Page 47 of The Copper Heir
She looked up at him in surprise and he met her gaze.
“If you’ll let me.” His voice lowered. “Please let me take care of you.”
Her lips parted but she had no idea what to say. Ship didn’t give her time, because he spoke first. “Is that what you want, girl?”
To be with Hunter for the rest of her life? Yes, but not as his obligation. She didn’t say that, because now wasn’t the time. “Yes, I love him.” That much was true at least. Hunter’s arm tightened around her waist in response.
“Then you won’t have to worry about me.” Ship turned his words back to Castillo. “All I wanted is for the girls to have some security.”
“I’ll give them that. More than that. They’ll be educated and find good marriages later, if that’s what they want.” Hunter promised.
Castillo nodded toward the dapple horse that Eduardo had led over. “Your mount’s waiting. Get the hell on it before I change my mind.” Then he turned on his heel and walked back toward Miguel.
“Where will you go?” she asked Ship just as he was mounting.
“Back to the farm.”
Hunter released her long enough to retrieve the satchel and pull out a bound roll of bills. Once Ship was mounted, he pushed the roll into Ship’s hands and then stepped back to put an arm around her shoulders.
“I won’t take your money,” Ship argued.
“Consider it a bride price.”
Emmy was stunned, but she didn’t take the time to consider what exactly Hunter was saying. She just wanted to see Ship safely gone. “Please take it, Ship. I want to know you’ll be okay.” She ran forward and pressed her hand to his.
He didn’t take her hand, but he didn’t pull away either. After a moment he nodded and spurred his mount forward. “We’ll both be okay, girl.”
Hunter was at her back as they watched him go. She felt sad for Ship, but she wasn’t sorry to see her old life go. Once he’d ridden into the night, Hunter moved to her side, keeping his arm at her waist.
“Let’s get you inside.”
Chewing her bottom lip, she nodded, uncertain of how to talk to him after everything that had happened...after all that he had said. There was tension in the arm curled around her waist and she wasn’t entirely certain if it was simply leftover from the confrontation or if it was because of her. She nodded and let him lead her back to the house, keeping a watchful eye on his stony profile.
They paused near Miguel and Hunter walked over to talk to the boy. Once he was sure he was okay, he came back to her and took her hand, walking toward the house. He didn’t look at her once. Not until he’d walked them to his bedroom and let her go to close the door behind him. Only then did he turn to face her, his back pressed to the door as he studied her. A lamp that he must have lit to read her note still burned low on the desk, giving the room intimacy.
“You scared the hell out of me. You know that?” His face was stern.
“I know and I won’t say I’m sorry for what I did, but I’m sorry you were afraid.” Clenching her hands into fists, she leaned against the bed, uncertain of how this conversation would go.
He let out a breath and all of his tension seemed to leave with it as he walked toward her, coming to a stop just inches away. “I meant that, you know.” His voice was low and deep, rumbling through her.
“The bride price?”
He nodded and tilted her chin up when she couldn’t meet his gaze. “Will you marry me?”
“It’s too soon. We barely know each other.” And good things like this don’t happen to me. She didn’t add in that last part, but it was the rational voice in her head coming through. This time she could hear it clearly.
“It’s not too soon. I love you, Emmaline Drake. I love you so much I can’t think of facing a day without you. Seeing you at Pete’s mercy, knowing your life hung in the hands of that imbecile, that was torture. I want you in my life, Emmy. I want to be a part of your life. I need you with me. I want you to marry me.”
It almost killed her to hear him say the words she wanted to hear so badly, but then to have to turn him down. “But don’t you understand? That’s just what I mean. You don’t want to marry me. My father is Ship Campbell, for heaven’s sake. You don’t want that. A lot happened tonight and we’re all too wound up.”
He exhaled on a harsh laugh and sank to his knees before her, taking her hands in his. “You’re too damned stubborn. Give me some credit for knowing my own mind. I love you. I’ve known that for a while. I made up my mind about marrying you last night. Ask my brother if you don’t believe me.”
She didn’t want to believe him, but she did. It scared her how easily she trusted everything he said. “What of the children?”
“What of them? They seem happy here. I love them, too.”
“But I’m the closest thing to a mother they have. Though they do have Ship, he’s never been around. It doesn’t seem fair that you would have to be their...” She stuttered over the word.
