she had a guilty conscience.
Damn me for reminding her. “Ella!” he called, and marched after her. To his surprise, the bedroom door wouldn’t open. There was no lock on the inside, and Ed knew she’d blocked the door with the dresser.
“Ella, open this door right now!”
To his surprise, she obeyed a few seconds later.
The faint sound of wood scratching against wood came through the walls. The door opened, and Ella stood with tears streaming down her face, wearing the same clothing and hiking boots she’d been wearing three days ago on the mountain. She held her backpack between her hands.
“I have to go home now,” she said. “I know it hasn’t been seven days yet, and I don’t know if the reward has increased, but I can’t let my family suffer for my selfishness.” She looked at her feet.
Ed’s heart broke. She didn’t want to stay. If she had wanted to stay, despite her guilt, she would’ve said so.
“All right,” Ed finally said. “We can leave as soon as you’re ready.”
Five minutes later, Ed was speeding down the long gravel driveway. Ella sat in the passenger seat, staring sullenly out the window. There was no need to blindfold her this time. So what if she knew where he lived? Obviously, her mind to leave was made up.
Pride kept Ed silent, kept him from confessing his true feelings. Confessing such feelings would only paint him a fool when Ella evidently didn’t share them.
And Ed Peters was no one’s fool. So he pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and his heart hardened and hardened as Ella’s house drew nearer. By the time they pulled into her driveway a few hours later, he felt cold and numb. A hardened heart cannot break.
“Good-bye, Ella,” he said, staring straight ahead.
She paused with her hand on the door. “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked. “The reward…”
“…doesn’t appeal to me,” he finished, still staring straight ahead. “Go back to your family, Ella. Just tell them you got lost in the woods. Or you know what, I don’t care what you tell them.”
“Fine,” she muttered, and slammed the door so hard the SUV shuddered.
Ed backed out of the driveway before Ella reached the front door of the brick mansion. He had no desire to watch her family pull her inside with tears and kisses. Solitude was his only desire, so he drove back the way he’d come, cursing the name Ella Emerson all the way.
If only they’d met under different circumstances.
If only…
* * *
Ella couldn’t remember having ever cried so much in her life. Her mother wouldn’t let her out of eyesight. Relatives and friends called every five minutes to welcome her home. Each conversation left her an emotional wreck.
There was so much guilt—guilt upon guilt stacked up heavy on her chest.
Not only had she run away to avoid marrying Brandon Andrews, but she’d lied about it as well.
She’d done just as Ed had suggested in anger—
declaring she had gotten lost in the woods during an early morning hike on the morning of her wedding.
Lying hadn’t been her first intention, but the words had come rushing out before she’d found courage to speak the truth.
So as far as Brandon and everyone else knew, getting lost on her wedding day was pure accident.
And staying lost was pure accident as well. Ella claimed she’d survived on granola bars and bottled water, and that a fellow hiker gave her a lift home.
Just as she hung up on her aunt, Ella’s father burst into the living room. “Ella, sweetheart, I need the name and number of that hiker.” She panicked. Ed Peters was a name she soon hoped to forget. “Why?” she asked, fearing the worst.
“Your mother and I wish to pay the reward out to him, even if he didn’t know about it.” Ella’s stomach twisted. The last time Ed had mentioned the reward, it had been $10,000. Why he’d refused the money, she wasn’t sure. Obviously, she’d angered him enough to not want the money. Men and their stupid pride.
“I
Damn me for reminding her. “Ella!” he called, and marched after her. To his surprise, the bedroom door wouldn’t open. There was no lock on the inside, and Ed knew she’d blocked the door with the dresser.
“Ella, open this door right now!”
To his surprise, she obeyed a few seconds later.
The faint sound of wood scratching against wood came through the walls. The door opened, and Ella stood with tears streaming down her face, wearing the same clothing and hiking boots she’d been wearing three days ago on the mountain. She held her backpack between her hands.
“I have to go home now,” she said. “I know it hasn’t been seven days yet, and I don’t know if the reward has increased, but I can’t let my family suffer for my selfishness.” She looked at her feet.
Ed’s heart broke. She didn’t want to stay. If she had wanted to stay, despite her guilt, she would’ve said so.
“All right,” Ed finally said. “We can leave as soon as you’re ready.”
Five minutes later, Ed was speeding down the long gravel driveway. Ella sat in the passenger seat, staring sullenly out the window. There was no need to blindfold her this time. So what if she knew where he lived? Obviously, her mind to leave was made up.
Pride kept Ed silent, kept him from confessing his true feelings. Confessing such feelings would only paint him a fool when Ella evidently didn’t share them.
And Ed Peters was no one’s fool. So he pressed the gas pedal to the floor, and his heart hardened and hardened as Ella’s house drew nearer. By the time they pulled into her driveway a few hours later, he felt cold and numb. A hardened heart cannot break.
“Good-bye, Ella,” he said, staring straight ahead.
She paused with her hand on the door. “Aren’t you coming in?” she asked. “The reward…”
“…doesn’t appeal to me,” he finished, still staring straight ahead. “Go back to your family, Ella. Just tell them you got lost in the woods. Or you know what, I don’t care what you tell them.”
“Fine,” she muttered, and slammed the door so hard the SUV shuddered.
Ed backed out of the driveway before Ella reached the front door of the brick mansion. He had no desire to watch her family pull her inside with tears and kisses. Solitude was his only desire, so he drove back the way he’d come, cursing the name Ella Emerson all the way.
If only they’d met under different circumstances.
If only…
* * *
Ella couldn’t remember having ever cried so much in her life. Her mother wouldn’t let her out of eyesight. Relatives and friends called every five minutes to welcome her home. Each conversation left her an emotional wreck.
There was so much guilt—guilt upon guilt stacked up heavy on her chest.
Not only had she run away to avoid marrying Brandon Andrews, but she’d lied about it as well.
She’d done just as Ed had suggested in anger—
declaring she had gotten lost in the woods during an early morning hike on the morning of her wedding.
Lying hadn’t been her first intention, but the words had come rushing out before she’d found courage to speak the truth.
So as far as Brandon and everyone else knew, getting lost on her wedding day was pure accident.
And staying lost was pure accident as well. Ella claimed she’d survived on granola bars and bottled water, and that a fellow hiker gave her a lift home.
Just as she hung up on her aunt, Ella’s father burst into the living room. “Ella, sweetheart, I need the name and number of that hiker.” She panicked. Ed Peters was a name she soon hoped to forget. “Why?” she asked, fearing the worst.
“Your mother and I wish to pay the reward out to him, even if he didn’t know about it.” Ella’s stomach twisted. The last time Ed had mentioned the reward, it had been $10,000. Why he’d refused the money, she wasn’t sure. Obviously, she’d angered him enough to not want the money. Men and their stupid pride.
“I
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