Yours Completely: A Cinderella Love Story (Billionaires and Brides #1) (24 page)

“I can't deal with this right now,” Delores informed him, tossing the letter to the ground behind her. It hit the cement with an audible thud that made Ella wince.

The tax man stared at the letter, his eyes surprised yet face hard. “I wouldn't recommend that.”

“Get out of my inn,” Delores hissed at him, turning her fury toward the interloper. “Get out of my sight before I call the cops on you!”

The tax man stared at her for a moment before shrugging and walking away. A taxi pulled up behind him and he stepped inside. Ella swallowed hard. There was nothing good that would come of this. Tax men and formal letters were never happy things. Especially given the amount of letters from the IRS she'd seen tossed in Delores's shred bin.

With the tax man gone, Delores returned her fury to Ella.

“You.” Delores said the word with so much hatred that Ella could feel it wash over her like a wave of molten lava.

But Ella held her ground.

“You can't do anything to me.” Ella stood confident, knowing Jace was behind her.

Delores lunged, her hands outstretched and nails ready to claw. Ella ducked, twisting into Jace and expecting pain to arrive at any moment. But Delores never connected.

Ella opened her eyes to see two huge security guards holding Delores's arms. They were as big as mountains, yet Ella hadn't seen them anywhere until then.

“Mr. Connor, are you all right?” one of the mountains asked. He held Delores's struggles as if she were a kitten.

“Yes, thank you, Anderson,” Jace assured him. “Would you please put her inside until she can calm down? I believe her office will work.”

“Yes, sir.” The two mountains picked up Delores and carried her inside as if she were a small, unruly child while Ella stared open mouthed and astonished.

“What just happened?” she asked, staring after the two security personnel and her stepmother.

“She attacked. Anderson and Smith don't tolerate any threats on me or those close to me.” Jace shrugged as if it were nothing.

“Oh.” Ella couldn't seem to pick her jaw up off the floor. “I didn't even know they were there.”

“They're always there. You aren't supposed to see them,” Jace explained. He put his hand to her cheek and smoothed the hair away from her face. “Are you okay?”

“I think so. I'll let you know once my heart starts back up.”

Jace chuckled and kissed her cheek. She smiled meekly at him and then turned and quickly went to the envelope still on the ground. Her hands shook as she picked it up, though she was trying her best to still them. It took tries to get the letter open.

“What's it say?” Jace asked. His face was soft and full of concern for her.

“It's bad.” Ella felt like falling through the floor. “Apparently, my stepmother hasn't paid taxes on this place in a very long time.”

The more she read, the more she felt like the world was collapsing around her. The amount of back taxes on the inn was more than Ella had saved in all her years working here. As soon as she inherited, those taxes would be hers.

She was going to lose the inn without ever having it. A tear rolled down her cheek. All that work. All those years.

Wasted.

In a moment, she felt the futility of the past few years crashing down on her.

Jace's arms were around her, comforting her even though she hadn't said another word. It made her love him more. He was there for her. Her world was falling apart, but he was holding her together.

“It will be okay, Ella,” Jace promised. His soft words whispered through her hair as she sniffled and tried to put the letter back in the envelope, but her hands were shaking so hard she couldn't do it.

“How?”

Jace's brow furrowed for a moment and then he slowly smiled. “You are dating a billionaire.”

She looked up at him confused. “I don't understand. How does me dating the owner of a corporation help?”

Though she did like that he said they were dating.

His smile grew bigger. “I love that it didn't even cross your mind.” He took the letter from her hand and quickly skimmed it. “I can take care of this.”

“What?”

“I can take care of this. I have lawyers that will negotiate this down, and it really isn't even that much money,” he told her with a shrug.

Ella could feel her eyes bug out of her head. “Not that much money? That's a hell of a lot of money!”

“Billionaire,” he reminded her.

“I can't take that much money from you,” she insisted. She knew he was rich, but the kind of money they were talking about was still more than she could imagine. “It's too much.”

“If anything, it's not enough.” Jace took her shaking hands in his and kissed them. “Let me do this for you. That money doesn't mean anything to me, but this place means everything to you.”

Ella struggled to find the words. She knew that he wasn't going to let this go. He had helicopters and private jets. This wasn't that much compared to a private jet, yet it still felt like too much.

“It's not even mine yet, though.” She sagged into him as he wrapped his arms around her and held her up. “I don't get the inn for another six months.”

“I can take care of that.” The limo door slammed shut as Charles stepped out. Ella hadn't even heard it open. “That's what lawyers are for.”

“What do you mean?” Ella felt like the world was spinning and she was flying around like a sock in a dryer.

“I have a lawyer who is an expert in inheritance laws. If your father meant for you to have this place, you'll have it.” Charles moved to look through the door into the inn and shook his head. “Your stepmother is obviously not prepared to handle the responsibility any more.”

Ella looked back and forth between Jace and Charles. She couldn't believe what was happening.

“I don't know what to say...” she whispered.

“Say yes to him,” Charles advised. “I'm going to go inside and make some phone calls.”

Ella nodded and stared after him before turning to face Jace again.

“You'd do that for me?”

“Ella...” Jace smiled and kissed her cheek. “I'd do anything for you. Anything.”

She looked up into his blue-green eyes and melted. Love flowed through them and steadied her world. When she looked at him, everything made sense. Everything was the way it was supposed to be. He was her happily ever after ending and so much more.

“Thank you,” she whispered. The words didn't feel like enough, though. She kissed him, putting all of herself into it and hoping that at least a fraction of her gratitude got through.

Jace kissed her back. “I love you, Ella.”

“I love you, Jace,” she whispered. “And not just for this. I loved you from the moment you hid in my barn.”

“I know,” he replied, grinning. “I'm kind of irresistible.”

“You most certainly are,” she agreed, and she kissed him again.

One year later...

E
verything was ready. Or as ready as it was going to be.

It felt different being on this end of the preparations.

“Okay, the caterer is set up and on time, here's your bouquet, the DJ is already set, the photographer is just finishing up the boys shots, and the only thing that seems to be an issue is your lack of smile,” Mia said, peering over her clipboard at the bride.

Ella forced a weak smile. “Better?”

Mia, Ella's new assistant, shook her head. “No. Seriously, I have this under control. I have since day one. That's why you hired me.”

“I know.” Ella sighed and smoothed her hair again. It was hair-sprayed so well that a hurricane wouldn't undo it, yet she kept feeling like it was going to tumble all around her. “I'm just nervous. It wasn't like this for the other weddings.”

“The other weddings weren't your wedding,” Mia reminded her with a gentle smile. “Now, put on a smile, go have a drink of champagne with your bridesmaids, and let me handle everything. That's what your paying me for.”

Ella glanced around the kitchen one last time and realized how silly it was for her to be in here. She couldn't fix a catering issue while wearing a wedding dress. Besides, the ceremony was supposed to start soon and she shouldn't be in the kitchen when it did.

“Okay.” Ella put on a real smile. “You're sure you have everything ready? What about the cake? And the carriage? Are the horses ready?”

“Ella, if you don't go upstairs and drink some champagne with your friends, I will have security come get you,” Mia warned. “I know you are the owner of this inn, but I will have them escort you away.”

Ella pouted. “Fine.”

“You look beautiful by the way,” Mia said, giving her a smile. “Today is going to be perfect. You're marrying the love of your life, right? Who cares what the rest of the day looks like.”

Ella paused. Those were the words she usually said right before making sure that everything really and truly was perfect. Mia was learning well.

On impulse, Ella pulled Mia into a hug. It wasn't the first time in the past ten months since Mia was hired that Ella had hugged her, but it was the first time that Ella really felt that things were really and truly coming together.

With the help of the Connor's lawyers, the inn was Ella's. She didn't even have to wait until her birthday, as the tax evasion and fraud landed Delores in jail before that. It was amazing what a good lawyer and a full retainer could accomplish.

In addition, the tax lawyer and accountant had managed to get Ella's tax debt down to a reasonable number. It was even low enough that Ella had been able to refuse Jace's offer to pay for it. She'd worked hard to earn this inn, and as much as she loved and trusted Jace, it didn't feel right to use his lawyers and take his money.

If anything, that seemed to make Jace love her more. She didn't quite get why, but she didn't care. He loved her. And he did spoil her by “accidentally” buying things for the inn. Somehow, the air conditioner meant for his office building in New York magically ended up installed at the inn. The same thing happened when the water heater needed replaced, and somehow a magical shipment of premiere towels ended up at Blue Lake inn and Resort.

Ella loved that he wanted to spoil her. After so many years of basically being on her own, it was a wonderful feeling to be loved and pampered. But, she still told him not to do it.

Thinking of Jace put a smile on Ella's face as she headed upstairs to the bridal suite. Her mother's dress rustled softly along the wood floors as she walked. The sound was calm and soothing. For a moment, Ella thought of her mother and how much she wished both her parents could be here.

Then the door to the bridal suite opened, spilling out music and laughter.

“There you are,” Madelyn called to her, pulling her inside. “Mia sent a message that if you didn't show up in the next thirty seconds we were supposed to come looking for you.”

“I'm here,” Ella replied, grinning at the women in the room. Madelyn, Allison, Gwen, Clarissa, and Maria were all here. They were all laughing and drinking champagne because they were celebrating her marriage to Jace.

It felt good. It felt right.

Madelyn looked her up and down. She reached out and touched the satin fabric of the dress. “I loved getting married in this dress. I thought it was made for me, but I was wrong. It was clearly made for you.”

Ella blushed.

“All right, Ms. Bride,” Gwen announced. “Before Anderson escorts you down to the carriage to go meet your beloved, we have a toast to make.”

The rest of the women nodded in agreement. Someone pressed a glass of champagne into Ella's hand.

“To Ella. The best friend we didn't know we were missing until you came,” Gwen began.

“That's terrible,” Madelyn cut in. “It barely makes any sense.”

“To my sister. To our friend. To the woman that is marrying a friend and relative,” Allison said, talking over the other two women. “We love you. And we're so incredibly happy that this day has come. You've worked so hard to turn this place into a place where brides can find their happily ever after, and now you get to experience it first hand. Here's to you, Ella.”

“Ditto,” Clarissa called out.

“That's what I was going to say next,” Gwen mumbled, but she did so with a smile.

Ella clinked her glass against everyone in the room. Love and friendship flowed through her veins and she couldn't imagine feeling happier. Well, that wasn't true. If Jace were here, then she would. But that would happen in just a few more minutes.

***

J
ace waited patiently at the small gazebo. He waited patiently as Jason and Allison came up the path, followed by Madelyn and Jace's college friend, Carter. He waited patiently as he heard the horses stop and the creak of a wooden carriage.

He waited patiently as his father escorted the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen down the dirt path and into his arms.

It took everything he had not to kiss her right then. Every muscle in his body wanted to wrap around his bride, to make sure that she was his for now and forever, but he was trying to be patient.

She grinned up at him, her hazel eyes sparkling with excitement as Charles put her hand in Jace's. Just touching her skin gave him goosebumps of the best kind and he felt like if he smiled any wider his face would fall apart from sheer joy.

The movies, the love songs, the books- they always said how wonderful love was. They were wrong. This was beyond perfect. This was every hope and dream, every desire, every future he could imagine.

He loved Ella with every molecule of his body and soul.

Quickly, Jace leaned in. “I like the dress. My sister had one just like it,” he whispered.

“Shhh!” Ella said with a smile. Together, they turned and faced the minister. It was just the three of them in the gazebo, while their friends and family stood in a small semi-circle outside. This was just for close friends and family. Jace knew the photographs would be leaked eventually, but for now, the only people to see their love were the people who would appreciate it.

A small, intimate ceremony, just like they both wanted.

Jace took Ella's hands in his, even though it wasn't quite time. He couldn't bear the idea of not touching her. She in turn grinned more broadly up at him and tightened her fingers on his, telling him that she felt exactly the same way.