Holding On (Love In Montana Book 3)

"How could you risk your health, Hunter? This is crazy," gasped Rihanna, hearing his words. Was he out of his mind?

"Yes I am but only for you," said Hunter. "It worked, didn't it? I drove Gemma crazy and then sent her to you." He chuckled mischievously. Rihanna suppressed a smile when there was a knock on the door and Gemma peeped inside with their food served in on plates. Rihanna got up to get the food from her.

"I'll just clean up the mess," she said, indicating the broken table lamp.

"Where's Robbie?" Asked Hunter.

"He's sleepy. Let him sleep in his room. Don't make him so dependent that he wouldn't sleep without you Rihanna," advised Gemma. Rihanna's eyes widened.

"She's right, actually, " Hunter agreed with a smirk. Gemma cleaned up the mess and left the room, closing the door as if to give them privacy. Rihanna placed Hunter's small lap top desk in front of him on the bed and placed his food upon it.

"Eat? What's wrong?" She asked. Hunter looked at her with disbelief.

"I'm sick, ain't I? You've got to feed me. Show me that you care," he said with glint in his eyes. Rihanna rolled her eyes at him.

"I'm not feeding you, Hunter. You're perfectly fine with only a sprained knee," said Rihanna. Hunter looked disappointed.

"It's proven then that you don't care," he continued stubbornly.

"Of course I do care, " she said, picking up his fork and feeding him his grilled chicken and rice. Hunter watched her while eating what she fed him. His stare, his vulnerability evoked a tenderness in Rihanna's heart. She made her decision what she should do. She would marry him but wait for a few months to check if the magic between them was ever-lasting or temporary. Hunter caught her hand to stop her. Then picking up her food he fed her too. It was like an unspoken bond was developing between the two, something that was beyond just physical attraction, something pertaining to their souls, to their hearts. Afterwards they ate on their own and Rihanna was happy that Hunter looked far better, calmer and almost happy.

"So could I prove that I care enough for you?" She asked him. He nodded with a smile on his face.

"So what's stopping you from marrying me?" He started again.

"I didn't get much time to think, Hunter. I still need time," she told him.

"How long? I'll grow old, haggard and get er*ctile dysfunction by the time you decide," he said with a groan.

"Seriously Hunter?" She asked with horror. "All I'm asking for is a few months," she protested.

"How many months is 'a few months'? Number, give me a number so that I can count the days," he said with a groan.

"Three to four maybe?" She told him. His fork dropped from his hands with shock.

"What do you need that many months for?" He asked with dismay.

"Hunter I need to see whether the physical attraction between us still stays strong that long or not. Since we don't love one another, we need a solid foundation for our marriage to last long," she told him.

"Long? Say forever, Rihanna. I'm not marrying you for a few years. It's gonna be a real marriage, we'll have our own children, it will be for ever," he told her in a serious voice. Rihanna stared at him. This wasn't at all what she had dreamed of. All her life she had waited for a happily ever after, whirlwind kind of romance that would sweep her off her feet. There was everything in it but no love. How could she go against all convention and jump into a loveless marriage?

"Oh," she said, not knowing what else to say. Hunter stared at her for a minute and then nodded.

"Fine, I'll give you three months time but I have a condition," he told her. That got Rihanna's attention. Now what?

"Shoot," she asked him with a sigh.

"These three months you have to spend more or less every weekend with me and Robbie unless there's some emergency, of course," he conditioned. Rihanna shook her head.

"Hunter that's not possible. My granddad and dad are against me staying the night here. They have a reputation in Fordsville and since it's a close knit community where everyone knows one another, they will start gossiping about me and you. It will affect our goodwill. My family business survives on goodwill," she explained.

Hunter sat quietly, thinking about what she just told him. "You're twenty-six and old enough to get married. Why should they have any objection to your spending the night here? Have you told them that I wish to marry you?" He asked with a puzzled expression on his face.

"No, they wouldn't take it well now that everyone's angry at home," said Rihanna.

"Why? Is there something that you're not telling me?" Asked Hunter, looking at her fidgeting with her hands, trying to avoid his eyes.

"Actually since I was eighteen, my granddad has been after me to marry his best friend Grant Davison's grandson, Elvis. He is a cardiologist and one of the Board of Directors at Fordsville Public Hospital. I've avoided them all my life keeping myself busy with my career. Grandad didn't bother me seeing that I was really not ready for marriage but now he feels that the time has arrived to torment me to marry Elvis," she told him with a sigh.

"In that case the only solution is to marry me as soon as possible, " said Hunter.

"How can marrying you be a solution?" She asked with curiosity.

"If you marry me your granddad won't have any objection. Your family's goodwill wouldn't be ruined. Elgin wouldn't bother you to marry him. It's a win-win situation for all of us," he reasoned.

Rihanna thought about what he told her. He was right actually but Elvis never bothered her that way. The last few years she hadn't even met him. He was married to his job and was very good at it. She was socially awkward and hardly attended any get togethers where he would be present. Maybe he knew that she didn't like him and wanted to avoid him. Whatever the reason, she was thankful that he didn't pursue her. Although her family didn't pressurize her actually but she knew that her granddad still wanted her to marry Elvis.

"Maybe but I won't hurry this Hunter, whatever you say," she continued stubbornly. Hunter shrugged, giving up. She was stubborn and there was no way that he could convince her. He had to think of another plan soon.

"Then go and marry Elver, " he said, looking away. Rihanna saw that he was again back to being upset with a scowl on his face. She collected their plates quietly, clearing their dinner away. "You can go home and start your preparations to marry your Elvin," he said, his mood deteriorating.

"It's Elvis, dammit and I'm not interested in him. If I were, I would have married him eight years ago," she pointed out. Hunter's eyes widened. That Elvin guy waited for her for eight years? What was he then? A saint? He was then lucky that she just asked him to wait just for three months and not three years! Why did women need to think so much?

"He's been waiting for you for the last eight years?" He asked with a jaw dropped gaze not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

"Yes," said Rihanna, suspiciously eyeing Hunter, waiting for his next crazy retort.

"Then I can give you three months time but after that I'll abduct you if you don't marry me," he threatened her. "I'm not Elven, I won't wait for eight years, " He grumbled. Rihanna rolled her eyes. He looked like a hot, impatient cowboy, the abductor type not the serene, gentle type at all.

"His God damn name is Elvis, " she told him. Hunter shrugged, he wasn't interested in his name. He was burning with jealousy thinking about the man who waited eight years for her.

"Whatever," he said, looking jealous. Rihanna got up to go and rinse the dishes. "Where are you going?" He asked looking at her with worry.

"To the kitchen to rinse these dishes. Why?" She asked with curiosity. Now what did he want?

"Just leave them in the kitchen and come back. Gemma can do it," he ordered.

"No, we can't make Gemma do everything. I'll rinse them," she argued.

"Then hurry," he said impatiently.

"Why?" She asked with more curiosity.

"I need help taking a shower," he told her, with eyes dancing with amusement seeing her horrified expression. She walked out with flushed cheeks. How would she bathe him? Would he shed all this clothes? Oh God! She rinsed the dishes in slow motion while her ears turned hot, her neck and face turned red with embarrassment. She had touched him under the duvet and knew how massive he was but she hadn't seen him yet.