Page 61 of Trail to Trouble
Shit. She was going to leave the room. He couldn’t let that happen. Now that she’d practically been delivered to his front step, promise or not, this had to be a sign that it was meant to be, and he would not let her leave without at least talking to her.
After shaking Aaron’s hand, she spun to leave without so much as a glance in his direction.
He stood.
“Ms. Holmes, may I have a minute?”
She stopped dead in her tracks for just a moment, then took another step away from him without looking back at him.
“Hannah.”
She paused again, but this time she turned slowly toward him. His pulse ratcheted up a notch when she met his gaze.
His team’s gaze was on him. They probably wondered why he’d just called Katrina, Hannah.
“I just need a moment with Ms. Holmes. You can all go,” he said to his staff.
Aaron parted his lips as if he were going to speak, but then he simply exited the room with the rest of the crew, and shut the door behind him.
He would be content to stare into her bright emerald gaze forever, but he had questions for her. Lots of them.
When her eyes watered, he wanted to rush to her and wrap her in his arms, but his feet froze to the floor. What did she want him to do? Why were her eyes watering? Over the past ten years, had she thought about him at all? As much as he did her?
By the way she clutched her portfolio to her chest, he could only assume she was uncomfortable, maybe scared, but why would she fear him? They’d gotten along great in the short time they were together. He had abided by her wishes in the parting letter she’d left on his hospital bedside table almost ten years ago. She’d asked him not to contact her, thinking it was too dangerous for her, her brothers, and him. The last thing he wanted to do was put her and her few remaining family members in harm’s way. She’d already suffered so much, losing her best friend and parents. He abided by her wishes. She believed the Garcias would harm him, her or anyone she was close to.
After the trial, she fell off the face of the earth. It was as if Hannah Rice disappeared. He’d tried to locate her several times over the years, not to see her in person, but hoping to see from afar that she was doing well. He’d even tried to find her brothers. They, too, were gone. Now that he saw the name Katrina Holmes, he realized, as he suspected, Hannah had intentionally disappeared. But she was delivered to him now, as if by fate.
Hannah cleared her throat. “What are you doing here? How did you find me?” she asked as her brows knit, “and why did those people listen to you?”
At her questions, it occurred to him that she didn’t recognize his real name. Back then, when he’d first met her, he never used his given name. He went by Hunter, not Orion. Still, most times he used Hunter. He liked it better.
“Do you work here?” she followed up at his hesitation.
He grinned and nodded. “I own the stores,” he beamed proudly.
He’d come a long way during the past ten years. His business had grown far beyond his expectations. To own five thriving sporting goods stores at the age of thirty-three made him proud.
Hannah cocked her head to the side, loosened her grip on her portfolio, and opened it.
“Orion Samuelson,” she said.
“Yes. I’m Orion. My mother is a fan of Greek mythology and the stars, so she named me Orion, the God of hunting. Hence, Hunter.”
She pulled her brows together as if confused by his statement.
“Imagine as a kid, being named Orion. Hunter seemed like a cooler name, so I adopted the nickname and it stuck.”
Her almost scowl softened along with her gaze, but her stance remained stiff.
“You own all these stores?” she asked.
As if he couldn’t even control it, his smile widened.
“I do.”
“Wow.”
The corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
