Chapter Four
H annah’s hand felt like heaven in his. Hunter could tell she was warring with some internal battle. Had also noticed how her eyes became glassy the moment he offered her support. She was so strong, but it came at a cost. She probably never went see a therapist to help her get her head straight after a traumatic emergency response. Probably missed her own doctor’s appointments or any kind of relaxation or self-care because she just had too much on her plate. This was a woman who put herself last. He was going to make sure he always put her first. Hannah took care of everything and everyone in her life, but he was going to take care of her. Hannah had hardened herself to survive, but she’d done it for so long, she didn’t know how to lower the walls enough to give him a chance. His team called him easygoing, and maybe he was, but he could be just as stubborn as the rest of them. Hannah was worth the wait in spades.
Opening up to him was going to strip her bare, so he’d go first.
“I’ve been put on three months of medical leave. Way too much time for the injuries I sustained. At first, it scared the shit out of me. If I don’t stay busy, if I’m not helping, I feel inadequate. My parents worked hard to give me and my sister everything we had. Didn’t allow them much time at home, but that’s how most modern families have to operate.”
Hannah watched him intently, letting him talk.
“My older sister is amazing but she’s always needed…more. She’s struggles with bipolar disorder, and there were times growing up that my parents would be so drained trying to help her, that I felt like I needed to be perfect so they only had to worry about one of us. Classic glass child syndrome or something. Anyway, I guess that’s ingrained in me. Always working or doing homework. Keeping things tidy and calm. I try to lighten the mood, play things off, because that’s my role in my family and among my team. The steady one.” He swiped his thumb over the back of her hand, fascinated by the texture of her skin. Not smooth. Not rough. Somewhere in between. Hands that were competent and strong.
“I never want people to hurt or worry, so I keep things light.” He paused. There was no doubt that Hannah had seen bad stuff. Gruesome things that were imprinted in her mind. If she closed her eyes, she probably saw those horrific events dance behind her lids. He did, too. Except instead of being the one rushing in to help, he was the one who caused the carnage. The things he’d done, the things he would continue to do in the name of his country marked him. As if sensing his doubt, Hannah tightened her grip on his hand. “That also means I don’t let people too deep. Keep my burdens to myself. I’ve done things I’m ashamed of. Haven’t asked for help when I needed it most. The things I’ve done…I carry that darkness with me. Maybe that’s why I work so hard to project light, because I don’t want anyone to see what’s beneath the surface.”
The air weighed heavy between them, silence thickening with each passing moment that ticked by. “But you’re telling me.” She stared up at him with those big brown eyes. Instead of disgust, there was empathy there.
Fuck, he could get used to her looking up at him like that. He needed to leave her soon, though. Her lids were growing heavy and there were light purple bruises beneath her eyes from lack of sleep. “I am.”
“Why?” A tear rolled down her cheek and he caught it with his thumb and brushed it away.
God, she killed him. It wasn’t sympathy that had her crying—she was shouldering some of the weight he’d unloaded on her. Sharing the emotional brunt of what he’d given her.
He took a breath. There was no turning back. His words were either going to send her running in the opposite direction or convince her to open up. “Because when I thought I was about to die, my one regret was you. I promised myself if I made it, I was going to ask you out. It wouldn’t be fair of me to do that, though, without letting you know there’s more to my smile and easy nature.”
“You don’t have to tell me that. People are layered and complex. Of course you’ve seen terrible things, but for the most part, you choose to be happy.” Hannah shifted her hand in his, so their fingers interlocked. “If that’s anything, it’s being brave.” The conviction that snapped in her tone made him smile. She opened her mouth to say something, then hesitated. They sat in silence for a few moments. There was something else Hannah wanted to say, and he was going to give her the time to process whatever it was she was thinking.
She leaned her head against the side of the couch, eyelids fluttering, momentarily blocking those unique golden eyes with a fringe of amber lashes. “Dallas Fort Worth International.” She spoke the quiet words.
He ran his hand over her temple and cheek. “If that’s anything, it’s being brave,” he said, giving the words back to her.
“Bravest together,” she murmured as her eyes closed.
He smiled and shook his head. In less than a second, Hannah was out cold. The woman was going to work herself to death. He gently released her hand and stood, looping one arm around her waist and another behind her legs. His doctor would be having a shit fit right now, but lifting Hannah into his arms felt right, even if his leg disagreed. She mumbled something incoherent and burrowed into his chest. Fuck, that felt nice. Having her lean in to him in sleep. Completely trusting she was safe with him.
He padded slowly down the dark hall and pushed her partially open bedroom door with the tip of his foot. The room still smelled like that god-awful flower perfume, but it had faded significantly. If the room was on a second floor he might’ve opened a window, but he wouldn’t leave her vulnerable. He just hoped she wouldn’t have a headache when she woke. He laid her on the bed, once again grinning at all the cheery yellow ruffles. Hunter pulled back the sheets and comforter and tucked her in, then went to the kitchen and got her a glass of water in case she was like him and woke up in the night thirsty. She was adorable with her cheek plastered to the pillow, hair piled atop her head, and lips parted.
“Night, Hannah.” After one more long look, he made his way to the door and told her Alexa to lock it, like he’d done once when he picked Collin up from school when Hannah was stuck at an emergency call. He stepped outside and waited for the dead bolt to slide into place. His wounds made themselves known as he descended the steps of the drive.
Once he was inside his truck, he plugged in his cell phone and made a call to Ransom, then winced when he noticed the time on the dashboard.
“Everything okay?” Ransom’s voice was alert, even though he’d likely been sleeping moments ago.
“Yeah. I need your help finding a tux,” he said, starting the engine.
“You’ve got to be shitting me. I jumped out of bed. Yanked on pants. Thought I was going to be driving you back to the hospital, but what do you need? Fashion advice. Maybe you should’ve listened to the doctor and stayed another night.”
He started to protest before static filled the line. There was a rustle of sheets. “Honey, is that Branch? Poor thing just got out of the hospital and you’re barking at him.”
He smiled at his teammate’s fiancée. “Yes, it’s Branch. Calling after midnight to ask for help buying a goddamn suit, when I should be sound asleep with my arms around you.”
“Tell Branch I’ll round up the girls and help him pick out something tomorrow.”
Ransom got incredibly lucky to find Brynn and his brother, Jacob, at the same time. He smiled and cleared his throat. His friends’ women were a welcome addition to their family. “I can hear you, sweetheart, and I’d really appreciate it.”
Ransom muttered something. Branch smiled when Brynn shushed him and told him to hand over the phone. He was happy for his friend, if not a bit envious of the point he was at in his relationship. Brynn adored Ransom and would go toe-to-toe to call him on his bullshit, just like Sam did to Joker. Both couples were ridiculously happy. He wanted that with Hannah.
Brynn’s cheerful Irish lilt filled the receiver. “Trading the hospital johnny for a tux, are we?”
“I checked on Hannah and Collin when I got out of the hospital today. She told me about her sister’s wedding. Sounds god-awful. I want to be there to have her back.” And Collin’s. He didn’t know her family aside from what he’d heard, but if they were anything but warm and welcoming to him, just because he didn’t fit the mold of their pretentious family, they were going to have problems. Knowing Hannah, though, she’d never step foot in an environment where Collin wouldn’t be accepted.
“Did you hear that, Neo?” Brynn squealed. “Branch is taking Hannah to the wedding in Texas.”
He couldn’t be sure, but he thought Ransom grumbled that it was damn time he made a move. His friend wasn’t wrong. He’d been pining over Hannah since they first met.
“I like her. A lot,” he admitted.
“I know that.” Brynn chuckled. “And I second my grumpy fiancé that it’s about time. He needs his full eight hours of beauty rest. I’ll see who is available tomorrow and you can model for us. By the sounds of things, her family is exhausting and I couldn’t be happier that she’ll have some support.”
“Yeah. Incredibly wealthy, too. I don’t have the first clue about fashion or what’s popular. Fatigues or jeans and a T-shirt are usually it for me.” He put the car in reverse and backed out of Hannah’s driveway.
“Don’t fret, we’ll get it all sorted tomorrow.”
“You have no idea how much I appreciate that.”
“It’s no problem. I’m sure Jacob would be more than happy to come along and add his two cents.”
Branch could hear the affection in Brynn’s tone. It wasn’t long ago that it was her and Jacob against the world. That was before Ransom had called on all of his contacts to help locate the brother he’d never met.
“If by that you mean he’d love to come along to rib me, you’re probably right. I’ll let you go. Thanks for helping me out and sorry it’s so late. Panicked there for a second.”
“It’s no trouble at all, that’s what family is for.”
Brynn’s words felt good. They had become a family unit over the past year.
He hung up the call, and slowed at the red light. Axel Rose’s voice filled the speakers where he left off with his playlist. The drive to his house was only ten minutes from Hannah’s place. The small suburban neighborhood was quiet and set back from any main roads. It was a safe place for kids to ride their bikes or take their dogs for a walk. As he turned right onto his street, a spark of something new and exciting swirled in his gut. Hannah hadn’t shut him down outright. God knew he couldn’t wait to spend an entire week with her, even if it was to shield her from her own blood relatives. While she was busy with wedding stuff, he could take Collin swimming or to the zoo. They could run errands for Hannah and make the best of an uncomfortable situation. She was clearly not looking forward to the trip.
When he pulled up to his driveway, the spotlights came on. He liked to keep security tight at his place. The house wasn’t huge, but it was way too big for just one person. Still, he’d had been drawn to the landscaping around the pool in the backyard, and it seemed smart to buy a house with a few bedrooms and bathrooms. The exterior was also appealing with its white vinyl siding and tan stacked stone. He parked the truck and shut off the engine.
As he’d been falling from the helo’s rope, it had crossed his mind that he might never see his home again. He’d gotten lucky, and he was going to take more risks in his personal life because of it. Before he met Hannah, he lived and breathed for his work, and while serving his country was still important, he had a new reason to look forward to coming home. He opened the driver’s-side door and walked up to his front porch. He could picture putting a couple of chairs out here, maybe a bench swing, so he and Hannah could watch Collin making chalk pictures in the driveway or blowing bubbles.
He took the steps up to the front door and slid his key inside the lock. As he stepped inside and flipped the lights on, he studied the space with a more critical eye. He had replaced all of the flooring with a light oak. The appliances were new as were the countertops. There was a big center island, which Collin would get a kick out of for stretching dough out on when they made pizza. The living room was bright and airy, if not a bit sparse. A large TV was centered inside a giant media display. A stone fireplace sat adjacent to the dining room table, and off to the side, there was a neighboring office, the master bedroom, and a bathroom with a big soaking tub that he never used. Hannah could stretch out in the deep water with bubbles lacing over her skin. The mental image punched him in the gut, stealing his breath.
The two additional bedrooms and a fenced-in backyard made the house an ideal place to raise a family—although that hadn’t been his line of thought when he purchased it. He’d had more physical exertion today than he’d had in weeks and his leg ached and his head throbbed. Even with his wounds flaring up, he was happy to be meeting Brynn and the other women in the morning. It was always a good time when they were around, and they’d insist on going to lunch and chatting about the best ways to win Hannah’s heart. He’d never turn down that kind of advice.
Branch stripped out of his clothes, the conditioned air blanketing his bare back. The sheets were cool and soft. It was good to be home, but he couldn’t deny that it would be so much better if he had someone to wrap his arms around. Not just someone. Hannah. Other women ceased to exist for him. That was how intensely she pulled at him. If he was the sea, she was the moon turning the tides at her whim. He couldn’t see into the future, but he knew without a doubt that pursuing Hannah would be the single most important adventure of his life.