Renee Ryan (19 page)

Didn’t he know it? “Thanks to Laney and Marc Dupree.”

“They certainly had a big part in it.” Logan stepped back and angled his head. “This explains why Sarah always seemed familiar to me.”

“She’s my child, Logan.” Hunter let the joy he felt sound in his voice. “I have a
daughter.
”

“And I have a new niece.” Logan slapped him on the back again, a gesture reminiscent of their father at his most supportive. “The folks are going to be beside themselves with happiness over another grandchild.”

For one, brief moment the past fell away and they felt like brothers again. Just as quickly, the moment vanished and the awkwardness returned.

Time. They would need time to find renewed peace between them, to grow comfortable around one another. But Hunter had genuine hope they would eventually forge a strong relationship.

“What are your plans now?”

“I’m coming home.”

“Praise the Lord.” Logan threw his hands in the air. “You realize this is answer to all our prayers.”

“Mine, too.”

They grinned at each other, and another layer of hostility fell away.

“Speaking of home.” Logan dug in his pocket, pulled out an official-looking document. “The folks told me to give you this when I found you.”

Wary again, Hunter took the paper, lowered his head and read. Halfway down the page, his eyes started to burn. “It’s a land deed. In my name.”

“That’s right. Two thousand acres just off the east range. There’s a small, furnished cabin already on the property.”

“I’m familiar with the place.” He’d holed up there a few years back, right after he’d killed Kincaid. He’d still been grieving Jane’s death, not sure what to do next. His past had caught up to him, in a single, horrific night, and he hadn’t known where to turn.

Home had seemed the place to go, but even then he’d made mistakes. He’d known Logan was looking for Kincaid’s murderer, so Hunter had decided to give him what he wanted. On his terms. He’d used Logan’s wife as bait, drawing out his brother for a final showdown, thinking that would relieve the haunting pain in his heart, as if Logan was the cause.

He’d been dreadfully wrong. And now he waited for his brother to remind him of that meeting, waited for the words of censure.

Logan said nothing.

Which was for the best. Hunter needed to be the one to cross this particular chasm first. “Logan, about the last time we met. I want to apologize for knocking you out cold. I—”

“It’s in the past.”

No, it was still between them and always would be if they didn’t clear the air. “Let me have my say.”

“All right.” Logan lowered to the chair again, looking slightly uncomfortable.

“I should have listened to you that day.” Hunter paused, then pressed on. “I wasn’t in the right frame of mind at the time, but that’s no excuse. I could have saved everyone a lot of heartache if I’d turned myself in back then. I have much to atone for.”

“You finished?”

“No. Logan, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the years of animosity between us, for considering you my enemy, for...everything.”

“Hunter, you’re my brother.” Logan rose but didn’t move away from the chair. “I forgave you a long time ago.”

“You shouldn’t be this easy on me.” Hunter swallowed, feeling more and more like the prodigal son than ever before, and just as undeserving of grace. “You should demand I make amends.”

Logan shook his head. “I’m not that much of a hypocrite. I have my share of sins to answer for, too. Sins against you.”

Hunter felt his eyes widen. “What did you ever do to me?”

“I didn’t ask you to come home. I judged you unfairly and withheld mercy when you needed it most. Can you forgive me?”

“I...” Hunter blinked in amazement, then answered from his heart. “Yes.”

Logan smiled. “To prove there’s no hard feelings, Megan and I have a gift for you.”

“Your forgiveness is all I need.”

“Nevertheless, we want to give you two hundred head of cattle from our herd.”

The land from his parents, cattle from his brother, it was enough to start his own ranch. Hunter didn’t deserve these gifts. His family was showing him what grace really looked like, offering mercy without question, or demand of payment.

He was humbled beyond measure, ready to go home and rebuild all the relationships he’d lost.

The fact that Logan was the one to bestow his family’s gifts mattered most of all.

For years, Hunter had thought his brother would be a stumbling block to his return home. Instead, he’d become a staunch ally.

Hunter thought of his other ally, Annabeth. “Sarah and I won’t be the only ones coming home. Her aunt will be joining us.”

Logan didn’t pretend to misunderstand who Hunter meant. “You’re bringing Annabeth to the Flying M?”

“She’s sacrificed everything to become a part of Sarah’s life. I won’t tear them apart.”

And with their marriage Annabeth would forever be in Sarah’s life, no matter what happened to Hunter. Although he didn’t like the idea of her sacrificing her own future in the bargain, he couldn’t let her go, either.

And not just for Sarah’s sake, but for his own. The truth hit him at last, staggering in its impact. Hunter wanted Annabeth in his life, now and forever. He loved her, as a man loved a woman.

As you once loved Jane?

No. His feelings for Annabeth were different, because she was different, yet equally powerful. Perhaps he’d been too hasty in suggesting a marriage in name only.

Perhaps he could still convince her they had something special, something lasting, something worth fighting for.

“Have you thought this all the way to the end?” Logan asked. “There won’t be any problem bringing Annabeth home with you and Sarah, as long as the three of you live in the main house with the rest of the family. But what happens if you move into the cabin? Annabeth’s reputation—”

“You misunderstand. Annabeth isn’t coming to the Flying M solely as Sarah’s aunt. She’s coming as my wife.”

Logan’s mouth dropped open. “Your wife?”

Wife.
He chewed on the word silently in his head with a surge of joy in his heart. For the first time since Jane died, Hunter’s chest didn’t ache with every breath he took. His gut didn’t feel so hollow.

When had he started to let her go? He knew the answer. The moment he’d pulled Annabeth into his arms and kissed her.

It was time to finish the work he’d begun in prison, time to let go of his past and embrace the future. He had to trust God was in control of his life and stop looking over his shoulder, expecting the worst.

“I’m going to make Annabeth my wife,” he confirmed, then added with more force, “as soon as possible.”

“I...see.” From the knowing look in his brother’s eyes, Hunter figured Logan saw the situation accurately.

Now came the hard part.

Annabeth might have agreed to marry him, but now he had to convince her that doing so was a good idea for herself, as well as for Sarah. Words wouldn’t be enough. Hunter needed to make a grand gesture, one that would persuade her to become a permanent part of his life. Not solely as Sarah’s aunt, but as his wife, in every sense of the word.

He would settle for nothing less.

Chapter Nineteen

A
half hour before school let out for the day, Laney entered Annabeth’s classroom. “I’d like a private word with you.”

Hand poised over the chalkboard, she studied her friend perched in the doorway. “Now?”

Laney nodded.

“But I’m conducting a lesson on algebraic equations.”

“Riveting, no doubt.” Laney smiled. “But I assure you this won’t take long.”

“All right.” Annabeth set down the piece of chalk in her hand, her mind racing over several possibilities for this unprecedented visit. Had gossip of her connection to Mattie reached Charity House? Even if that was the case, Laney already knew Mattie was Annabeth’s mother.

“Review your notes,” Annabeth said to the class. “I’ll be right back.”

Before walking out the door, she dropped a warning glance over the room. A few of the boys shifted guiltily in their seats. The rest of the class pretended grave interest in their math books.
Pretend
being the operative word.

Only Molly Taylor Scott, who loved math even more than Annabeth, seemed genuinely upset by Laney’s interruption.

Shaking her head, Annabeth joined her friend outside. With the sun swallowed up by a band of dark, ominous clouds, the temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees since the morning. The smell of snow hung in the air.

Wrapping her arms tightly around her, Annabeth hunched her shoulders against the cold. A sudden, sharp gust of wind whipped a strand of her hair from its pins. Though she loved the rugged landscape, days like these, when the temperature dropped unexpectedly, reminded Annabeth that living in Colorado came at a cost.

Once they rounded the building and were out of the wind, Laney pulled to a stop. Never one to waste time, she got straight to the point.

“Hunter told me to give you this.” She presented a handwritten message scribbled on a piece of paper in bold, masculine strokes.

Stomach quivering, Annabeth stared at the paper in Laney’s hand, then looked over at the main house. “Hunter’s here?”

“Not anymore. He only stopped by long enough to leave this message for you.” Laney pushed the paper into her hand. “He was quite insistent I bring it to you immediately.”

Annabeth lowered her gaze and read the words scrawled on the paper.
Meet me at Bennett, Bennett and Brand Law Firm at four o’clock this afternoon.

Confused, she flipped over the paper, looking for something...more, an explanation for the summons at least. Maybe a word of affection. A quick term of endearment.

Nothing.

Not even a signature.

She felt the first tinges of an indescribable emotion. Disappointment, perhaps? She bit back a sigh, knowing she was overthinking the matter. From the hastily scrawled words alone, it was clear Hunter had been in a hurry.

The important point was that he wanted to see her. At a law office. In just over an hour.

The timing would be tight.

Regardless, the prospect of seeing him again set her heart quivering with anticipation. She’d spent a sleepless night wondering what their marriage would be like,
if
they married at all. Hunter had left the matter unsettled by giving her a chance to change her mind.

Thus, as Annabeth had tossed and turned through the night, her mind had continually returned to a key point of concern plaguing her. Would Hunter grow to love her with the same devotion with which he’d once loved his wife?

Behind that worry rose another. Would Annabeth and Hunter suit, on an intimate level?

Sadly, she may never know. Not if he followed through with his vow to her mother to keep their marriage in name only.

“Let’s save some time, shall we?” Laney placed a hand on her arm, drawing her attention from the paper she’d been staring at with unseeing eyes. “What’s going on between you and Hunter?”

Annabeth felt her stomach clench. She wasn’t prepared for this conversation. But she needed to tell Laney the truth, in as much as it pertained to her position at Charity House.

“When he takes Sarah to live with him at the Flying M, I’ll be...” She let her words trail off, wondering why this was so hard for her to say. Swallowing several times, she opened her mouth and tried again. “That is, when Hunter and Sarah leave Denver, I’ll be—”

“Leaving with them,” Laney finished for her.

“You don’t sound surprised.”

“Of course I’m not surprised.” Laney shooed that notion away with a short wave. “Marc and I always knew you were only with us on a temporary basis. Truth be told, we’ve been working on your replacement for some time now.”

What?
“You and Marc aren’t happy with my work?”

“Oh, Annabeth, that’s not what I meant. You’ve been a blessing to us, truly. But you don’t belong here at Charity House. Your place is with Sarah.” Laney softened her words with a smile. “And with Hunter, as well. Your home is with the two of them, not us.”

Home.
There was that word again, the one that stirred up such longing and hope. Her heart took a quick, extra thump. She’d thought she’d found a home at Charity House. But no. That wasn’t to say she wasn’t grateful for her time here, short as it had been.

“I’ve been very happy at Charity House this past year.” Happier than she could ever put into words.

“I’m glad.”

“However, you’re right. My place is with Sarah and Hunter. Speaking of Hunter. We’re getting married.” She said this in a quiet, calm voice, as if she was speaking of nothing more complicated than two plus two equals four.

“I’d say congratulations, but...” Laney took hold of Annabeth’s hands and studied her face. “You don’t look like a happy bride-to-be. Do you not wish to marry Hunter?”

“Oh, I want to marry him.” She inhaled a deep breath, and then let it out again, slower and with more feeling. “But I fear he’s only marrying me because he’s being noble.”

“I’ve seen the way he looks at you.” Laney let her hands go. “He cares about you, Annabeth, very deeply.”

Yes, he cared about her. But caring wasn’t the same as love. Was it enough to build a future on, to raise a family?

The question was moot.

She’d already decided to take a leap of faith and hope that Hunter’s feelings would grow stronger over time.

If her faith ever waned, she simply had to remind herself that God was in control. The details were in His hands, not hers. Everything had worked well for her so far. She had to believe the future would fall together, as well.

When she noticed Laney wasn’t speaking, Annabeth sighed. “I know that look on your face. You have something more to say.”

Laney simply stared at her.

“What? No rant that I’m marrying Hunter for all the wrong reasons?”

“Are you marrying him for all the wrong reasons?”

“No.”

“Then why the long face?”

She sighed again, then proceeded to tell her friend about the events of the previous evening, focusing on Camille’s untimely arrival and the very real possibility that her connection to Mattie was no longer a secret. “Hunter has agreed to marry me so he can provide me with the Mitchell good name.”

“It’s a generous reason, to be sure, but that doesn’t have to mean it’s the only one.”

“Oh, Laney.” Sudden despair clutched in her heart. “Tell me everything’s going to work out for the best.”

Laney pulled her into a hug. “Everything’s going to work out for the best.”

Wrapped in her friend’s comforting embrace, Annabeth resisted the urge to cling. Embarrassed by her loss of composure, but unable to regroup, she held on a moment longer.

A mistake.

A loud thud came from inside the classroom, followed by a collective gasp, and then...

Laughter.

Annabeth shook her head. “I better get back inside.”

She stepped out of Laney’s arms and turned to go.

“Annabeth, wait.” Laney caught her by the wrist. “If you need to talk more about Hunter, or your mother, or anything else troubling you, I’m always here.”

“I appreciate that.”

“I mean it. You aren’t alone. I’m with you, and so is the Lord. He already has the particulars of your future worked out. Trust in Him and the rest will come.”

Annabeth stared into her friend’s earnest gaze. Although she’d said something very similar to herself, hearing the words spoken in her friend’s sure voice calmed her worries. “Thank you, Laney. Truly, thank you.”

Another thud sounded, this one louder.

“Really, Annabeth.” Laney gave her a mock scowl. “Quit dawdling and get back to work.”

Joining in her friend’s laughter, Annabeth hurried into her classroom, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Molly stood at the front of the class, grinning broadly. She had every student, boys and girls alike, lying on the floor, face up, legs and feet kicking wildly in the air.

“Simon says...” She took a thoughtful pause. “Roll over on all fours and—”

“Get back to your seats this instant.” Annabeth pinned Molly to the spot with her best teacher glare. “That means you, too.”

A mutinous expression crossed the girl’s face. “But, Miss Annabeth, you were taking so long and everyone was getting bored.” She smoothed out her expression to one of complete innocence. “I merely thought—”

“I know what you thought.” She should punish the girl for her insubordination, but her heart wasn’t in it. “We’ll discuss this later.”

“You’re angry.” Molly’s voice rose with emotion. “When I was only trying to keep everyone calm and—”

“I said we’ll discuss this later.”

Molly obediently clamped her lips tightly shut. Wise girl.

While the students filed back to their seats, grumbling all the way, Annabeth read Hunter’s message again.

Why summon her to a law office? Why such cause for urgency? What had happened between last night and this afternoon?

Eager to find out, she decided attempting to teach algebra to a room full of unruly boys and girls for ten more minutes wasn’t worth the effort.

“I’ve had an unexpected meeting arise that cannot be put off. Gather your things.” She raised her voice over the chatter exploding in the room. “Class dismissed.”

She didn’t need to repeat herself. A flurry of activity accompanied peals of delight. Within seconds, a mass exodus ensued. Slightly dumbfounded, Annabeth stepped behind her desk.

Shuffling her feet slower than the others, Sarah approached the front of the room. “Where are you going, Aunt Annabeth?” Her eyes glittered with intrigue. “Is it a secret?”

“Not at all.” Annabeth cracked a smile. The girl did so love her secrets. “I’m heading out to meet your father.”

“Can I come?”

“Not this time.”

“Why not?” The child’s face was so forlorn it made Annabeth’s heart ache a little.

“Your father and I have adult business to discuss.” She figured this was as good a guess as any.

Sarah huffed out a sigh, wounded and a little angry. She opened her mouth again, but Annabeth wasn’t finished. “Tell you what. After our meeting in town I’ll ask your father to come back to Charity House with me.”

After a pause to mull this over, Sarah nodded. “I suppose that’ll be all right. But you have to promise to bring him back with you, no matter what.”

“I can’t make that promise. He may already have other plans.” Before Sarah could argue the point further, Annabeth continued speaking. “I’ll do my best to convince him. Now, walk with me back to the main house. I have to change my clothes. You can help me pick out what to wear.”

With Sarah’s help, Annabeth decided on a pale blue dress, the color nearly a perfect match with her eyes. A fresh pair of gloves and her best bonnet completed the outfit.

One final kiss to Sarah’s cheek and she was off to meet Hunter.

Despite the clothing change, she arrived outside Bennett, Bennett and Brand Law Firm with five minutes to spare. She paused, collecting herself as best she could, considering she had no idea why Hunter had summoned her here.

Thankfully, she hadn’t experienced a single scandalized look or hushed whisper as she’d made her way into town, giving her hope that her reputation was still intact.

That hope was dashed the moment she stepped on the front stoop of the fancy brick-and-mortar building housing the law firm. The door swung open with a whoosh. Startled, Annabeth stepped aside to let a pair of well-dressed ladies exit the building.

By their similar facial features and distinct age difference the two had to be mother and daughter. “Good afternoon,” she said to them both.

The younger of the two opened her mouth to reply, but the older one leaned over her and whispered something in her ear.

Annabeth caught only a portion of the words. But there was no mistaking
brothel,
madam
and, finally...

Daughter.

“No.” The younger woman gasped, her features contorting into a look of horror.

“It’s true,” the other one said with the confidence of a practiced gossip.

Eyes wide, the girl lowered her gaze over Annabeth. “Are you truly the daughter of Mattie Silks?”

Refusing to feel a slice of shame, Annabeth lifted her chin at a regal angle. “I am.”

“Come along, Daisy.” The older woman made a disapproving sound in throat. “We don’t talk to women like her.”

Women like her?
As if Annabeth’s connection to Mattie made her somehow a lesser person than them.

“You will move out of our way this instant,” the older woman demanded.

Annabeth held firm. There was plenty of room for the women to pass without her having to step off the stoop. They were drawing a crowd, she knew, but Annabeth didn’t care as much as she would have expected.

This was the very type of confrontation she’d feared most since leaving Boston. But now that it was here, she felt no embarrassment.

Yes, her mother was a notorious madam. But Mattie was still one of God’s beloved children. She still deserved His mercy and His love and a chance to change her life.

“My mother has made bad choices in her lifetime.” Annabeth whirled on the crowd whispering their own opinions on the matter. “But she is still deserving—”

“Of God’s grace as surely as any of you.” A ruthless, masculine voice finished the sentence for her.