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“I’m going to need to see to see something a little more official than that.”
Nova had been expecting this. She pulled the manila folder out of her bag and handed it over. Grudgingly, Priscilla flipped it open and then stared down at the document for a long time.
Nova knew that she wasn’t studying the document. She was pretending to study it while she considered her next move.
Finally, as Nova was pleasantly daydreaming about that humdinger of a wedding kiss, Priscilla closed the folder. She looked up at Gunner. “How long have you known Ms. Silvernail?”
“Long enough,” he said gruffly.
Priscilla narrowed her eyes at him as she picked up a pencil and centered a notepad on her desk. “I’m going to need you to be more specific than that.” She pursed her lips as if she’d caught him in a net.
There was no net.
“We grew up in the same church,” Gunner said.
Priscilla didn’t like that.
“And how long have you been dating?”
The quickness of his response stunned Nova. “We haven’t been dating. When I learned that Nova had moved back home and wanted to settle down, I asked her to marry me before anyone else could snatch her up.”
Priscilla was growing more miserable by the second, and Nova was relishing it even as she knew she shouldn’t be. “Why don’t you two have a seat.” It was more an order than an invitation.
Nova sat, and Gunner moved his chair closer to hers before slowly lowering himself into it as if he didn’t quite trust it. Then he reached over and grabbed her hand again.
Nova didn’t think it was possible to be in love with this man yet, but she was gaining on it every minute.
“So tell me about the job.”
Gunner was on a roll, so Nova looked to him, silently asking him to take the lead.
He didn’t need to be asked twice. “There are a hundred jobs on the ranch. Nova can help me with most of them. I can put her on the payroll if you need a paper trail. But the kids will always come first, so I will never ask her to put working ahead of their welfare.”
Finn couldn’t have been further off. This guy was no big, dumb oaf.
Priscilla shook her head. “I’m sorry. I’m having trouble believing that this all happened organically.”
“It doesn’t matter how it happened,” Gunner said. “We care about each other, we are committed to each other, we are legally married, and we live in a giant house. A safe house. A house with heat and hot water and food. A house where kids will be provided for, protected, and loved. What more could you possibly want for them?”
Priscilla leaned back in her chair, looking a bit defeated.
“Well, I will need some time to consider these new developments. And I’ll need to come see the home, naturally.”
Nova felt Gunner grow angry.
“You can do all that with the kids in their sister’s house,” he said through a tight jaw.
Priscilla pursed her lips again. “They are safe where they are. I will not be bullied into rushing the process, Mr. Bridge.”
“I don’t bully anyone,” Gunner said, his voice eerily level, each syllable coming out on the same note. “Do you know Frank Bender?”
Some color drained from her face. “Are you threatening me?”
“I don’t bullyorthreaten people, ma’am. Frank’s daughter, Jenna, also an attorney, is my sister-in-law. If those kids aren’t sleeping under our roof tonight, Frank will be giving you a call.”
“That was a threat.”
“It was not. We are giving you as much information as we can so that you can make the decision that is best for the kids.”
