liking to him?
"We're not doing anything, lady," he said with quiet determination. "I am taking you to the nearest wagon and sending you back to wherever you came from."
She sighed. Why was he being so difficult? "It's a long way to Massachusetts."
He muttered something she didn't quite catch, and judging by his expression, she should be relieved about that.
"Fine," he said quietly. "One of my boys will drive you into town."
"But I don't want to leave. I only just got here," she tossed a quick look at the row of log buildings they were fast approaching. "Wouldn't it be better if I settled in right away?"
Pulling in a deep breath, he looked down at her. "We are not getting' married, Hannah, so you can't stay here. You don't need to settle in."
"I hadn't expected you to be so stubborn," she said and folded her arms across her chest. Leaning back against him, she stared straight ahead, barely noticing the working cowboys and the milling cattle.
He laughed shortly. "Lady, you could give lessons in stubborn."
She'd heard that most of her life and she supposed it was true. But stubbornly clinging to your convictions was a good thing, wasn't it? And if it took every ounce of her fairly formidable will she would marry Jonas Mackenzie.
Too much was at stake for her to accept failure.
Briefly, the image of her town and the frightened people there rose up in her mind. She must succeed. There was no other choice.
With his strong arm still wrapped around her stomach and the solid, warm strength of him pressed to her back, Hannah felt more certain than ever that the Mackenzie was the answer to her problems. The only trouble was in making him see reason.
Frowning to herself, she thought that maybe she'd gone about this initial meeting all wrong. Maybe she shouldn't have announced her intention to marry him right off that way. It really wasn't surprising that he was so against marriage to a complete stranger, she supposed. After all his family had been gone from Massachusetts for so long, he probably didn't consider himself bound to the old ties.
Nodding to herself, Hannah decided that clearly he was going to need a little time to get used to the idea of marriage. Summer Solstice was still almost two months away. She could afford to be a bit more patient.
Perhaps she should invest a couple of weeks in letting him get to know her. See her in his house. Become accustomed to the idea of her presence.
Hannah smiled to herself. Yes. Two weeks should be enough, and that would still leave plenty of time for them to be married.
"Mackenzie," she said.
"Call me Mac," he grumbled. "Or Jonas."
"Jonas, then."
"Fine. What is it?"
"I've decided that we shouldn't get married right away."
He sighed again and his breath brushed the top of her head. "That's real good, Hannah."
"Instead, I believe I'll become your cook," she twisted on his lap to look at him again.
This time he groaned slightly, muffling the sound by clenching his jaw so tight, Hannah was surprised it didn't snap.
"Thanks, but I've already got a cook," he said. "Juana's been with me for a year now."
"Oh, dear," she murmured. "That is a problem."
"Thought you might see it that way."
"But," Hannah added thoughtfully, "perhaps she could use a nice long rest."
He grumbled something again, then said, "Juana doesn't need rest. Believe me."
"Hmmm… " Hannah's mind was whirling, looking for a solution to this newest development. How could she work her way into Jonas's house and his affections if he already had a cook who wasn't even interested in taking some time off?
Blast Blake Wolcott and the boat that had brought him from England! This was all his fault. If the British warlock weren't so hungry for power, none of this would have happened and she could be safely at home now.
Jonas pulled his horse to a stop alongside an older man whose gaze locked on her suspiciously. "Elias," Jonas said and swung down from the saddle, "take Miss Lowell back to town."
Back to town?
"We're not doing anything, lady," he said with quiet determination. "I am taking you to the nearest wagon and sending you back to wherever you came from."
She sighed. Why was he being so difficult? "It's a long way to Massachusetts."
He muttered something she didn't quite catch, and judging by his expression, she should be relieved about that.
"Fine," he said quietly. "One of my boys will drive you into town."
"But I don't want to leave. I only just got here," she tossed a quick look at the row of log buildings they were fast approaching. "Wouldn't it be better if I settled in right away?"
Pulling in a deep breath, he looked down at her. "We are not getting' married, Hannah, so you can't stay here. You don't need to settle in."
"I hadn't expected you to be so stubborn," she said and folded her arms across her chest. Leaning back against him, she stared straight ahead, barely noticing the working cowboys and the milling cattle.
He laughed shortly. "Lady, you could give lessons in stubborn."
She'd heard that most of her life and she supposed it was true. But stubbornly clinging to your convictions was a good thing, wasn't it? And if it took every ounce of her fairly formidable will she would marry Jonas Mackenzie.
Too much was at stake for her to accept failure.
Briefly, the image of her town and the frightened people there rose up in her mind. She must succeed. There was no other choice.
With his strong arm still wrapped around her stomach and the solid, warm strength of him pressed to her back, Hannah felt more certain than ever that the Mackenzie was the answer to her problems. The only trouble was in making him see reason.
Frowning to herself, she thought that maybe she'd gone about this initial meeting all wrong. Maybe she shouldn't have announced her intention to marry him right off that way. It really wasn't surprising that he was so against marriage to a complete stranger, she supposed. After all his family had been gone from Massachusetts for so long, he probably didn't consider himself bound to the old ties.
Nodding to herself, Hannah decided that clearly he was going to need a little time to get used to the idea of marriage. Summer Solstice was still almost two months away. She could afford to be a bit more patient.
Perhaps she should invest a couple of weeks in letting him get to know her. See her in his house. Become accustomed to the idea of her presence.
Hannah smiled to herself. Yes. Two weeks should be enough, and that would still leave plenty of time for them to be married.
"Mackenzie," she said.
"Call me Mac," he grumbled. "Or Jonas."
"Jonas, then."
"Fine. What is it?"
"I've decided that we shouldn't get married right away."
He sighed again and his breath brushed the top of her head. "That's real good, Hannah."
"Instead, I believe I'll become your cook," she twisted on his lap to look at him again.
This time he groaned slightly, muffling the sound by clenching his jaw so tight, Hannah was surprised it didn't snap.
"Thanks, but I've already got a cook," he said. "Juana's been with me for a year now."
"Oh, dear," she murmured. "That is a problem."
"Thought you might see it that way."
"But," Hannah added thoughtfully, "perhaps she could use a nice long rest."
He grumbled something again, then said, "Juana doesn't need rest. Believe me."
"Hmmm… " Hannah's mind was whirling, looking for a solution to this newest development. How could she work her way into Jonas's house and his affections if he already had a cook who wasn't even interested in taking some time off?
Blast Blake Wolcott and the boat that had brought him from England! This was all his fault. If the British warlock weren't so hungry for power, none of this would have happened and she could be safely at home now.
Jonas pulled his horse to a stop alongside an older man whose gaze locked on her suspiciously. "Elias," Jonas said and swung down from the saddle, "take Miss Lowell back to town."
Back to town?
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