Chapter Thirty-Two
Ethan steered his truck into the parking lot at the Rookery with one hand, his other clasped in Hannah’s. “You ready for me to kick your butt again?”
Hannah asked with a grin.
“It was one time,”
Ethan said, but he was too happy to even pretend to be annoyed.
“You don’t think I can do it again?”
He put the truck in park and gripped Hannah’s thigh, sliding her across the bench seat towards him. “I think you can do anything you want to.”
She bit her lower lip to hide her grin, but his eyes tracked the movement, a hunger rising in him that should have been sated after the last day of holing up in her Manhattan apartment. In between packing, they’d made love in every room. They’d have to go back at some point to finish cleaning out her things before her lease was up in a few months, but for now, everything important to her had been stowed in suitcases and brought back to Aster Bay, her dresses hung back in his closet, her clothing beside his in the dresser, lotions and shampoos in the bathroom. Hannah was home. There was nothing that could ruin his mood, not even losing trivia.
She dragged her fingers up his forearm, over his bicep. “Anything?”
A noise rumbled low in his chest and he caught her chin with his thumb and index finger, tipping her lips up to his. “Anything.”
Their lips met in a heated kiss, her mouth parting for him. He twisted to pull her closer and his elbow collided with the steering wheel, the loud honk startling them both. She laughed and kissed him again, softer this time.
“Screw trivia,”
he purred. “Let’s go home.”
A loud banging on the side of the truck pulled them apart and Ethan turned to see Gavin through the driver’s side window. “You’re back!”
Gavin exclaimed, throwing his hands in the air.
“Go away. We’re busy,”
Ethan shouted through the closed window.
Hannah laughed. “Come on. It’s time for me to defend my win.”
“Hannah, good to see you again,”
Gavin said with a grin when they climbed out of the truck.
Tessa slammed into Hannah’s side, nearly knocking her over as she wrapped her in a hug. “I knew it! I knew you two would work things out!”
Ethan caught Hannah’s eye over Tessa’s shoulder as the two women hugged. His whole body felt warm, his blood fizzy.
“You’re back!”
Kyla leapt at the tangle of limbs, joining in on the group hug. “Does this mean what I think it means?”
“That depends,”
Hannah said with a laugh. “What do you think it means?”
“That we get to keep you,”
Kyla said.
“Excuse me, I’m the one who gets to keep her,”
Ethan said.
“Nope. Sorry. She belongs to all of us now, just like we all belong to her,”
Kyla said.
“Lost your girl already? I thought you just got her back,”
Baz said, coming up behind Ethan, his arm wrapped around Sabrina’s waist.
Tessa hooked her arm through Hannah’s and the women began making their way towards the front door, Ethan and his friends following behind. “This is great. I’m so tired of losing every week to the grandma gang,”
Tessa said.
Inside the bar, they ordered their drinks and grabbed their usual table, crowding chairs around it so they could all fit. Sabrina settled on Baz’s lap and reached for the specials menu. “I hope they have something deep fried and cheesy on special this week. I’m starving.”
“Queso dip,”
Tessa said, stabbing the menu with her index finger.
“Don’t eat that crap. They don’t use real cheese,”
Jamie said. “I’ll make you real queso dip.”
“Sometimes you need the artificial stuff,”
Tessa said, giving him a peck on the cheek as he rolled his eyes.
“What do you think, Hannah?”
Sabrina asked. “Queso or avocado eggrolls?”
Hannah snuggled closer to Ethan as he draped an arm over her shoulder and laced their fingers together. “I say we get both.”
Jamie sighed. “Heathens.”
“I’ve got a good feeling about tonight,”
Gavin said. “I think we’re going to win this time.”
“Correction, we’re going to win,”
Tessa said, gesturing to the other women.
“Where’s Caleb?”
Jamie asked.
“He’s been recruited to the dark side,”
Baz said, tilting his chin towards the table at the front of the room where the priest sat flanked by the grandma gang.
“Traitor,”
Gavin sputtered.
A woman in her early twenties approached their table, fishing a notepad out of the apron she wore tied around her waist. “What’ll you have tonight, folks?”
“Queso,”
Tessa said.
“And avocado eggrolls,”
Hannah added.
“Oh, and some of those little buffalo chicken wonton things,”
Gavin added.
“You’ve got it.”
When the waitress looked up, she froze, almost as though she were seeing them for the first time. Her eyes locked on Ethan and widened, her eyebrows shooting up. “Oh my God, it’s you.”
Ethan glanced over his shoulder and looked around the table in confusion. “Me?”
“You’re Slade Hardcastle,”
she breathed. Beside him, Hannah stiffened and turned slowly to look at him. He could feel his friends’ eyes all swing in his direction, a tense hush falling over the table. His stomach flipped, but the waitress didn’t notice the change her announcement had wrought. “I am such a fan. I’ve listened to all of your audiobooks.”
“Thank you,”
he said slowly, as though testing the words. With the hand that wasn’t wrapped around Hannah, he reached out to shake the waitress’ hand. “I’m glad you’ve enjoyed the books.”
“So much!”
she squealed. She glanced around the table, as though suddenly realizing how still everyone else had become, and paled. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have bothered you.”
“No bother,”
Ethan said with a reassuring smile.
Hannah glanced between Ethan and the waitress. “Would you like an autograph?”
she asked, gesturing towards the notepad still clutched in the woman’s hands.
“That would be amazing!”
she said, a look of relief washing over her.
Ethan accepted the notepad, but he paused with the pen hovering over the paper.
“You okay?”
Hannah asked.
“Yeah. I’m great.”
A smile stole over his face as he scribbled a signature somewhat resembling his pseudonym and handed the notepad back to the waitress, feeling lighter.
“Thank you!”
she said, clutching the notepad to her chest. “Your food will be right out.”
Then she scampered off into the kitchen.
Baz took a sip of his Scotch. “That was fucking weird.”
“Dad, you’re a celebrity,”
Tessa laughed.
“I see your lady friend has returned,”
Mrs. White said, appearing at the side of their table. “Welcome back, dear.”
“Thanks, Mrs. White,”
Hannah said.
“It will be nice to have a challenge at these trivia nights again,”
Mrs. Kemp said as she joined them.
“Jesus Christ, they travel in packs,”
Baz muttered.
“What’s that, Sebastian?”
Mrs. Blumenthal asked.
“Nothing, Mrs. B,”
Baz intoned.
“Judy, did you leave Father West alone with Ruth?”
Mrs. Blumenthal asked, an admonishment in her tone.
“I’m sure Caleb can handle himself,”
Mrs. Kemp said. “I wanted to say hello to Hannah.”
Then, turning to Hannah. “Hello!”
“Hello,”
Hannah laughed.
Ethan’s heart was so full he thought his chest might burst, all those holes that had haunted him for years filling themselves in. He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Hannah’s cheek.
“Hello to you too,”
she said, turning to him with a glimmer in her eyes.
Mrs. White smiled, shooting a knowing look at Ethan before turning back to Hannah. “I hope we’ll see you at next month’s book club. We’ll be reading AK Wild’s latest release.”
Hannah grinned. “I wouldn’t miss it.”
After the grandma gang had left for their own table and the rest of the group had returned to bickering about whether or not avocados belonged in eggrolls, Hannah turned in Ethan’s arms, sliding a hand onto his thigh, her fingernails scratching lightly over the denim. “Maybe you’ll give me a private performance before it comes out,” she said.
“I thought I already did.”
He caught her lips with his own, his fingers sliding into her hair and tipping her face up to his. Everything else fell away—the bar, his friends’ bickering, all the complications and detours they’d taken along the way. All that mattered, all that was left, was Hannah and the endless possibilities in front of them.
“Get a room!”
Jamie teased.
They pulled apart when Jamie lobbed a wadded up napkin at them and it hit the side of Ethan’s head. Hannah smiled and Ethan couldn’t help but kiss her again to taste her joy. “Welcome home, city girl.”
Epilogue
Seven months later, Christmas Eve
His tie was crooked.
Ethan frowned at the mirror and undid the knot for the third time.
“Do I look okay?”
He turned to find Hannah in the hallway wearing an emerald green velvet dress that nipped in at the waist and swirled out below her knees. “I haven’t been to a church service in years. I wasn’t really sure what was appropriate.”
“You look fucking incredible, like always,”
Ethan said, abandoning his efforts with his tie and stalking towards her.
“It’s not too tight?”
she asked, frowning and tugging at the skirt.
“It’s perfect.”
He slid his hands over her waist and pulled her to him. “How long until we have to leave?”
“Twenty minutes or so. Why?”
He bent at the knees and lifted her over his shoulder before striding towards their bedroom. One heel slipped from her foot and clattered to the hardwood floor. “Ethan!”
she squealed. “Put me down! You’ll wrinkle it!”
“Then I guess we’ll have to take it off,”
he said, pushing open their bedroom door.
“Everyone is waiting for us.”
He set her down on the edge of their bed and dragged the zipper of her dress down. “We’ll sneak in the back. No one will even notice we’re missing.”
“I don’t think that’s true.”
“Used to do it all the time as a kid.”
Then his hands were on the bare skin of her back. Her laughter turned breathless and his brain went fuzzy. Ethan’s hands slid over the expanse of exposed skin unimpeded. “No bra?”
“I can’t wear one with this dress.”
“This is my new favorite dress,”
he said, sliding the sleeves off her shoulders and down her arms.
“You say that about all my dresses.”
The dress fell away, leaving her in the cotton panties she favored. Her nipples were already pulled into tight furls and he cupped her breasts, running his thumbs over the stiff peaks. “How am I supposed to behave in church knowing you’re bare under that dress?”
Her hand slid down his chest and she palmed his erection through the placket of his dress pants. “Maybe we can be a little late.”
Ethan dropped to his knees at her feet and tugged the cotton panties down her legs as her hands ran through his hair. He dragged his hands up the back of her calves, over her knees, and pressed her thighs apart to make room for him between them. “What do you think, city girl? You want to go to Christmas Eve Mass with my cum inside you?”
He didn’t wait for her to answer. Instead, he leaned forward and pressed his tongue to her core. She moaned and rocked against him, urging him on. If they had more time, he’d make her come a half dozen times before he gave her his cock, but she was right—everyone would be waiting for them. Still, he’d be damned if he didn’t make her come at least once on his tongue before he fucked her.
It didn’t take long for her to come apart for him, shivering and gasping his name. Christ, he’d never get used to the sound of his name on her lips when she was like this, soft and needy and so ready for him. He pulled back from her reluctantly, nipping at the sensitive skin on the inside of her thighs as he undid his belt.
“Later, we’ll do this right,”
he promised as he stepped out of his pants.
“That wasn’t doing it right?”
she asked with a pleasure-drunk laugh.
Ethan strummed his thumb over her clit just to see her squirm and moan in response. He slid his free hand over her hip and across the soft round of her belly where she tangled her fingers with his. The sight of their joined hands over the place where she’d someday grow round and full with his child made his heart ache and his cock kick, eager to be inside her.
“Fuck, Hannah, look at you.”
He lined the tip of his cock up with her entrance and filled her with one smooth stroke. They both groaned, the heat of her closing tightly around him. With their joined hands, he pressed on her belly as he pistoned in and out of her, and she moaned at the added pressure, arching her back and driving her hips up to meet him.
“You’re so beautiful, sweetheart,”
he groaned, moving faster. “You take me so well.”
He caught her knee with his free hand and lifted it higher, spreading her open wider so he could watch the slide of his thick cock in and out, the stretch of her around him, the way her body molded itself to his.
“I can’t wait to marry you,”
he whispered, the words like a prayer as he stretched out his thumb to play with her clit. The way she whimpered in response nearly drove him out of his mind with need.
“You have to ask me first,”
she teased, her hips rising up to meet his thrusts.
He bit his lip to keep from saying more, and heat raced down his spine, urgent and unstoppable. “Where do you want my cum, sweetheart?”
She groaned. “Someone promised me I could go to church tonight with a pussy full.”
“Fuck, you’re perfect,”
he groaned. “You be a good girl and keep every drop inside, Han, and I’ll fill you up again when we get home.”
“Do it,”
she gasped.
He came with a roar, driving into her in an effort to get closer, deeper, as he came in endless ropes that stole his breath. When at last he was done, he dropped to his knees between her legs, using two fingers to shove his release back inside her. He flicked her clit with his tongue. “Give me one more, city girl. One more and then you can put back on your pretty dress and I’ll take you to church.”
She groaned, her pussy fluttering around his fingers as he worked her. He loved this part, watching her greedy pussy pull his release deeper, the contractions of her inner walls making sure she kept it all inside.
“Gonna put a baby in you one of these days, Hannah,”
he said, his voice ragged, wrecked by the idea of it.
“Then we better keep practicing,”
she panted, breaking off on a groan when he locked his lips around her clit and sucked in the long, rough pulls he knew never failed to make her orgasm.
This time, when she came, she arched off the bed, pressing her pussy against his mouth, covering his lips and beard with their mingled release. He worked her through it, not letting up until she collapsed back against the pillows, her moans turning to satisfied giggles.
“I love you,”
she said, dragging her fingers through his damp beard.
“I love you.”
He extended a hand to her. “Let’s get cleaned up. We’re already late.”
∞∞∞
The service was well underway by the time Ethan and Hannah arrived, but he had been right; no one noticed when they snuck in the back and took a seat in the last pew. Their friends were all seated towards the front with Caleb and Gavin’s mom and Sabrina’s aunt, but Ethan was grateful for another few minutes alone with Hannah. The ring his friends had helped him pick out was heavy in his jacket pocket. Waiting.
When the service ended and the congregation began filing out of the sanctuary, he and Hannah hung back. She was distracted, her eyes snagging somewhere off behind his shoulder.
“Everything alright?” he asked.
“Yeah, I just thought I saw…”
She shook her head, moving her attention back to him. “Sorry, I think I’m imagining things.”
“What is it?”
he asked, turning in the direction she’d been looking, but all he saw was Caleb greeting the grandma gang, though he seemed distracted, too.
“No way,”
Hannah said. Then, waving a hand over her head, “Jackson!”
“Jackson?”
Ethan pulled his focus away from Caleb, searching the crowd.
“Hannah Banana!”
A moment later, Jackson barreled towards them, the parishioners parting for him as though he were Moses himself. He swept Hannah into a hug, twirling her around. “What are you doing here?”
“What are you doing here?”
she asked when he set her down. “I live here.”
“I know!”
He clapped Ethan on the shoulder. “This place is fucking amazing.”
“The church?”
she asked, her brows knitting together in amused confusion.
“No, Aster Bay. We saw all the coverage of this place when the press was following you guys a while back and I told Becks we had to check it out.”
“Beckett’s here?”
Hannah turned, searching for Jackson’s twin brother.
“The whole band is here!”
Jackson said, flinging his arms out to the side. “Well, not here here. It’s only me and Becks and Mom here here. But the whole band’s moving to AB, man. We bought out a whole cul de sac and everything. The houses will be ready when we get back from the first leg of the tour.”
“You’re the one building the new development by the beach?”
Ethan asked.
“Midnight Storm,”
Jackson confirmed. “We needed a new place to settle down and write the next album. Can’t reinvent yourself if you stay in the same old place.”
“Jackson, we have to go.”
A tall man who looked strikingly similar to Jackson save for the abundance of colorful ink peeking out of the collar of his suit jacket appeared behind them.
“Becks, you remember Hannah Banana,”
Jackson said, “and this is her guy, Ethan.”
“Merry Christmas,”
Beckett said with a tight smile, then, all business again, “Jackson, now.”
Jackson rolled his eyes as his twin brother left. “Always so serious. But it was good to see you!”
He pulled Hannah into another hug. “You guys should come to the show on New Year’s Eve! We’re kicking off the tour in Providence. I’ll put your name on the list. Bring your friends!”
“Jackson!”
Beckett barked.
And then they were alone again. “Midnight Storm is moving to Aster Bay,”
Hannah said, shaking her head and laughing in disbelief.
“Do you think the town’s ready for them?”
Ethan asked.
“I don’t think they’re ready for this town.”
“There you guys are! We thought you didn’t make it,”
Gavin said as he and Kyla made their way through the crowd.
“Was that Jackson Hayes?”
Kyla asked.
“Yeah, it was,”
Hannah said.
“Hey, forget about him for a minute. What’s up with your brother?”
Ethan asked, tipping his chin towards Caleb.
The priest looked like he’d seen a ghost, his eyes dark and haunted and his hair disheveled as he distractedly made small talk with his congregants.
“I don’t know. He’s been weird all week,”
Gavin said.
“Leading a church during Christmas can’t be easy,”
Kyla said. “I’m sure he’s just tired.”
“Come on. Everyone’s heading to Lemon and Thyme. They’ll be wondering where we are.”
Gavin gestured for them to put on their coats and follow him out the back of the church.
On the front steps of the church, the hum of parishioners wishing each other a merry Christmas behind them and the faint sound of Christmas carols on the winter air ahead of them, Ethan paused, pulling Hannah to the side. In the distance, the bay sparkled in the moonlight. “Let’s walk for a bit,” he said.
“You heard Gavin,”
Hannah said. “Everyone’s waiting.”
“They can wait a little longer.”
He linked his hand with hers and led her down the stone steps of the imposing church and across the street to the Town Common. The streetlamps cast halos of light and illuminated the first few flakes of snow as they fell from the sky. At the center of the Common, the white gazebo was strung with Christmas lights and swags of greenery, red velvet bows dotting the railing in a festive display. Ethan led her to the small bench beneath the gazebo’s shelter. She nestled against his side, hooking her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder.
He wasn’t sure why he was so nervous. They’d been living together for months, and they’d known each other for years. After so much public attention on their relationship in the beginning, he’d thought he’d never be happier than when they settled into the calmer routine of every day. But as the months had gone by, he realized he loved it all—not only the quiet nights at home and waking up with her each morning, but the book signings with Angie and the occasional red carpet in New York when her friends opened a new Broadway show. Every day was magic, because every day was with her.
“You’re happy here, right?” he asked.
“Of course, I am. Why would you ask me that?”
“I want you to love it here as much as I do,”
he said. “This town is so much a part of me, of my family…”
“I know,”
she said. Her smile was like a lasso around his heart, tugging him towards her. “That’s exactly why I love it here. Well, that and the milkshakes are amazing.”
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to her temple. “And you don’t regret leaving New York?”
“Not for a second.”
She paused, thoughtful. “Sometimes I miss performing, being part of a cast and putting on a show, but I never miss the business of it, and I love teaching at St. Anthony’s. It was time for a new start.”
“I used to think I was too old to start again. That I’d missed my shot at all this years ago. But with you…”
He struggled to put into words the enormity of his feelings. “I want everything with you, Hannah. The good days and the hard ones.”
“Every messy, sordid part,”
she said softly, the words they’d repeated to each other over the last few months like a mantra, a reminder of all they’d been through, that they were still in it together, always.
Ethan took in a shaky breath and got down on one knee at her feet. Her eyes widened and her lips parted as he reached inside his jacket pocket and produced the small velvet box.
“I want to marry you, Hannah, and have a family with you and build a life with you. I didn’t know I could love someone the way I love you, or that someone could love me…”
He opened the box to show the simple engagement ring he’d chosen, a thin gold band with an emerald cut diamond solitaire. “Marry me, city girl. Be my wife. Please.”
Her eyes brimmed with tears and a small sob fell from her lips. “Yes, Ethan. Yes.”
He gathered her into his arms, kissing her until neither of them could breathe. Ethan ran his thumb over the ring on her finger. He wasn’t sure how people survived this much happiness, but there, on a bench in the center of town on Christmas Eve with the woman he loved, he made himself a promise to never take it for granted.
The End
∞∞∞
Thank you for reading Ethan and Hannah's story!