Chapter Two
B ranch’s conversation with Hannah hadn’t gone as planned, and for the past three days, he’d been staring at the warped ceiling tiles above his head, wondering what he’d said to turn her off so completely. Hell, maybe the flicker of interest he thought he’d seen several times over the past months hadn’t really been there at all. She’d rushed out of his room before he could ask if she would bring Collin by. Now that several days had passed, it seemed apparent that she wasn’t planning to.
He sighed and leaned back against the thin pillows effectively flattened by his large mass. Being stuck in the hospital was making him cranky. He usually rolled with the punches. Had an easy time sliding into someone else’s shoes. He was being less than fair to Hannah. She had more on her plate than any one single person should have to juggle, and she made it look easy. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder if she was purposely keeping Collin from him because she was offended by his advance.
He had feelings for Hannah. Ones that he instinctively knew had the power to take root and run deep. It would hurt if she didn’t share the same feelings, but he wasn’t willing to lose his relationship with Collin either way. There was a light rap on the door, and he used the remote control to shift his bed into more of a sitting position. He might be the easiest-going member of his team, but he still liked to be in control, and being confined to a hospital room sucked.
“Hello? Is it all right if we come in?” A soft voice rang out. Sam. Joker had met his match the night he decided to visit the bar alone after a mission and met her. And the fact that she’d been the woman who rescued Brynn, Ransom’s now-fiancée? It was one of those eerie coincidences that made you question fate.
Another voice grumbled alongside hers. “And what? He’s gonna get up and close the door if he doesn’t want company? Go on, then.” Fred, Sam’s elderly next-door neighbor, had become somewhat of an adopted member of their SEAL team and a guardian angel to watch over the women while they were called out. The former Marine was gruff and a bit rough around the edges, but he cared about all of them. He was already grousing under his breath about how Sam shouldn’t be on her feet in her state—that state being pregnancy. Watching the women’s responses to Fred’s somewhat old-fashioned views was typically pretty amusing.
“Sam, Axe.” He used the old Marine’s nickname. Most of his teammates were long dead, but he was now one of theirs. “Nice to see you both.”
“You’re rotting away in that bed.” Axe threw up his arms. Despite the warming weather of early May, a long-sleeved shirt concealed the faded tattoos that covered his arms. “I would’ve ripped out that IV days ago and walked out with my bare ass flapping in the wind.”
He fought to maintain a straight face, but the mental image of Axe strutting out of the hospital with an open-back johnny, bare feet, and no fucks given was too much. “If I’m still here by tomorrow, I might consider it.”
Fred nodded his approval. “Tell this one to sit down. I’m not equipped to deliver a baby.” He was already sliding a chair behind Sam’s knees. To her credit, she merely rolled her eyes with affection, even though there was a twinge of frustration there, too.
“I don’t think standing ever induced spontaneous labor,” he said, grabbing the cup of water the nurse had left earlier.
Axe lowered himself into a chair beside Sam and raised one brow at him. “You say that now, but you won’t when you’re elbow-de—”
“Okay,” Sam soothed quickly. “No one’s delivering this baby except for a trained medical professional, so don’t worry. I still have three months to go, and I’m hoping she’ll wait to appear until after Brynn and Ransom’s wedding in June.” She ran her hands over her rounded belly, and he couldn’t stop the image of Hannah doing the same thing from entering his mind. If he couldn’t even convince her to give him a chance, there was no need to fantasize about how fucking gorgeous she’d be carrying their child.
“What if you can’t fit into a dress?” Axe leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest.
Sam merely shrugged as though this wasn’t the first time he’d asked. “I’m sure Brynn will be flexible with my choice of wedding attire.”
He could listen to Sam and Axe’s back-and-forth banter all day. The old man had no filter and was funny as hell. And Sam, she was so goddamn patient. She deserved a fucking medal for putting up with Axe and Joker. After Sam had nearly been killed by her estranged mother, both men hovered. Well, they all did to some extent. Brynn and Sam were part of the family now.
“Watched Collin lately?” he asked Axe. There was a pang in his chest. He wished Hannah would leave him here during her shifts. Collin was a constant source of fun and never tired of a good card game.
“Night Hannah came to see you after her shift. Always busy since Sam introduced me. Babysitter. Pet sitter. Chaperone.”
“And you love it.” Sam laughed.
“Course.” Axe cleared his throat. “Anyway, Collin was a big help. Programmed that tablet you all got me. Smart as a goddamn whip, that kid.”
Pride swelled through him. “That he is.” Collin was incredibly bright, though some didn’t take the time to see it. Their loss. Everyone had unique skills and challenges. Individuals who had autism were no different.
“Poor Hannah. She’s been in a complete tailspin for the past few days.” Sam frowned and shook her head.
He sat up straighter and angled his body toward Sam. “What do you mean? Did something happen?”
His pulse had kicked up as every scenario, from a broken-down car to a house fire, hammered through his head.
“Her sister’s getting married.” If anything, Sam looked even more distraught by what should technically be happy news. He was clearly not in on the details. They hadn’t really talked much about family. Most of their conversations centered on Collin.
“What am I missing?”
“Hannah’s family isn’t exactly supportive,” Sam said, shaking her head.
“They’re a bunch of uppity assholes,” Axe bit out.
“Fred, if this baby’s first word is a foul curse, I’m holding you responsible.”
“Well, that’s the best word for them. You know it. I know it. Now that baby’s going to know it.”
His jaw clenched. “As amusing as it is to watch you two argue, can someone tell me what’s going on?”
“When Hannah came to pick up Collin, she was upset, and we pried it out of her with a cold one. Younger sister called to tell her she was engaged and that Hannah had to have her a—” Axe had the decency to shoot Sam a sheepish look “—her butt in Texas in two weeks for the wedding. Imagine that. Just expecting someone to drop everything at your whim. Like the goddamn queen.”
That had been the night Hannah had visited. Relief swept through him. Maybe she’d found out about the engagement right before her visit. Between that and the bomb he’d dropped, she was too overwhelmed to even think about exploring their relationship. Hadn’t she told him she needed time to think?
“It sounds like her boss is giving her the time off, but it also means she has to pull Collin out of school. They don’t have time to drive like they usually do when they visit family, so they’ll have to fly.” Sam bit her bottom lip, a worried expression drawing her brows together.
He had to agree with Axe. Announcing a wedding ceremony with only two weeks’ notice seemed egocentric. That wasn’t the kind of person Hannah was. Not at all. Hannah must have her reasons for typically driving down to Texas. The hustle of the airport was enough to put anyone on sensory overload. How many times worse was it for Collin? He reached for the remote at his side and pressed the call button for the nurse. He needed to talk to the doctor. See if the physician would agree to discharge him. He had no doubt that Hannah could pull everything together in the span of two weeks to travel to her sister’s wedding, but that didn’t mean she should. She was part of their group of friends now, and he intended to show her she could depend on someone besides herself, even if it just meant running last-minute errands.
The next afternoon, Branch got his wish and was discharged after a lengthy debate with his doctor. He’d promised to take it easy and monitor his injuries, but the first thing he had to do was check on Hannah and ensure she was okay. He raised his brows as he pulled into the driveway and winced at how it tugged his stitches. Parked behind Hannah’s car was a glossy white Mercedes. The car didn’t belong to anyone in their circle. He killed the engine and exited the truck, shutting the door behind him. His long legs ate up the space to the front door, and he knocked. After a few seconds, he tried again. There was no movement despite the two cars in the driveway. Maybe Hannah was out back.
He skirted around the side of the house. The grass had been recently trimmed, and he drew in the fresh scent. So much better than stagnant hospital air. All Hannah did between raising her son, conducting routine maintenance on her home, and working full-time both amazed and concerned him. He’d never met someone who could manage more, but at the same time, it had to come at a price. Sometimes, he caught her unaware, and the exhaustion etched into her features was so profound he wanted to scoop her up and let her sleep for days.
He rounded a trash barrel full of lawn clippings and stepped into the backyard. The weather was warm for spring, and the sliding glass door to the porch was open so the air could flow through the screen. Music was on inside, some kind of pop song. For some reason, he didn’t take Hannah as a top-hits kind of girl, but it wasn’t like they’d had in-depth conversations about their likes and dislikes. Voices rose over the music. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but he could hear the frustration in Hannah’s tone.
Past caring about someone inviting him in, he slid open the screen door and stepped into the living room. The scent struck him first. He wrinkled his nose at the heavy floral perfume that must belong to whoever owned the car parked out front. Hannah’s scent was so soft you barely noticed the hint of citrus from her soap. Natural, just like her. Something you wanted to breathe in deep to get more of, not something you wanted to repel by tucking your head into your shirt.
“I told Vivienne not to include you in the bridal party.”
His head snapped up at the other woman’s tone, and he began to stalk toward the voices, hackles raised.
“The least you can do is let me measure you for the dress and make sure you go to the appointments I booked. The spray tan should cover your freckles for at least seventy-two hours, God willing. Your mother has explicitly stated that you need to blend into the wedding photos, not stick out like a sore thumb.”
“Well, please let my mother know I’ll do my best not to one-up the bride.” Sarcasm dripped from Hannah’s tone.
That a girl. Hannah always had a quick comeback. He needed to find out the exact context of the conversation. He loved Hannah’s top-to-toe freckles. Some gold, some bronze. They covered every inch of her skin—well, what he’d seen, at least. The little specks were beautiful, and so uniquely her. The idea that anyone would ask her to cover them, let alone her family, made his gut burn.
“Like you could. What was it that the kids at the academy used to call you?” There was a predatory laugh. “Oh yes, Homely Hannah. How could I forget? If you follow the beauty regime your mother sent to a T, you might even be able to catch the eye of someone special at the event. A groundskeeper, maybe one of the waitstaff. I assumed I shouldn’t include a plus-one on your invite. I know you never had good luck in the men department.”
Fuck. No. Like hell, someone was going talk down to Hannah. Anyone who thought an honest blue-collar job made a person less wasn’t one garnering his respect. He closed the distance to the bedroom, ready to tear into the bitch who was spewing vile words. Ones that couldn’t be more untrue.
“If you think your not-so-subtle digs have any impact on me, you’re sorely mistaken. God, what a shallow, vapid existence to only care about your appearance. The things you have. And no, I have no intention of arriving three days early to visit my mother’s plastic surgeon, nor will I make a date suffer through an event with my family.”
Branch wasn’t waiting for the other woman’s comment. He flung open the door to Hannah’s bedroom. “Baby, what’s going on? I wasn’t expecting company.”
Hannah was standing in the center of a cheery yellow room. One that would’ve made him smile were it not for the heavily made-up, very plastic-looking woman who was the source of the overwhelming smell in the house. He sidled up to Hannah, nuzzling her neck, looping his arms around her waist, and drawing her close. Fuck, but she felt so right in his arms. He couldn’t help himself from kissing her cheek, then her forehead. Hannah leaned into him, and warmth and relief flooded through him. He spared a glance at the woman, whose eyes were now wide with confusion, darting back and forth from him to Hannah.
Time and experience told him women found him attractive. He might’ve used his good looks and easy nature to his advantage in the past, but the one-night stands had run their course before he hit his midtwenties. The woman did not try to hide that she was overtly checking him out. Her eyes roamed over his body without a single thought to Hannah—or maybe that was why she was so open in her perusal. Regardless, his temper was rising. Hannah might not believe it yet, but he was hers.
“Beautiful, who is this?” He jerked his head toward the woman he was quickly coming to despise.
Hannah cleared her throat. “This is Rochelle, my sister’s wedding planner.” Her tone sounded positively miserable. He didn’t want this vile monster of matrimony breathing in the same air as his Hannah.
“And a friend of the family. I went to the same private school Hannah and her sisters attended.” Rochelle flashed him a smile and tossed her hair behind her shoulder.
Jesus. The woman was anything but subtle. “Right.” He slid his arms more firmly around Hannah. “I booked our flight last night.”
Hannah’s head jerked up, eyes sharply focused on him. “I told you not to do that.” Her expression was stricken. He wasn’t sure if it was annoyance or panic that had a line forming between her brows, but he was thrilled she was playing along with his game. “You’re going to be bored to death.”
“Not going off for a whole week without me.” He didn’t have to pretend to infuse the possessiveness into his voice. “Not happening, beautiful.” Just the thought of the slick, wealthy bastards who would try to scoop her up made him feel like a caveman. For the first time since he woke up in an overseas hospital, his accident felt like a monumental blessing. He was on mandatory medical leave for three months to monitor his injuries before he’d be put back on active duty. He wasn’t the type of man who did well without a purpose. Now, thanks to Hannah, he had one.
“I guess I will be adding a plus-one.” Rochelle had a pout on her face. One that was deeply satisfying. “I’ll just wrap up my measurements and be on my way. I’d like to find a…nicer part of town to spend the night.”
“While you’re finishing up,” he said to Hannah, “I’m going to find whatever stinks in here. It smells like my grandmother’s perfume was ignited with a blowtorch.” He leveled his gaze at Rochelle before giving Hannah a reassuring squeeze. She tried to stifle a laugh and let out an adorable snort. Damn, she was cute. Not to mention, the other woman’s feathers were quite ruffled now.
A horn beeped, and Hannah glanced at the watch on her wrist. “That’s the bus.”
“I’ve got it. Been dying to see him.” He couldn’t help himself from leaning down again and brushing his lips to the top of her head. Maybe she’d think he was trying to play it up for Rochelle, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Now the question was how did he convince Hannah to give him a shot?