Page 35 of Marrying the Gardener (The Bachelor Brothers #3)

?

My fiancé, the gardener.

Crimson

It has been the hardest week of my life.

I’m anxious, and I fear I’ve not done a very good job of trusting Kaleb.

Over the past—harrowing—seven days, I’ve explained the situation to my staff, learned that Kaleb broke his NDA almost immediately to put Ava at ease, and started charting my escape plan—in grotesque detail.

If whatever Kaleb’s doing isn’t feasible or involves taking advantage of the only men who have ever been good to me, I’m ready to change my name and flee to Alaska.

I’ll become a lone salmon hunter. Live in an igloo, maybe.

Commune with the polar bears. Mourn the sun in winter. Bask in it endlessly during the summer.

I’ll find a way to survive in a place far away from my father and his neverending influence, where I don’t have to rely on anyone or anything but nature. I’ll homestead. It’ll be fine. I’ve looked up how to make soap.

I’m certain that’s all there is to it.

If I can’t become a business owner, I’ll become a trad wife…even though I won’t have a husband. The trad wife way, as far as I can tell, is a vibe , not a legit station.

I’ll be fine. If all of this blows up, I’ll be fine .

Taking a deep breath, I park my car in front of the Bachelor mansion and look up at the palace laid before me.

My stomach swirls, threatening nausea. A mere half hour ago, Kaleb texted Ava to ask me to come here.

Even though I’ve told him countless times that I don’t want to solve my problems with the Bachelors’ money.

If that’s what’s going on here, it doesn’t matter.

I have a backup plan.

Alaska. Igloos. Polar bears. Trad life.

It’ll be…fine.

Whatever’s going on, it’ll be fine.

Bolstering, I march toward the steps, freezing in place when, “Rose-red,” drifts from the gardens behind me.

Tension fills my limbs. Clenching my fists, I brace myself as I turn and find Kaleb, shrouded by an overflowing bouquet of red and white roses. Breath leaves me as a sight I’ve never seen before presents itself. He’s…scruffy.

Exhausted.

Kaleb .

My Kaleb.

Tired eyes hit me, and a smile softens the weariness in his expression. “Look at you,” he murmurs, crossing the drive to meet me. Settling the bundle of roses in one arm, he reaches for me, combs his fingers through my hair, and sighs. “My wife.”

Unbidden, my fingers find his, pressing his warmth into my skin. “Technically…we’re in the middle of a divorce…”

He nods. “I got the papers on Tuesday. In about a month, we’ll be free to do things the right way.”

The right way…

With a wedding.

And love.

And hope of a future together…right?

If I’m so painfully honest with myself, I don’t want to go to Alaska. I want to marry Kaleb and live without the dark cloud of my father’s control hanging over me. Hesitant, I whisper, “Did…your plan work? Can you tell me about it now?”

His smile stretches. Taking my hand, he twists, guiding me through the gardens he tends as though he owns them.

After a few minutes, he brings me to a pond that stretches beneath dozens of weeping willow branches.

Koi fish that I’ve only ever heard about kiss the surface, chasing leaves and bugs.

Kaleb draws me over a bridge that bisects the water and into a cool pavilion with a mermaid fountain covered in lush ivies.

The soft burble eases some of the anxiety threatening to cut off my air supply.

Without notice, Kaleb drops to one knee before me.

My eyes widen. “Are you proposing?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because? It’s part of doing things correctly and marrying you for love?”

“But we’re not even divorced yet, and I’ve already said I’d marry you again properly. There’s no reason you need to propose to me.”

“I want to.”

I blink. Never mind. That’s a good reason. Shifting my weight from one heel to the other, I say, “Am I supposed to stand a certain way?” My heart lightens, and I nearly choke on the burst of hope that hits me. “Does this mean that your plan worked? Are we going to be free?”

Joy warms his beautiful hazel eyes. “You’re already free, Crimson.”

“Already?” I whisper.

He dips his chin.

“How?”

“I did a hard thing, for both of us. And I need you to not be mad.”

I stiffen. “Why would I be mad? Don’t tell me… You have used the Bachelors, even though I’ve told you countless times not to?” Before he can answer, a woman squeals.

Jumping, I turn to look toward the banks across the bridge and find— Daria ?

Blinking rapidly, I stare as the mossy land beyond the pond steadily fills.

Women. Wives. Daughters. A spattering of fathers and brothers I know as my father’s clients.

My attention catches and halts when Crisis comes into view, surrounded by the three Bachelors who aren’t on a music tour right now.

She beams, and I’m very worried that she’s less than five feet away from an open body of water, but at least Viktor’s hand is on her shoulder.

Tense, I say, “Kaleb…what’s going on?”

“Crimson, will you marry me?”

I drag my attention to him. Stare. “Yes. You already know that.” I nudge my head discreetly toward the crowd. “But what are they doing here?”

“I think they’re here to both congratulate us…

and talk business. Don’t worry. Only a few of the girls from the pool party know the truth.

I guess it’s a good thing your father never thought to formally introduce your husband to his crowds, otherwise proposing right now might be a bit awkward for everyone. ”

Yes. I think…that makes sense. Lashes fluttering, I latch on to the most important thing he’s just said. “What kind of business are they here to talk about?”

“Yours, Rose-red. Subject to the edits you deem appropriate as CEO, of course.” He references the crowd.

“You’re looking at your investors and clients…

who have recently switched from dealing with your father to dealing with you.

As it turns out, people really want a human element when it comes to managing their businesses full of people.

All I had to do was make a few calls and let everyone know that the humanity they’d grown used to was branching out on her own. ”

“You did what ?” I hiss. “I have no experience running a business, Kaleb. What promises have you made to everyone that convinced them to drop my father in favor of me?”

“I made no promises. I told them you were starting a business. They lunged to support you.”

“This will cause problems with my father. How am I, as a startup, going to weather the backlash?”

“With the Bachelor name backing you.”

Bitterness fills my mouth. “Kaleb…I’ve told you…”

“ Your Bachelor name, Crimson. As Crimson Nightingale-Bachelor.”

“What?”

“As my wife.”

“You’re…a Charter. We got legally married. You signed the papers Kaleb Charter .”

“When I ran away from home, I changed my name. I’m ready to change it back, when I become your husband.”

I can’t handle this. “You’re a Bachelor? A long-lost Bachelor brother?”

“The long-lost middle kid, yup. Does knowing I’m the middle kid help at all?”

“No.”

“Ah. Well. I was homeschooled, too.”

I narrow my eyes. “Listing stigmatized reasons for you to be a weirdo doesn’t help me understand why you didn’t tell me this sooner, Kaleb.”

“Would you have married me before if you’d known I was a Bachelor?”

“Absolutely not.”

He rubs at his scruffy, days-old beard and adjusts the Snow-white and Rose-red roses in his arms. “There you have it, then. You’re very bad at letting people help you if you perceive that it inconveniences them at all.

It’s likely on account of your upbringing, you know. The fact you were homeschooled.”

My eye twitches.

Kaleb smiles, too warm, too perfect. “In case no one’s told you, I like when you take up space. I hope that you’ll steal every spotlight for the rest of our lives and let me bask in your fire, forever.”

Oh, great. He’s proposing. Again. “Kaleb,” I grit, “I’ve already said yes a dozen times. I’ll marry you. Once we’re completely divorced, we’ll plan a wedding and get married. How many times are you going to make me say yes ?”

He shrugs. “Until I get sick of hearing it.”

“Which will be?”

“Never.”

My eyes roll as I flex my fingers and consider what’s happening, what he’s done.

I am marrying a Bachelor . That alone grants me social protection.

That alone means I am free . But, beyond that, Kaleb has poached my father’s clients and handed me everything that was meant to be mine.

I can tell just by who’s in this crowd that he has gone behind my father’s back to get the women who aren’t under loyalty contracts.

Judging by the faces of the men I know, it seems like he’s outright stolen clients whose contracts are on the brink of closure, too.

This…is more than I could have possibly dreamed of.

Straightening, I head toward the bridge. “I can’t deal with you right now. I need to handle the damage you’ve done, see what you’ve set up, and make sure I can fulfill expectations.”

Kaleb says, “Excellent plan, Mrs. Bachelor. One oversight—I think they’re expecting us to kiss.”

I stop myself halfway across the bridge.

I have been without germ sharing for an entire week, and I hate how often I have thought of it. Scanning the group before me, I flush because, yes, it is exceptionally clear that they are all expecting us to kiss.

And they actually seem quite concerned that we haven’t yet.

Well, except for Crisis.

Crisis has thrown her arms out in a manner that suggests I’ve rejected Kaleb in favor of her.

Her eyes sparkle, welcoming, and I have missed her so much this past month.

Texting and calling one another is not enough.

I require seven face-to-face hours of Crisis a day to maintain optimal emotional growth.

Lifting my chin, I look back at Kaleb and plant my hands on my hips.

“I’m not kissing you in front of my wife.

I am going to talk about this business you’ve started with everyone.

Then, later . Maybe later we can share our germs.” Definitely later.

Once the adrenaline spikes have settled and I’ve had a chance to lay this crazy plan out better in my brain, we will kiss.

But for right now? For right now, I need to come to terms with the insanity of the situation.

I’m going to become a Bachelor. And gain a real family.

Soon enough, Crisis and I are going to be real sisters. Real identical twin sisters. Like we’ve always been. Naturally.

Just far less disputable since our last names will match.

I can’t believe it. I can’t believe this.

Am I really free? Are all these people really here on my behalf? Because someone told them that I needed help , and instead of telling me to figure it out or that the world is cruel, they simply said yes ?

Behind me, Kaleb clears his throat, then he calls out above the sound of the fountain, “She said yes . She’s just not interested in snogging with an audience. Wait till I tell her how a proper wedding works.”

Laughter mixed with cheers rise into the space all around, sweeping through my bloodstream, drawing the truth home.

I’m free.

For the first time in my life, I am free .