Dizziness assailed her, making her stomach churn. What in tarnation was going on? And yet, she was just the puppet, not the master. For once in her life, she’d like to be in control.
Hesitantly, she reached her hand to him. Once their palms met, he tugged on her arm and assisted her out of the wagon. He wasn’t quite as handsome as Maverick, but they had many similarities. Their eyes were the same ocean blue color, and they both had a dimple in the middle of their chin.
He seemed like a nice fellow – except when his brother double-crossed him. And yet, she had just settled her mind on Maverick being her husband. Now that she had boldly kissed the younger brother, could she marry the older one?
“Mav,” Bryan aimed his scowl at his brother, “make yourself useful and get Miss Ross’ trunk and put it in my wagon.”
Maverick ambled toward the coach, running his fingers through his hair. “Why do you need me to do such a manly task? Are you trying to prove to your new bride that you aren’t strong enough to carry her trunk and that you need someone stronger to do it?” He stopped at the trunk and grasped the handle. “Because I’m definitely the one who can handle carrying a woman’s trunk.”
Grumbling under his breath, Bryan left her side and hurried to the trunk, pushing his brother aside as he grasped the handle. “Why do you always have to be competitive?”
Bryan glanced briefly at his brother before lifting the trunk over his shoulder in the same smooth motion that Maverick had done. Hannah realized this was another trait the two brothers had in common. They were both very strong.
She followed Bryan to his wagon. The winds had died down considerably, and for a moment, she had to remember that was the reason Maverick had wanted to go inside the cave in the first place. Now, she wondered if he was a soothsayer and could see into the future. Or, had Maverick planned this all along? Was the kiss part of his strategy?
Hannah glanced back at Maverick, who was now leaning against his wagon, watching her. She couldn’t stop the flip of her heart and the catch in her breath. Although she should be extremely put out with him right now, her mind would never forget their steamy kiss – or the way she was the one who instigated it.
Inwardly, she groaned. If she were to marry Bryan, she prayed she wouldn’t see Maverick very often. His wicked grin would bring out the butterflies in her stomach every time. And it was a sin to marry a man and desire his brother.
* * * *
Not much had been said during the drive from the cave to Bryan’s home. He lived in a log cabin unlike she’d ever seen before. It was fashionably built and so very large. It was difficult to see why one man would need so many rooms in one house. Then again, he had a maid and a cook, so he didn’t have to worry about anything.
“Do you live alone?” she asked as they walked into his home. The decorations gave a masculine touch to the place. She hoped he’d allow her to give it a feminine touch, too.
“I do. My brothers have their own homes. However, I’m rarely by myself. I usually have meetings with business owners or parties to celebrate special occasions, and sometimes, I invite my friends over for supper.”
“I’m sure you have a lot of friends.” She smiled. “You seem like someone easy to like.” Well... except for Maverick, of course. She had guessed that those two brothers disagreed on many things.
“I would hope people think that about me.” He started up the stairs. “Let me show you to your room first, and then I’ll give you a tour of the rest of the house.”
Her insides clenched. He’d mentioned it was her room, which told her that he hadn’t planned on sharing a bed with her after they married. Somehow, she would have to change his mind about that.
Soon, she stood inside her bedroom. Just as downstairs, there was nothing feminine about the decorations. The room looked to be quite charming, and it was larger than she had ever hoped for. Yet, she felt as if something wasn’t right.
She mentally shook the image of Maverick out of her head and focused on Bryan, who had put the trunk on the floor near the end of her bed.
“If you need help unpacking and getting settled in, Mrs. Whittle will be able to assist. She is my housekeeper. She only works two days a week, but now that you’re here, I’m sure she would like more hours.”
Hannah kept her clasped hands to her waist. “And I’m sure I’d love the company.”
Bryan motioned toward the hallway. “Would you like a tour now?”
“I would like us to get to know each other better. The tour can come later.”
His expression relaxed, and he nodded. “You’re correct. We need to get to know each other before the wedding.”
Anxiety twisted in her stomach. “And when were you planning to have the ceremony?”
“Tomorrow afternoon.”
She nodded. “That’s good. It’ll give me time to settle in a little more.”
He walked out the door, and she followed. “What would you like to know about me?” he asked.
“I suppose you could tell me what you do for a living. Maverick told me about your grandfather’s urgent request for his grandsons to find wives, so I already know about that.”
His eyebrow furrowed briefly before he turned his gaze on the stairs as they descended. “Yes, Gramps is still trying to control our lives.”
“What is it that you do for him?”
“I oversee one of the sawmills. There are two here in Stumptown. I also collaborate with other business owners in Montana and Colorado. I deal more in the financial side
