Chapter Eight

~Brad~

THE KEY IS WHERE she said it would be, under the planter in the corner of her porch. I should talk to her about the dangers of having a key in such an obvious place. It’s not safe.

I have lasagna from Ciao in my hands, along with a bag of food for the dog, which I’ll leave here.

I have a feeling Sadie will be spending a bit of time here.

And frankly, that’s okay with me. She may seem like a big teddy bear, but if there’s danger nearby, Sadie is a fierce protector. If I can’t be here with Hannah, it makes me feel better knowing that Sadie is.

The house is quiet as I walk through. I set the pan of lasagna in the oven and set it to low to keep it warm, then go in search of my girls.

The bedroom is dark, even though it’s still perfectly sunny outside. The light from the hall casts on Hannah’s sweet face. Sadie immediately sees me and jumps off the bed to greet me. I kneel to pet her and kiss her head, then point for her to go to the living room, which she does without hesitation.

I step to the bed and look down at Hannah. I should leave her be. She has only been asleep for about four hours, and I know she needs more. And I will leave her alone, but first I want to feel her.

I slide into the bed with her and pull her to me. Her eyes open, and she blinks in confusion.

“Brad?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“I’m sorry, I’ll wake up.”

“No,” I scoot onto my back and she snuggles up to me, her head resting on my chest. She wraps her slender arm around my midsection, holding on tightly. “Stay asleep, beautiful girl. I just want to hold you for a while.”

She sighs and drifts immediately back to sleep. I kiss her forehead and hold her to me for a long moment. I haven’t seen her in a few days, and I missed her. Her laugh, her voice, her body.

Everything.

It hasn’t been long, but she’s wiggled her way into my life and now I don’t know what it would look like without her in it.

I don’t want to know.

I can hear Sadie getting restless, so I slip out from under Hannah and smile when she snuggles up to her pillow, burying her face in it. I pad out to the kitchen and pour Sadie’s dinner for her, then let her outside to do her business. While she’s out in Hannah’s fenced backyard, I run out to my truck and fetch my computer and cell phone.

Sadie joins me back inside, and she gives me the side eye when I won’t let her lay on the couch, insisting she lay on the floor.

“Hannah is spoiling you.”

She huffs in disapproval, but before long she’s snoring. I turn the TV on and let a baseball game play in the background while I work for a while. There’s always paperwork to do, calls to make, things to follow up on. If I’d still had Sadie with me, I would have stayed at the office well into the evening.

But this was a great excuse to leave. I can work from here just as well, and I want to be here when Hannah wakes up.

The reports from the electric company are in regarding the Reardon accident. That’s exactly what it was, an accident. No foul play and no one’s fault. A power line had surfaced at the bottom of the lake and Kendall paid the price.

We’re lucky more weren’t killed.

The funeral was yesterday, and I stood by my friend as he buried another person he loved more than anything. I can’t imagine the pain of losing a child, and I hope to God I never do.

But I was honest when I told Hannah that she calms me. She clears the demons away, and brings lightness to my heavy heart that I haven’t felt in a very long time.

Maybe never.

Sadie yawns and turns over on the floor, exposing her belly. I’m tired myself, my eyes heavy from hours of computer work. I close the computer, intending to just take a small break.

***

“Hey.”

Someone is running their hands through my hair, scratching their nails against my scalp.

It feels fucking amazing.

I open one eye to find Hannah standing next to me, smile down at me. I’m surprised I didn’t hear her approach. I’m a light sleeper, hearing every noise around me.

“Hi.” I drag my hand down my face and frown at the time. “I must have fallen asleep.”

“Looks like it.”

I reach out, wrap my arm around her waist, and pull her into my lap, nuzzling her neck. “You smell so fucking good.” She’s citrus and a touch of something else that I can’t put my finger on.

She’s Hannah, and she’s still touching me with those magical fingers, running them through my hair, over my face.

“I thought I dreamed you,” she says and kisses my cheek. “But I’m so glad I didn’t.”

“You didn’t. I brought dinner.”

“I can smell it. That’s what woke me.”

“Are you hungry?”

“Starving.”

I smile against her neck and then let her squirm out of my grasp. She holds her hand out to help me out of the chair, which I accept.

“I guess I should feed you if you’re starving.”

“Yes, you should.”

Her eyes are still heavy and there are dark circles under them. She’s not going to be awake for long.

“Does lasagna sound good?”

“Everything sounds good,” she replies and sits in a chair at the table while I dish us both up a good-sized helping. “I would even settle for a leftover bagel at this point. Which were delicious, by the way. Is this from Ciao?”

“Yep.”

“Mmm.” She sniffs it when I put it in front of her, and then digs in. “I’ve never had this before. Oh my God, so good.”

I nod in agreement, and we’re both quiet as we make our way through our meal. When she’s finished, I carry both of our plates to the sink, and when I turn around, I can’t help but laugh.

Hannah is sitting with her chin propped in her hand, eyes closed.

“Are you sleeping?”

“No.”

“You look like you’re sleeping.”

“Not yet. I just can’t keep my eyes open. I hope I don’t have narcolepsy.”

“Narcawhaty?”

“Narcolepsy.” She smiles. “It’s that condition where you fall asleep all the time.”

“I don’t think you have that.”

She still doesn’t open her eyes. “You don’t know. You’re not a doctor.”

“You’re exhausted because you delivered a baby.”

“Two. Two babies. And I can’t tell you their names because of the law.”

“I am the law, sweetheart.”

“You know what I mean.” She yawns, still not opening her eyes, and I can’t stand it anymore. I scoop her up in my arms, and her fingers immediately dive into the hair at the back of my head, making my dick stand at attention.

It seems this woman has found my Achilles heel. And it’s nowhere near my feet.

When I reach her bed and set her down, she leans in to press her lips to my ear.

“Stay,” she whispers.

“Baby, you’re exhausted. You need to sleep.”

“I will sleep. After.”

She smiles up at me and lets her robe fall away, revealing her gorgeous naked body, and it takes everything in me not to pin her down and fuck her into the mattress.

Not that I won’t do that, and soon.

But not right now.

Not tonight.

“Hannah—”

“Please stay,” she says again and scoots over, making room for me on the bed. “If you’re not in the mood for sex, that’s okay. Just stay for a while.”

“I’m always in the mood for you,” I reply and hastily remove my clothes. “I can’t stop thinking about you, daydreaming about you.”

I slip into the bed next to her and pull her against me, tipping my forehead against hers. Her hand glides up my arm, over my shoulder, and into the hair at the back of my head, and I go cross-eyed.

“Your hair is so soft here,” she whispers.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Why do you have goosebumps?”

“Because you’re running your fingers through my hair.” I smile and kiss her lips softly. “Seems that’s a thing for me.”

“Interesting.” She kisses my chin. “I want to find some of your other things.”

“You’re welcome to go on a scouting mission anytime.”

I feel her smile against my neck, and suddenly she rolls on top of me, straddling me and rubbing her bare pussy against the length of my cock.

“Yes, that’s one of the things,” I say, sarcasm dripping from the words, and she laughs, then bites my nipple, not at all gently. “You have a sudden burst of energy.”

“Imagine that,” she replies. She has one hand planted on the bed next to my head and the other is flat against my stomach, headed south. She scoots down as well, kissing my hot skin where her hand has been, and settles between my legs, my cock gripped firmly in her hands, her tongue making circles along the ridge around the head.

“Fucking Jesus,” I groan and grip onto the sheets.

“No, you’re fucking Hannah,” she says and then sinks down over me, sucking and licking. She’s making noises, which only intensifies the heaviness in my balls and electricity moving through me.

I’m going to fucking come, and I don’t want to do that yet.

“Hannah,” I warn her, but she shakes her head and keeps going, gripping me hard and I have to take her by the shoulders, pull her off of me, and switch our positions, tucking her beneath me.

“I’m not going to come in your mouth,” I growl before sinking slowly inside her. “Not today.”

“Another day then?” She moans and hitches her legs up around my sides, gripping my ass in her strong hands and pulling me more tightly against her.

“Maybe.” She cocks a brow and I smirk. “Some women don’t like that.”

“I’m not some women.”

“No, you’re not.” I drag my fingertips down her cheek and cup her neck and jaw, just able to see her eyes from the glow of the hallway. “You’re fucking amazing.”

“You’re good for my ego.”

I pull my hips back and then push in again, deeper than before and watch her eyes widen in lust and pleasure.

“I’m not feeding your damn ego. You’re magnificent.” I kiss her lips, nibble the corner of her mouth and then sink into her, tangling our tongues, tasting her. She’s moaning against my mouth, and her fingers have tangled in my hair again, and that’s it. I can’t stop myself from picking up the pace, pushing harder, and cursing under my breath when she bears down and squeezes me as she comes around me.

I bury my face in her hair and follow her over; the world falls away and I’m lost in her.

There’s no going back.

I’m hers.

***

“So, you’ve never been kayaking?” I ask Hannah about a week later as we drive the forty miles or so into Glacier National Park.

“No, it’s always scared me. I know how to swim, but you always hear of people rolling over in their kayak, and I don’t want to do that. Ever.”

“Well, I have sit-on-top kayaks, and they’re less likely to tip over.” I smile over at her and squeeze her hand in mine, feeling the tension in her. This makes her nervous, but she’s willing to give it a try, and that says a lot about her. “And if you hate it, we can just hike a bit.”

“Okay.” She nods and looks in the backseat at her backpack.

“You grabbed the bear spray.”

“I know, I’m just checking.” She fidgets. “I know it’s weird to you that I have this fear, but I can’t turn it off. I can’t describe it, I just have it, and I can’t make it go away.”

“You don’t have to describe it,” I assure her and turn on the road that leads up to Bowman Lake, a lesser-known lake that tends to be less rull of tourists this time of year. “You’re right, I don’t understand it, but I have other quirks that I can’t explain either.”

“Like what?”

“Remember when I took you to my house that day that you hurt your ankle, and I made you stay in the truck while I checked the house?”

“Yes.”

“It’s habit, anxiety now that I think about it, to walk through the entire property when I get home to make sure nothing is disturbed. I lock up tight, and I have alarms and cameras, but I have to do a sweep before I can settle in.”

“And you don’t know why?” she asks.

I know why.

“Actually, when I was a kid, and my dad was chief, we had been out as a family around Christmas time. I don’t remember where we’d been. But we came home and there was a man in our house, drunk and pissed off and he came to the chief’s house to confront him about it.”

“Oh my God.”

“It was scary. Dad had a weapon on him, and I don’t think we were ever in danger. I don’t remember what the man was upset about. Maybe his wife had kicked him out for beating her, I’m not sure. But I remember that he was so pissed off. Dad lured him outside and Mom rushed us into a back bedroom and called for backup, which came quickly. But I don’t think I’ll forget walking into the house and seeing a stranger there.”

“No. I wouldn’t forget that either.”

“I didn’t check the house before,” I continue. “And I don’t think it ever occurred to me that that’s why I do it now. As soon as I became chief, I started the routine, and now I realize that’s why.”

“It makes sense,” she says with a nod, and then points to the red building of the small bakery in a town of only a couple hundred people. “Best pastries in the state.”

“Let’s stop.”

The bakery is also a small convenience store for people who may need water, batteries, or other supplies. This is just a day trip, and we’re prepared, so we each just choose a bear claw, check out, and get back in the truck.

“The road to the lake is bumpy and twisty,” I warn her.

“Okay.” She smiles and takes a bite of her pastry. “Thank the good lord for these nuggets of deliciousness. I’m gonna work the calories off on the lake.”

I nod and concentrate on the road. Despite being a popular destination among locals, the road is dirt, full of potholes, and incredibly windy. About two miles up, Hannah lays her hand over her stomach.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have eaten that.”

“I’m sorry, I’m trying to take it easy. I can’t go fast, but there’s nothing I can do about the road.”

“It’s not your fault,” she says and rolls the window down. “Are you sure we’re going the right way? This looks like it’s never travelled.”

“It’s travelled,” I assure her. “But it’ll never be paved. The locals like that it’s not swarming with tourists.”

“I like that, too,” she says with a smile. “How much longer?”

“About six miles.”

“Jesus,” she mutters and pushes her nose out of the window, breathing in the fresh air. “This had better be worth it.”

“It is,” I say and smile at her, still holding her hand. “It’s stunning up here. You’ll love it.”

She nods and I will the road to shorten so I can get her there faster, but it’s still another forty-five minutes before we arrive.

The parking lot is half full, and I find a space near the path that leads to the lake.

“There are people up here,” she says with surprise.

“But not a million of them,” I reply and help her out of the truck. We pull the kayaks and oars out of the truck, along with our backpacks, and I lock it up, then turn to her. “If you don’t want to haul one of these down there, I’ll have you stay here with one of them and I’ll take one, then come back.”

“Oh please.” She rolls her eyes, hitches her backpack on her shoulders and reaches for her kayak and oar, then sets off to the trail. “I work out for this, remember?”

I’m going to marry her. Today.

“Impressive,” I say behind her and hear her smirk.

“I’m just carrying a kayak.”

“Like a badass,” I reply. The lake shore is only about thirty yards away, and when we reach the water, she sets the kayak down beside her and just stares at the mountains, the glassy water, and then looks up at me with tears in her eyes. “What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

“It’s so beautiful.” She shakes her head and looks around once more, her hands on her hips. “I get to live here.”

“Well, close to here.” I kiss her cheek and get busy showing her how to maneuver the kayak. “What do you think?”

“I think it looks easier than it is,” she says with a laugh. “But I’m going to give it the old college try.”

“Good girl.”

I help her onto the water craft, get her settled, and watch her paddle away as if she’s been doing this for years.

I quickly get my gear ready and paddle behind her, enjoying the way she’s smiling and looking around her. I catch up to her and grin over at her.

“What do you think?”

“I think I need to do this more often,” she says. “Are there fish in here?”

“Some,” I reply. “A few salmon, trout. We might see some eagles snacking today. But this is glacier water and snow run off, so it’s really too cold and sterile for there to be a lot of fish.”

“You know a lot about this,” she says.

“I used to volunteer up here in the summers. I thought I wanted to be a park ranger when I grew up.”

“And here you are, protecting people rather than wildlife.”

“Yes, ma’am.” I rest my oar across my body and take a drink of water. “But I still love it here, more than almost anywhere.”

“I can understand why. This lake goes on forever.”

“About seven miles,” I reply with a nod. “And it’s a mile wide in some places. I love that the mountains change as we move down the lake.”

“It’s stunning, really. I know there’s so much of the park that I haven’t seen yet, but it always surprises me.”

We paddle in silence for a while, enjoying the quiet and the beautiful day. I glance to my right and see a grizzly lazily eating berries on the shoreline, and keep it to myself. I don’t want to scare her.

“I see it,” she says without even looking my way.

“See what?”

“The bear. And I know they can swim. And my heart is probably going to seize, but I’m okay.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m in their house, so I have to deal with the fact that I’m going to see them. But I’m glad he’s way over there, and that he’s more interested in berries than me.”

“She,” I reply.

“She?”

I point to the two cubs playing on the rocky beach and Hannah smiles.

“They’re adorable. And far away.”

I nod, proud of her for putting on a brave face. I can see her hands shaking, but she doesn’t immediately turn around or freak out. She’s breathing deeply, and keeping an eye on the wildlife on shore.

“How many bears do you think are in this park?” she asks.

“I don’t think we should talk numbers. I don’t want to freak you out.”

“Facts calm me,” she says and raises a brow at me. “How many do you think?”

“Three hundred, give or take,” I reply and watch her swallow hard. “But that’s over more than a million acres, Hannah. A million. The odds of having an encounter that’s anything other than what we just had are so slim.”

“I know.” She shrugs one shoulder. “Like I said, I can’t change it. She was beautiful, and her babies are adorable. I’m glad I saw her from a safe distance. And I don’t care if I never see another one.”

“You’re brave.”

She snorts and rests her oar on the kayak. “I’m not brave, Brad. But I’m enjoying this kayak ride. I’m so glad you brought me.”

“Me too. Are you ready to turn back?”

“Is that the other head of the lake?” she asks, pointing ahead of us.

“Yes.”

“Well, then I guess we should turn back, since there’s nowhere else to go.”

I show her how to turn around, and she’s mimicking my movements. But then a bee flies by her face, and she shakes her head, flailing with her hand, and rocks the kayak too hard to recover.

She falls into the water with a shriek, and before I can jump in and help her, she’s grabbed the side of the kayak and pulled herself out of the water, panting and laughing at the same time. She’s soaked through.

“Are you okay?” I’ve paddled over to her and am holding her kayak to mine. She’s started to laugh.

“Good God, that’s fucking cold!” Her nipples are pressed against her soaked tank top, and she’s shivering a bit, wringing her hair out. “No wonder fish don’t live there. Nothing could live there.”

“You’ll warm up quickly. It’s ninety today. Probably eighty on the lake.”

“Whew, I’m awake now,” she says and laughs again, turning her face to the sun, soaking in the warmth. “Beginner’s luck.”

“You’re stunning.”

“I’m a mess.” She turns that smile to me. “If I lean your way, can you kiss me without dumping us both back in this water?”

I don’t answer, I just lean toward her slowly and she follows, kissing me with not a little heat. Her lips are cold. She backs away and then her eyes widen in fear.

“Fuck! I lost the oar!”

“I saved it,” I assure her and pass it to her.

“You’re my hero.”

I laugh and tuck her wet hair behind her ear. “Are you ready to go back?”

“Yes. I have to paddle to get my body heat back up.”

“I should have brought a sweatshirt or something, just in case.”

“I don’t think we have the cargo space for that,” she says. “I’m fine. I might just paddle faster this time.”