She inhaled slowly, and her shoulders relaxed slightly. “Why did he put an ad in the newspaper for a mail-order bride if he was still in love with Coralie?”
“When they were young and experiencing first love, her wealthy parents didn’t like the idea of their only daughter falling in love with a poor boy.”
“But... you are all wealthy now.”
“True, but we weren’t back then.”
“Does she live around here? She should know that Bryan isn’t poor.”
“Because I work with the loggers, I heard one talk of Coralie’s family who had lost everything. You see,” he leaned closer to Hannah, “the tables are now turned. Coralie is the one who is down on her luck while Bryan is living the high life. He doesn’t know that Coralie is only two towns north of us.”
Hannah rubbed her forehead and closed her eyes. “I still don’t understand.” After a few moments of taking deep breaths, she looked at him again. “If you want Bryan to marry his childhood sweetheart, then why didn’t you stop him from sending away for a mail-order bride?”
“We didn’t know until this morning. Joel noticed that Bryan was wearing nicer clothes and looking quite often at his pocket-watch. Joel finally got Bryan to confess. While Joel was stalling Bryan from leaving, I came to get you. I honestly didn’t know what exactly you and Bryan had discussed, but when I realized you thought I was him, I decided to play along.”
She didn’t say anything, but the longer she stared at him, the deeper her frown became. Soon, her eyes filled with tears.
“Maverick,” her voice broke again. “I was open with you and told you about my past. You know about my hardships. Being a mail-order bride is the only way I’ll find a husband.”
Seeing her tears flow down her cheeks tugged painfully on his heart. Her agony had suddenly become his downfall.
Not wanting her to cry anymore, Maverick took her in his arms and pressed her body against him. He stroked her hair, cooing softly to her. Had he ever felt hair so silky? He knew he’d never seen such a lovely dark color.
“Shhh...” he hushed, pressing his mouth against her forehead. “Don’t cry.”
“I need... to get married, Maverick.” Her breaths were shaky. “I don’t know what else to do with my life, otherwise.”
It was on the tip of his tongue... He really should ask Hannah to be his wife. After all, he needed to marry, thanks to his controlling grandfather. But first things first – Bryan needed to find Coralie and marry her.
“I’ll help you... find something to do with your life,” he said finally.
A big sob gushed forth, but then she straightened, pulling out of his arms. “You don’t understand... Oh, Maverick, I shouldn’t tell you this, but I have no other choice.”
“What is it?” He wiped the tears from her cheeks.
From outside came the thundering sound of horses’ hooves. He grumbled under his breath. How had Bryan discovered his missing bride already? Maverick needed more time.
“Someone is here.” He jumped up from the couch and hurried to the window, but his older brother wasn’t one of the four men on horseback. Instead, it was Fred, the drunken cowboy that had accosted Hannah after she’d left the stagecoach. “What is he doing here?”
Maverick waited for Fred to come up to the porch. Maverick swung the door open and scowled at the other man as he stepped out of the house. “I thought I told you to sleep it off, Fred.”
“Ya did, but I decided I’m tired of ya tellin’ me what to do all the time.”
Maverick tried to process the slurred words from the cowboy’s mouth, but nothing made sense. “What are you talking about?”
“Ya order me around a lot.”
Maverick rolled his eyes. “That’s because you’re a logger, and I’m your boss.”
Fred raised his arm, pointing his pistol at Maverick’s face. His heart sank. Why hadn’t he seen that before now?
“Fred,” Maverick said slowly, “you don’t need to shoot me. I’ll stop ordering you around so much.”
Fred’s serious expression took a few seconds to change to one of victory. “What’s this? I actually have the bossman shakin’ in his boots?” He laughed loudly. “It’s too bad the others can’t see ya now. I’d bet they’d think ya were a weaklin’, just as I do.”
Maverick didn’t know how he’d do it, but he was going to make sure Fred couldn’t go around threatening people with his pistol again. The man was dangerous when he drank too much.
“That doesn’t matter, Fred. You can tell anyone you want. But I think you’d better leave my property now.”
“See, there ya go again, orderin’ me around. I’m not an obedient dog, ya know.”
“Believe me. I don’t think of you as a dog at all.” Drunken Fred was more like a rat – the kind that needed to be slaughtered. Normally, Maverick wasn’t the killing type, but if threatened, he’d do anything to protect his life and those he loved.
He took a deep breath, hoping for the courage to get rid of this man before he blew a hole in Maverick’s head. As he studied the man still chuckling, Maverick realized that the drunkard swayed and appeared not to be focused. Maverick could take him. The cowboy’s reflexes were probably poor, and Maverick could knock him down with a feather. At least he had to try.
Fisting his hands, Maverick prepared to lunge at him, and if he needed to throw a few punches to knock the man out, so be it. But just seconds before he made his move, he heard a horse riding from around the back of the house.
“I’ve got her!” the rider shouted.
Immediately, Maverick noticed an unconscious Hannah lying over the man’s lap as
