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Authors: Emma Nichols
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forgotten he was here somewhere. “I want to thank you for catching me,” she said slowly. “I probably could’ve been hurt very badly very hurt.” She shrugged off her embarrassment. “So, I’m off to go get the girls now.”
“When will you return?” He studied her.
Hannah glanced at her watch. It was four now, allowing just enough time for traffic she should make it to the girls on time. “I don’t know. Maybe six? And I’ll still need to feed the girls.” She thought a moment. She was exhausted. No way was she going to suddenly turn into Betty Crocker and whip up a meal when she hadn’t even had a chance to study the contents of the kitchen. “And I guess we’ll have to eat out or pick something up…”
Walking across the foyer, Gavin opened the closet door even as Hannah watched confused, and grabbed his coat. “Let’s take my car. I’ll drive; we’ll grab some food, and then be back here in time for the girls to check out the place before they go to bed.”
She cocked her head to one side. “That’s a really nice offer, but I hate to pull you away from all your work.” She gestured to the study. “I saw all the files piled in there.”
He frowned. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to come along? I have to meet the girls some time.”
She bit her lip. “It isn’t the girls,” she mumbled.
“Part of our deal was I cover room and board. Dinner comes under the ‘board’ part, you know?” His eyes were twinkling right now. She wondered if it was his teasing look.
“It isn’t entirely dinner,” Hannah said slowly. Part of it was. She wasn’t sure she was ready to sit down with the man and her kids. It was so personal. She should be glad he wanted to contribute financially, keep up his end of the bargain. So far he was more involved in her life than Brett had been all five years of their marriage. Even more than how personal this drive was, she couldn’t help but think of where they were going, and who would be there when they arrived.
Feeling too tired and unable to explain, Hannah sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Once in the vehicle, she could feel Gavin watching her out of the corner of his eye. It was her own fault. Every few moments Hannah would unconsciously emit a sad little sigh. “Hannah,” he began slowly, as though carefully selecting his words, “would you like to tell me what’s bothering you or should I guess?”
Her legs hurt from balancing on her tiptoes so they wouldn’t flatten out on the seat and make her feel any larger than she actually was. Gavin struck her as a man used to traveling with arm candy, gorgeous, waif thin model types. As far as she could tell, she didn’t even come close to fitting that bill. To make matters worse, Krystal would be there when they arrived, probably wearing something skimpy to make her feel all the more self-conscious. What if he was attracted to her? She had just settled in. He hadn’t even had a chance to get to know her. She had seen that hussy in action. It was, after all, how she lost her husband. She sighed.
Suddenly, Gavin reached over and grabbed her hand out of her lap, tucked it against his chest, and then slowly kissed her fingers before releasing it rather hastily. Hannah was staring at him wide-eyed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I guess I just wanted to comfort you,” he said with a little more confidence. “You seem nervous and a little sad?” Hannah’s eyes were downcast. “I know it isn’t that you don’t want to pick up the girls. Is it having me along?”
“Not…exactly,” she replied vaguely.
“Is it that you dread seeing your ex?” Clearly Gavin would continue to pry until he had a satisfactory answer.
Twisting against the leather seat molded to her back, she turned to face him. “I can handle Brett.” She swallowed hard. “If you must know, it’s Krystal that
“When will you return?” He studied her.
Hannah glanced at her watch. It was four now, allowing just enough time for traffic she should make it to the girls on time. “I don’t know. Maybe six? And I’ll still need to feed the girls.” She thought a moment. She was exhausted. No way was she going to suddenly turn into Betty Crocker and whip up a meal when she hadn’t even had a chance to study the contents of the kitchen. “And I guess we’ll have to eat out or pick something up…”
Walking across the foyer, Gavin opened the closet door even as Hannah watched confused, and grabbed his coat. “Let’s take my car. I’ll drive; we’ll grab some food, and then be back here in time for the girls to check out the place before they go to bed.”
She cocked her head to one side. “That’s a really nice offer, but I hate to pull you away from all your work.” She gestured to the study. “I saw all the files piled in there.”
He frowned. “Is there a reason you don’t want me to come along? I have to meet the girls some time.”
She bit her lip. “It isn’t the girls,” she mumbled.
“Part of our deal was I cover room and board. Dinner comes under the ‘board’ part, you know?” His eyes were twinkling right now. She wondered if it was his teasing look.
“It isn’t entirely dinner,” Hannah said slowly. Part of it was. She wasn’t sure she was ready to sit down with the man and her kids. It was so personal. She should be glad he wanted to contribute financially, keep up his end of the bargain. So far he was more involved in her life than Brett had been all five years of their marriage. Even more than how personal this drive was, she couldn’t help but think of where they were going, and who would be there when they arrived.
Feeling too tired and unable to explain, Hannah sighed. “Okay. Let’s go.”
Once in the vehicle, she could feel Gavin watching her out of the corner of his eye. It was her own fault. Every few moments Hannah would unconsciously emit a sad little sigh. “Hannah,” he began slowly, as though carefully selecting his words, “would you like to tell me what’s bothering you or should I guess?”
Her legs hurt from balancing on her tiptoes so they wouldn’t flatten out on the seat and make her feel any larger than she actually was. Gavin struck her as a man used to traveling with arm candy, gorgeous, waif thin model types. As far as she could tell, she didn’t even come close to fitting that bill. To make matters worse, Krystal would be there when they arrived, probably wearing something skimpy to make her feel all the more self-conscious. What if he was attracted to her? She had just settled in. He hadn’t even had a chance to get to know her. She had seen that hussy in action. It was, after all, how she lost her husband. She sighed.
Suddenly, Gavin reached over and grabbed her hand out of her lap, tucked it against his chest, and then slowly kissed her fingers before releasing it rather hastily. Hannah was staring at him wide-eyed. “I’m sorry,” he mumbled. “I guess I just wanted to comfort you,” he said with a little more confidence. “You seem nervous and a little sad?” Hannah’s eyes were downcast. “I know it isn’t that you don’t want to pick up the girls. Is it having me along?”
“Not…exactly,” she replied vaguely.
“Is it that you dread seeing your ex?” Clearly Gavin would continue to pry until he had a satisfactory answer.
Twisting against the leather seat molded to her back, she turned to face him. “I can handle Brett.” She swallowed hard. “If you must know, it’s Krystal that
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