by Jenna Brandt
“I never published that,” Willa corrected. “Several women in town have entered into a great and successful marriage after placing an ad for a husband. I was desperate, and sometimes you think about doing desperate things when you have no other choice.”
“Like proposing an arranged marriage to a complete stranger?” Harrison said snidely. “Believe me, I have the complete picture now.”
“Yes, in the beginning, that was true. But that isn’t the case now. I truly care for you, Harrison, and it’s not because of the money.”
Harrison could barely look at Willa. Between the anger and the disappointment, he couldn’t see straight. “I have to go. I can’t stay here any longer.”
Harrison marched out of the Brown home and walked towards town, ignoring his carriage waiting outside. He needed time to think, and a strong, brisk walk would help clear his head.
As the anger dissipated, Harrison realized he should have stayed and let Willa explain. He had been so upset, his only thoughts were of escape. Now that he had time to think rather than react, guilt flooded his heart.
His past hurt over women who only wanted to be with him for his money had shadowed his situation with Willa. If he thought about how she had behaved while they were together, it was clear she never gave him the impression she was like the other women that had pursued him.
Willa was kind, generous, and thoughtful. She put her family and friends first, working hard for everyone and taking very little time for herself.
Deep regret filled his heart as he walked into the inn. What had he done? Why had he reacted so harshly? Was it because of the money? Suddenly, the truth hit him square in the chest; he was in love with Willa Brown. That was why he had been so upset. He was jealous of George Caldwell. The possibility that Willa loved another man the way Harrison wanted her to love him made him seethe with envy. And now, Harrison had done the very thing that would drive her right into the arms of Mr. Caldwell. Harrison might very well have lost the only woman he ever loved, and he only had himself to blame.
Chapter Ten
A fitful night of sleep was all Willa had to show from the time Harrison left her home to the following morning. Part of her wanted to rush after him and tell him how much she cared, but her pride kept her from doing it.
He was the one who was in the wrong. He had gone through her personal things, read private information, and jumped to the wrong conclusions about all of it. She wasn’t about to beg a man who thought so little of her to give her a second chance.
The day had started early with a long list of chores. Currently, Willa was sweeping the front porch when she heard the unwelcomed voice of Amos Cohen.
“Good afternoon, Miss Brown. I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time.”
Her body stiffened, hating the fact the awful man was back on her family’s land. She spun around to see him standing in the walkway’s center.
“What do you want, Mr. Cohen?” she asked in the iciest tone she could manage.
“I’m here for the money,” he said with a wicked grin, “but I’m guessing you don’t have it, do you?”
Willa placed the broom against the wall, then moved out towards the edge of the porch. She placed her hands on the rail and stated, “I don’t have it right now, but I’ll find a way to have it to the bank by the deadline.”
The words sounded hallow even to her own ears. They both knew she was bluffing.
Mr. Cohen closed the distance between them, stopping just a few feet away from her. “You know, there’s another form of payment; one I’d be happy to collect if you’re willing to offer it.”
Willa shrank back, shaking her head. “I don’t know what type of woman you think I am, but I don’t barter in that way.”
He grabbed her roughly by the arm, then yanked her towards him as he spat out, “Do you think you’re too high and mighty for me? I heard you were off in some town learning to make fancy dresses. Now, here you are, wearing a dress designed to catch a man’s eye. Yet once you succeed, you turn bashful. No one likes a tease.”
Offended, she shouted at him, “I’ll have you know, I’m no such thing.”
The man pushed her up against the wall of the house, then let his hand roam down the side of her body, resting just at her hip. He whispered in a lecherous tone, “On the contrary, you were made to tease a man, but I don’t settle just for a view. I want a taste,” he said, bending down, trying to capture her lips with his own.
Willa shook her head from side to side, mumbling out, “Stop it. Get your hands off me. You wait until my papa hears about this.”
“There’s no one to protect you, little girl. You already said your father’s ill. I know the only two people left on this farm is a frail old lady and a stupid little kid.”
Willa realized quickly that if she didn’t get away from him, this deplorable man would compromise her virtue. She had to do whatever it took to get free. She reached up and smacked his face as hard as she could. He flinched, giving her a moment to slip past him. She moved towards the door of the house, but before she could turn the handle, he had his hands on her again.
“I can’t believe you hit me. You’re going to regret that,” the man threatened, gripping her so tight she yelped in pain.
Before he could follow through, Georgie’s voice interrupted the attack. “Get your hands off her right now.”
Georgie roughly yanked the man away from Willa as he gave the debt collector a contemptuous glare. “You should get out of here before I break your nose for thinking you have the right to touch her like that!”
“Why don’t you stay out of this. This is official bank business,” Mr. Cohen said as he turned and scowled at Georgie.
“I doubt the bank would approve of you treating a lady like that,” Georgie countered, returning the glare and moving menacingly towards the other man. “You would be best to be on your way.”
Reluctantly, the debt collector trudged over to his horse, then climbed up. Giving them one more scornful look, he tossed over his shoulder at them, “The next time I come back, I’m bringing the papers to foreclose on this place. You’ll be out on your high-and-mighty rear and regretting your choice to treat me this way.”
A shiver crept up Willa’s spine as she watched him ride off. She wished it wasn’t true, but Mr. Cohen’s threat wasn’t empty. They would lose the farm, and there was nothing she could do about it now that everything was ruined with Harrison.
“Are you all right?” she heard Georgie ask beside her.
Rubbing her arms where the debt collector had grabbed her, she nodded. “It’ll bruise, but the soreness will go away in a couple of days.”
“See, Willa, this proves you need a man to protect you.”
“I’m fine, Georgie. You’re making more out of this than you need to.”
“You think so? That man would have had his way with you if I hadn’t arrived when I did. Where was Harrison Holt while all this was going on? Isn’t it his job as your beau to keep you safe?”
Willa didn’t feel like telling Georgie about her fight with Harrison. The situation was already difficult enough without the added complication of Georgie thinking the fight gave him an opportunity to step in and win her over.
“I’m sure he’s helping the town with reconstruction,” Willa said, side-stepping his lack of presence in her life. “He’s a busy man, Georgie.”
“He shouldn’t be too busy for you, Willa. You should be his priority, not an afterthought. Besides, he can never protect you the way I can,” Georgie said, gently placing his hand on the side of her face. “If you would just give me a chance, you would see that for yourself.”
“Georgie, we missed our chance while I was living in Rockwood Springs. You shouldn’t have come out here.”
“I know you’re worried about your family, but we can figure something out. If you let the farm go, all of you can move to Rockwood Springs. Your family can live with us once we’re married.”
“I can’t just make them lea
ve their home here. My papa spent his whole life—his sweat and tears—on this farm. We all have friends here.”
“You have friends in Rockwood Springs too, and your family can make new ones there. People start over all the time.”
“I can’t leave Silverpines,” Willa declared, the idea of leaving town without trying to fix things with Harrison seemed incomprehensible to Willa.
“Why not?” Georgie asked with frustration. “What’s keeping you here that’s so important?”
“I can’t leave Harrison,” she blurted out.
“I don’t know why you think you have a chance with him. I overheard your brother talking in town about your fight with Mr. Holt. You should have known a relationship with him would never work. You need someone who lives in our world, who can handle people like that debt collector. Not some man who never gets his hands dirty, and wouldn’t know hard work if it hit him square in the face. Harrison Holt is too fancy for you.”
“Stop that! Don’t talk about Harrison that way. He’s strong and capable as any man, including you,” Willa defended. “He’s also kind and generous, and I would be honored to call him my husband.”
“You’re just blinded by his charm and money. You don’t want to see him for what he is,” Georgie shouted, balling up his fists at his side.
Willa pointed towards the road. “You should go, Georgie. There’s no place for you in my life anymore.”
“Don’t make a fool of yourself over him, Willa. You’re going to regret chasing after him,” Georgie warned. “He’ll smell your desperation a mile away.”
“I’m not desperate, Georgie. I’m in love.” The words slipped out before Willa even realized she said them, but there was no taking them back.
They stared at each other for several moments before Georgie whispered, “I see. Then there really is no chance for us.” He blinked several times before adding, “I hope he makes you happy, Willa.”
As she watched Georgie walk away, she wondered if she was making the right choice. There was no guarantee she could work things out with Harrison, but she realized, if she couldn’t be with the man she loved, she would rather be alone. She wouldn‘t settle for anything less.
Ever since his fight with Willa, doubt had plagued Harrison. He had been angry in the moment, thinking the worst of Willa and her motives. Considering what he found, he thought walking away from her was the smart thing to do; however, he couldn’t convince his heart.
The more time that passed, the more he realized he might have overreacted, which was unusual for him. He was a man that dealt in facts. He prided himself on being reasonable, but somehow when it came to Willa Brown, all reason left him.
His heart ached every time he thought about her warm smile, enchanting laugh, and kind spirit. In just a few weeks, she had found a permanent place in his life, and the idea of not having her there anymore didn’t seem possible. Harrison was realizing he was in love with Willa Brown. He just wasn’t sure what to do about it.
“You know, Harrison, rather than mope about her all the time, you should just go talk to Willa,” Braylon said, as he placed his hand over the stack of papers his friend was reading at the desk in the lawyer’s office. “I’m not sure what happened between the two of you, but I know both of you well enough to know you can work it out.”
“I’m not sure about that, Braylon. I found out things about Willa I didn’t expect.”
“Like what, Harrison? What could be so awful that you ended your contact?”
“She had plans to take out an advertisement for a husband before she met me. Can you believe that?” Harrison asked with disbelief.
“I would be careful condemning that action around here,” Braylon said, crossing his arms over his chest. “Most of the women, including my wife, found husbands that way.”
Harrison’s eyes grew wide. Even though Braylon and Harrison had corresponded over the years, that piece of information never came up.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. It’s not the fact she would do it, but rather the fact that the advert asked for a man of means.”
“She was desperate, Harrison, and sometimes people do things in desperate situations they wouldn’t consider otherwise.”
“I know that, but does that mean she was with me out of desperation? How would I ever know if she genuinely wanted to be with me or if it was because she had to? I thought I could accept the nature of our relationship, but when I found those advertisements along with the love letter from George Caldwell inside her journal filled with her doubts about us, I questioned everything between us.”
“You read her journal, Harrison? How could you?” Braylon accused. “No wonder she’s upset with you. Tonya would skin me alive if I read her private thoughts like that.”
The guilt Harrison had been pushing away over his actions came flooding back. Braylon was right. He had behaved abhorrently. “Reading her journal was wrong. I admit it. I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do. You were jealous—a feeling I’m certain you’re not used to. You decided to figure it out behind her back rather than ask her about Mr. Caldwell.”
“It didn’t start out that way. I had no idea I would find all of that when I was looking for paper to write a retraction,” Harrison defended, leaning back in the chair behind the desk.
“We both know it doesn’t matter what your intentions were. Your actions prove otherwise.”
“You’re right, Braylon. I’ve made a lot of mistakes with Willa. No wonder she’s mad at me.”
“You can fix it though, Harrison, if you’re just willing to admit that to her.”
“I think it’s too late for that. I broke her trust.” Standing up, Harrison shook his head. “There is something I need to do though.”
“What’s that?” Braylon asked with curiosity.
“When you love someone, you’ll do whatever you can to make them happy, even if that means you do it without being in their life.”
Harrison hurried from the lawyer’s office and headed over to the bank. Once inside, he asked to speak with the bank manager.
“What can I do for you, Mr. Holt?” asked the lean, tall man with a modest mustache and a short beard that matched his dark hair.
“I need you to take care of something for me,” Harrison explained. “In private,” he added, glancing around at the other customers in the bank.
“Why don’t we go in my office,” Mr. Richards suggested, gesturing towards the back of the building.
Once they were alone, Harrison said, “When I first came out here, I opened an account and moved substantial funds to this bank from New York. I need to take a portion of it and use it to pay the loan off for the Brown Farm.”
Mr. Richard’s eyes grew round with shock. “Does that mean you’re marrying Miss Willa, then? Is this to be a wedding gift?”
“No, there’s to be no strings attached,” Harrison said taking a seat. “I don’t even want her to know I did it. I want you to have someone deliver the papers to her anonymously once it’s taken care of.”
“If that’s your wish, Mr. Holt,” the other man said, writing down the details. “I’ll need you to stay to fill out a few documents to get this handled right away.”
Two hours later, Harrison was finished at the bank after making sure a messenger took the documents to Willa.
Harrison had one more place he needed to go. It would be difficult, but Willa’s happiness was all that mattered. Harrison marched up the stairs and down the hall of the inn. He took in a deep breath and knocked on the room door.
The door opened to reveal George Caldwell on the other side. “What do you want? Are you here to gloat?” George asked with irritation.
“What are you talking about?” Harrison asked with confusion. “I’m here to tell you I won’t stand in your way of being with Willa. You obviously love her, and I think she cares for you too. I want her to be happy.”
George’s thick eyebrows shot up in surprise. “You would honestly st
ep aside if you thought it would make her happy?”
“I would. Willa matters that much to me,” Harrison confessed.
“She does to me as well, which is why—even as tempting as it is—I can’t let you leave without telling you the truth. I visited Willa yesterday, and she made it clear there was no future for us. What’s more, she told me she loves you.”
“She did?” Harrison asked, a spark of hope reigniting in his heart. “She said the words out loud?”
“And then some, she defended you and pledged her devotion. You would be a fool to not do the same.”
“You’re right, Mr. Caldwell. I would be a fool to let Willa Brown get away.” Reaching out, he patted the other man on the shoulder as he said, “Thank you, thank you very much.”
Harrison rushed from Mr. Caldwell’s room down the hall towards his own room. Inside, he opened a dresser drawer and pulled out a velvet lined ring box. He had purchased it a couple of days ago in Astoria, knowing that he planned to propose officially to Willa once he knew for certain she loved him. Harrison wouldn‘t put it off again. He would risk asking her even if she rejected him.
He left his room and made his way downstairs and through the lobby towards the exit. Harrison pushed the door open just as someone was coming inside. He glanced up and was taken aback to find Willa standing just in front of him.
“What are you doing here?” Harrison asked, but before she could answer, he added, “I was just coming to talk to you.”
A tentative smile formed on Willa’s lips as she softly said, “I was coming here to do the same.”
“Really?” Harrison asked, a little more hope filling his heart. “What about?”
“Can we discuss it somewhere besides the middle of the entrance of the hotel?”
Harrison chuckled as he nodded. “That’s probably a good idea. Would you care to have lunch with me?”
“I’d like that,” Willa said, letting him take her by the arm and guide her towards the restaurant.
Once they were seated at a table and the waiter had taken their orders, Harrison said, “You look lovely today, Willa.”
