Free Signed and Sealed by B.A. Stretke Page B

unpleasant, but he was the richest man in the area, and he was considered handsome in a rough, dark sort of way. What did he see in this guy that caused him to hold him so tightly and watch him so closely? They’d seen him with men a few times during social gatherings, which he rarely attended now, but he never seemed very comfortable or satisfied. He would usually pass them off and then promptly disappear. They doubted he would ever pass this one off. Eli held on tightly, as if he thought Will was going to try and run away.

    Will spoke with Mr. Gerard, who was the first to step forward and shake his hand. “You have a nice place here.”

    “Nothing compared to the Hunter ranch, but I like it,” he answered with a smile. “Are you enjoying your stay here in our neck of the woods?” he asked politely.

    Will wished he could tell him the truth; he hated every minute he was trapped here and was being held prisoner because of the actions of a sister who wouldn’t be long for this world once he got his hands on her, but instead he answered, “Yes, very much. This is a lovely area. I’ve never seen so many… mountains in my life.” Mr. Gerard seemed like a nice man. He was gruff and weathered, but very polite and accommodating, a true gentleman.

    Will noticed several horses in an adjacent yard and asked Mr. Gerard if he could go take a look while Elijah continued with his business.

    “You go right on ahead, that is, if Elijah has no objections.” He added the last part when he noticed the intensity with which Elijah was watching him.

    Elijah was actually reluctant to release Will, but in the end, let him go. “I’ll meet you when I’m finished here,” he said and watched him closely as he walked away. Is he truly the shy, polite boy he presents himself to be? This was the thought that pervaded his mind as he watched Will. He believed it to be true, but he’d met some very cunning men in the past who had presented themselves as harmless in the beginning. He couldn’t equate Will with those men, though. If he was pretending, he was by far the most talented actor Eli had ever met. He saw a few of the men in the yard watching Will as he walked over to the corral. Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, Eli was hit with an intense jealousy. He wanted to make them stop looking. With effort, he pulled himself back to the business at hand and shifted his gaze back to Adam and the stock.

    Adam saw very clearly that Elijah cared for this boy. It was surprising to see someone like Elijah so smitten. He wondered when Will would become a permanent part of the Hunter ranch, although he didn’t comment on any of his observations or thoughts. Elijah wasn’t the sort of man who discussed such things and would have been sorely affronted if Adam had tried.

    Will watched as the two horses were led around the yard. They seemed especially graceful and even noble in their movements.

    “Hello,” came a vaguely familiar voice from behind him. He turned to see the young man from the plane.

    “Hello,” he responded and smiled.

    The young man introduced himself as John Gerard. He came up to stand beside Will at the fence. After a moment, he shot Will a speculative glance and asked, “You’re staying with Elijah Hunter?”

    “Yes, but just for a couple of weeks,” he answered without looking at him.

    “The Hunters never have visitors,” he stated and then added in a lurid tone, “except for your sister Katrina, of course, but she was allowed to stay because she was sleeping with Martin.” His voice was low and his meaning was clear. “I never thought I’d see the day that Elijah Hunter was taken in by a handsome face. Many have tried, mind you, but you are the first to succeed.” He turned to regard Will fully, his leering expression sickening him. “You must be treating Elijah… very well. Maybe you’d be willing to share some of this with a farm boy like me,” John said with a wink, while grabbing Will’s