,” she said.
He cupped her face between his hands and looked deep into her brown eyes. Those eyes he wanted to get lost in forever. “Be mine. My girlfriend.”
She didn’t speak. Her response was to lean closer and kiss him with everything she had. The heat of her mouth burned away what was left of his doubt. Fear couldn’t get to them now. Nobody would hurt her ever again.
When she pulled away she was smiling, her eyes glinting. “You’ve convinced me, Gabriel. I’m all yours.” She paused. “Is this the first case you’ve ever lost?”
He laughed. “Are you kidding me? How does this count as a loss?”
“The castle is mine.”
His phone vibrated and he checked his messages. “Kyle has signed over the castle.”
“That means it’s time for me to sign,” she said. “And time for you to lose.”
“Well, I probably didn’t make partner,” he said, laughing.
“That’s what you wanted?”
“No. That’s what my parents wanted.” It was time for him to live for himself and not just his parents. He couldn’t keep living Jay’s life anymore. “What I want is to quit my firm, shack up in this castle with you, and never leave.”
She wrapped her arms around him, making his heart race like crazy. He had survived and gotten the most incredible woman he had ever met. As she kissed him again, Gabriel realized that losing for the first time had been worth it.