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 third 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

Cooling caused by Gabe’s absence startled Ruby awake. She shot up with a gasp, looked around, disoriented, then spotted him on the couch with a throw over him, glasses on, reading a book. Still dark outside.

“You all right?” he asked.

“Just woke,” she said. “Realized you weren’t there.”

“My back and knees ache, and I couldn’t get back to sleep. I didn’t want to disturb you by reading in bed.” He paused. “Do you want to cuddle? I can come back to bed to read.”

“Or I could join you. If you’re aching, no need to go back to the bed.”

That big, warm smile she loved. “I’d like that.”

Ruby slipped out of bed and joined Gabe. He turned on his side, and carefully made sure that the throw covered them both. She nestled in tight, sliding down slightly so he didn’t have to contort himself to hold his book. In spite of being shirtless, with just pajama pants on, Gabe was warm, while she was cold even in pajamas, always had been.

Gabe adjusted his arms, rested his chin on the top of her head, and she drowsed off again.

At some point she woke once more. Gabe’s book was on the floor, the reading lamp turned off, Ruby still tucked under his chin as he curled around her with both arms holding her tight, one leg over hers. Holding her secure so she wouldn’t roll off of the couch. The faint boom of waves against the cliff roared louder than before—high tide, perhaps? The gray light of dawn barely showed the outline of the bed—still early. Probably about the time she normally rose at the Double R, but she didn’t feel like stirring.

Five years together this second time around. Five-and-a-half, really, if one counted the period before their remarriage, when they were working toward being a couple again, relearning each other after an acrimonious divorce and twenty-one years apart.

Did she regret those twenty-one years?

Mostly, she admitted. But the circumstances that had forced Gabe into exile from his family had also been a huge factor in breaking them apart. From everything Ruby had learned over the past five years, Gabe had been right to fear for her and Brandon’s safety, which had been his primary motive for hiding his identity. They would have been targets for Philip Martiniere’s wrath. Even after their divorce, Gabe had done what he could to protect her and Brandon—and there had still been incidents.

Gabe continued to apologize for his secrecy. For not telling her all those years ago that he was on the run because he had testified against Philip’s approval of human rights violations against indentured workers and not, as he had claimed then, due to student loan debt bound by indenture. No matter how many times she told him that she understood why he had kept it a secret, he felt the need to say he was sorry.

Ruby suspected he would feel guilty about his secrecy until the day he died.

Meanwhile—this moment, this breath of time, was sweet. Resting in the arms of the man she loved, had always loved, even in the depths of her anger during their divorce. A man she could spend several days with in a retreat such as this house, cuddling, reading books, hiking—and just being together.

If only it hadn’t taken twenty-one years to repair the broken ties. So many years lost.

Gabe stirred, and nuzzled the top of her head. Ruby giggled. He chuckled, and turned her to face him. He kissed her forehead, then her eyelids, easing down to her lips, a soft kiss which grew more passionate.

“I think we might want to move to the bed,” he murmured.

“I agree,” she said.

Their lovemaking was slow, measured, and utterly exquisite. Afterward, they lay in each other’s arms, drowsing.

“Amazing what a night’s rest and a break can do,” Gabe said finally. “Oh God, Rubes, this should have happened earlier.”

“We’ve been on the run just trying to keep up with everything over the past five years,” she sighed. “Mike. The Group. The other businesses. The ranch. The Family.”

“We’re taking time from now on. We have this house. Let’s use it.”

“Yes. Let’s.” She kissed him, then rolled away. “I’m starving. Time for breakfast!”

#

They had three more utterly blissful days spent reading, napping, and exploring the property.

“Need to have a handrail put in,” Gabe muttered the first time they carefully edged their way down the narrow path to the small beach. “Among other things. This little trail needs a lot of work to make it safe. I’ll call about it when we get back to the house. Schedule it for after we leave.”

But they reached the bottom and sat on the small sand strip for a while, leaning against each other.

And when they headed back to the Double R, stopping by Moondance to discuss business with Brandon besides picking up Mike, Ruby felt energized and able to handle the rest of the summer.

Especially since she now had escapes to the cliff house to anticipate.