AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“At your current pace, we’ll be here all day while you swoon over ink on paper.”
“Excuse me for having a heart.” I attempt to snatch the letter back, only to have Julian trap my hand.
His heartbeat quickens beneath my palm, and I look up to find his eyes locked on our hands. They slowly drag away, stopping to linger on my lips before finally reaching my eyes.
His hand tightens around mine before he drops it altogether. I’m too stunned by everything to do much but listen as he picks up where I left off.
“It’s been three years since I last saw you, and while so much has changed, my love for you has never wavered. Our monthly letters keep me going despite the trials and tribulations I have been through to help turn this town into a suitable home for you.”
My bottom lip trembles.
Julian spares me a sideways glance before focusing back on the letter. “I have been working hard to earn your hand in marriage, although the path has not been the easiest. Building an entire town from nothing takes time, and I am afraid I am running out of it now that your father has started discussing marrying you off to another.”
I gasp. “What? How could the dad do that?”
“Because feminism wasn’t exactly a thing yet.”
“Ugh.” I shake my head hard enough to make my earrings rattle.
Julian keeps going. “I thought I had more time before he began entertaining other suitors, but I am fearful that he might make a decision before I have a chance to fight for your hand.”
I tap on the page. “What are you doing? Keep reading!”
His gaze flicks back over the paper. “I will stop at nothing to make you mine.”
The back of my neck tingles as his eyes lock on mine. We hold each other’s gaze for the briefest second, yet it feels like an eternity has passed before we break away.
“Once he sees all that I have done to make Lake Wisteria a town suitable for you, he will agree to my proposal. I am certain of it.”
“Couldn’t women get married without their father’s permission back then?” I ask.
“Probably not without serious repercussions.” Julian continues, “Our home is nearly complete. Although the process has taken me longer than I would have liked, my final plan is in motion.”
“The gazebo?” My voice hits a higher pitch than usual.
Julian nods. “You always dreamed of getting married below a gazebo similar to the one we met under, and I have plans to do that.”
My hand clenches around the material of my shirt, right above my aching heart. “He wanted to build her a gazebo.”
“Are you seriously going to cry over people you don’t know?”
“Of course not,” I sputter.
Julian mutters something to himself before wrapping up the final paragraph.
“I shall return for you in six months, once my affairs are in order and the house is complete. Until then, I ask that you do everything within your power to prevent your father from marrying you off to another man.”
I rub at my itchy eyes. “Why didn’t she run away with him?”
“And risk losing everything and everyone she cared about?”
“Sometimes people are worth the risk.”
He scoffs.
Ugh. Este hombre.“I don’t expect you to understand.”
He crosses his arms. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
