“What are you talking about?”
“Three days ago someone threw a rock through my living room window with a threatening note for me to leave town, and two days ago someone torched my house. Luckily I wasn’t there at the time.”
“Someone set Dad’s house on fire?”
She’d heard the shock in his voice and she heard something else, too. Empathy. This was the first time she’d heard him refer to Herman as “Dad.”
“Yes.”
“I didn’t have anything to do with that, Elizabeth. Your mother and I would never put you in danger like that. What kind of parents do you think we are?”
“Controlling. But I didn’t call to exchange words, Dad. I’m just calling for you and Mother to share my good news. I got married yesterday.”
“What!”
“That’s right. I got married to a wonderful man by the name of Jason Westmoreland.”
“Westmoreland?”
“Yes.”
“I went to schools with some Westmorelands. Their land was connected to ours.”
“Probably his parents. They’re deceased now.”
“Sorry to hear that, but I hope you know why he married you. He wants that land. But don’t worry about it, dear. It can easily be remedied once you file for an annulment.”
She shook her head. Her parents just didn’t get it. “Jason didn’t force me to marry him, Dad. I married him of my own free will.”
“Listen, Elizabeth, you haven’t been living out there even a full month. You don’t know this guy. I will not allow you to marry him.”
“Dad, I am already married to him and I plan to send your attorney a copy of our marriage license so the hold on my trust fund will be lifted.”
“You think you’re smart, Elizabeth. I know what you’re doing and I won’t allow it. You don’t love him and he can’t love you.”
“Sounds pretty much like the same setup you and Mom have got going. The same kind of marriage you wanted me to enter with Hugh. So what’s the problem? I don’t see where there is one and I refuse to discuss the matter with you any longer. Goodbye, Dad. Give Mom my best.” She then clicked off the phone.
“I take it the news of our marriage didn’t go over well with your father.”
She glanced over at Jason who was lying beside her and smiled faintly. “Did you really expect that it would?”
“No and it really doesn’t matter. They’ll just have to get over it.”
She snuggled closer to him. That was one of the things she liked about Jason. He was his own man. “What time do we have to check out of here?”
“By noon. And then we’ll be on our way to Jason’s Place.”
She had to restrain the happiness she felt upon knowing they would be going to his home where she would live for at least the next twelve months. “Are there any do’s and don’ts that I need to know about?”
He lifted a brow. “Do’s and don’ts?”
“Yes. My time at your home is limited. I don’t want to jeopardize my welcome.” She could have sworn she’d seen something flash in his eyes but couldn’t be certain.
“You’d never jeopardize your welcome and no, there are no do’s and don’ts that will apply to you, unless…”
Now it was her turn to raise a brow. “Unless what?”
“You take a notion to paint my bedroom pink or some thing.”
She couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. She calmed down enough to ask, “What about yellow? Will that do?”
“Not one of my favorite colors but I guess it will work.”
She smiled as she snuggled even closer to him. She was looking forward to living under the same roof with Jason.
“Bella?”
She glanced up. “Yes?”
“The last time we made love, I didn’t use a condom.”
She’d been aware of it but hadn’t expected him to talk about it. “Yes, I know.”
“It wasn’t intentional.”
“I know that, too,” she said softly. There was no reason he would want to get her pregnant. That would only throw a monkey wrench in their agreement.