Chapter Thirteen
Hanna stood under the shower spray and let the warm water ease the muscles in her back and legs. She’d forgotten how many muscles it took to stay on a horse, but she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
The last thing she would do was complain in front of Blake. For one, he wouldn’t take her on any more long rides until she was used to it, and he’d also spend the night feeling guilty that her body ached.
She needed him to get over what happened in their childhood. Children, especially teenagers, do stupid things they regret later.
The bullying sucked, but she remembered he’d never physically hurt her and had, in fact, punched a few guys for touching her. Now she just had to remind him of that if he brought it up again.
She turned off the shower, reached for a towel, and dried off before putting one around her head to absorb the water.
She slathered on her lotion, brushed her teeth, and found a comfortable outfit.
He’d had someone bring in everything in her SUV, except for the things in the locked box in the back. She’d ask Blake to help bring that in later.
The reflection in the mirror caught her by surprise. She had color from the sun that day, but the happiness that lightened her eyes caught her off guard.
She couldn’t remember feeling this lighthearted. Her mother’s face popped into her head.
She would mourn her for the rest of her life. She’d loved that woman more than anything. There would be a few nights she’d let the tears fall, but she wanted to feel happy at that moment.
A grin crossed her face when she pulled on baggy yoga pants, black socks, and a t-shirt. She would definitely feel relaxed. She second-guessed herself. What if they dressed for dinner? She’d look like an idiot. But then she decided that if she saw him dressed up, she’d return and change.
Right now, she wanted to feel relaxed. She dried her hair until it was damp and then put it up in a messy bun. She put some moisturizer and no makeup on her face.
A glance in the mirror made her smile. Blake was getting the Hanna he’d never seen before, and she wondered how he would take it.
She guessed it wouldn’t bother him, but she would still look for his reaction when she saw him. If he was serious about her and had told her the truth, he needed to see every side of her because she wouldn’t change.
Hanna walked downstairs and froze halfway when Blake came around the corner and looked up at her.
If she thought he’d find her unattractive, she was mistaken. From the look on his face, he still found her appealing.
“I was just coming up to get you.”
“I’m sorry. Am I late?”
“No,” he said and grinned. “I just missed you.”
She smiled.
He held out a hand. “Come here.”
She walked down the steps until she stood in front of him on the first step. What grabbed her attention was the fact that he was still taller than her.
Her breath shuddered in her lungs when he cupped her face and took her mouth in a kiss that showed her, without words, how much he desired her.
She was clinging to his neck when he raised his head.
“Damn, woman. I don’t ever want to stop kissing you.”
Hanna stared. This seemed like a pivotal moment in her life, and she could go one of two ways. She could return to Austin and be alone or stay with Blake and feel happy and loved.
It was a no-brainer. She would figure out what to do with her job and sell or move her things here, but that could be done.
She exhaled. “I don’t ever want you to stop kissing me.”
The look on his face made her smile. He’d grasped what she’d been trying to say and was thrilled.
“I hope you mean what I think you're saying, baby.”
“Let’s talk about it later, okay?” She didn’t want to have this conversation where Dottie could hear. As much as she liked the woman, this was private between her and Blake.
“Sure. Let’s get you fed.”
He lifted her to the floor and grinned when he looked down at her.
“What?” she asked.
“We match.”
She looked at him and then down at herself. They both wore black sweats and socks, and t-shirts. She was so relieved she giggled.
“See what I mean? We were destined to be together.”
He wrapped his arm around her waist and led her into the kitchen.
Hanna sniffed the air. “Something smells wonderful.”
“Dottie made her lasagna.”
“I can’t wait. Where is she?”
“She’s on a date. She said to set everything in the sink when we’re done, and she will be upset if it’s not there. And I’m telling you, you don’t want that. That woman is scary as hell when she’s pissed.”
Hanna laughed. “Does she usually eat with you?”
“Yes.”
“Good. I really enjoy her.”
“I have to admit that I’m afraid the two of you will gang up on me.”
Hanna shrugged and then grinned. “Probably, but you’re a big boy. You can handle it.”
He laughed and served her a plate of lasagna and bread, with a salad next to her silverware.
They ate in silence for a few minutes.
“This is the best lasagna I’ve ever had.”
Blake grinned. “She is a damn good cook.”
“So, who is she on a date with?”
“James—he’s a ranch hand, or more like a part of the family. He’s been here about as long as she has.”
“Have they been dating long?”
Blake chuckled. “Um, let me see, I’m twenty-seven, so I would say about twenty-six years.”
Her eyes widened. “They’ve been dating for twenty-six years?”
He laughed. “Yeah.”
“Why don’t they get married?”
“Neither of them wants to. It works for them. They have companionship but have their own lives also.”
She studied him. “Would you be able to do that?”
He reached for her hand. “Absolutely not. I want you tied to me in every way.”
She shuddered. “Blake, you shouldn’t say things like that.”
“Why? It’s the truth.”
“You don’t necessarily mean me. It could be someone else.”
“Are you done, baby?”
She looked down at her plate and then nodded. “Yes.”
They cleaned off their plates and set them in the sink. He reached for her hand and led her out of the kitchen and down a hall.
“I’m taking you into my office. Please don’t freak out.”
She stiffened. “Why would I freak?”
He stopped right outside the door. “When you asked if any woman would do, I’d have to say with one hundred percent certainty I could only want you.”
He pulled her the rest of the way in. She looked around and then froze. He’d made two pictures into eight-by-tens and a painting of her above the mantel.
One of the pictures was her yearbook, and another one was her reading in the library. He’d had someone paint her from those pictures, which looked so much like her that it was eerie.
She turned toward him after she studied them. “What does this mean?”
He sat on the edge of his desk with his arms crossed. He looked relaxed, but she could tell he was tense.
“After graduation, hell, before, I had a picture of you on my bedside table. It was a small one. I still have it on my nightstand. My dad thought I was crazy, but I wanted you to be the first thing I saw in the morning and the last thing I saw at night before I went to sleep. When I couldn’t find you, I had these blown up and then a few years later had the painting done. ”
She inhaled as she looked back and forth.
“Why?”
“Come here, baby.”
He pulled her between his legs with a hand on each shoulder, so her whole focus had to be on him.
“I’ve told you. When you walked into that classroom, I knew in my soul that we were supposed to be together. Did you feel anything for me?”
She nodded. “Yes. Even when you were mean to me, I prayed you’d ask me out, and I never stopped thinking about you.”
“I’ve got a story to tell you. I was in Denver buying some cattle.
A friend of mine took me to this street festival.
There was a fortune teller there, and as a fluke, I sat down.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and when she opened them up, her gaze seemed to .
.. I don’t know how to describe it. It felt like it pierced my soul.
I know that sounds crazy, but let me tell you what she said.
She told me that I was destined to be with one woman.
One I had already met. She told me I had to ask for forgiveness when our paths crossed, but then our souls could finally come together like they are supposed to. ” He stopped and swallowed.
Hanna had chills running up and down her spine.
“She said we were soulmates and had been for many lives, and it would be next to impossible to have another relationship with another person.”
“I was married. Remember?”
“Yes. I don’t like to think about it, though. She said next to impossible, not impossible. Let me ask... did you feel things you thought were abnormal?”
“I... Well, yes. He wanted to have kids right away, and I just couldn’t. He once asked me if I was having an affair. I couldn’t believe it. I was hurt and asked him why he would think such a thing. He told me that he knew— God, this is spooking me out.”
“I know how you feel. Tell me the rest.”
“He told me that he felt he didn’t have a hundred percent of me, and I would sometimes zone out and get this look on my face.”
“What look?”
“He said it was a type of happiness he’d never seen with him.”
“Were you thinking about me?”
“Yes. After that, I felt like I was having an affair, so I tried to put my whole self into our relationship, but it always felt fake.”
“I’ve never had a girlfriend.”
Her mouth fell open. “Are you kidding?”
“No. I was obsessed with you in high school, and then after I ran into that fortune-teller, I didn’t even try. I just prayed for you to come home or be able to take the time to find you. I’m glad I didn’t find you when you were with ... you know. I don’t know what I would have done.”
She exhaled. “Wow, I don’t know what to say.”
“You don’t have to say anything. I’ve known for years, so I’m used to this. It would help if you had a little time. I do have to ask if you believe any of this?”
Hanna relaxed her shoulders. “I ... yes, I do. It just feels right or something being with you. God, it’s crazy, but it feels right.”
“That’s the way I feel. I knew years ago that if I couldn’t have you, I’d die a bachelor.”
Tears came to her eyes—the thought of how lonely that would have been. For him not to feel a woman’s love or hold his child.
He wiped the tear away with his thumb. “Let’s go find a movie on Netflix, and maybe we can cuddle.”
“I’d like that very much.”