Chapter Five
H annah woke up like she always did. Alert and ready to race through her morning routine. She couldn’t remember a day in the last ten years when she’d slept past five o’clock in the morning. She tossed off the covers, threw her legs over the side of the bed, and stilled. There was a tall glass of water sitting on her nightstand. She never kept a drink bedside, not because she didn’t like the idea, but because she knew she’d leave it there, and soon she’d accumulate a graveyard of glasses. Had she been so exhausted she’d carried the drink into her room last night? Or…Hunter!
The events of the previous evening came rushing back. He’d been here after she put Collin to sleep. Asked her why she thought he wouldn’t back up everything he said to Vivienne’s wedding planner. Tingles danced along her hand where Hunter had stroked her skin. She’d wanted to lean in to his touch. He’d opened up about his childhood, and the fact that he disclosed some of his demons first made her more comfortable opening up. For the first time in a very long time, she found herself trusting, hoping she wasn’t making a mistake.
She’d given him the name of the airport where he could book flights. While she hadn’t exactly stripped herself bare like Hunter had, it was a big step for her. One that left her feeling weightless and uncertain in the broad light of day. She unplugged her cell phone from the bedside charger and rolled onto her back. There were several unread text messages, some from Hunter and her group chat with Sam, Brynn, and Joker’s sister, Addison.
Hunter
I sent our flight information to Rochelle. Thank you for trusting me last night. For being so brave.
Hunter
I hope the perfume smell has faded and you don’t wake up with a headache. I’m going to get a tux for the wedding this morning. Maybe we can meet later to talk about plans?
Sam, Brynn, Addison
Brynn: Hunter called last night. So exciting he’s going to Texas with you!!! We’re picking out his tux today. Keep you posted.
Sam: Girrrrrllllll…you better give us every detail
Addison: Try to enjoy
Her pulse quickened as she read the messages. Hunter hadn’t changed his mind. Not only that, but he’d rallied her female friends and was going to pick out wedding attire. He’d thought much further ahead than she had when it came to this event. God, this was really happening. Hunter Green was going to a wedding as her date. And there was more to a Day family event than the main attraction. There would be a welcoming luncheon, rehearsal dinner, and brunch the following day. She wouldn’t even be surprised if there was a sightseeing trip to entertain guests. Given Vivienne’s fiancé’s aspirations as CEO of his father’s company, the guest list would be people her family considered worthy and elite. She swallowed hard. If there ever was a test, this was it. He was going to meet her family.
She texted Hunter first.
Collin has baseball practice tonight. If you’d like to join us, we usually stop for burgers and shakes afterward.
She hit send and promised herself she wouldn’t stare at the phone waiting for a reply. When three little dots appeared, she caught herself smiling and quickly schooled her expression. She couldn’t lose her head, especially with someone as distracting and appealing as Hunter.
Hunter
Sounds great. Did you sleep okay?
It had been a long time since someone asked her a question like that. She couldn’t deny that it felt nice to have someone thinking of her.
Yes. I’m sorry I dozed off on you. And thank you for the water. That was thoughtful.
Hunter
I know this is new, and I don’t want to come on too hard or fast, but you never have to thank me for caring for you. I know you can stand on your own. Been doing it a long time, but like I said last night, you’re not alone, Hannah. Lean on me. Nothing would make me happier.
She held her breath, reading his words. Hunter was coming on strong, but she’d seen the same intensity in her friends’ significant others. They had a dangerous job. They toed the edge of life and death constantly. When they made their minds up about something, they were relentless. Still, if she told Hunter she wasn’t interested or to back off, he would. He’d never force himself on someone.
She drew in a long breath and used her thumbs to type out a response on the small screen.
Be patient with me. It’s been a while since I’ve opened up to someone. We can take things day by day, and if you change your mind at any point, we can go our separate ways without any hard feelings.
She hit send and then reread the text and cringed. She was rusty at this whole dating thing—not that she had ever been an expert. Collin’s father was the only person she had dated, and even then, their relationship was very different than what she was building with Hunter. More casual, as if both of them knew the relationship was fleeting despite having mutual respect and friendship. She never felt the overwhelming tightening in her gut or the anticipation coursing through her blood like she did when Hunter was close.
She sat in bed and started typing another message, biting her bottom lip.
Sorry, I didn’t mean that to be so blunt. I’m not good at this.
She was about to hit send when her phone alerted her to a new message.
Hunter
Nothing will make me change my mind, and I look forward to convincing you of that. Have a good day, beautiful. Tell Collin I’m looking forward to later. I have a briefing with the guys, but I have a feeling the day will go by slowly. Can’t wait to see you later.
Hannah sat up in bed and ran her fingers through her tangled mass of hair. Beautiful. She’d be the first to say looks didn’t matter. She couldn’t care less if someone found her attractive. How a person treated others was what mattered. Still, his words were ones she hadn’t heard often, and they gave her a thrill. A burst of pleasure that swelled like a bubble inside her chest. The bedside clock caught her eye, and she bolted out of bed, tripping on a tangled sheet and stubbing her toe in the process. She hopped on one foot to the dresser and pulled out shorts and a T-shirt. Collin would be late for school if she didn’t get her ass moving.
She padded across the hallway to his room and knocked softly on the door. “Collin. Wake up, it’s time to start the day.” He was asleep, lying on his side with his mouth slightly open. She smoothed the lock of red hair resting on his forehead, and he opened his eyes. “We have to get ready for school, bud. I got a late start.”
“Hunter stayed for dinner.” His expression was serious as he processed the information, before a smile overtook his face. Warmth spread through her chest. Nothing compared to her son’s happy face. So full of joy, it took her breath.
“Yup. And he’s coming to your baseball practice later.” She straightened, stunned by the words that left her own mouth. Usually, she didn’t tell Collin about plans with other adults because he would have difficulty adapting to the schedule variation if they changed. Some internal piece of her already trusted Hunter not to break his word. If he said he would be there, he’d be there.
Collin beamed and sat upright, tossing aside his comforter and sheets. He began pacing his room, snapping his fingers.
“Let’s get ready. I’ll make you breakfast while you’re doing your morning routine.” She handed him a laminated chart that held his morning schedule. As he completed the tasks he needed to do before school, like brushing his teeth, combing his hair, and applying deodorant, he’d move the Velcro pictures from the “to do” category to the “all done” category. Visual schedules helped Collin quite a bit, saving them both from her reminding him of what he should be doing every few minutes.
She rolled up on her tippy toes, kissed his cheek, and went to the kitchen. Collin had a limited number of breakfast staples—a toasted plain bagel with butter, a vanilla meal replacement shake, and, more recently, breakfast pizza, something he’d first made with Hunter. Since she didn’t have time to figure out the breakfast pizza, she plugged in the toaster for Collin and the coffee maker for herself. The coffee machine hissed out its last stream, filling the air with the bitter scent of roasted beans when Collin entered the kitchen and sat at the table.
“Moss, Christmas trees, grass,” he noted as he glanced at her deep green shirt. She grinned and placed his bagel on the table.
“And you chose firetruck, strawberry, and cherry,” she said, nodding at his shirt. Red was one of Collin’s favorite colors. She kissed the top of his head before turning back to the counter to add sugar to her coffee.
Collin had just finished breakfast when his van pulled up to the house. She walked him outside. It was already hot and muggy, but the sky was fairly clear. She smiled, waved at the van driver, and popped her head in to say hello to Jacob as Collin boarded. Since the day Jacob enrolled in public school, they’d been best friends. She was so thankful Brynn, Ransom, and Jacob lived just a few neighborhoods away. Jacob smiled at her. His wheelchair was securely attached to the floor of the accessible van.
She waved as the van backed out of the driveway and chuckled at how Collin pressed his face against the glass, making a silly expression. He gave her a thumbs-up as the van took a left down the street, and she went back into the house with a smile on her face; even though she had overslept by fifteen minutes, the ever-present weight on her shoulders was lighter. She completed one load of laundry and mopped the floor when her phone rang. She’d gotten more phone calls in the past few days than she had in months.
She pulled her phone from her back pocket, and all the good feelings accompanying her during her morning chores evaporated. Her mother’s name was illuminated on the screen. She puffed up her cheeks and let the breath whistle from her lips. There was no use ignoring the call. Her mother would just call repeatedly until Hannah answered. Agatha Day waited for no one.
“Hi there,” she said, tucking the phone between her ear and shoulder.
An annoyed sigh echoed in Hannah’s ear. “Where did I go wrong with you, Hannah Elizabeth? You have the same upbringing, did the same etiquette courses as your sisters, and even a proper phone greeting is too much effort.”
“Nice to hear from you, too.” She cast her gaze to the ceiling and shook her head.
“Sarcasm? Really, Hannah, it’s beneath you, darling.”
Darling. What a farce that was. “As much as I would love to chat, I have a million and one errands to do before Collin gets out of school.”
There was a few seconds of dead silence. “I received a call from Rochelle this morning. Imagine my surprise when I find out from someone outside the family that my daughter is not only seeing someone but has invited them to Vivienne’s wedding.” Agatha sounded positively put out.
“Doesn’t that busybody have better things to do, like planning Vivienne’s wedding, rather than to stir up trouble?” She’d expected this, but the anger coursing through her chest and tightening her muscles was palpable.
“Hannah Elizabeth.” Agatha’s voice went from her “company tone” to sharp. “No one likes to stir the pot more than you do. You’ve been testing boundaries in this family since birth. Who is this man? I don’t want anything to embarrass your sister on her big day or bring any scandal to our family with the upcoming elections. Vivienne’s fiancé will become CEO after the wedding when his father is elected, and Regina’s husband is running again.”
She closed her eyes for a brief moment, then tucked the phone between her chin and shoulder. “Hmmm, well, there’s not too many sordid details in his past. He is part of a motorcycle club. Has had a few arrests, but don’t worry, they were just for drunk and disorderly conduct. Nothing the neighbors will be too interested in.”
The intake of breath was audible. And satisfying. “That’s not even a little bit funny. You have no idea about the stress involved in planning this event for Vivienne. It needs to be perfect, just like she is.”
She picked up the bucket of water she’d been using to wash the floors, and some of the water sloshed over the lip. “You know, I don’t think that’s what she ever wanted.”
“What are you talking about?” There was a bite in her mother’s tone. Hannah was the only person who could ever rile Agatha Day.
“To be perfect. A porcelain doll to be paraded about. A pretty little chess piece with the main purpose of marrying well and strengthening our family’s contacts.”
“Jealousy isn’t a becoming trait.” There was a new level of coldness to Agatha’s words. It stung. Pretending her mother’s words didn’t hurt would be a waste of time. Better to accept and move on.
“I suppose happiness isn’t, either,” she said, discarding the dirty water in the bucket.
“Just because Vivienne took advantage of all we could offer doesn’t mean she isn’t happy. Can you truly say you’re happy? A single mom who’s twenty-eight with no attachments or social life. Who takes on the responsibility of chores because of having a son with—”
“Don’t. Collin is not and has never been a burden, so don’t you dare refer to him as a responsibility again. I have things to do. All you need to know is Hunter is kind. Has a beautiful bond with my son. Is a fierce protector. That’s not what you want to know, though, is it? I don’t know what’s in his bank account, who his family is, or anything about their connections. What I do know is that Hunter is brave and selfless. He’s a member of the Navy. He was the first in line to help me prepare to uproot everyone to go to Texas for a week. Wants to protect me and Collin.”
There was a long pause. The only sound was a few ragged breaths. She couldn’t remember a time when her mother showed any emotion that wasn’t poise. “Mother—”
“Why would you ever dream you’d need protection from your own blood?” Her tone wasn’t one of a concerned mother. It was cold and tinged with righteous indignation.
“I need to go. Our flight leaves next Thursday. We’ll be there for the rehearsal.”
“Hannah Elizabeth. The treatments I booked for you begin on Monday. They can’t be missed. I won’t have every other bridesmaid polished up, and you, a member of the Day family, not looking the part.”
“Cancel them, or you’re going to lose your deposit. I’m not getting fillers, laser treatments, or anything else you have planned. I’ll be there Thursday night.” She drew the phone away from her ear and flicked her thumb to the red circle to hang up. A chill swept through her. One that remained through her morning chores and getting Collin off of the bus. Even on the sun-drenched baseball field surrounded by jovial cheers and kids’ loud whoops, she held her breath. Even situated on the burning metal bleachers, the prickle of cold wouldn’t subside.
Why would you ever dream you’d need protection from your own blood?