Renee Ryan (20 page)

Recognizing that deep timbre, but unable to see her rescuer, Annabeth lifted on her toes. The crowd parted and Hunter stepped forward. Drawing alongside of her, he wrapped his arm around her waist and smiled.

That smile. It was like a physical blow to her heart.

“Hello, darling.” He placed a kiss on her forehead.

“Hello.”

He looked over at the two ladies, commanding their attention with nothing more than a raised eyebrow. His dynamic presence had both women blinking up at him, captivated in his stare.

A hush came over the crowd, every single person poised to hear what he said next.

Annabeth would like to know herself.

Although a good dressing-down was certainly in order, Hunter proved himself to be a man of restraint.

“Ladies, if you would be so kind as to step aside, my fiancée—” he emphasized the word by pulling Annabeth closer to him “—has arrived just in time for our appointment. We don’t wish to be late, do we, darling?”

Darling. That was the second time he’d used the endearment. The word had never sounded more intimate, or more special. “Punctuality is one of my favorite virtues,” she said, her voice a bit shaky.

“Mine, as well.”

Voices erupted from the crowd, some shouting at the ladies to move aside, others telling them to hold their ground. Clearly, sides had been chosen.

Hunter took charge before the shouts turned to blows. Without another word, he took Annabeth’s arm and guided her around the two women. He didn’t give them a very wide berth, that would have been impossible given the limited space, but the message was the same.
We’re done here.

Once safely inside the building, Annabeth glanced back outside. Mother and daughter had taken their leave, while the crowd had begun to disperse.

Watching the activity outside, it took Annabeth a moment to realize Hunter was tugging her deeper into the building. She pulled him to a stop. When he turned back to face her, she saw the pent-up emotion in his eyes.

His jaw set in a hard line, he darted his gaze to the outside stoop. “I’m sorry you had to endure that just now.”

He was angry. On her behalf.

She smiled up at him, feeling warm and touched and very much in love. “All you needed was to ride up on a white horse and the fairy tale would have been complete.”

Instead of lightening the mood, her comment had the opposite effect. Hunter’s gaze turned grave. “Annabeth.” He made her name sound like an apology. “I’m no knight in shining armor.”

She reached up and cupped his cheek. “Today you are.”

“Let’s get something straight right now. I’m not a hero, never have been, never will be.” She recognized the pain in his eyes. “I killed a man and went to prison for it and—”

“You’re the best man I know.” The way he’d pushed through the crowd to get to her and then how he’d stood by her side, defending her honor. “There’s no getting around the fact that I’m the daughter of the most infamous madam in town. You just experienced a taste of what the future holds. Still want to marry me?”

“Absolutely.” He emphasized the word with a disarming smile. “You know what I bring to the table, too. I have an ugly past. Still want to marry me?”

“Yes, Hunter. I still want to marry you.”

Something flashed in his eyes, something new, something real, something that looked a lot like love. “As long as I have breath in my lungs, Annabeth, I will protect you with my life.”

“I know.” She’d found the place where she belonged. With this man, who thought she was worthy of his protection.

While he hadn’t given her touching words of love, she hadn’t given him any, either. It was time she surrendered the whole of her heart. “I love you.”

Eyes shining with emotion, he took her hand and brought it to his lips. “Annabeth, my darling girl, I—”

“Mr. Mitchell.” A tentative voice cut him off midsentence. “Mr. Bennett is ready for you now.”

Chapter Twenty

A
t some point in the trek down the hallway to Reese Bennett’s office, Hunter looked down at his hand. It was linked with Annabeth’s, their fingers braided together naturally, as if they held hands like this all the time. The most amazing thing wasn’t that she was holding on to him.
He
was holding on to her, as tightly as possible, never wanting to let her go.

They were alone, just the two of them in the cavernous hallway, no one to hear them. Yet, he couldn’t seem to find his voice.

With the interruption from Bennett’s law clerk, Hunter had lost the chance to tell Annabeth what was in his heart. He’d never been good with words, preferring action instead.

All he knew was that he wanted Annabeth in his life, not only because she was good with Sarah. But because he loved her.

It should be simple to say.
I love you.

But the emotion was so new, so unexpected. In human time, he’d fallen quickly, though it hadn’t felt quick. It seemed as if he’d loved her all his life, the emotion unraveling in small degrees through the years.

From their first meeting, when Hunter had barely been off the ranch and Annabeth had been but thirteen, she’d gotten to him. She’d touched the man he’d always been underneath the tough veneer he presented to the world.

Annabeth saw him for who he really was. She knew the good and the bad and loved him, anyway.

In the past few weeks, she’d shown him what unwavering courage looked like, and had taught him the definition of family on a whole new level.

Even outside, she’d remained resolute and loyal to her mother, a woman she could have easily denied in the face of such public humiliation. Annabeth made Hunter want to be a better man. The man he already was in the Lord’s eyes.

He glanced down at her, then caught her watching him with those big, beautiful eyes of hers. She didn’t voice the silent questions he saw in her gaze, nor did she try to hide them from him, either. That sort of raw honesty was one of the many qualities he loved about her.

He raised her gloved hand to his lips. “I’ll explain everything shortly, once we’re in Bennett’s office.”

“I know.”

Her confidence in him was another reason he loved her. He was doing the right thing, calling her to this law office today. He prayed she understood the gesture he was about to make.

Maneuvering to the end of the hallway, he knocked on Reese Bennett’s office door.

“Enter.”

With a flick of his wrist, Hunter opened the door, then allowed Annabeth to enter ahead of him.

“Mr. Mitchell, I—” The lawyer cut off his own words and rose quickly to his feet. “Ah, I didn’t realize you were bringing anyone with you today. Miss—” he paused, swept his eyes over Annabeth, cleared his throat “—Smith. It’s a pleasure to see you again.”

“Hello, Mr. Bennett. And, please, no need to pretend you haven’t heard the news. I am Annabeth Silks, not Smith. Silks. My legal name is Annabeth Silks.”

To his credit, the lawyer didn’t react with anything more than a slight nod of his head.

“Please, have a seat, both of you.” He gestured to the matching leather chairs facing his desk.

Once they were settled, the lawyer turned his attention on Hunter. “You requested this appointment, Mr. Mitchell. Am I to assume that you have another legal matter you wish for me to address?”

“I do.” He fished inside his jacket, pulled out the land deed Logan had given him and handed it across the desk. “My brother gave this to me this morning and—”

Annabeth interrupted him. “You saw Logan today?”

“I did.” He smiled. “I have much to tell you.”

“I should say so.” She laid a hand on his arm, searching his face, probing deep. He felt as if his very soul was laid bare to her. Whatever she was looking for she must have found because she dropped her hand and smiled. “It went well,” she decided. “Your meeting with your brother.”

“Better than well. We have begun the process of becoming true brothers again.”

“Oh, Hunter,” she whispered. “I’m so very happy for you both.”

The truth of her words was evident in her solemn, earnest tone. If he’d had any doubt before now, he knew the truth. This woman loved him.

And he loved her.

If he ever failed her...

The thought brought an ache to his stomach, and to his heart. Until now, Hunter had mistakenly believed he’d asked Annabeth to marry him because he was doing her a favor, offering her the protection of his name.

He’d been wrong.

Annabeth was the one doing him the favor. By agreeing to become his wife, by loving him, she was giving him the future he’d always wanted.

“Everything appears to be in order.” Bennett set the deed on his desk.

Hunter shook his head. “What’s in order?”

“This document.” The lawyer placed his finger on the paper and pushed it across the desk. “It’s perfectly legal.”

His parents would have made sure of that. “Yes, I know.”

“If you know, then why did you bring it to me for authentication?”

“I don’t need the document authenticated.” Hunter leaned forward, realizing he’d been lost in thought and hadn’t explained himself yet. “I want to sign over ownership of the land today, so that there will be no misunderstanding in the future.”

Eyebrows pulled together, Bennett placed the document back in front of him. “Mr. Mitchell, that’s not necessary. The original provision you had me put in your will covers this parcel of land, and any future assets you may acquire through the years.”

“You aren’t listening, Mr. Bennett. So let me be more clear.” Hunter turned to look at Annabeth directly. “I want all two thousand acres listed on that deed to be put in Annabeth’s name, not mine.”

“What?”
She blinked at him in confusion, glancing from him to the lawyer and back to him again. “I...I don’t understand. What two thousand acres of land?”

“My parents are giving me a portion of their ranch. And I’m putting the property in your name.”

She continued blinking at him.

“I want to take care of you, Annabeth.” He took her hand, willing her to understand. “I want to ensure your future is settled no matter what happens between us. I’ve already made you a cobeneficiary of my estate with Sarah. But I want this piece of land to be yours now, today.”

“You want to take care of me.” Unhappiness sounded in her voice. “By giving me land that belongs to you.”

“That’s right.” She should be pleased. Why wasn’t she pleased?

As if sensing they needed a moment alone, Reese Bennett rose from his chair and made his way to the door. “I’ll leave you two to discuss this in private.”

The moment the door clicked shut, Annabeth yanked her hand free. “You will not do this, Hunter Mitchell. Your parents are giving you the land. Not me,
you.
”

“Once I explain the situation they will understand why I put the property in your name.”

“No, I won’t allow you to do this.” She jumped to her feet and scowled down at him. “Put the deed in Sarah’s name.”

“Sarah is still a child.”

“She’s
your
child.”

“And your niece. I want you to come to the Flying M with us, freely, with no demands or expectations.” Why was this so hard for her to understand?

“I won’t take payment like this.” She choked on a sob. “How could you ask it of me? How could you think I would agree to this?”

He’d hurt her. Somehow he’d hurt her when he’d been trying to show her he loved her. He ran her words through his brain, his mind hooking on one word in particular. Payment. “I’m not
paying
you to marry me.”

“Aren’t you?”

“I’m giving you a gift.” He searched for the right words to explain himself, frustrated he couldn’t seem to speak plain enough for her. “It’s no different than the silver hairbrush.”

“How can you think such a thing? This is nothing like the hairbrush. I...I...” She pulled a steadying breath into her lungs and walked regally toward the door, then spun around and glared at him. “I’m not my mother.”

“Of course you aren’t your mother.” He strode across the room to her. “What does Mattie have to do with this?”

“If I take land from you, I’m no better than one of her girls.”

That’s what she thought? That he was paying for services to be rendered at a later date?

How could she think such a thing? How could she think so little of him?

So little of herself?

Had the encounter out front left a stronger impression on her than he’d first thought?

“Annabeth, you’ve misunderstood me completely.” He gentled his voice. “I’m trying to show you how I feel.”

“By giving me land?”

“It was meant to be a grand gesture.”

“You don’t know me at all, do you?” She didn’t hide her disappointment. “You could have just
told
me how you feel.”

A knot formed in his throat. “Words didn’t seem enough.”

The knot turned into a thick ball of regret. He was still working through a way to rectify his mistake when she twisted open the door with a hard yank.

“Annabeth, stop. Listen to me.” He hadn’t meant to speak so harshly. But he was growing desperate. Exasperation with himself—with her, with them both—was making him careless with his words, and his tone.

She heaved a sigh. “I only needed the words.”

She said this in a small, quiet voice, and then walked out, closing the door with a firm snap.

And that was it.

Just like that, she’d walked out on him. As Maria had done all those years ago.

As Jane had, in her own way, when she’d died in the dark alley.

He processed the unexpected pain that came with another woman leaving him, a woman who had become more a part of his heart than any before her.

I only needed the words.

“I love you,” he whispered and felt the first stirrings of grief. And not just grief alone, but defeat, too.

It felt like his heart was shattering into pieces.

“She’s in love with you,” Reese said from the threshold of his office.

Hunter looked up. He hadn’t heard the door open again, hadn’t known he was no longer alone.

“Don’t let your male pride keep you from going after her.” A shadow fell across the lawyer’s eyes, a look that said he knew what it was like to let love get away. “Follow her. Tell her what she needs to hear.”

No, Hunter thought, racing out of the man’s office at top speed. He wasn’t going to tell Annabeth what she needed to hear. He was going to reveal what was in his heart the right way, with his actions
and
his words.

* * *

Annabeth hurried down the darkened hallway of the law firm, her vision blurring with unshed tears. She didn’t run, nothing so dramatic as that, but she did move at a clipped pace. She kept her head down, avoiding eye contact as she made her way out of the building into the open street.

The cold March air punched into her lungs, the sharp pain a reminder of her misery. Unexpected snow flurries had begun to fall, clearing the streets as surely as a thunderstorm.

She turned to her left, in the opposite direction of Charity House, and set out at a fast pace.

Ten years. Ten long years she’d spent loving Hunter Mitchell, only to have it end in heartache. She had only herself to blame. She’d put her hope in a man, building him up to a dangerous level in her mind. The Bible warned of such things, of putting any man ahead of the Lord.

What had she been thinking?

She’d allowed herself to believe in a silly fairy tale.

She’d allowed herself to believe Hunter was the only man for her, as if the Lord had planned their match from the beginning of time.

That’s how her love for him had felt, as if it had been predestined.

She’d come so close to winning his heart, had actually thought she’d done just that.

How could he love her when he didn’t even know her?

I’m trying to show you how I feel.

No, he’d been trying to buy her affection, with two thousand acres of prime ranchland, as if her love had such a high price.

Her feet slowed as the heat of the moment gave way to calmer thinking. Was she being fair to Hunter? Or was she overreacting because of her run-in with that judgmental woman on the law firm’s front stoop.

Mind racing, Annabeth turned a sharp corner.

It was meant to be a grand gesture,
Hunter had said. And then he’d added,
Words didn’t seem enough.

Her heart thudded to a steady, calmer beat, her steps slowing to meet the new pace. How could she not have seen what he’d been trying to do, what he’d been trying to say with his actions?

Head down, she turned another corner and then stopped as complete understanding dawned at last. And with it, came the shame.

By presenting her with prime ranchland Hunter hadn’t been trying to buy her off, he’d been
showing
her how he felt.

And she’d tossed the gesture back in his face.

How could she have been so cruel, so thoughtless?

She had to find him, had to apologize. Lifting her head, she started to retrace her steps, then stopped again and looked around. She was on the street behind Mattie’s brothel. It was somehow fitting that she’d sought solace from her mother at a time like this.

Giving into a rueful smile, Annabeth crossed the street. The snow was coming down harder, thick and wet and far too hard to try to head back to Charity House right now.

“Good afternoon, Annabeth.”

She spun at the sound of her name spoken in a low, sinister growl. An unfamiliar man approached her. Something in his hard, ruthless gaze had her backpedaling.

“I said, good afternoon, Annabeth.”

Her heart thumped double time against her ribs. How could this stranger know her name?

She’d never met him before. She would remember that cold, black-eyed stare inside that flat, mean face.

Was he one of her mother’s customers?

That made sense. Except, no, it didn’t. She’d never met any of Mattie’s customers, one of her mother’s strictest rules.

“I see by your confusion you’re wondering how I know you.” His face cracked into a smile that revealed dirty, tobacco-stained teeth. “I’ve been watching you for some time now.”