Read Online Husband by the Hour by Susan Mallery - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Susan Mallery
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daughter and her charming husband."
Hannah had no choice but to raise her glass of ice water and drink.
Louise urged her to eat, then leaned back on her stool. "I'm a very content old woman."
"You're not old," Elizabeth told her. "Barely what? Forty-one?"
Louise chuckled. "You always were my favorite. No, I'm going to be forty-seven very soon. All right. I'll retract the old, but not the rest of it." Her expression turned serious. "Thank you for coming to visit me, Hannah. You've made me very happy."
When Hannah's eyes burned, she told herself it was only because she was tired. She'd barely gotten any sleep the previous night. It wasn't emotion. She didn't know this woman or these people. They certainly didn't matter to her.
Conversation flowed around her. The women had obviously spent a lot of time together. Hannah enjoyed listening to them. She would have liked to grow up in this kind of family. To be part of something.
She finished her dinner. Her stomach full, she felt the exhaustion of the day finally catch up with her. She yawned. "Oh, excuse me," she said and covered her mouth.
Louise frowned. "You made that drive all in one day. No wonder you're tired. Come on. Let's collect that husband of yours. We can visit more in the morning."
The women trooped into the den. It was nearly as spacious as the living room. The leather furniture all faced the big-screen TV on the far wall.
She and Louise led the way. As they entered the room, the men were laughing. Hannah noticed their attention was focused on Nick and not on the basketball game. What had he been telling them? After the cruise story, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
Nick glanced up and saw her. "Hi, honey."
"Hi. I thought maybe it was time for us to head off to the hotel." Where she would have her own private room with a shower. Where she could finally be alone.
"Good idea."
But before Nick could stand, Travis pushed to his feet. "It's early. You can't leave so soon."
"They're tired," Louise said. "They're going to be here two weeks. We'll all have time to get to know each other."
"I agree."
Hannah thought the brother speaking was Jordan . As he stepped into the light, she was sure.
"But you're not going to a hotel," he said. "We have plenty of room right here."
"We have room, too," Travis said. "Right, Elizabeth?"
His wife joined in the invitation. "Yes, of course, you're welcome to stay. The guest bathroom has a wonderful claw-footed tub. It's very romantic."
Hannah fought down panic. She wasn't interested in romance. She wanted, needed, some time alone. She and Nick could not share a room. It wasn't possible.
"You're all very sweet, but we can't impose," she murmured, not daring to look at Nick. She could just imagine what he was thinking about their sharing a room.
Craig glanced at her. "You're safe from us. Jill and I live too far from here to bug you about staying. Although you'd be more than welcome."
"The hotel is—"
"Wait!" Sandy walked to the middle of the room. "I have the perfect solution. I understand Hannah, wanting to stay at a hotel. After all, the family is a little scary at first."
There were murmurs of agreement.
"As a compromise, I'd like to offer our gatehouse. It's currently empty and furnished." She smiled at Hannah and Nick. "It's a fully equipped one-bedroom apartment. You'd be close by and staying with family, but you'd have some privacy. You guys might have been married for five years, but you're still acting like honeymooners."
Nick moved close to Hannah and dropped a kiss on her nose. "She's right, honey. I know the thrill is still there for me."
Hannah wanted to punch him. She settled on a tight smile. "Me, too, darling."
Louise nodded. "It's really perfect. Sandy redid the entire apartment just a couple of months ago. You'll love it."
Hannah doubted that. "A hotel is really fine with us. We don't want to be any trouble."
Louise touched her arm. "You're not trouble. You're family. We like taking care of
Hannah had no choice but to raise her glass of ice water and drink.
Louise urged her to eat, then leaned back on her stool. "I'm a very content old woman."
"You're not old," Elizabeth told her. "Barely what? Forty-one?"
Louise chuckled. "You always were my favorite. No, I'm going to be forty-seven very soon. All right. I'll retract the old, but not the rest of it." Her expression turned serious. "Thank you for coming to visit me, Hannah. You've made me very happy."
When Hannah's eyes burned, she told herself it was only because she was tired. She'd barely gotten any sleep the previous night. It wasn't emotion. She didn't know this woman or these people. They certainly didn't matter to her.
Conversation flowed around her. The women had obviously spent a lot of time together. Hannah enjoyed listening to them. She would have liked to grow up in this kind of family. To be part of something.
She finished her dinner. Her stomach full, she felt the exhaustion of the day finally catch up with her. She yawned. "Oh, excuse me," she said and covered her mouth.
Louise frowned. "You made that drive all in one day. No wonder you're tired. Come on. Let's collect that husband of yours. We can visit more in the morning."
The women trooped into the den. It was nearly as spacious as the living room. The leather furniture all faced the big-screen TV on the far wall.
She and Louise led the way. As they entered the room, the men were laughing. Hannah noticed their attention was focused on Nick and not on the basketball game. What had he been telling them? After the cruise story, she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
Nick glanced up and saw her. "Hi, honey."
"Hi. I thought maybe it was time for us to head off to the hotel." Where she would have her own private room with a shower. Where she could finally be alone.
"Good idea."
But before Nick could stand, Travis pushed to his feet. "It's early. You can't leave so soon."
"They're tired," Louise said. "They're going to be here two weeks. We'll all have time to get to know each other."
"I agree."
Hannah thought the brother speaking was Jordan . As he stepped into the light, she was sure.
"But you're not going to a hotel," he said. "We have plenty of room right here."
"We have room, too," Travis said. "Right, Elizabeth?"
His wife joined in the invitation. "Yes, of course, you're welcome to stay. The guest bathroom has a wonderful claw-footed tub. It's very romantic."
Hannah fought down panic. She wasn't interested in romance. She wanted, needed, some time alone. She and Nick could not share a room. It wasn't possible.
"You're all very sweet, but we can't impose," she murmured, not daring to look at Nick. She could just imagine what he was thinking about their sharing a room.
Craig glanced at her. "You're safe from us. Jill and I live too far from here to bug you about staying. Although you'd be more than welcome."
"The hotel is—"
"Wait!" Sandy walked to the middle of the room. "I have the perfect solution. I understand Hannah, wanting to stay at a hotel. After all, the family is a little scary at first."
There were murmurs of agreement.
"As a compromise, I'd like to offer our gatehouse. It's currently empty and furnished." She smiled at Hannah and Nick. "It's a fully equipped one-bedroom apartment. You'd be close by and staying with family, but you'd have some privacy. You guys might have been married for five years, but you're still acting like honeymooners."
Nick moved close to Hannah and dropped a kiss on her nose. "She's right, honey. I know the thrill is still there for me."
Hannah wanted to punch him. She settled on a tight smile. "Me, too, darling."
Louise nodded. "It's really perfect. Sandy redid the entire apartment just a couple of months ago. You'll love it."
Hannah doubted that. "A hotel is really fine with us. We don't want to be any trouble."
Louise touched her arm. "You're not trouble. You're family. We like taking care of
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