She said a prayer in her heart, thanking God for this blessing.
It didn’t take long before Maverick hopped on the horse and came after her. He stopped near her, and she held up her arms. In one swift movement, he pulled her up until she sat on his lap. Smiling, she wrapped her arms around his waist as he took hold of the reins.
He guided them into the forest with ease. A small wind blew against them, taking away the heat as the sun continued to climb in the sky.
“Maverick? Where should we go? We can’t return to your place. That will be the first place they look when they realize we are gone.”
“I know. I’ve been wondering the same thing.”
She pulled away from him and sat up straighter to look into his eyes. “Do you have any friends outside of Stumptown?”
He glanced at her, and irritation filled his expression. “Yes. My grandfather, but I don’t think I want to see him right now. I’m still very upset at him for what he’s doing to his grandsons.”
Suddenly, an idea hit her. This might work. If only Maverick would go along with it.
She shrugged. “I can pretend if you can.”
He arched an eyebrow. “Pretend what exactly?”
“Pretend that we’re engaged. Did you tell me that he wants his grandsons married within six months? Well... since you are keeping Bryan from marrying me, what if we make your grandfather think that you have found your future bride, too?”
Holding her breath, she waited for his reaction. Please, say yes.
SEVEN
Maverick wanted to kiss this amazing woman again, and again, and again... He couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of that idea.
“That’s brilliant, Hannah.” He grinned. “We will stay with him long enough to hide out while we contact the authorities to have those men arrested, and during our wait, we’ll convince my grandfather that we’re in love.”
His heart flipped with excitement as warmth spread through him. Love. He still didn’t think that was the emotion filling him at the moment, but the more he was with Hannah, the more he enjoyed her company. In fact, he was having a difficult time trying to think of a way to help her out of her predicament. Perhaps he was her answer, after all.
He’d think of that later. Right now, he had a performance to put on in front of his grandfather, and Maverick couldn’t wait for Hannah’s help. This would give him more chances to hold her and stare deeply into her captivating green eyes.
The excitement became almost more than he could stand, so he urged the horse faster, heading in the direction of where his grandfather lived. Maverick knew this town well, and within a few more hours, they would reach his grandfather’s house.
“I think,” she said, holding tightly to him again, “that we should stick with the original story. The one about us meeting through your cousin, Beth.”
Glancing down at her, he nodded. “Agreed. Beth would be the perfect person. She’s a flighty woman, but she makes so many friends. Grandfather wouldn’t have any reason to doubt our story.”
“Tell me about your grandfather. What was he like growing up?”
He shifted in the saddle and wrapped an arm protectively around her, holding her against him. Who would have thought this position would be so intimate?
“Gramps never did like the way my parents raised us boys. They gave us more freedom to make our own choices. Gramps wasn’t like that, which was why he arranged the marriage between my mother and the son of a wealthy family. My father and grandfather butt heads quite a bit. When my brothers and I started working for Gramps, that’s when he started pulling the control reins. I suppose we went along with it because we enjoyed the wealthy lifestyle that made us feel powerful.”
“And what about now that he has issued the ultimatum?” she wondered. “Are you going along with him just to keep that powerful and wealthy lifestyle?”
He hesitated in answering her. What she said made sense. He’d been belly-aching about the demands his grandfather was issuing, and yet, he enjoyed being the boss over the loggers. He loved his job and the prestige that came with it.
He chuckled. “You’re right. I guess I’m going along with my grandfather because I don’t want to lose my life.” He glanced at her pretty face. She’d been watching him intently. “However, I don’t like being controlled, either.”
She nodded. “I understand completely.”
“Now, it’s your turn.” He grinned.
“For what?”
“I want you to tell me about your childhood. I want to know everything about you – good and bad. It doesn’t matter what you tell me because it won’t change the way I feel.”
Her face paled slightly, and her eyes widened. She was hiding something from him. Could she trust him enough to tell him? And... would he still feel the same way about her afterward?
* * * *
Tell him. Now!
Hannah’s mind screamed at her to confess, and yet, she still held back. However, if she told him now, he couldn’t very well push her off the horse and leave her to fend for herself. He wasn’t that kind of man. However, it would kill her to see the distrust in his eyes. Her heart wouldn’t be able to handle that.
When she began talking about her childhood, she added in the errors she’d made along life’s journey, hoping that when she finally reached the time when she confessed her pregnancy, he would understand. Maverick glanced at her many times, but he still kept his main focus on the road ahead. Occasionally, he’d ask her a question about something that didn’t quite make sense, but as she explained, he smiled and nodded.
She loved how attentive he was. When he led the horse up a hill, he pulled her closer, and even when they headed down a slope, he made sure she was snuggly against him. It felt wonderful to have a man actually care about her welfare.
