to my aunt. The aunt was very pleased, but it didn’t negate the fact that she’d lost the only love she would ever have. When the child was born—a girl, not a boy, as he so hoped—my aunt decided she couldn’t bring a child home with her without causing trouble for the rest of her family. Leaving the little girl there was, according to the story, one of the hardest things she’d ever done. But it was meant to be because when the older Rihanoff passed away, he left her everything as his only living relative.” Rayne asked him what happened after that. “Well, the story goes that the child grew up to be a beautiful, headstrong woman. She doubled the estate and gave her husband six children—five boys, then a little girl was born last. Her husband was her exact opposite in all things except for his love for his pretty bride. When the time came for her sons to take over the lands and castle, she and her husband and her two youngest sons moved to America. The daughter wanted to stay in her home country because, like her mother, she was marrying for love, not for need of more lands.”
“She married a Wilkerson. This child of your aunt, she bore the first Wilkerson and brought them here to find their own loves.” Wats smiled as he nodded. “Oh, I love this story. I’m going to tell it to our children. It did have a nice happy ending, and I love you for telling it to me. Oh, Wats, I love you with all my heart.”
“And I love you.” He slipped the ring on her finger, then kissed her palm. “If you’d not mind, I’d like to arrange for us to be married as soon as possible. Then again, if you don’t mind, I’d like to start a family with you. Have lots of children that grow up to be just like their mother.”
“I don’t know about all that.” Aunt Selma laughed and stood up. Rayne asked her if she was leaving. “No. I need to get my things from the hotel. I’m ever so grateful that I had a separate room from Becky. She would have tossed them out if I hadn’t. Also, I have a few things I need to look into. Are you sure you don’t mind me staying here for a few days? Just to get myself a little home I can care for?”
“I’ll talk to Mars. He has a lot of condos and rentals. Perhaps he might have one open that you can take.” Rayne liked that idea. She’d be close, but not too close. Laughing, she hugged her aunt when she said she’d love to see her more often now that she was going to be close. “My dad and uncles live there, as well as Mars until his house is finished. He and Abby have had the entire place redone.”
“You’re very wealthy, aren’t you, young man?” Wats said he was comfortable. It was Mars that was very wealthy. “I like you, Wats. Very much. I don’t think if I had been looking the world over, I could have found a better person for Rayne than you. She’s a very lucky woman.”
“Thank you. It’s me that is lucky. To have found someone as wonderful and loving as Rayne makes me the luckiest person in the world.” After hugging them both, Aunt Selma left them to go pick up her things. “Looks like we have the house to ourselves.”
Shaking her head, she told him about dinner plans that they were enjoying right now. “I thought—well, honestly, I love that idea. To have dinner with the two people in the world that seem to have nothing to gain or want from us. It’s refreshing.” She told him he was a sap. “You might not think so when I take you to see the mothers tomorrow. There are only three of them left, but they make you think there are three times that many.”
Getting home late, Rayne fell into bed and was asleep before she thought the light was off. It had been a stressful day, and tomorrow wasn’t going to be any better. She was glad that she’d spoken to Abby and Amy about the women. Rayne decided she’d not let them bully her around as she was told they’d do.
Waking up to a scream spilling from her mouth, she looked down at Wats as he grinned at her. His face was wet with