Larger than Life (18 page)

“All I want,” he said steadily, “is you beside me for the rest of our lives. If your father’s … empire …
intrudes in the future, then we’ll deal with it in the future.”

Slowly she slid her arms around his neck, eyes shining up at him like stars. “I love you,” she whispered, “and I’ll marry you tomorrow if you like.”

“That might… just … be soon enough,” he murmured, kissing her.

He lifted her up as he rose to his feet, and she asked teasingly, “Another storm coming?”

“Can’t you hear it?” He padded steadily toward the bedroom door. “Wind and lightning—force ten, at least. We’ll have to batten down the hatches, darling.”

“Ummm. I just love storms ….”

“By the way,” Travis murmured a long time later. “What
is
your name?”

Curled up at his side, she laughed softly. “Preston.”

“I know that.” Gently he swatted a rounded hip.

“Oh, you mean my
other
name.”

He hugged her. “Stop being difficult, woman!”

She laughed again. “My name is Saber.”

“What?”

“When I decided to live my own life, I also decided to claim my own name—part of it, anyway. Saber Preston is the name I was born with.”

Travis rubbed his chin against her soft hair. “I love you, Saber Preston. With all my heart.”

Saber lifted her head to smile at him, tears shimmering in her silvery eyes. “That just … might … be enough.”

T
HOUGH BLOOD TESTS
generally take time, a doctor friend of Cory’s in Prescott rushed theirs; Saber and Travis were married two days later.

The situation couldn’t have been better under the circumstances. The marriage of two such celebrities would have generated instant public attention almost anywhere in the country—except at The Hideaway, where more than one match had been quietly and discreetly formalized. Neither Saber nor Travis could have hoped to escape public
notice completely; an announcement would be made later, with the location of the ceremony remaining secret.

It was felt by the principals that the second announcement they would make would quite divert attention from the first: the announcement of Saber’s retirement from public performance.

“Are you
sure
that’s what you want, Saber?”

“Quite sure, darling.”

“You won’t miss it?”

“No. But you might get tired of my singing in the shower.”

“Never ….”

Though no one had planned it, the situation was also best for Matt Preston. It would have been difficult, if not impossible, for him to have been present for his daughter’s wedding had it taken place anywhere else. It was not known that he was at The Hideaway, and since he tended to disappear periodically, not even the most suspicious would ever connect his current “disappearance” with a quiet wedding that took place at the same time.

The ever-efficient Cory located a minister who
wouldn’t have known a celebrity if he’d fallen over one and had no earthly idea that he was marrying two of them and had been introduced to a world-famous billionaire …. Cory also arranged for an adoring records clerk to handle the license without ever noticing that he could have made a small fortune in bribes—either to talk or to keep his mouth shut.

The other guests never knew that a wedding had taken place practically beneath their noses; Cory arranged a special party to keep everyone occupied, and no one even saw the reverend.

So, while the guests enjoyed their party, Saber and Travis were quietly married beneath a large tree, on the edge of a meadow, with Matt to give his daughter away and Cory, Mark, and Alex as witnesses. Mark happily sketched the ceremony, then presented the pictures to them as his present. Birds provided the only music, and the wild-flowers Saber carried filled the air with sweetness.

The rings they exchanged had been chosen and purchased in Prescott the day before in a tiny jewelry store too far off the beaten path to attract
celebrities; the jeweler saw only a glowing couple fathoms deep in love and looked no further than that.

Saber wore a beautiful old-fashioned ivory wedding gown that was one of Cory’s many contributions to the couple’s future happiness.

“It was my mother’s; she was a half-pint like you. God knows
I’ll
never be able to wear it!”

Also courtesy of Cory was the tuxedo Travis wore.

“Darling, you have to hurry and get that prince up here. Cory
deserves
a prince.”

“I’ll see what I can do ….”

The knot was well and truly tied.

Since neither could think of a place better than Cory’s retreat for their honeymoon, there they remained. And if the other guests noticed the gleaming new rings worn by the couple they had watched fall in love, no one commented. It was a tacit rule at The Hideaway to “forget” whom or what one had seen, and that rule was upheld by the
guests, all of whom yearned for at least one private retreat where they could rest and relax.

Though he did not intrude on their privacy, Matt Preston also remained at The Hideaway. And because of the kind of man he was, resignation inevitably gave way to acceptance, which in turn blossomed into happiness at his daughter’s obvious joy.

But the wary businessman who had learned caution during a hard and tragic life could hardly help but succumb to suspicion when his newly married daughter joined him and Mark in the main dining room one night barely two weeks after the ceremony.

“Where’s Travis?” he asked as Saber sat down across from him.

Saber, whose eyes resembled stars these days, sent him a quick smile. “There was something he had to do.”

“Will he be joining us later?” “No,” Saber answered casually. “Cory flew him down to Prescott this morning. He’ll be back in a couple of days.”

“Will he get my paints?” Mark looked up from his plate to ask.

“Of course he will, Mark. He promised, didn’t he?”

Quietly, Matt asked, “He’s staying in Prescott?”

Saber looked at her father, knowing that only time would allay the concern she saw in his eyes. “I don’t think so.”

“Then where?”

“I didn’t ask, Matt.”

“You have a right—”

“Matt.” She smiled at him. “I haven’t known Travis very long, but I know him very well.”

Her father sighed. “I know you trust him, honey, but …”

“But?”

Reluctantly, Matt said, “A man could live out his life in luxury for the price of … a secret.”

Saber wasn’t angry. Her father had gone through a great deal in his life, and she knew it too well to be angered by his doubts. “Do you honestly—
honestly
—believe Travis would do that?”

“No. I’d be very surprised if he did. But I’ve been mistaken in men before.”

“Not this time.”

“I hope not, honey. But if you don’t know where he is …”

“I know where he isn’t. He isn’t selling a secret to the highest bidder. And he isn’t holed up somewhere in a hotel room writing about the ‘lost heir.’”

Neither of them worried about talking in front of Mark. If he guessed the relationship between them, which was entirely possible, he would never reveal his knowledge by a careless—or knowing—remark. For all his amiable vagueness, he was honest and loyal. And they were both his friends.

“Then where is he?”

Saber smiled. “He had something to take care of.”

Matt looked at her thoughtfully. “Testing your faith, perhaps?”

“No, Matt, he isn’t testing my faith. I can assure you, he didn’t
want
to leave.” Her eyes turned inward, remembering and savoring their tender good-bye. Then she focused on her father’s face. “It’s something he had to do.”

They ate in silence for a few moments, then Matt said, “Would he have gone to tell his parents?”

“No, we’re going to do that together.
And
explain the reason behind all the secrecy.”

Matt frowned slightly.

“They have a right to know,” she said.

“Yes. I know.”

Abruptly, they heard Mark’s soft, hurried voice:

   As his companions stared at him, he added helpfully, “Beddoes. I think,” and returned his attention to his plate.

“I have no idea what you mean,” Saber told the artist.

“Buying dreams,” Mark said vaguely. “Nice if you can do it. Some people can. Some can’t. Some dreams aren’t for sale.” Then, before Saber could ask for further clarification, the artist excused himself and left the table.

Matt unerringly recaptured the subject uppermost in his mind. “Saber, I could—”

“No,” she interrupted, “you couldn’t. Matt,” she added in a softer voice, “please learn to trust Travis. Whatever he’s doing, it’s for me. For us.”

“How do you know that?”

“The look in his eyes when he asked me to ask no questions,” she replied.

After a moment, Matt nodded. Then, slowly, he said, “You want no part of my empire, do you, honey?”

“You know I don’t. I respect what you’ve built, Matt. But I’ve made plenty of money in my own right, and so has Travis. He’ll write because he’s a writer, and I’ll sing to him and our children.”

He nodded again. “I don’t see how we can avoid
eventual public disclosure,” he said. “You’ve a right to claim the name you were born with, and your children will deserve to know their heritage.”

“Yes,” she agreed quietly. She knew by her father’s expression that this was something he had thought out at some length.

“Then”—he smiled, the mischievous smile of a canny magician about to produce a rabbit—“maybe we can turn this famous secret of ours into no more than a nine days’ wonder.”

“I’m for that. How?”

“I’ll disinherit you,” he said promptly.

She couldn’t help but giggle. “That sounds easy enough. But will it work?”

“It will,” he said, “if I start dismantling the empire immediately.”

Saber was more than a little startled. “Matt, you don’t have to do that.”

He laughed quietly. “Honey, I’m not doing this just for you. I’ve spent the better part of my life making money—and now’s the time to spend it where it’ll do the most good.” Soberly, he added, “There are causes crying out for support. Financial
backing. And the days of empires are past; no one man should have the power I have.”

It was serious remarks like that, Saber thought lovingly, that made her father so special. Because he
meant
it. “It’ll be quite a task,” she pointed out, “even for you. All the companies, the properties, the investments.”

“It’ll have to be done carefully,” he agreed. “If I dumped all my stock on the market, I could easily knock the bottom out.”

“Years,” she murmured. “It’ll take years, won’t it?”

“Oh, easily.” Suddenly he grinned. “I’ve already laid the groundwork with the lawyers, so it’ll be done even if I don’t live to finish it.”

Saber was smiling at him. “So I’ll end up being just the daughter of a mad ex-billionaire?”

“Something like that. We’ll delay the disclosure of your identity until we can time it nicely. If I know the press and public—and I do—the initial attention over you will gradually be pushed off the front pages.” Seriously, he added, “You may have to hire some kind of security for the duration, but
I’ll make damned sure you won’t be anything near the target you might have been.”

Softly, she said, “Thank you, Daddy.”

The blue eyes that had unnerved kings and presidents brightened with a sudden sheen of tears.

“You never asked much of me,” he said huskily. “Just the chance to live your own life. And … it’s so good to see you happy.”

Saber reached out to hold his large hand. “I want you to be happy, too.”

“I am, honey. I have a busy time ahead of me—and a chance to set a few people on their ears! More than anything, though, I feel at ease about your future for the first time.”

“In spite of doubts about Travis?” she teased.

“Do me a favor,” he requested wryly, “and don’t mention that to him. That’s a formidable man you’ve married.”

Saber giggled. “You two should form a mutual admiration society. He practically thinks you hung the stars!”

It was just the right note, and their laughter rang out from contented hearts.

“Travis?”

“Don’t peek!”

“Travis, where’re we going?” Saber nearly had to shout in spite of the headset, because the helicopter was making the usual noise and, in addition, the blindfold her husband had insisted on was covering her ears as well as her eyes. “Travis?”

“Not much longer now,” he said soothingly.

“I know what it is,” she told him with mock gloom. “You’re selling me to a white slaver.” Always at ease in helicopters, Saber was nonetheless glad that Cory was at the controls; being blindfolded made the ride quite disconcerting.

She had no earthly idea what Travis had told her father, but scant hours after her husband had returned to The Hideaway, Matt had seen them off with a wide smile and laughter in his eyes.