Page 25 of Defending What's Mine

She looks up at me, her expression softening. “Thanks, Asher . You... you were amazing.”

My pulse quickens at the way she says it, the way her eyes linger on mine. For a moment, it feels like the world has narrowed to just the two of us, standing in the middle of the trail, her body warm against mine.

But then the rest of the group catches up, their voices breaking the spell. Melanie is the first to reach us, dismounting and rushing over. “Charlotte! Are you okay? What happened?”

Charlotte pulls away from me slightly, though I keep a steadying hand on her arm. “I’m fine,” she says, her voice stronger now. “Prancer got spooked, but Asher saved me.”

Melanie’s gaze flicks to me, her expression full of something like gratitude and curiosity. “Well, I’ll say it again—now Ireallysee why you’re marrying him.”

Charlotte groans, rolling her eyes, but there’s a faint smile tugging at her lips. “Let’s just get back to the lodge.”

As we make our way back, I stay close to her side, my senses still on high alert. The adrenaline’s fading, but the memory of her clinging to that saddle is burned into my brain. She’s strong, but I can’t shake the thought of what could’ve happened if I hadn’t been there.

One thing’s for sure—this fake engagement is turning out to be a lot more dangerous than I signed up for. And not just because of runaway horses.

12

Charlotte

I’m still a little shaken from the horse incident. No matter how hard I try to brush it off, my mind keeps circling back to the moment Asher grabbed the reins and saved me. He was so calm, so steady—like he knew exactly what to do. And now I can’t stop thinking about how strong he felt when he caught me, how safe I felt in his arms.

Which is ridiculous. This is all pretend, right?

“Earth to Charlotte,” Melanie says, waving a hand in front of my face. “Are you even listening to me?”

I blink, realizing I’ve completely zoned out as we browse through a boutique on the resort’s main street. It’s a charming little place, all soft lighting and racks of designer clothes. Melanie is already carrying three dresses, none of which she needs. Typical.

“Sorry,” I say, pulling a silk blouse off a hanger and pretending to examine it. “What were you saying?”

“I was saying,” she says, her voice dropping conspiratorially, “you’ve been awfully quiet since the horseback ride. Still thinking about your knight in shining armor?”

I roll my eyes, but my cheeks warm at the memory. “No. I’m just... tired.”

“Uh-huh,” Melanie says, clearly unconvinced. She holds up a slinky red dress and grins. “You should get this. Asher would lose his mind.”

“Melanie,” I hiss, glancing around to make sure no one overhears. “Keep your voice down.”

She laughs, but thankfully, she hangs the dress back. “Fine, I’ll behave. For now.”

We move to another section of the store, and I decide to change the subject. “Hey, Mel, can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” she says, sifting through a rack of scarves. “What’s up?”

“What do you know about Wade?”

She pauses, her hand hovering over a pale blue scarf, and gives me a curious look. “Why do you ask?”

“I just... I don’t trust him,” I admit, lowering my voice. “He’s been hanging around a lot, and he’s made some threats. I want to know what I’m dealing with.”

Melanie sighs, dropping the scarf and leaning closer. “I’ve heard some things,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. “Nothing concrete, but the gossip circles are saying Wade’s involved with some bad people.”

“What kind of bad people?” I ask, my stomach tightening.

“Shady business deals, connections to people who don’t exactly play by the rules,” she says. “Apparently, he’s been getting desperate lately. His family’s company isn’t as stable as it looks, and he’s been making risky moves to keep it afloat.”

The weight of her words settles heavily on my chest. If Wade is involved with dangerous people, that makes him even more of a threat—not just to my family, but to Asher and me.

“Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?” I ask.

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