8. Always Plan for the Weather
8
ALWAYS PLAN FOR THE WEATHER
Weather was one element of travel that could trip up even the best tour guides in the world, and Hanna counted herself amongst those select few.
She checked the weather apps the week before and again on the day of an excursion.
She knew weather apps did their best to predict something innately out of human control, but Hanna enjoyed the challenge of controlling what she could.
Travel-sized sunscreen lived in her crossbody bag along with a tin of spare hair ties and bobby-pins, a compact first-aid kit, makeup for touch-ups, tissues, and a whole array of other essentials the group might need.
Sure, she tried to keep it to a manageable weight, but there was a reason she stretched sore shoulders every night.
People on vacation want to cast away their cares and not worry about the little details, like where to get a Band-Aid when their cute new shoes, purchased specifically for vacation, gave them a blister.
Yet, the more she planned for contingencies, the more she realized there were some things she simply couldn’t prepare for.
Like spring storms and Noah Eversham.
“Shouldn’t you have one of those?” Noah pointed to a large group of tourists, their guide holding aloft what appeared to be a selfie stick with a laminated card dangling off the end.
The group was finished with their tour of Versailles and were now strolling through the gardens.
Above them, the sun peeked around grey clouds, the dark color and a bite of chill in the breeze threatening rain that was not in the forecast when Hanna checked the weather that morning.
She sent him a playful glare once assuring that the rest of the group was fixated on the opulence of Versailles.
“Those are to help keep groups together. Five people, adults no less, are within my capacity to manage without losing someone. But–” Her voice was sweet once more.
“–if you think you’ll have difficulty keeping up with us, I’m sure I can find you a child leash so you don’t wander off.”
To her surprise, instead of replying with a witty retort, Noah tipped his head back with a laugh, stunning her momentarily speechless.
Sunlight caressed his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his cheekbones and the flex of his neck.
Tiny lines appeared at the corners of his eyes, and without his usual frown, Noah looked younger.
A man who could make her laugh was attractive.
A man who knew how to laugh at himself was dangerous to her heart.
Just as she suspected, when Noah smiled, it lit up his face, the bright white of his teeth contrasting with the dark hair of his beard.
“Not my thing, but if I ever feel like trying something new–” Noah had the audacity to wink at her.
“–you’ll be the first to know.”
It was not Hanna’s thing either, but there was a certain appeal to having a man like Noah yield to her bidding.
After their adventure with paint at Monet’s Garden, the set of his shoulders and the way he looked at her had relaxed, making her think that Noah might actually trust her.
Hanna responded to Noah’s comment with a noncommittal, “Hmm.” There was no reason to open up the Pandora’s Box of Noah’s sexual preferences.
As much as Hanna was trying to uphold her end of the bargain, there was still a line for how much of her real personality Hanna was willing to show Noah.
Not when their truce felt so precarious, and there was too much at stake to jump in headfirst.
Several feet away, Daphne waved to get their attention, beckoning them towards the Latona Fountain.
“Hanna, come take a picture with us!”
“Of course.” Hanna arranged the group and then held out her hand for the phone.
Daphne gave Hanna a puzzled look as she tucked the phone back towards her torso.
“Get in here with us! We want you in the photo, too. Noah can take the photo.”
“Are you sure? This is your tri–” Hanna was cut off as a surprisingly strong grip yanked her forward, squishing Hanna between Daphne and Lillian.
The group shuffled to create more room and Hanna quickly smoothed out her skirt and blouse, patting her hair to make sure it was falling into place.
Reaching around, Hazel clasped the hand Hanna had resting on her thigh.
“This trip would not have happened without you and it’s just the first of many. You’re part of the group now. Better get used to it because you are stuck with us.”
Hanna’s throat felt tight with emotion and her gaze flicked to Noah to see his reaction.
With how protective he was over Hazel, Hanna could not imagine that he was happy with her open offer of connection to the group.
As expected, Noah watched her closely, and while Hanna previously took the assessing gaze as proof he was trying to find fault with her, she found herself looking closer.
Eyes that once looked cold and unfeeling were fixated on Hanna’s face, spearing into her as if they could tunnel to the core of her being.
Whatever he saw had Noah’s face softening, his head tipped slightly to the side as if he found something in Hanna’s gaze that was unexpected and perhaps…
relatable. Could he see how much she wanted to accept Hazel’s offer?
How she longed to trust others with her heart and yearned for someone to keep it safe?
Her circle of close friends was small, kept that way to protect her bruised heart.
“Well, we are paying her.” Lillian’s voice interrupted Hanna’s thoughts.
“Technically.” Noah’s voice was firm as his mouth settled back into a frown.
“Mémé owns the company that pays me. Does that disqualify me from being part of the group too?”
Hanna wished Noah was holding up the phone to capture the look on Lillian’s face, like she had swallowed one of the lemons from the orangery.
“Well…no, but…” Lillian struggled to find her point after Noah decimated her argument.
“But nothing, Lillian,” Mai said.
“Hanna is part of our group and that is that. Now, smile for the camera. I want to explore the gardens, not sit here all day.”
Noah took several photos, even turning to stretch the phone out in front of him to capture a selfie of the entire group, minus Madeline who chose to remain with the car.
After the first batch of photos, Hanna stood and took the phone from Noah, taking candid pictures of the friends.
While they were coordinating how to pose so that it looked like they were kissing one of the fountain’s gold frogs, Hanna felt something hit her forehead.
Brushing it away with the back of her hand, another raindrop caught her gaze as it splashed on the phone’s screen.
So much for the weather forecast. Giving the rain a resigned sigh, Hanna motioned for the group to stand and calmly explained that the rain was likely to get worse before it got better and that they would find somewhere dry to wait.
Employees were standing at the doors, directing guests to head in their direction, so that was where Hanna led the group.
There was no point getting soaked by trying to make it back to the car.
“Wait!” Lillian cried.
“My bag. It’s Balenciaga.”
Glancing back, Hanna saw the brown leather purse on the lower rim of the fountain.
Far enough away that they could not retrieve the bag and still make it indoors before the worst of the rain started.
Knowing that she had seconds to decide, Hanna faced the group.
“Keep going and get inside. Leave the bag to me.”
Concerned for Mai with the slippery conditions, Hazel and the others followed Hanna’s directions without question.
Satisfied that her guests were taken care of, Hanna started for the purse, only for a strong hand to clasp around her arm and pull her back towards the door.
Pivoting so that the momentum brought them under one of the arched windows lining the exterior of the building, Hanna scowled at Noah.
Noah’s face was as stormy as the clouds rolling above them.
“Forget the purse. It’s not worth risking your safety.”
“I don’t have time for this, Noah.” Already, fat drops of rain were descending, splashing against Hanna’s body.
The inset design of the window offered some coverage, but that would only last until the weather got worse.
“It’s just a little water. The more time you waste the longer I am out here.”
“We can go back for the purse once the rain stops,” he insisted, starting to turn away.
Hanna held her ground and resisted the tug on her arm.
Noah whipped around and glared at her.
Taking a step forward, Hanna poked a finger into his chest. “Just because you are paying for my services does not give you the right to boss me around. You might get to make the choices when it comes to this trip, but not for me.”
Noah matched her step with one of his own.
“ I’m not paying you or trying to take your choices away. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
Wind joined the rain, tousling the ends of Noah’s hair.
Pieces of her own hair flew into Hanna’s face.
“Then stop wasting my time and let me go. I would have been back by now if you had not stopped me.”
She poked his chest again and Noah caught the offending digit in his free hand.
“And I keep trying to tell you that a damn purse is not worth your safety.”
The wind was picking up speed, howling around them and making it difficult to hear.
Or, at least that was the excuse Hanna later gave herself for why she took that final step between them, toe-to-toe with Noah.
Frustration made her breath come faster, her chest rising and brushing against Noah’s with every inhale.
Heat pumped through her veins at his proximity, warming the skin that was getting damp by rain.
“You’re so stubborn,” she yelled to be heard over the wind.
With both hands trapped by Noah, she could not swipe at the hair trailing across her face and Hanna tried in vain to toss her head to dislodge the wet strands.
Releasing her hands, Noah pushed back her hair, keeping it contained with his palms settled along the sides of her head.
“Stubborn? Pot, meet kettle. You are the most stubborn woman I’ve ever met. You tell the rest of us to head indoors, trying to keep us safe and warm while you venture out into a literal storm. You could roll your ankle, or worse, get struck by lightning. Is a purse really more important than you?” His chest was heaving now, the grip on her head tightening protectively.
They were not drenched yet, but that would quickly change if they remained at a standoff.
Hanna knew that Noah had a point, that even if she had immediately gone to get the purse, it still would have gotten wet.
At this point, the damage was already done.
But this went deeper than retrieving a bag.
Hanna was unwilling to let this go because she thought that it would prove to Lillian and the others, prove to Noah and prove to her family that she could do this job.
Getting this purse somehow became proof that she helped people in her job, and that would make it worthy to her parents and siblings, something to be proud of.
“Well, it’s my–”
“Job? Yeah, I get that.” Noah leaned down to stare directly in her eyes, his voice matching the rumble in the sky.
“But, no, it isn’t. Your job was to plan this trip, guide the group, and provide information along the way. And you’re damn good at it, phenomenal even. Going above and beyond shows your dedication and passion for the work you do, but this is a step too far.”
He ran a hand through his damp hair, the perfectly styled locks now sticking out in random directions.
It made him look softer and less imposing as he continued.
“You got us here and gave us the unique experience promised, job complete. Fetching a grown-ass adult’s belongings is not part of your job. Lillian can afford to buy another purse. Hell, I’ll buy one for her, if it means you won’t risk breaking your neck. You might help out when you can, because it is the kind thing to do, but you are not being kind to yourself. Your job is not to work yourself so hard that you get injured.”
Hanna forgot how to breathe.
The intensity of Noah’s gaze eliminated all other thoughts.
So close to her own, Hanna could see every emotion crossing Noah’s face.
Frustration, empathy, and fear.
When she licked away a drop of water that slid from Noah’s finger to her lips, Hanna saw how he tracked the movement, pupils dilating with desire.
“Your job–” The words were puffs of air against her mouth.
“–is not to put everyone first but yourself.”
Hanna could not feel the chill in the air because Noah’s body was radiating heat.
Even when angry with her, Noah protected her, shielding her body with his own from the worst of the gathering rain.
She needed space, needed to think without Noah distracting her.
Fighting back her own attraction, Hanna’s voice was less firm than she intended.
“Yeah, well your job isn’t to take care of me. Just enjoy your vacation. I can take care of myself.”
Would he take the bait, choose the easy path and leave Hanna behind, like everyone else did?
“Maybe it’s time you let someone else take care of you.”
Hanna sucked in a shaky lungful of air.
She wanted that. Wanted a partner who she could lean on, share her worries, and take care of too.
But it seemed impossible with Noah.
He had a life and home to return to.
Hanna wandered the globe and had no place to call home.
And that did not even begin to cover the complication that he was a guest on one of her tours.
That was all difficult to remember as their chests moved in synchrony, a deep breath enough to bring their lips together.
It was just a kiss, it did not need to be life changing, and yet she felt a bolt of electricity stronger than lightning shoot through her.
Another thunderous roar broke through the air, jolting Hanna and Noah apart.
Hanna pushed Noah back further and slipped away.
Rushing out into the rain, Hanna only dared to glance over her shoulder once, but Noah was no longer in front of the window.
His arm brushed hers as he sprinted past her, scooping the purse under his arm before pivoting and running back to Hanna.
A burst of laughter escaped her at the way his face scrunched to prevent rain dripping into his eyes, breaking the tension between them as they ran for the door.
Hazel yanked them both inside, patting them down and chastizing them both for being foolish enough to run about in the rain like children playing in puddles.
Noah tried to remind her that they were not outside for fun, but Hazel was having none of it.
Despite its somewhat sodden appearance, Lillian reached for the purse with a sob, clutching it to her chest and thanking Noah profusely.
“It was Hanna who got it,” Noah said.
To her surprise, Lillian hugged Hanna, thanking her for saving the purse that was a gift from her mother.
Over her shoulders, Hanna arched her brow at Noah, trying to communicate that rescuing the purse was the correct choice.
In response, Noah passed her a small towel that one of the employees handed him, leaving his own hair wet against his head as he watched her dry off.
Sweeping sheets of rain poured down in front of them, pooling and darkening the sand pathways.
Outside the arched windows, guests dashed towards coverage, holding jackets or umbrellas over their heads, not that it protected them from the onslaught of water.
Employees rushed around the interior, focused on keeping dripping guests away from the priceless artwork while ensuring their safety.
Hanna was glad they made it inside with minimal damage.
Their damp hair and clothing would dry off soon enough.
She was more concerned with the damage to the walls around her heart.
Noah’s words made a crack and now Hanna was worried that he would take it apart piece by piece, leaving her defenseless when it was time for him to go home.