As it turned out, Castillo wasn't angry at me; that was reserved for Rob, and once he'd stopped swearing, he told me what had happened. "Rob wanted to be heir to my father's fortune," he explained. "That's why Father and I fell out. Rob then weaseled his way in, and he was very nearly on the verge of getting what he wanted. But Father and I reconciled, and I've now been reinstated as his heir. I'm going to fire the maid who ratted on me, and get Father moved into a secure palliative facility so he can spend the rest of his days in comfort. I'll also be meeting with the executor tomorrow to go over Father's will and make sure it's all in order."
I winced. "So what do we do?" I asked. "Rob and Bess know who you really are now."
Castillo sighed and ran a tired hand over his face. "No sense squirting the milk back up the udders," he admitted. "But there's the rub; Rob's threatend to take legal action to stop my reinheritence, and he's using you as leverage. Apparently you're carrying my child, which is news to me, as I didn't think it was possible. I've got a low sperm count, so there must've been one lucky swimmer that had the grunt necessary."
"Bess threatened them as well," I admitted. "I lied and told her it was Harry's, but she didn't care, instead threatening to have a watch put on me so word would get to her the moment I gave birth." I took a deep breath. "I know she's bluffing, but I'm scared."
"Me too," Castillo admitted. "We've got two options; I've laid Rob out and put the fear of God into his bitch wife, but they'll only be cowed for so long. And like I said, Rob's threatening our unborn child if I don't 'give him what's rightfully his'. Either way, a sacrifice has to be made."
"But you don't want to make Rob richer," I guessed.
"Rich," Castillo corrected me. "He's gone bankrupt. Certain shady practices have finally caught up with him and bit him on the ass; Bess too. She was forced to sell up, and she's now working for one of the former plantation owners she displaced during her grab for land. They're desperate, and ready to do anything to get some money under their asses again. We're caught between a rock and a hard place, and either way, something has to give."
I shivered. "There's got to be a way to make sure nothing gives," I said desperately.
"I'm all out of ideas," Castillo admitted. "I either give up my fortune, or give up my child."
I placed a protective hand over my belly, hating that he was forced into two such unplatable choices. On the one hand, I knew he didn't give a shit about the money; he'd have handed it over in a heartbeat. But there was the small matter of giving Rob a leg up to continue the shady practice that had fucked him over in the first place. On the other hand, there was our unborn child, and they were far more precious than any amount of money. "If it were me, I'd fuck everyone off and go start fresh," I said. "Donate that money to a charity - in their names - and then you and I and Potato can finally build that remote cabin in the middle of nowhere we talked about."
Castillo smiled faintly. "I like your thinking," he said. "But I can do one better; I'll get Father to name Harry his heir. He likes Harry, and they get along like a house on fire. Then the pressure is off you and I." He took a deep breath. "There's a good reason why I married you."
"You haven't married me yet," I pointed out archly. "I mean, we are in Orange, and there's quite a few courthouses here..." I got no further as Castillo swept me up in his arms and kissed me soundly, leaving me seeing stars by the time he finally let me up for air. That part was familiar, and I let out a long sigh as I rested my head against his chest, taking in the familiar sound of his heartbeat, a sound I thought I might never hear again. "I'll take that as a yes," I murmured.
Castillo chuckled as he gently stroked my hair. "I can kiss you again, just to really drive it home," he suggested. "Just in case you weren't entirely convinced."
I was convinced, but I was happy to let him kiss me again, and the rest of the afternoon faded away in a haze of golden bliss that seemed almost too bright and shining to be real.
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We were duly married in the courthouse the next day, with Castillo's father Pedro, and Harry as witnesses. Afterwards, while the rest of the circus celebrated, Castillo and I retired to his wagon to properly consummate the marriage. We already knew each other's bodies inside out, but our first time as husband and wife felt like the first time we'd made love, and afterwards, as I lay with my head on Castillo's chest, I felt like I'd finally come home. "I've missed this," I said softly, gently tracing a pattern on his skin. "I didn't think we'd get to do this again."
Castillo stroked my hair. "Me neither," he admitted. "And just for the record, I couldn't bring myself to seek comfort after I left. No woman could ever compare to you, and none ever will."
I kissed his chest, humming happily as his arms tightened around me. "Care to remind me again?" I teased.
"Oh, I suppose I can," Castillo said, sounding put out. His hands, on the other hand, weren't put out. Neither was the rest of him, and, much like the day before, we lost ourselves in a haze of happiness, content for the moment that nothing untoward would come along and spoil the moment.
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