asked.
“So very excited, especially since both her brothers are
here to accompany her to school. And her favorite friend, of course.” Claire
winked at Hanna.
“Nathan is here?” Hanna had never met Nathan Larsen, Claire’s
son, although she had heard tales of his giant stature, his laid back nature,
and his ability to throw Ruby high up to the ceiling.
“Yes, he arrived back last night. I’m afraid he hasn’t had a
chance to shave yet, so he looks like the Wildman of the Andes.”
“Hanna!” Ruby spotted her, and was running down the marble staircase.
“Hey, Ruby.” Hanna caught her at the bottom and squeezed her
tightly, evincing yet another squeal from the tiny girl. “Let me look at you.”
Pushing Ruby back, Hanna took in the plaid skirt and white blouse, the tie
perfectly knotted at her neck. “You look fabulous. You’re going to wow them all
with that outfit.”
Ruby laughed. “Everyone will be wearing the same uniform. I
don’t think I’ll impress them much.”
“So this is the famous Hanna.”
She heard a loud voice behind her. She hadn’t noticed anybody
walking down the stairs. Hanna turned around.
Nathan was even bigger than she had expected. It wasn’t
really his height—although he did tower over her—as much as the sheer size of
him. He was bulky all over, and his hair and beard made him look older than his
twenty-four years.
“Hi.” She gave a closed-mouthed smile, feeling shy under his
scrutiny.
“Hey, you’re as cute as Richard said you were.” Nathan
leaned forward and hugged her, his bristly beard chafing her skin. He quickly
kissed the side of her mouth. “In fact, you’re cuter.”
“I’ll tell your girlfriend,” Ruby sang. Hanna’s cheeks
flushed in response to both his words, and Ruby’s threats to tell his
girlfriend. She didn’t know where to look.
Glancing up, she caught Richard standing on the stairs
staring at her bare legs.
“Hi.”
Richard smiled, then grabbed at Ruby and swung her around.
Ruby started to scream again, the noise bouncing off the walls. “Let me go!”
“Shall I give you to Nathan?”
“No, no, Hanna, save me.”
Hanna ran over and tried to pull Ruby from his grasp. “Let
her go, you bully.”
The four of them took the tube train to Ruby’s school. They
were a motley crew, with Nathan resembling some sort of vagrant, Ruby all
brightly scrubbed and in her new uniform and Richard looking preppy and
delicious in his jeans and t-shirt. Glancing down at herself, Hanna realized
that her short-shorts and tight vest top did nothing but make their group look
even odder. She noticed a few commuters glaring over at them as they stood
talking and laughing.
“When are you flying to San Francisco?” Hanna asked Richard.
The train stopped suddenly in a tunnel. The flickering lights and the
intermittent darkness made Ruby gasp.
“Next Tuesday. I fly out of London this Friday. That gives
me three days to pack.”
“Are you excited?” The train juddered before pulling away
and picking up speed. The force of the movement caused Hanna to lose her
footing, and she went barreling into Richard’s chest. Almost immediately his
arms went around her. Hanna found herself locked in an embrace with Richard.
“Are you okay? You hit me pretty hard.”
She took a deep breath, trying to gain control of her racing
heart. “I’m fine.” She nodded, to emphasize the point.
The train came to a stop at the platform. As always, it was
an effort to get off, the four of them pushing their way through a large crowd
of commuters who were trying to get on the train at the same time. There was no
such thing as politeness during rush hour. It was every man for himself.
Nathan was standing directly behind Ruby, shielding her with
his body as they shuffled forward and stepped on to the platform. Richard was
just in front of Hanna, and he kept glancing back at her to make sure she was
okay. After a moment or two he reached back and took her hand,
“So very excited, especially since both her brothers are
here to accompany her to school. And her favorite friend, of course.” Claire
winked at Hanna.
“Nathan is here?” Hanna had never met Nathan Larsen, Claire’s
son, although she had heard tales of his giant stature, his laid back nature,
and his ability to throw Ruby high up to the ceiling.
“Yes, he arrived back last night. I’m afraid he hasn’t had a
chance to shave yet, so he looks like the Wildman of the Andes.”
“Hanna!” Ruby spotted her, and was running down the marble staircase.
“Hey, Ruby.” Hanna caught her at the bottom and squeezed her
tightly, evincing yet another squeal from the tiny girl. “Let me look at you.”
Pushing Ruby back, Hanna took in the plaid skirt and white blouse, the tie
perfectly knotted at her neck. “You look fabulous. You’re going to wow them all
with that outfit.”
Ruby laughed. “Everyone will be wearing the same uniform. I
don’t think I’ll impress them much.”
“So this is the famous Hanna.”
She heard a loud voice behind her. She hadn’t noticed anybody
walking down the stairs. Hanna turned around.
Nathan was even bigger than she had expected. It wasn’t
really his height—although he did tower over her—as much as the sheer size of
him. He was bulky all over, and his hair and beard made him look older than his
twenty-four years.
“Hi.” She gave a closed-mouthed smile, feeling shy under his
scrutiny.
“Hey, you’re as cute as Richard said you were.” Nathan
leaned forward and hugged her, his bristly beard chafing her skin. He quickly
kissed the side of her mouth. “In fact, you’re cuter.”
“I’ll tell your girlfriend,” Ruby sang. Hanna’s cheeks
flushed in response to both his words, and Ruby’s threats to tell his
girlfriend. She didn’t know where to look.
Glancing up, she caught Richard standing on the stairs
staring at her bare legs.
“Hi.”
Richard smiled, then grabbed at Ruby and swung her around.
Ruby started to scream again, the noise bouncing off the walls. “Let me go!”
“Shall I give you to Nathan?”
“No, no, Hanna, save me.”
Hanna ran over and tried to pull Ruby from his grasp. “Let
her go, you bully.”
The four of them took the tube train to Ruby’s school. They
were a motley crew, with Nathan resembling some sort of vagrant, Ruby all
brightly scrubbed and in her new uniform and Richard looking preppy and
delicious in his jeans and t-shirt. Glancing down at herself, Hanna realized
that her short-shorts and tight vest top did nothing but make their group look
even odder. She noticed a few commuters glaring over at them as they stood
talking and laughing.
“When are you flying to San Francisco?” Hanna asked Richard.
The train stopped suddenly in a tunnel. The flickering lights and the
intermittent darkness made Ruby gasp.
“Next Tuesday. I fly out of London this Friday. That gives
me three days to pack.”
“Are you excited?” The train juddered before pulling away
and picking up speed. The force of the movement caused Hanna to lose her
footing, and she went barreling into Richard’s chest. Almost immediately his
arms went around her. Hanna found herself locked in an embrace with Richard.
“Are you okay? You hit me pretty hard.”
She took a deep breath, trying to gain control of her racing
heart. “I’m fine.” She nodded, to emphasize the point.
The train came to a stop at the platform. As always, it was
an effort to get off, the four of them pushing their way through a large crowd
of commuters who were trying to get on the train at the same time. There was no
such thing as politeness during rush hour. It was every man for himself.
Nathan was standing directly behind Ruby, shielding her with
his body as they shuffled forward and stepped on to the platform. Richard was
just in front of Hanna, and he kept glancing back at her to make sure she was
okay. After a moment or two he reached back and took her hand,
Similar Books
