that.”
“I do, and you’re a dear. Bob and I say all the time that we never would’ve survived without you and Gavin. We couldn’t love a daughter of our own any more than we love you.”
Hannah hugged Amelia again. “I love you, too.”
The gnawing fear stayed with Hannah all the way home, growing and multiplying into full-fledged panic and regret over what she’d done with Nolan. She had no right to be with him if it could potentially hurt people she loved so dearly—people who’d certainly had enough pain and suffering for one lifetime.
She could love again, even marry again if she chose to, but they could never replace the son and brother they had lost. The loss had united the four of them over the last seven years, and they’d drawn strength from each other as they coped with their overwhelming grief. At times, Hannah had turned to them rather than her own family to get her through a tough time, and the thought of losing their respect was unimaginable.
Acutely aware of Homer’s absence in the big, lonely house, Hannah lit the fire and curled up on the sofa in the sitting room. All thoughts of work were abandoned as her brain spun out of control with worries and fears and doubts. When Cameron called, Hannah let it go to voicemail. As much as she wanted to see Cameron and dig into their project, she didn’t have it in her tonight to be cheerful or upbeat.
And when Nolan knocked on the door and called out to her, knowing she was home because her car was in the driveway, tears rolled down her cheeks as she forced herself to stay on the sofa. It was the right thing to do.
She wasn’t ready after all. Not even close.
• • •
Nolan stood outside Hannah’s door for a long time, trying to figure out what he should do. He knew she was in there, and all he could think about was how she’d left the garage in high spirits earlier after kissing him with abandon. What had happened in the hours since then? Was she upset about Homer? If so, he wanted to be there for her and help her through her grief.
Or had she changed her mind about them?
Last night, he’d opened the door and called for her when she didn’t answer, but they’d had solid plans then. Tonight, they didn’t, so he didn’t feel right going in to look for her, especially if she’d decided she wanted to be alone.
He sat on the porch, his feet on the stair below, and ran his hand over his freshly shaved face, feeling like a fool now for the way he’d rushed home to shower and shave before he came to her. And he’d blown off yet another meeting with his racing team to see her tonight.
After several minutes of contemplation, he got up from the porch and went to his truck, where he kept a cell phone for emergencies when out on road calls. Sometimes it had service, but most of the time it didn’t. He hoped for a miracle as he powered up the phone and searched for Hannah’s number in his contacts. The phone rang and rang before her voicemail picked up.
“Hey, Hannah, it’s me Nolan.” Could he sound any stupider? He cleared his throat. “I’m outside, and I’m worried about you. Anyway, well, I’ll try you again later.”
Shaking his head at the lame message, he found Hunter’s work number in the contacts. Even though Hunter was about the last person Nolan wanted to speak to after their confrontation earlier in the day, he was the one Hannah would most want if something had happened to upset her.
“This is Hunter.” He sounded brusque and busy and maybe a bit frazzled.
“It’s Nolan.”
“Oh hey. I didn’t recognize the number.”
“I never use this phone. I’m at Hannah’s. Her car is in the driveway, but she’s not answering.”
“Did it occur to you that she’s not answering because she doesn’t want to see you?”
Nolan held back the flash of anger that ripped through him. “Yeah, it occurred to me, except the last time I was with her, she very much wanted to see me, if you catch my
“I do, and you’re a dear. Bob and I say all the time that we never would’ve survived without you and Gavin. We couldn’t love a daughter of our own any more than we love you.”
Hannah hugged Amelia again. “I love you, too.”
The gnawing fear stayed with Hannah all the way home, growing and multiplying into full-fledged panic and regret over what she’d done with Nolan. She had no right to be with him if it could potentially hurt people she loved so dearly—people who’d certainly had enough pain and suffering for one lifetime.
She could love again, even marry again if she chose to, but they could never replace the son and brother they had lost. The loss had united the four of them over the last seven years, and they’d drawn strength from each other as they coped with their overwhelming grief. At times, Hannah had turned to them rather than her own family to get her through a tough time, and the thought of losing their respect was unimaginable.
Acutely aware of Homer’s absence in the big, lonely house, Hannah lit the fire and curled up on the sofa in the sitting room. All thoughts of work were abandoned as her brain spun out of control with worries and fears and doubts. When Cameron called, Hannah let it go to voicemail. As much as she wanted to see Cameron and dig into their project, she didn’t have it in her tonight to be cheerful or upbeat.
And when Nolan knocked on the door and called out to her, knowing she was home because her car was in the driveway, tears rolled down her cheeks as she forced herself to stay on the sofa. It was the right thing to do.
She wasn’t ready after all. Not even close.
• • •
Nolan stood outside Hannah’s door for a long time, trying to figure out what he should do. He knew she was in there, and all he could think about was how she’d left the garage in high spirits earlier after kissing him with abandon. What had happened in the hours since then? Was she upset about Homer? If so, he wanted to be there for her and help her through her grief.
Or had she changed her mind about them?
Last night, he’d opened the door and called for her when she didn’t answer, but they’d had solid plans then. Tonight, they didn’t, so he didn’t feel right going in to look for her, especially if she’d decided she wanted to be alone.
He sat on the porch, his feet on the stair below, and ran his hand over his freshly shaved face, feeling like a fool now for the way he’d rushed home to shower and shave before he came to her. And he’d blown off yet another meeting with his racing team to see her tonight.
After several minutes of contemplation, he got up from the porch and went to his truck, where he kept a cell phone for emergencies when out on road calls. Sometimes it had service, but most of the time it didn’t. He hoped for a miracle as he powered up the phone and searched for Hannah’s number in his contacts. The phone rang and rang before her voicemail picked up.
“Hey, Hannah, it’s me Nolan.” Could he sound any stupider? He cleared his throat. “I’m outside, and I’m worried about you. Anyway, well, I’ll try you again later.”
Shaking his head at the lame message, he found Hunter’s work number in the contacts. Even though Hunter was about the last person Nolan wanted to speak to after their confrontation earlier in the day, he was the one Hannah would most want if something had happened to upset her.
“This is Hunter.” He sounded brusque and busy and maybe a bit frazzled.
“It’s Nolan.”
“Oh hey. I didn’t recognize the number.”
“I never use this phone. I’m at Hannah’s. Her car is in the driveway, but she’s not answering.”
“Did it occur to you that she’s not answering because she doesn’t want to see you?”
Nolan held back the flash of anger that ripped through him. “Yeah, it occurred to me, except the last time I was with her, she very much wanted to see me, if you catch my
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