Chapter 29 – Michael
Chapter Twenty-Nine
MICHAEL
S tanding back, I study the appetizers spread across the firehouse kitchen. Potato skins. Pigs in blankets. Cheese and crackers. Olives.
It’s nothing too fancy, but for someone who has never hosted a fundraiser before, I feel I’ve done a pretty good job. It’s not like people will be here for the snacks anyway. Tonight’s fundraiser is Pine Island’s event of the week, so people will show up just to socialize and get an inside look at the firehouse.
“That looks good,” a light, musical voice says behind me.
Grinning big, I spin around and pull Hannah into my arms. She nearly drops her basket of scarves, hats, and gloves, but I grab it in time and set it on the table. “You look good.”
She rolls her eyes but smiles. “Really. I didn’t know you were so skilled at hosting parties.”
“All I did was make some appetizers,” I chuckle. “As far as hosting goes…”
“It’ll be fun.” She throws one of the scarves around my neck and uses it to draw me closer.
“Yeah.” I kiss the corner of her lips. “It will be,” I murmur, although all I’m really thinking about is getting her alone later. With Katie sleeping over at Rose’s, we’ll have the house to ourselves.
I start to kiss her again, but Pat comes into the kitchen, interrupting the moment. “Hey, Michael. I took a look at the new blueprint. It’ll work just fine, though I’m not sure about the colors of some of these fittings.”
Hannah gives me a wink before stepping away. “I’ll go put these pieces with the other donations.” She grabs her basket and walks her fine ass out of the room.
“Uh, you were saying…the faucet?” I turn to Pat, my mind completely scrambled, like it always is when my girlfriend is around.
“The fittings.” He helps himself to a potato skin.
“Oh, right. Well, I’m sure it will all work out.” I lean against the counter, not worried one bit.
I already changed the blueprint a bit to appease Pat, and if he wants to order different fittings, I won’t fight him on it. Either way, the new kitchen will have everything it needs.
I’m also not worried about tonight’s fundraiser. It’s mostly a formality; we’ll probably have all the money we need for the renovation within twenty minutes. The whole island is invested in this station, eager to support it.
Eager to support me .
It took me a little while to really see that. And yeah, sometimes I still chafe when people in town compare me to my dad, but I know they’re doing it because they miss him.
Just like I do.
“I’ll come by in the morning,” Pat says. “Help you total up the cost of the renovation and see what we can do with the raised money.”
“Thanks, Pat. I appreciate it.” I follow him out of the kitchen and to the living area, which is full of chairs and a microphone at the front of the room.
The area is already stuffed way past fire code, but for once, I choose to overlook that. Having this many people show up—at least fifty of them, and with more entering as I look—makes me warm all over.
Finding Hannah, I slip my arm around her waist. “Hey.”
“Hey.” She nuzzles my neck. “Did you?—”
“Hannah!” Katie runs over, her newly finished unicorn scarf hanging from her neck, and grabs Hannah’s hand. “Carol is helping Rose and me decorate the Christmas tree! Come on! We have new ornaments.”
Hannah gives me an apologetic look, but I just blow her a kiss. We’ll have plenty of time together later, and Katie’s love for Hannah is the biggest blessing in my life. Without their happiness, nothing means anything.
Hannah follows Katie through the crowd and to the Christmas tree in the corner, where her aunt and Rose are wrapping garlands around its branches, and Red comes up to slap me on the shoulder.
“You ready to take the mic and lead this thing?” he asks.
I look at the assembled crowd, all the people watching me expectantly, all the people here to support their fire station and the legacy that my dad left.
All the people who care. All the people who have my back through thick and thin. My community. My home.
“Yeah,” I tell Red. “I’m ready.”
“Did you see what Flick won?” I ask Hannah as I park the truck in front of the house.
“The basket from the vet’s office?” She smiles. “Yeah. She looked so shocked.” A thoughtful look comes across her face. “Do you think my aunt is really happy staying at the bed-and-breakfast and not with us?”
“I saw her out there pulling weeds this morning.” I snort. “If she has something to do, I’m sure she’s happy. They’re probably thrilled to have the free help too.”
“True.” She giggles.
I quickly unbuckle my seat belt and rush around the truck to open her door, disappointed that she beats me to it.
“Sorry,” she says. “I’m eager to get inside.”
“It is cold.” I take her hand in mine, hoping that it’s not too chilly out here for her.
“No, that’s not why.” She unlocks the house and pulls me closer.
Getting the hint, I kick the door shut behind us. My hands dance across her body, eager to do the impossible and touch every inch of her all at once. We kick off our boots, drop our jackets.
“Too many clothes,” I murmur against her lips as we scramble to remove yet another layer.
Hannah laughs and tugs on my pants. Tired of not already being in the bedroom, I scoop her up and carry her down the hallway. In our room—I never get tired of calling it that—I set her on the bed and quickly remove the rest of our clothes.
She’s soft and warm. Tender and secure. Everything I want in a woman and more. My dream come true.
Climbing on top of her, I link our hands together. Fingers pressed into the mattress, I drag my lips down her neck and shoulder. She arches her back, pushing her hips against my thighs.
Seizing her ass, I give it a light squeeze. Fire sears through my groin. I’m hard and aching to be buried inside her, and luckily, she’s giving me all the signs that she wants the same. Gently, I push into her, her eyes closing and her mouth dropping open in pleasure.
She’s already eager for more, though. Grabbing my hips, she pushes her pelvis into mine.
“Greedy tonight,” I chuckle.
She grins at me, her eyes hooded. “You have a problem with that?” she rasps.
“Not at all,” I growl, before driving deeper into her.
We wind together, wild and unchecked. She wraps her legs around mine, urging me on. We’re a tornado of kisses, of desperate grunts and moans. I can feel her tightening around me, getting closer to release.
She explodes, fingernails digging into my back, and I let go as well, releasing deep inside her. We’re perfectly united, our souls, hearts, and bodies one.
Collapsing onto the mattress, I pull her onto my chest and kiss her lips. “I need to thank Jenny.”
“What?” Hannah shrieks, lifting her head to look at me. “Explain to me why, after we just had sex, you’re talking about thanking your sister?”
I roll my eyes and laugh. “If it weren’t for her setting us up, we wouldn’t be here tonight. She deserves a really good Christmas present.”
“Hmm. Good point.” She folds her arms on my chest and sets her chin on them, studying me. “But I like to think that we would have gotten together anyway. That something this good…it’s just meant to be, and nothing can stop it.”
I sit on that concept for a moment. “You think we would have found our way to each other one way or another?”
She shrugs. “It’s a nice thought.”
“Yeah,” I murmur, running my hand through her hair. “It is.”
Whether it’s the truth or not, I’m going to go with it. I’m going to choose to believe that the good things in life are always searching for us, just as we’re searching for them, and that something as special as what Hannah and I have really is meant to be.
And is that the case?
I really don’t care. I’m happy with the belief, happy here on this island with this life—this woman and this family. There’s nothing else I need, and you could call that destiny, but I don’t mind what label is put on it.
Just so long as it’s mine.
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