court me.”
“That’s great.” Hannah looked at her and paused. “That’s not great?”
Victoria threw her hands in the air. “No, it’s terrible!”
“What did you say?”
“I told him no.”
Hannah rubbed her forehead. “Oh dear.”
“What?”
“Well, I never did get the impression the Butlers were good with the word no, lovey.”
Victoria snorted. “He takes entirely too many liberties—”
“You sound like your mother.” Hannah pursed her lips. “Or, like an old southern woman.”
“Not the time for jokes, Hannah.”
“Bugger.” Hannah grinned. “Sorry.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “It was like he was parading me in front of them.”
“Almost as though he was proud of you? What a jerk !”
Victoria crossed her arms. “HoBo, he’s a total player. I’m not interested in getting into that all over again.”
Hannah mimicked her stance. “So, it’s time for you to push him away before he can do it to you, right?”
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
Hannah held her hands up in surrender. “Just because Logan was an arse, does not mean Quincy is. If he’s anything like his brother, he’s incredibly loyal, protective, and loving.”
“I can’t,” Victoria said quietly. “I just can’t.”
Hannah patted her cheek. “JoBo, you have to let someone in some time.”
“You’re in. That’s good enough for me.”
“Victoria!”
Victoria bit her lip. “I was starting to let Ben in. Doesn’t that count?”
“Ben’s not here, and I can’t imagine your attraction to him being as intense as your attraction to Quincy.”
Victoria sighed. “You mentioned we were going to Harrisburg in a couple of days?”
Hannah nodded. “Yes, Christopher wants to buy some horses.”
Victoria wrung her hands. “Can we go today?”
“What good would that do?”
“It would hopefully make him forget me.”
“Riiight.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I know that Stephen and Christine will be leaving as soon as possible, so if you want to, you can probably go back with them. You can stay with us when we get there. But are you sure you want to do that?”
“I need some distance. Just don’t tell Quincy.”
“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable with that.”
“If he knows I’m going, he’ll refuse the surgery and won’t heal.” Victoria grabbed Hannah’s hands. “Please, can we keep it a secret? Just for a few days?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, JoBo.” Hannah sighed. “I get that you’re scared and I get that he’s pushy, but I also happen to like what I’ve seen of him so far.”
“So, you do think I’m overreacting?”
Hannah made the inch symbol with her thumb and index finger. “Just a skosh.”
Victoria bit her lip. “I’m still leaving.”
“I hear you.” Hannah looped her arm with Victoria’s. “Come and have something to eat. Gwen and Andrew are in the dining room and there are a few sandwiches and brunch type things put out for Stephen’s arrival.”
Hannah led her to the dining room and Victoria was surprised to see two women with Gwen. The man she assumed was Andrew, the women she couldn’t have guessed. Andrew stood when the girls walked into the room and smiled.
“Good morning,” Hannah said. “I notice there are a few sandwiches left, Andrew. Are you not hungry?” He chuckled. Hannah pulled Victoria forward. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Victoria Carrington. She’s a close friend of mine and has been taking care of Quincy.”
Victoria noticed the woman next to Gwen scowl, but then the expression left her face so quickly, Victoria wondered if she’d imagined it. Almost.
“Victoria, this is Charity. She would technically be Gwen’s friend, I suppose, but they are far more like sisters, and I have grown fond of her as well.”
Charity smiled as she stood and shook Victoria’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Victoria. Gwen told us about your heroic rescue of Quincy. I can’t wait to hear the whole
“That’s great.” Hannah looked at her and paused. “That’s not great?”
Victoria threw her hands in the air. “No, it’s terrible!”
“What did you say?”
“I told him no.”
Hannah rubbed her forehead. “Oh dear.”
“What?”
“Well, I never did get the impression the Butlers were good with the word no, lovey.”
Victoria snorted. “He takes entirely too many liberties—”
“You sound like your mother.” Hannah pursed her lips. “Or, like an old southern woman.”
“Not the time for jokes, Hannah.”
“Bugger.” Hannah grinned. “Sorry.”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “It was like he was parading me in front of them.”
“Almost as though he was proud of you? What a jerk !”
Victoria crossed her arms. “HoBo, he’s a total player. I’m not interested in getting into that all over again.”
Hannah mimicked her stance. “So, it’s time for you to push him away before he can do it to you, right?”
Victoria narrowed her eyes.
Hannah held her hands up in surrender. “Just because Logan was an arse, does not mean Quincy is. If he’s anything like his brother, he’s incredibly loyal, protective, and loving.”
“I can’t,” Victoria said quietly. “I just can’t.”
Hannah patted her cheek. “JoBo, you have to let someone in some time.”
“You’re in. That’s good enough for me.”
“Victoria!”
Victoria bit her lip. “I was starting to let Ben in. Doesn’t that count?”
“Ben’s not here, and I can’t imagine your attraction to him being as intense as your attraction to Quincy.”
Victoria sighed. “You mentioned we were going to Harrisburg in a couple of days?”
Hannah nodded. “Yes, Christopher wants to buy some horses.”
Victoria wrung her hands. “Can we go today?”
“What good would that do?”
“It would hopefully make him forget me.”
“Riiight.” Hannah rolled her eyes. “I know that Stephen and Christine will be leaving as soon as possible, so if you want to, you can probably go back with them. You can stay with us when we get there. But are you sure you want to do that?”
“I need some distance. Just don’t tell Quincy.”
“I’m not sure if I feel comfortable with that.”
“If he knows I’m going, he’ll refuse the surgery and won’t heal.” Victoria grabbed Hannah’s hands. “Please, can we keep it a secret? Just for a few days?”
“I don’t know what you want me to say, JoBo.” Hannah sighed. “I get that you’re scared and I get that he’s pushy, but I also happen to like what I’ve seen of him so far.”
“So, you do think I’m overreacting?”
Hannah made the inch symbol with her thumb and index finger. “Just a skosh.”
Victoria bit her lip. “I’m still leaving.”
“I hear you.” Hannah looped her arm with Victoria’s. “Come and have something to eat. Gwen and Andrew are in the dining room and there are a few sandwiches and brunch type things put out for Stephen’s arrival.”
Hannah led her to the dining room and Victoria was surprised to see two women with Gwen. The man she assumed was Andrew, the women she couldn’t have guessed. Andrew stood when the girls walked into the room and smiled.
“Good morning,” Hannah said. “I notice there are a few sandwiches left, Andrew. Are you not hungry?” He chuckled. Hannah pulled Victoria forward. “Everyone, I’d like to introduce Victoria Carrington. She’s a close friend of mine and has been taking care of Quincy.”
Victoria noticed the woman next to Gwen scowl, but then the expression left her face so quickly, Victoria wondered if she’d imagined it. Almost.
“Victoria, this is Charity. She would technically be Gwen’s friend, I suppose, but they are far more like sisters, and I have grown fond of her as well.”
Charity smiled as she stood and shook Victoria’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Victoria. Gwen told us about your heroic rescue of Quincy. I can’t wait to hear the whole
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