With this segment of Chapter Nine of Repairing the Legacy, we continue the serialization of Repairing the Legacy. This is a rough draft work in progress and may not reflect the final form. Time period: set after the ending of The Martiniere Legacy main trilogy. I’m breaking longer chapters into sections for readability. This is the second part of Chapter Nine. There will be three parts to this chapter.

New to the series? Chapter order:

Return of the Prodigal Son (2 parts)

Conversations and a Dinner (2 parts)

Dancing into Change (2 parts)

Sisterly Compromises (3 parts)

Conspiracies at the Rodeo (3 parts)

Passing the Baton (4 parts)

Research Complications (3 parts)

Chasing After Shadows (3 parts)

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FIFTH ANNIVERSARY PRESENT

August, 2064

RUBY

Ruby exhaled. They’d made it. Not to the cliff house—as she suspected, it was booked. But they would take Mike to Moondance tonight. Travel to the Coast tomorrow, flying into Astoria and taking a helicopter to the place they had reserved.

Tomorrow, she thought. Even staying at the old farmhouse on the estuary sounded nice. Private.

The farmhouse would be warmer than the coast proper, but still cooler than the Double R. No wildfire smoke. Enough sun that she planned to pack a bikini to wear while reading and lying in the sun—the farmhouse featured hammocks, easy hikes down to the estuary, and was off of the main road.

She was taking hard copy books—nothing electronic, nothing that would lure her into checking her email and messages more than twice a day.

“Good news,” Gabe said as he entered their bedroom and pulled his roller bag out of the closet.

“Oh?”

He smirked at her. “The cliff house. I threw enough money at the manager that we got it.”

“That’s fantastic!” No bikinis, then—wait. There was a hot tub at the cliff house. Depended on how private that was. But definitely more cool-weather wear.

Gabe’s smirk widened. “Absolutely.” His expression then turned more serious. “I’m worried about you, Rubes. This year’s haying took a lot out of you, and we still have another cutting plus grain harvest ahead. Not being able to give you any significant help with any of that work bugs the hell out of me. Mike’s too young to be of much assistance, and with his health—”

She shrugged. “I need to step back, not overdo, and hire more hands and interns. That’s what Gramps did, and he lived into his nineties.”

“Your grandfather also had the two of us working the ranch at the end, instead of seasonal help,” Gabe reminded her. He took her into his arms. “We put in the long hours that he couldn’t. And let’s face it—our generation has a shorter lifespan than our parents and grandparents. We’re sixty-two and fifty-six, and neither of us have lived an easy life, until the last five years.” He took a deep breath. “So that’s why I busted my rear getting us the cliff house. You deserve it, and we have the money now. Damn it, I want to enjoy life with you, and I’ve been slacking. Getting distracted by work.”

Uh-oh. That again. Gabe piling guilt on himself.

“Hey,” she said softly. “It goes two ways. I haven’t exactly been after you to take it easy, and maybe I should have before your heart started acting up.”

“It might not have made any difference,” he said, stroking her cheek. “Not with my family history. Not with the side effects of the anti-aging serum. I worry that your fatigue and heat exhaustion after the first two cuttings of hay this summer is an indicator that the damn serum has worn off in you, too. That you’ll start having cardiac problems. We have to be careful.”

“You’re really being morbid today, aren’t you?”

Gabe buried his head in his favorite place, the junction of her neck and shoulder, inhaling deeply before raising his head. “Let’s just say that I’m feeling my mortality, and I shouldn’t be. Not with a fifth anniversary coming up.” He pulled her even closer. “And if it hadn’t been for my stupidity years ago, this would be our thirty-first anniversary, not our fifth.”

“That would have been in June, not August,” she said. “Gabe. That doesn’t matter anymore. What does matter is that we’re together again, and we’re going to have fun and no responsibilities for a few days. All right?”

“All right,” he conceded.

She still didn’t trust that look in his eyes. Gabe was up to something. But what?

#

Fog delays on the coast meant they didn’t reach the cliff house until almost dark.

“Typical,” their pilot said as they waited in Portland for clearance. “Hot in Portland, heavy fog on the coast. It’ll lift soon, though. That’s the pattern.”

Instead of taking a helicopter from the airport, their security drove them to the cliff house. It was located on a spur road off of the main highway, and they passed a few houses clustered along the road before passing through a set of iron gates to drive up to the main house. To Ruby’s surprise, the property manager waited for them underneath the overhang sheltering the front door.

Maybe it was a result of all that money Gabe had thrown around to get this place. Ruby was still learning that money earned a lot of personal service.

“Here you go, Mr. Martiniere,” the property manager said to Gabe, handing him a ring with multiple keys and fobs hanging from it. “Your paperwork is inside, on the kitchen counter.”

“Everything?” Gabe asked. “Furnishings as specified?”

“Everything, including furnishings. It has been a pleasure doing business with you.”

“And with you.” Gabe exhaled. They bowed to each other as security carried Ruby and Gabe’s luggage and their food inside before retreating to their quarters. Then the manager left.

“It’s a bit old-fashioned,” Gabe said, slipping a key and a fob off of the key ring. “Key for the doors, fob for the gate. Here’s your copies.”

“Multiple keys for just a few days?” She raised her brows at him as she took them. “Especially since we’re not going out very much?”

“C’mon,” he said. “Let’s check it out.” He slid his arm around her waist and guided her inside, steering her into a kitchen that opened onto a living and dining area. “Three bedrooms, two baths, hot tub on the deck that can be enclosed in bad weather. Separate quarters for security by the gate, helicopter pad nearby—that is, when we’re not socked in with fog or storms. Smaller than Moondance, but we don’t need something that big here.”

“Gabe.” She sharpened her tone, but he avoided looking at her.

What the hell is he up to now?

This was definitely Gabe being evasive.

“Electric fireplaces. Solar, wind, and wave generator power with lots of battery backup. Everything’s up-to-date.” His voice went tentative. “I hope you like it.”

“For a few days why should it matter—” And then she saw the paperwork on the kitchen breakfast bar to her left—granite counters, nicer than the setup at Moondance.

A sales contract. She thumbed through the papers. Ownership deed, for Ruby Barkley and Gabriel Martiniere. Paid in full, and she gulped at the price. They were billionaires now, but still—

“Gabriel Martiniere. You didn’t say one word to me about this!”

He looked abashed. “Happy anniversary, Ruby.”

“You didn’t have to—”

“I wanted to.” He took a deep breath. “Ruby, you’re right. We need a place like this which is ours. Sure, Mike can visit, same for Brandon and Kris, Justine and Donald—but you are absolutely right. We need a refuge for just us. Not the Family. A hideaway for Ruby and Gabe. Us. An escape away from the businesses. Private.”

“You could have given me some idea of what was happening.”

“Hon, until yesterday morning, I wasn’t certain we had this place. Negotiations. Closing complications. I threw a lot of money around to make it happen, and every damn penny of it was worth it. Even more to ensure we had adequate furnishings that weren’t junk and would be set up in time to make us comfortable for the next few days. We can add more later.” He smiled, that slow grin coupled with that smoldering come-hither look in his brown eyes that always melted her heart. “I wanted this to be a surprise. A gift.”

“Oh Gabe.” How could she argue with this sentiment? It wasn’t a question of finances—and, really, this was the first time he’d given her—them—something this big.

“I wanted to make up to you for all those years of hell,” he said. “And this—just struck me as one way to do it. Especially since—your getting sick during the hay cutting scared me. It brought me down to earth. We don’t have all that much longer left, and—I want to spend it with you, my love. With the chance to escape to our private getaway. Here.”

“You’ve been working on this for a lot longer than a month.” She knew damned well that real estate didn’t usually work that fast, even with large amounts of money to lubricate the transaction.

“Four months, to be exact. I’ve been half-looking for the right place that I thought you would enjoy for some time now. I’ve had the same wish to get away from the businesses, from the Group, from the Family. This seemed to fit. Totally different from the ranch; reasonable distance from the Double R; decent medical access. Not a residence but a vacation place. I had to move fast, and it was a very, very competitive process. I probably spent too much but that was the kind of stupid money that was being thrown around for this property. Yes, we can afford it, especially since we don’t do the billionaire stuff very often. And I wanted it for you.”

Now his expression shifted to that puppy-dog pleading look. Did I do all right?

“Oh, Gabe,” she sighed again. But she couldn’t keep a grin from forming. “So were you going to buy the farmhouse?”

“Hell, no. It was this place or nothing. The farmhouse was just a booking.” He grinned, and eased her away from the kitchen island. “Let’s take a tour of our new domain.” He guided her to the right. “Bathroom. Guest bedrooms on each side of the bathroom.” They glanced into each room—Ruby noticed that, unlike Moondance, these bedrooms didn’t open onto a deck. But they did have fireplaces, and the bathroom was a full, luxurious bath.

Gabe guided her across the living area. “Primary suite.” He dropped his arm, standing in the doorway.

Ruby walked in. Twice the size of the other bedrooms. No deck here, either, but an even bigger electric fireplace directly across from the bed. A long sofa under the great picture window looking out over the Pacific, with reading lamps set at each end. Empty bookshelves begging to be filled with real books. Huge king-sized bed that looked very, very comfortable and held at least six pillows—with nightstands and reading lights. Walk-in closet, and—she went into the bathroom. Big tub separate from the shower. Two sinks. Well-lit mirrors.

“You like it?” Gabe asked.

“It looks very, very comfortable.” She grinned and nodded at the sofa. “Big enough for both of us to use. But no office space?”

“This is a vacation home, Ruby. A place to relax. C’mon.” He waved her over, and clicked on the fireplace. “Let’s look off of the deck.”

Compared to the bedroom, the living and dining area didn’t seem quite as cozy as they walked back through it, even though Gabe clicked on that fireplace as well. Part of the deck was taken up by an enclosed hot tub, with a shower right there. Ruby shivered as they stepped out on the deck. The contrast between here and the ranch—oh, it felt good, but it was also cold.

“I don’t want to do the hot tub tonight,” she said. “Maybe in the morning. That setup looks freezing.”

“It’s why I turned on the fires in the bedroom and living room, to warm up my always-cold sweetheart. Charcuterie tonight so all we need to do is relax and cuddle.” He held out his arm. “Come on. I’ll keep you warm.”

Ruby tucked herself under Gabe’s arm. Watching the hypnotic pattern of ocean waves relaxed her, and the distant boom of waves against the shore—she peered over the edge carefully; there was a tiny strip of sand before the cliff walls—added to a growing calmness.

Gabe nuzzled the top of her head. Ruby grinned and looked up at him.

“You’ve been wanting a coastal place for a while, haven’t you, Gabe? I’ve been watching you when we’re staying with Justine at her Los Angeles house. You get that same blissful expression on your face that you have now when we’re out on her deck, and it seems like you relax there more than anywhere else.”

“Childhood memories,” he said. “My first twelve years. Mother and Saul loved the beach, and took us out on the ocean regularly.” He sighed. “Those same memories are why I didn’t look in Southern California. Or Northern, for that matter. And memories of Rachel—why I didn’t want to do Puget Sound. I wanted to find something like this, that would be just us. Still the ocean, but not what I grew up with. Not what Rachel and I did, either.” His arm tightened around her. “After all those years, the inland is my home. But it’s nice to have someplace like this to escape to. A setup where we don’t have bodyguards and security in our face all the time, but can still enjoy the ocean.”

“I’ve never had much experience of the coast,” Ruby said wistfully. “Maybe a few times growing up, a quick trip in August between haying and harvest, crowded on the beach with everyone else escaping to cooler weather. So this is marvelous.”

“I’m glad you like it,” he said. “I hope to make many happy memories here.”

Ruby shivered.

“Cold?”

“A little,” she said. “But—something else. A feeling. Wondering about how much time is left.”

“I understand,” he said softly. “Let’s go inside. I think food and a glass of wine will help. Not exactly regular meals today with the travel.”

Once inside, Gabe wrapped Ruby in a blanket and set her on the couch close to the fireplace. He poked around in the refrigerator and produced a tray of cold cuts, cheese, crackers, and vegetables—something they ate regularly these days when they didn’t want to cook. She waited until he had brought over plates, opened the bottle of wine and poured it, then dove in.

After they had finished eating, they snuggled.

“Better?” Gabe asked.

“Yes,” she said.

She ended up falling asleep on his shoulder, waking only when he carried her into their bedroom. A quick round of evening medications, brushing her teeth, and Ruby crawled into bed. Gabe wrapped himself around her and she eased back into sleep.

*************************

Like what you’ve read so far? Check out the other stories in The Martiniere Legacy—all links here, both Amazon and other sources.

Justine Fixes Everything: Reflections on Mortality is now available at Amazon, Apple, Barnes and Noble, and Kobo!

What’s it about?

EVEN THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE HAVE TO START SOMEWHERE....

Over the years, Justine Martiniere has become the fixer for the Martinieres. Have a problem? Go to Justine to get it remedied.

But it wasn't always that way.

First, Justine needed to escape the abuses of her father, Philip. She didn't expect to fall in love with the man she married, Donald Atwood. But she did–and then she faced the choice between remaining married to Donald, or stopping her sociopathic, megalomaniac father.

Justine Fixes Everything is in part the unusual love story of Justine and Donald–and in part the saga of her rise to power, viewed in retrospect as she tells the history to Philip's clone Mike, as he recovers from surgery. It's about what she sacrificed to become powerful—and, at the same time, how that past comes to haunt the challenges she faces toward the end of her life.

Want more? How about an alternative Martiniere world where Ruby and Gabe meet in a different manner and meet more challenges?

ANOTHER MARTINIERE LEGACY STORY ON KINDLE VELLA—A DIFFERENT LIFE—WHAT IF?

https://www.amazon.com/kindle-vella/story/B09LH72GQG

One of the turning points of the Martiniere Legacy series is the death of Gabriel Martiniere's family in a plane crash when Gabe was twelve. That put Gabe's biological father, Philip, into the leadership of the Martiniere Group and the Martiniere Family, and expedited Philip's megalomaniac ambitions. But what if that crash hadn't happened? What would Gabe's relationship with Ruby, the love of his life, look like?

Billionaire nerd with a conscience, unlucky at love, striving to overcome the shadows of his past while trying to find agritech means to fight climate change.

Former rodeo queen, just trying to get her degree in agricultural robotics and make her mark on the world while trying to find agritech means to fight climate change, also unlucky at love and struggling with a shadowy past.

Can Ruby and Gabe successfully negotiate the complexities of the Martiniere Group and launch Ruby’s world-changing biobots without interference from competitors, while maintaining a relationship?

A DIFFERENT LIFE IS NOW COMPLETE ON KINDLE VELLA. WATCH FOR A DIFFERENT LIFE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED IN APRIL.

SERIES TWO OF A DIFFERENT LIFE—LINDA’S STORY— WILL BE SERIALIZING ON KINDLE VELLA SOON