her lip. He was so damn successful he probably couldn’t understand what it felt like to be the black sheep of a family, the one who wasn’t driven or ambitious and constantly made crap decisions that led to stupid mistakes. But something made her try his listening ear on for size.
“I guess I was putting off the lecture. Out of all the Elliot kids, I’m the disappointment. Luke did a business degree and has massive plans to expand Elliot’s. Troy and Shaun are amazing craftsmen, eager to help Luke put Elliot’s on the map.” She shrugged one shoulder and let her own back soften into the wall. “I’m proud of the family business but I don’t want to work there forever. In fact, I’ve never really known what I wanted to do with my life besides get out there and see the world.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he interjected.
“Mum disagrees. It’s been a sore point between us for years. She thinks I should be at university or barefoot and pregnant to some boring, respectable guy who fits right in with our family.”
Although the muscle at the side of Matt’s mouth twitched a little, Hannah continued. “And so far I’ve managed to fall in love with a zillion different men and none of them have made the cut. Probably why I married Larry before running him through the family test. He felt different from the rest and I didn’t want Mum and Dad to ruin that.”
“Larry?”
She tossed Matt a reproachful glare. “Come on, don’t tell me you’ve been in town a week and haven’t heard about my disastrous marriage to someone I’d known less than a week in Vegas.”
He stopped fighting his smile. “Did you really use an Elvis impersonator as celebrant?”
She hung her head in shame. “Yes. Mum and Dad were horrified. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them yelling all the way in Melbourne. But it was magic at the time. Larry worked with me in the casino and swept me off my feet with fun, smooth compliments and promises of eternal happiness. I thought I was in love and he was the one, but what did I know? Stupidly we never discussed having a family. Stupidly we never bothered with contraception.”
“Shit.”
Hannah had to laugh. “You’re not going to tell me what an idiot I am?”
“Hey, we all make mistakes.”
“Yes, some of us make more monumental ones than others.”
“This Larry,” Matt began, his voice carrying an edge, “what did he do when you found out you were having a baby?”
“He told me he knew the name of a fabulous doctor who could get rid of it real cheap.” She took a breath; the shocking memory of how cold and cutting he’d been threatened her tears to fall. “Apparently this wasn’t the first time he’d been in this predicament. Only he hadn’t married any of the others.”
“Bastard.”
“Yes, I’m good at picking them, but I won’t bore you with the other mistakes in my past. We’d still be here next week. I told Larry I was keeping the baby and he moved quickly to get our marriage annulled. Marriages are easy come and easy go in Vegas.”
“Shit, Hannah.” Matt inched closer and placed a hand on her shoulder in a show of support. “But surely your family will want to support you. They might be surprised at first, but it’s obvious they love you in their own way.”
She nodded. Despite their differences, there was no shortage of love in the Elliot household, but she just couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in her parents’ eyes again. “I planned to tell them after New Year’s. I didn’t want to ruin Christmas and besides, I have my three-month scan on New Year’s Eve. Three months—you’re not supposed to tell until then anyway, in case something happens.”
“You’re not going to your ultrasound alone?” Matt’s eyes widened in what looked to be horror and Hannah wasn’t sure if this was a question or a statement.
She nodded. “Bit hard to bring someone along to hold my hand when no one knows.”
“
I
know.”
Silence sat
“I guess I was putting off the lecture. Out of all the Elliot kids, I’m the disappointment. Luke did a business degree and has massive plans to expand Elliot’s. Troy and Shaun are amazing craftsmen, eager to help Luke put Elliot’s on the map.” She shrugged one shoulder and let her own back soften into the wall. “I’m proud of the family business but I don’t want to work there forever. In fact, I’ve never really known what I wanted to do with my life besides get out there and see the world.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” he interjected.
“Mum disagrees. It’s been a sore point between us for years. She thinks I should be at university or barefoot and pregnant to some boring, respectable guy who fits right in with our family.”
Although the muscle at the side of Matt’s mouth twitched a little, Hannah continued. “And so far I’ve managed to fall in love with a zillion different men and none of them have made the cut. Probably why I married Larry before running him through the family test. He felt different from the rest and I didn’t want Mum and Dad to ruin that.”
“Larry?”
She tossed Matt a reproachful glare. “Come on, don’t tell me you’ve been in town a week and haven’t heard about my disastrous marriage to someone I’d known less than a week in Vegas.”
He stopped fighting his smile. “Did you really use an Elvis impersonator as celebrant?”
She hung her head in shame. “Yes. Mum and Dad were horrified. I’m surprised you didn’t hear them yelling all the way in Melbourne. But it was magic at the time. Larry worked with me in the casino and swept me off my feet with fun, smooth compliments and promises of eternal happiness. I thought I was in love and he was the one, but what did I know? Stupidly we never discussed having a family. Stupidly we never bothered with contraception.”
“Shit.”
Hannah had to laugh. “You’re not going to tell me what an idiot I am?”
“Hey, we all make mistakes.”
“Yes, some of us make more monumental ones than others.”
“This Larry,” Matt began, his voice carrying an edge, “what did he do when you found out you were having a baby?”
“He told me he knew the name of a fabulous doctor who could get rid of it real cheap.” She took a breath; the shocking memory of how cold and cutting he’d been threatened her tears to fall. “Apparently this wasn’t the first time he’d been in this predicament. Only he hadn’t married any of the others.”
“Bastard.”
“Yes, I’m good at picking them, but I won’t bore you with the other mistakes in my past. We’d still be here next week. I told Larry I was keeping the baby and he moved quickly to get our marriage annulled. Marriages are easy come and easy go in Vegas.”
“Shit, Hannah.” Matt inched closer and placed a hand on her shoulder in a show of support. “But surely your family will want to support you. They might be surprised at first, but it’s obvious they love you in their own way.”
She nodded. Despite their differences, there was no shortage of love in the Elliot household, but she just couldn’t bear to see the disappointment in her parents’ eyes again. “I planned to tell them after New Year’s. I didn’t want to ruin Christmas and besides, I have my three-month scan on New Year’s Eve. Three months—you’re not supposed to tell until then anyway, in case something happens.”
“You’re not going to your ultrasound alone?” Matt’s eyes widened in what looked to be horror and Hannah wasn’t sure if this was a question or a statement.
She nodded. “Bit hard to bring someone along to hold my hand when no one knows.”
“
I
know.”
Silence sat
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