35. Hannah Jane
35
HANNAH JANE
I swiped a fresh coat of red lipstick on in the rearview mirror as I sat in the parking lot at Revanche. There was no way I’d kiss an undeserving man when my lipstick cost forty-six dollars.
My stomach churned because I didn’t want to go on a date with a random stranger.
As I contemplated bailing and having Maddie apologize to whoever it was for the cancellation, a text popped up.
Maddie
Stop stalling. I can see you.
Hannah Jane
Don’t be a creeper.
Reluctantly, I got out of my car and smoothed down my dress. It was nothing special—just what I wore to the inn to muddle through another day of brides and bouquets. I exhaled, squared my shoulders, and held my head high as I walked into Revanche.
Carol Hong greeted me from the host stand. “Miss Hayes, Chef Dorsey said you would be dining with us this evening. ”
I mentally high-fived Maddie for continuing to use her maiden name professionally. It would have been confusing as hell to have two Chef DeRossis running around.
“Good to see you, Carol,” I said with a smile as I looked around to see if I could spy the mystery man.
She read my mind. “Your date arrived a moment ago,” she said as she led me through the dining room to the spiral staircase. “Chef Dorsey reserved a rooftop table for you two.” Carol smiled conspiratorially. “And if I may say, well done. ” She winked.
We rounded the top of the stairs, and I laughed.
Of course it was him.
Carol hid her smile behind a menu. “Chef Dorsey and Chef Christensen are preparing you a special dinner, but a server will be by momentarily to take your drink orders.”
I thanked Carol and held my hands out to greet my date. “Austin Hale,” I said with a laugh.
Austin, in a pressed button up and dress pants, leaned in and kissed my cheek. “Miss Hannah Jane.”
Oh, Lord—he smelled good. Like his soap was a mishmash of pine trees, cedar, and something spicy. He pulled my chair out and scooted me in as I sat down. I took a sip of the water that was already on the table to calm my nerves.
The two of us had met during my first week in Beaufort. I bought my fixer-upper of a house, knowing it would need work. What I didn’t know was that there was a short in the wiring, and it may or may not have caused a small— very small —fire.
Austin had been a rookie with the Beaufort Fire Department at the time and had been a much-needed calming presence during my hysterics over my house catching fire. I had mellowed over the years, but not by much.
“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that Maddie set me up with you,” I said.
He cracked a smile. “Is that a good thing or a bad thing? ”
I sipped my water. “I guess we’ll see, won’t we?”
Austin leaned back in his seat. He was arguably more built than Isaac was. Honestly, he was almost as big as Steve.
There was a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “I’m curious,” he said with a slow grin.
“About?”
“You.”
I laughed and looked out across the crystal water. I loved the view from the rooftop of Revanche. The wild horses were galloping along the shoal. Magnificent.
“What about me?”
“How a lovely lady such as yourself is still on the market.”
What was I supposed to say? I just got dumped, and you’re an experiment?
I laughed uncomfortably, but was saved when the server dropped by to get our drink orders. Austin opted for a local beer. I went with chardonnay.
When we were finally alone again, he leaned forward and placed his hand on mine. “Can I be honest with you?”
I nodded. “Please.”
“Maddie told me that you recently got out of a pretty serious relationship and that you need some help getting back out into the dating pool.”
“The dating pool needs a lifeguard,” I quipped.
He tossed his head back and let out a throaty laugh.
I cringed. “So this is a pity date?”
He shook his head. “No, ma’am—not in the slightest. In fact, I consider it an honor to have dinner with you.”
It was the ‘ no, ma’am’ that did me in. They say that manners maketh man, and Austin Hale was all man.
“Well.” I smiled. “We can’t let this free dinner go to waste, now, can we? ”
He cocked his head and chuckled as he unfurled his linen napkin and draped it over his thigh. “My kinda woman.”
Dinner was amazing. Maddie and Scott outdid themselves. It was absolute culinary perfection.
I was stuffed, but there was no way in hell I was saying “no” to dessert.
The conversation had been just as good. It was easy to talk to Austin. We had boatloads in common. Lots of mutual friends and interests, and the inn was one of the sponsors for the annual first responders’ kickball tournament.
I didn’t hesitate to trash talk on behalf of the police department. After all, Steve and Chase brought home the championship trophy for the second year in a row.
When Austin suggested driving over the bridge to watch the sunset on the beach, I shrugged and decided fuck it—why the hell not.
I held my high heels in one hand while we walked along the beach at Radio Island.
We didn’t have sparks—not even a sizzle. No smoke to be found.
Still, Austin had a calming presence that kept my mind off a certain blond billionaire.
“So, what made you want to go into firefighting?” I asked as we walked down the beach.
His large hand engulfed mine as he laced our fingers together. I felt the scrape of his calloused fingers against the back of my hand.
“I wanted to serve my community. I grew up in Beaufort—can’t imagine living anywhere else.” He smiled at me. “I like knowing everyone. I know that when we get called to Mrs. Macuddy’s house out on Pearl Drive, it’s usually just because she’s lonely. I know all the teachers at the elementary school since we’re out there doing demonstrations so much. I know all the kids who want to grow up and be firefighters.” He cracked a lopsided smile. “I like being on a first-name basis with the hospital staff, but I’m pretty sure Melissa’s sick of me coming in all banged up after calls.” He took a deep breath and blew it out. “I, uh, I love this place. I want to serve it well. Make it a good place to have a family—to raise kids.”
Austin shrugged sheepishly and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Sorry—that was probably more than you wanted to know. Let me rephrase that: I wanted to be a firefighter because I like danger and I like being a hero. It gives me time to work out so I can be sexy as hell, and, uh, it gives me great stories to tell the ladies.” He punctuated it with a wink.
I laughed long and hard. “I liked your first answer better.”
He bumped my shoulder with his. “Me too.”
Ugh, my heart.
Why weren’t there sparks with him? He was a fine specimen—tall, built like a bulldozer, and had a smile that could charm the pants off of unsuspecting women. And probably some men.
Ten out of ten.
If there was a build-a-boyfriend, he would be everything I would pick from the buffet of options—and then some.
We made it through the crowd of summertimers fishing from the beach, and a hoard of kids building sandcastles and running into the water.
Austin and I were overdressed compared to the bikini-clad, swim trunk wearing populous. We stopped when the beach began to curve to a pointed jetty. Austin let go of my hand and unbuttoned his dress shirt.
I raised my eyebrows. “I didn’t realize this was that kind of sunset on the beach.” I dropped my voice to a whisper. “Has no one ever told you that sex on the beach is a terrible idea? Sand is not your friend.”
He smirked. “Don’t worry. I promised Maddie I’d be a perfect gentleman.” Austin took his shirt off and laid it at my feet. “You look too pretty to get dirty sitting on the sand.”
He offered me his hand as I sat down on his shirt. “Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“My mama raised me right.”
“Yes, she did.”
We sat in companionable silence and watched the boats navigate through the Bulkhead Channel as the sun sank lower and lower.
“So I’m gonna call it,” Austin said as the sky turned from blue to pink.
Cotton candy skies over the ocean were pure magic.
“Call what?”
He leaned back, propping his arms behind us so I could recline too. “This isn’t a love connection.”
I laughed nervously. I wish I could argue with him and say he was wrong, but I couldn’t. He had us pegged.
“I’m sorry I wasted your time.”
“Why would you think this was a waste of time? I had a great night. Did you?”
“I did.”
“Then we can chalk it up as a win. Just because it’s not love doesn’t mean it was a waste.”
I wiggled my toes in the warm sand and sighed. “I can’t blame Maddie—she came through. You’re a catch, Austin Hale. You’re everything I told her I wanted.”
“Well, I’ll take that as a compliment, Miss Hayes.” He studied me a minute longer. “Can I ask what you think you’re looking for?”
I shrugged. “Someone who loves Beaufort like I do. Someone who wants to get married and have a family.”
“You want someone safe,” he remarked.
I immediately protested. “It’s not like I don’t know how to have a good time?— ”
Austin chuckled. “Hannah, it’s not a bad thing to want to stay in your comfort zone.”
“But?”
“You’re bored as hell right now, aren’t you?”
My head bobbed back and forth. “I’m having a great time, really.”
“Do you like haunted houses?”
I raised my eyebrows. “What?” It was summer. Halloween wasn’t exactly around the corner.
“Haunted houses? Horror movies? Do you like them?”
I nodded. “Yeah.”
“Do you know why you like them?” he asked.
I thought for a moment. “They’re fun, I guess. You get a thrill.”
“You get a thrill, but you know you’re safe. It’s fright versus fear. Fear is paralyzing. Fright makes your heart pound and your blood pump, but you can enjoy it because you know you’re safe.”
I nudged his big bicep with my shoulder. “I see where you’re going with this.”
Austin chuckled and draped his arm around my shoulder like we were buddies. I hoped that we would stay friends after this. He was a good guy.
“Did you ever stop to think that maybe the person you think you want bores you to tears because you’re just looking for safety? Find someone who scares the shit outta you too.”
Well, hell. That was Isaac. Being with him was a rollercoaster of epic proportions.
Austin pitched his head to the side, resting his temple on top of my hair. “And I think under all those fancy dresses is a woman who’s a hell of a lot of fun. Or so I hear. Not that I intentionally hit up Jokers when I hear a rumor that you ladies are having girls’ night.”
I giggled. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
The night air was still warm when I finally made it home. Austin, like a perfect gentleman, drove me back to my car, gave me a peck on the cheek, and told me to drive safely.
Steve and Chase would raise hell about Maddie setting the two of us up, but I wouldn’t pay them any mind.
“You’re up late,” I said when I spotted Chase sitting on my porch swing. “Heading to the station?”
Moths flitted around the porch light. He shook his head and patted the spot beside him. “Nah. I was working on the cottage and ran out of paint. The hardware store was already closed. Figured I’d wait up for you. See how your big date went.”
The cottage in Chase’s backyard was looking surprisingly homey. He had replaced the siding, shored up the little porch, re-shingled the roof, and was currently working on painting and landscaping.
I helped him pick out the perfect shade of white for the shiplap and a warm cedar stain for the shutters. It took a little convincing, but he finally agreed to paint the porch ceiling the traditional light blue.
It would be ready for a renter once he let me get my hands on the inside. T.J. Maxx and I were going to make the cottage so fucking chic.
“Maddie told you, huh?” I said as I dropped my shoes on the doormat and sat down beside him.
Chase laid his arm across the back of the swing. “Mhmm. How you doing?”
I shrugged. “I’m alright, I guess. I mean, it’s not like Isaac ever moved in or anything…”
“Doesn’t make it any less real.” He shrugged.
“You’ve been MIA the last few days,” I said, changing the subject. “Things going well with Layla?”
Chase scratched the back of his neck. It was his poker tell. We all knew it. I wondered if he knew it. “Something like that. Just keeping things casual. She works a lot. I work a lot. ”
“It’s good that you’re putting yourself out there.”
“What about you?” he countered. “How’d it feel to put yourself out there again?”
“Alright, I guess. It wasn’t love at first sight, but we had a good time.”
“I’d hope it wasn’t love at first sight,” Chase scoffed. “You’re too good to end up with a firefighter.” He shivered through the last word like a three-year-old who was suffering through a measly nibble of spinach.
I just rolled my eyes.
He gently pushed the swing back and forth. The crickets chirped and, in the distance, you could hear the chime of the bells tied to the front door of the general store as summertimers stocked up on trinkets and double scoops of Moose Tracks ice cream.
My phone buzzed, and I jumped at it. I would have been lying if I said that I didn’t want it to be Isaac. But I did.
Instead, it was Austin saying he had a great time, hoped I made it home safe, and if I ever wanted to go out again—even just as friends—he was game.
“What are you thinking, HJ?”
“That I miss him,” I admitted. “That I need to let go of some of my expectations and take what I can get. That maybe I’m stupid for still holding on to the idea that he’s the one.”
Chase stretched his long legs out, and the porch swing stopped moving. “I haven’t been through all the shit that Steve has, and I’m not married like Mad and DeRossi. But I know what it feels like to wait.” He gave me a sympathetic smile. “If you think he’s the one, then maybe waiting isn’t stupid.”
I leaned into his side.
“And who knows,” he continued, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “Maybe you both needed this so you can step away and get some clarity. You and him didn’t exactly start things off all that proper. Maybe you need the bone to break before you can reset it and let it get strong again.”
I looked up at him, dumbfounded. “Who are you, and what the hell did you do with Chase Brannan?”
He snickered. “Shut it, Hayes. You tell the rest of the poker club that I have deep thoughts, and I’ll never live it down.”
“You wanna come in and watch Law & Order ?”
He rocketed off the couch. “I thought you’d never ask.”