Mr. Hannan made a strangled sound in his throat as he followed her gaze.
“I believe I see my future husband right now. If you’ll excuse me, Mr. Hannan.” Not bothering to return inside to retrieve her carpetbag, Tilly stepped away. She had absolutely no intention of speaking to any of the men nearby, but he didn’t need to know that.
She’d made it three steps before a hand wrapped around her arm.
“What are you doing?” he asked, quickly dropping his hand.
She turned and lifted her chin. “Exactly what I said was going to do.”
Mr. Hannan’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean? You can’t simply walk up to a stranger and ask if he’ll marry you.”
Tilly let her gaze stray back down the sidewalk. One fellow had stepped away from the half-finished building he’d been leaning against and was staring at her intently now. A chill ran down Tilly’s arms, but this time it wasn’t from the winter air. She set her jaw and looked back up at Mr. Hannan. “I don’t see why not. After all, I came here to find a husband, and if you’re not interested, I’ll need to find someone else.”
“That’s utterly foolish.” He waved a hand at the men down the road. “Not a single one of those fellows is someone I’d let near my worst enemy, much less a young lady like you.”
“I’m not your responsibility,” Tilly reminded him. “After all, you don’t know me. And you aren’t interested in marriage. Remember?”
He pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, as if she were giving him a headache.
“I’m not returning home, Mr. Hannan,” she said softly. “There’s no future for me there. Not one I’d be satisfied with, anyway.” She glanced across the road to where the mountains reached into the gray sky. Despite the dreary clouds, Tilly had never seen anything more beautiful. “This is where I want to be.”
When she turned to look back at him, she found him staring off at the mountains too. The corners of his mouth had lifted, and she wondered if he felt the same way.
“May I help you, then?” he finally said, turning those blue eyes toward her. Tilly imagined that their color might match the sky here on a summer’s day.
“You’re going to help me find a husband?” She tried not to sound skeptical, but it was impossible.
His neck went pink. “I don’t know about that. But I can get you a room at a reputable boarding house. It’s the least I can do, since I’m the reason you’re here.”
It was a start.
Tilly nodded. “I would appreciate that very much. Thank you, Mr. Hannan.”
He shifted his weight again and held out a hand toward the land office, not meeting her gaze. “Shall we get your bag?”
Tilly moved past him, and she was certain she could feel his eyes on her as she walked.
Liam Hannan didn’t know it yet, but he would marry her. She just had to let him figure that out on his own.
Chapter Five
LIAM DIDN’T QUITE KNOWwhat to make of Miss Wright.
Two days had passed since her arrival. One moment, she was gazing at him as if she could find no one else more interesting, and the next, she was asking his opinion on some other gentleman.
