Chapter 19 #2
"It is," I say softly. "She's an incredible woman.
" That makes Hannah's head lift, but she still doesn't look at me.
I'm not sure how to ever break down that wall she built between us because if the chemistry and attraction between us aren't enough to do it, nothing ever will be. She has it in her head that I’m the enemy. I don't think I can ever change that.
The waitress comes by, and I order a burger and a coffee and we sit and chat about the entertainment planned for the festival until the waitress brings our plates.
Hannah ordered a plate of dry toast and a cup of tea, which seems light for dinner.
Evelyn has a full spread going, club sandwich with fries and a side salad, and she's already working on the fries when the waitress brings out a basket of onion rings for the table.
Hannah pushes the basket toward Evelyn's side immediately. Her face tightens and she takes a sip of tea, wrapping both hands around the glass. She looks a bit green around the gills, the way she did on the boat two weeks ago when I stopped her from taking a spill into the water.
"You feeling okay?" I ask, quiet enough that it stays between us.
"I'm fine." She picks up a piece of toast and takes a small bite, chewing slowly.
I just don't think she looks fine. She looks stressed and sick.
Her eyes are ringed with darkness, and it appears she might've lost some weight.
I'm beginning to think something is going on beyond just her stress level.
She's avoided me, and now she's eating like she's got the flu or something. If I didn't know better, I'd worry that she’s pregnant. But she wouldn't have kept something like that from me, right? Unless she's had other partners. God, am I obsessing?
Evelyn launches into a story about one of her campaign volunteers who accidentally ordered thirty lawn signs instead of three hundred.
The whole time, I notice Hannah seeming less than engaged, and I am distracted by the way Hannah picks at her toast and seems to cover her mouth when Evelyn offers her some fries.
I came here trying to find her, hoping to help her see that she might be in danger, but now I have more questions than answers.
And with Evelyn around, it’s going to be impossible to alert Hannah to what I fear is happening without throwing the whole town into a frenzy that might scare Dorsey off before we can catch him.
I eat my burger and study Hannah's reactions to things, and by the time we're done eating and talking, she looks ready to cry. Evelyn finally excuses herself for the bathroom and I turn to Hannah, more tense than I've been in weeks.
"What's going on with you?" I ask her very directly, and she scowls at me as her shoulders fall.
"Nothing. I'm just stressed out." Her fingers press at her temples, though I watch her blink back tears.
"It's not just stress, Hannah. You're avoiding me and acting weird. Toast for supper? Is there something we need to talk about?"
Her eyes flash open wide and her gaze darts around the dining room. "God, no!" she hisses. "Luke, just leave it alone. Okay?"
I feel so conflicted. I need to protect her, but if she knows something and she's not telling me, how can I do that? And if she's hiding something from me, I want to know why. I did nothing to deserve this particular treatment she's giving me. A cold shoulder over our past, maybe, but not this.
"Do you want me to walk you back to the marina?
I was hoping we could talk." I tuck my hands under the edges of my legs on the booth so I don't reach up and curl the hair behind her ear.
For weeks I've wanted to have that conversation with her about what happened between us so I'd know where I stand with her, and she just keeps dodging me.
But the look on her face tells me it's about to happen again.
"I rode with Evelyn, and I'm going home after this. Okay?"
"Hannah, this is serious. It's about Dorsey."
Confusion and anger flash in her eyes as her lips press into a firm line, but relief washes over her face. So I can infer that whatever it is she's upset about has nothing to do with Dorsey or the festival. It's personal, and it's scaring the hell out of her.
And that leaves me to wonder what could make her feel that way.
"I think you should leave, Luke. I'm fine, okay? You can talk to me about Mr. Dorsey some other time."
Evelyn returns, preventing me from responding to that, and I pay my respects when she offers to pay for dinner and put it on her campaign budget.
The walk back to my car is cold, despite mid-May's heat still warming the pavement.
This whole thing keeps getting more complicated.
I thought I'd be able to put my feelings aside and just do the right thing, but it's impossible now.
I'm in love with that damn woman and I can't even tell her that everything I'm doing is to try to help her and protect her.
I'm going to talk to her, even if I have to corner her again to make it happen. And when I do, she is going to tell me her little secret.
Because if it's what I think it is, we have a lot more to talk about than just a weapons smuggler in our midst.