told him to come in, but he refused.” She wasn’t sure what else to say. Admitting her knowledge of the reward would be stupid. It would only get her caught in the midst of a great lie.
Her father sunk into his favorite chair. “It’s a $50,000 reward, Ella. It’s been all over the news. And when the news of your return breaks, reporters will be clamoring to find out who your rescuer was.” Rescuer. Ella cringed. Ed Peters had been no rescuer. If her father found out about their deal, she would be shamed beyond imagination. And if anyone found out about the five passionate days she’d spent with Ed Peters, she would be shamed beyond imagination. He was a virtual stranger, yet she’d fallen hard and fast for the handsome older man.
The last thing Ella needed, besides a fiancé she despised, was a bounty hunter who was twice her age. Ed was mysterious, stern, quick to anger, and…
…the one person she couldn’t stop thinking about.
And he’d walked away from a $50,000 reward but why?
She did not love. Not at all .
But the guilt from such a lie reverberated in her chest, right beside her many sins. Lying to herself seemed less dangerous than lying to other people, but it hurt equally as bad. The days would pass, she knew, and maybe the severity of her sins would fade as they grew older.
Ella’s mother emerged from the hallway, all smiles and red lipstick. “Brandon’s here,” she said, beaming and pulling her father from the room.
Sure enough, Brandon Andrews strode in with a dozen red roses. Ella accepted them, smiling. “Thank you,” she said as he pulled her close. He smelled strange. He felt strange. He looked strange.
He wasn’t Ed Peters.
“I heard my little tree hugger got lost in the woods,” he said, not unkindly. But the veiled insult wasn’t lost on her. Brandon always tore her down with secret words and a smile, and no one else ever noticed.
“I’m sorry,” she said as they sunk into the couch.
She placed the roses on a side table. “I guess I missed our wedding.”
“Well,” he said, squeezing her leg, “I hope you won’t miss it two days from now.”
“What?” Ella was shocked. It couldn’t possibly be so soon. Not so soon after Ed Peters.
He kissed her cheek. “Our families have been anticipating our marriage for years, Ella. I don’t think we could hold them off for another week even if we wanted to.”
“I didn’t really get lost in the woods,” she blurted, feeling more desperate than ever.
Brandon pulled away, his thick brows narrowing together. “ What ?”
“I got cold feet. I’m sorry. It was so selfish of me, especially making everyone worry. I should’ve left a note.” She would confess this much, but she didn’t dare speak of the days spent at Ed Peters’s house. The deal, the arguments, the spankings, the sex…
Brandon dug his fingers into her thigh. “Who else knows about this?” he hissed.
“No one. I was too scared to tell my parents the truth.”
He dug his fingers deeper, and Ella tried to squirm away. “Both our families have flown important clients, business partners, and friends into town for this wedding. Most of them are still here. I will not have you make a fool of me, Ella.”
“I…I…” But the right words were hard to find.
Marriage to Brandon Andrews seemed inevitable.
Maybe after all the pain she’d put her family through, she deserved to marry a man she didn’t love.
“We will be married in two days, Ella. We have good jobs waiting for us, along with a nice house.
Don’t be stupid .”
“All right,” she finally whispered, tired and defeated. Brandon relaxed his grip on her thigh, but the pain lingered…on her leg, in her chest, and in her burning throat.
Around 11:00 p.m., Brandon finally went home, and Ella bid good night to her parents and crawled into bed. Things were bad. Brandon had lingered long after dinner, dazzling her parents with the details of their honeymoon plans to Spain. Ella’s
Her father sunk into his favorite chair. “It’s a $50,000 reward, Ella. It’s been all over the news. And when the news of your return breaks, reporters will be clamoring to find out who your rescuer was.” Rescuer. Ella cringed. Ed Peters had been no rescuer. If her father found out about their deal, she would be shamed beyond imagination. And if anyone found out about the five passionate days she’d spent with Ed Peters, she would be shamed beyond imagination. He was a virtual stranger, yet she’d fallen hard and fast for the handsome older man.
The last thing Ella needed, besides a fiancé she despised, was a bounty hunter who was twice her age. Ed was mysterious, stern, quick to anger, and…
…the one person she couldn’t stop thinking about.
And he’d walked away from a $50,000 reward but why?
She did not love. Not at all .
But the guilt from such a lie reverberated in her chest, right beside her many sins. Lying to herself seemed less dangerous than lying to other people, but it hurt equally as bad. The days would pass, she knew, and maybe the severity of her sins would fade as they grew older.
Ella’s mother emerged from the hallway, all smiles and red lipstick. “Brandon’s here,” she said, beaming and pulling her father from the room.
Sure enough, Brandon Andrews strode in with a dozen red roses. Ella accepted them, smiling. “Thank you,” she said as he pulled her close. He smelled strange. He felt strange. He looked strange.
He wasn’t Ed Peters.
“I heard my little tree hugger got lost in the woods,” he said, not unkindly. But the veiled insult wasn’t lost on her. Brandon always tore her down with secret words and a smile, and no one else ever noticed.
“I’m sorry,” she said as they sunk into the couch.
She placed the roses on a side table. “I guess I missed our wedding.”
“Well,” he said, squeezing her leg, “I hope you won’t miss it two days from now.”
“What?” Ella was shocked. It couldn’t possibly be so soon. Not so soon after Ed Peters.
He kissed her cheek. “Our families have been anticipating our marriage for years, Ella. I don’t think we could hold them off for another week even if we wanted to.”
“I didn’t really get lost in the woods,” she blurted, feeling more desperate than ever.
Brandon pulled away, his thick brows narrowing together. “ What ?”
“I got cold feet. I’m sorry. It was so selfish of me, especially making everyone worry. I should’ve left a note.” She would confess this much, but she didn’t dare speak of the days spent at Ed Peters’s house. The deal, the arguments, the spankings, the sex…
Brandon dug his fingers into her thigh. “Who else knows about this?” he hissed.
“No one. I was too scared to tell my parents the truth.”
He dug his fingers deeper, and Ella tried to squirm away. “Both our families have flown important clients, business partners, and friends into town for this wedding. Most of them are still here. I will not have you make a fool of me, Ella.”
“I…I…” But the right words were hard to find.
Marriage to Brandon Andrews seemed inevitable.
Maybe after all the pain she’d put her family through, she deserved to marry a man she didn’t love.
“We will be married in two days, Ella. We have good jobs waiting for us, along with a nice house.
Don’t be stupid .”
“All right,” she finally whispered, tired and defeated. Brandon relaxed his grip on her thigh, but the pain lingered…on her leg, in her chest, and in her burning throat.
Around 11:00 p.m., Brandon finally went home, and Ella bid good night to her parents and crawled into bed. Things were bad. Brandon had lingered long after dinner, dazzling her parents with the details of their honeymoon plans to Spain. Ella’s
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