Holding On (Wildcreek Ranch Series Book 3)

Chapter Twenty-Three

"Shoot," she asked him with a sigh.

"These three months you have to spend more or less every weekend with me and Robbie unless there's some emergency, of course," he conditioned. Rihanna shook her head.

"Hunter, that's not possible. My granddad and dad are against me staying the night here. They have a reputation in Fordsville and since it's a close knit community where everyone knows one another, they will start gossiping about me and you. It will affect our goodwill. My family business survives on goodwill," she explained.

Hunter sat quietly, thinking about what she just told him. "You're twenty-six and old enough to get married. Why should they have any objection to your spending the night here? Have you told them I wish to marry you?" He asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"No, they wouldn't take it well now that everyone's angry at home," said Rihanna.

"Why? Is there something that you're not telling me?" asked Hunter, looking at her fidgeting with her hands, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Actually, since I was eighteen, my granddad has been after me to marry his best friend Grant Davison's grandson, Elvis. He is a cardiologist and one of the Board of directors at Fordsville Public Hospital. I've avoided them all my life, keeping myself busy with my career. Grandad didn't bother me seeing that I was really not ready for marriage, but now he feels that the time has arrived to torment me to marry Elvis," she told him with a sigh.

"In that case, the only solution is to marry me as soon as possible," said Hunter.

"How can marrying you be a solution?" she asked with curiosity.

"If you marry me, your granddad won't have any objection. Your family's goodwill wouldn't be ruined. Elgin wouldn't bother you to marry him. It's a win-win situation for all of us," he reasoned.

Rihanna thought about what he told her. He was right, but Elvis never bothered her that way. The last few years, she hadn't even met him. He was married to his job and was very good at it. She was socially awkward and hardly attended any get-together where he would be present. Maybe he knew she didn't like him and wanted to avoid him. Whatever the reason, she was thankful that he didn't pursue her. Although her family didn't pressurize her actually but she knew that her granddad still wanted her to marry Elvis.

"Maybe, but I won't hurry this, Hunter, whatever you say," she continued stubbornly. Hunter shrugged, giving up. She was stubborn, and there was no way that he could convince her. He had to think of another plan soon.

"Then go to Elver and marry him," he said, looking away. Rihanna noticed he was again back to being upset with a scowl on his face. She collected their plates quietly, clearing their dinner away. "You can go home and start your preparations to marry your Elvin," he said, his mood deteriorating.

"It's Elvis, dammit, and I'm not interested in him. If I were, I would have married him eight years ago," she pointed out. Hunter's eyes widened. That Elvin guy waited for her for eight years? What was he then? A saint? He was then lucky that she just asked him to wait just for three months and not three years! Why did women need to think so much?

"He's been waiting for you for the last eight years?" he asked with a jaw dropped gaze, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Yes," said Rihanna, suspiciously eyeing Hunter, waiting for his next crazy retort.

"Then I can give you three months' time, but after that, I'll abduct you if you don't marry me," he threatened her. "I'm not Elven, I won't wait for eight years," He grumbled. Rihanna rolled her eyes. He looked like a hot, impatient cowboy, the abductor type, not the serene, gentle type at all.

"His God damn name is Elvis." Hunter shrugged. He wasn't interested in his name. He was burning with jealousy, thinking about the man who had waited eight years for her.

"Whatever," he said, looking jealous. Rihanna got up to rinse the dishes. "Where are you going?" he asked, looking at her with worry.

"To the kitchen to rinse these dishes. Why?" she asked with curiosity. Now, what did he want?

"Just leave them in the kitchen and come back. Gemma can do it," he ordered.

"No, we can't make Gemma do everything. I'll rinse them," she argued.

"Then hurry," he said impatiently.

"Why?" she asked with more curiosity.

"I need help to take a shower," he grunted, with eyes dancing with amusement seeing her horrified expression. She walked out with flushed cheeks. How would she bathe him? Would he shed all this clothes? Oh God! She rinsed the dishes in slow motion while her ears turned hot, her neck and face turned red with embarrassment. She had touched him under the duvet and knew how massive he was, but she hadn't seen him yet.