CHAPTER 21
Asher
I lean back against my Mercedes, not minding the need to pull it out of the garage and dust it off. While I much prefer the McLaren, it’s not practical tonight because it’s just a two-seater.
I’ve been waiting in front of Hannah’s house for about fifteen minutes now. She has no clue I’m here because I didn’t want to give her a chance to tell me ‘no’ over the phone.
Just as Hannah is clueless in this moment, so am I. I have no idea why I left work early on a Tuesday night to do something that’s so far out of my comfort zone I barely recognize myself these days.
All I do know is I could not let Hannah take her daughter trick or treating in this neighborhood. It’s not safe at all.
Why this should bother me is a mystery. My relationship with Hannah took a drastic turn, leaving me with no satisfaction.
Well, that’s not quite true. I am beyond satisfied that Nelson did what I told him to do and turned Hope over to Hannah. Fuck, it gave me so much satisfaction after he made that call to Hannah that we had what was the absolute best fucking sex, and it was all because she was riding a wave of pure euphoria. It clearly had a tangential effect on me as well.
Where my dissatisfaction comes into play is that Hannah is no longer mine to do with what I please. I knew this would happen when I went to see Nelson, yet I didn’t change course. It’s basically my fucking fault I’m in this situation.
Hope moved in with Hannah on Saturday as planned. I know this because Hannah surprised me with a quick text about it. She also told me that her new hours starting Monday would have to be eight-thirty to three since she’d have to take Hope to and from school. Of course, it was implied the evenings were out since she had Hope.
I was aware it would happen, yet it was still a punch to the gut that I’d essentially given up every single night with Hannah. Her priority was now to her daughter.
Sure… I could have had her in the mornings this week. Could have gone to the office late, taking my time with her in my bed. She wouldn’t have said no.
But that’s not what our arrangement is. I hire her—pay her—to go to a sex club with me. It’s gone a little beyond those boundaries for sure, but now everything is changed and I can’t expect anything from her.
Which is why it’s an absolutely great time to end it with her. Probably tonight after I bring them home.
I’ll give her a job in my company, far removed from me so I won’t be tempted. She’ll still have the same salary, health benefits, and 401K. It’s the least I can do for the hours of pleasure—and dare I say happiness—she’s brought to me these last several weeks.
Yes, that’s what I will do. Hannah and Hope can start a new life together, and I will go back to doing what I do best.
Being alone.
The front door to Hannah’s house opens. I lean farther back onto my car, crossing my arms casually as I watch her. She steps out looking fresh, amazing, and happier than I’ve ever seen her. A little girl comes out next, and she’s a fucking “mini-me” of Hannah. Same chestnut hair and smooth complexion. Nose, eyes. There’s not a hint of Nelson in her at all.
Hope has her head tipped up to Hannah and is chattering about something. They hold hands as they walk down the porch steps. Hope has on a frothy pink dress with translucent golden wings attached to her back. She’s carrying a plastic orange pumpkin bucket to collect candy in.
When they hit the sidewalk, Hannah’s head comes up and she sees me. Hope continues to talk to her mother, but Hannah is frozen in place as our eyes lock.
I enjoy her surprise for a moment before she starts moving toward me again. Hope, who has now also seen me standing there, follows along. Pushing off my car, I wait for them to reach me.
My attention goes to Hope, who looks at me with uncertainty. No clue how to fucking talk to kids, but I imagine it can’t be that much different than adults.
Right?
Bending slightly, I smile at the little girl. She is totally fucking adorable as she tips her head back to look at me with wide eyes.
“You might be the most beautiful fairy princess I’ve ever seen.”
Hope shyly ducks her head, pressing into Hannah’s leg, but she manages to tell me, “Thank you,” in a soft voice.
I straighten, bringing my attention to Hannah.
“What are you doing here?” she asks curiously. There’s no anger there, which I half expected since I’m here unannounced and uninvited.
“I couldn’t in good conscience let you two ladies walk around this neighborhood tonight. It’s just too dangerous.”
Hannah’s tone is amused and skeptical. “So you are what? Going to walk with us to protect us?”
I shake my head and laugh, turning to the rear passenger seat of my car, where I open the door with a flourish. With a charming grin, I announce, “Of course not. I’m going to take you to a super-safe gated neighborhood. Because everyone is rich as sin, they’ll have the best candy.”
Hope’s eyes light up and she peers up at her mom, tugging on the bottom of her thin sweater. “Can we, Mommy?”
Hannah regards me a moment, and I can’t believe my fucking heart starts racing in fear that she might decline. But then she glances down at Hope and smiles. “Sure. But let me introduce you first. This is my friend, Mr. Knight.”
Hope smiles, still a little shy, but totally charmed by the prospect of premium candy. “Hi.”
“Hi,” I reply, and then to Hannah. “Let’s get in the car and go.”
“We need to get her car seat,” Hannah says as she points to her car in the small driveway. “Or we could just take mine.”
Grimacing, I shake my head. “Not a chance.”
It takes us no time at all to get the seat transferred to my car. The hardest part is getting Hope buckled in around the five million layers of fairy princess dress, which is covered in glitter that immediately sheds off onto my seats.
Once we’re underway, Hannah asks, “Where are we going?”
“My dad’s neighborhood,” I say. “He hates any holiday so he’ll be hiding inside, but we can park in his driveway and walk from there.”
“Cool,” Hannah says before twisting in her seat to see Hope. “You okay back there?”
I can see her in my rearview mirror, and Hope gives a toothy smile of adoration to her mom. I knew Hannah was beyond happy to have her daughter back, but it’s clear the feeling goes both ways.
Hannah fills me in on her search for a new house in a safer neighborhood. By the time I make it over to my dad’s neighborhood, I’ve resolved myself to pay Hannah more when I move her over to Knight Investment Group so she can afford even better than what she’s considering right now.
“Whoa,” Hannah gasps as we’re given admittance at the guard house. The wrought-iron gates swing slowly inward, and I drive through. “I didn’t know houses like this existed.”
My guess is this community doesn’t have a house that costs less than five million. Most are priced well above it. Every single home has custom landscape lighting, so everything is lit up in a warm, safe glow. The sidewalks are already crawling with other neighborhood rich kids in their costumes.
When I turn onto my dad’s street and see his house in the distance, I can’t help but hit the brakes to come to a dead stop in the road.
There’s my dad’s mansion, all white stucco and red-tiled roof—not dark and abandoned looking to ward off trick-or-treaters but blazing with light and decorations.
Orange lights are wrapped around the portico columns and throughout the bushes along the front. The front porch has an impressive display of hay bales, pumpkins, and a full-sized stuffed scarecrow lounging there.
“What the f—?” I catch myself before the F-bomb flies, gaze going quickly to Hannah. “Looks like my dad is home and open for Halloween business.”
“Is that a problem?” Hannah asks uneasily.
“Not for our plans tonight,” I mutter as I start driving again. “But I might be seriously scarred for life that my dad has started celebrating this holiday.”
Hannah snickers, and Hope asks, “What’s so funny?”
“Nothing,” Hannah reassures her.
We pull into my dad’s circular driveway. As we’re getting out of the car, a group of trick-or-treaters bound up his porch and ring the doorbell. My jaw drops wide open when I see the door swing open to my dad standing there with a huge sombrero on his head, a Mexican poncho around his shoulders, and a horrendously large black mustache on his face.
“Trick or treat,” the kids all yell. My dad laughs, tossing candy in their bags and buckets from a huge bowl. The kids leave, and a woman appears at his side.
His new fiancée, Mandy. She’s dressed as a witch. And not a sexy bombshell witch or even Glinda the Good Witch of the North. Nope—she’s an old hag-like witch, complete with green skin and a bump on her nose.
Holy shit.
My dad sees me. I can’t tell, but I think he smiles underneath that big mustache. I want to jump back in the car and drive away because this is freaking me out so bad. Instead, I walk around the front of the car and offer my hand to Hannah. She’s already got Hope out of the car, her other hand touching Hope’s back.
As I guide Hannah, she steers Hope forward and up the porch steps to come face to face with a man I no longer recognize.
Metaphorically, of course.
My dad bends over, the little tiny row of colorful pom-poms hanging from his sombrero waving back and forth. “Well, look at you. What’s your name?”
“Hope,” she says.
Hannah reminds her, “Say trick or treat.”
Hope does, and my dad laughs. He immediately proceeds to toss most the bowl of candy in her bucket, filling it almost halfway up.
Straightening, he raises an eyebrow at me expectantly. I jolt into action, remembering my manners. “Dad… this is Hannah Madigan. You’ve met her daughter, Hope.”
I switch my attention to Mandy, who I grudgingly admit I have a small measure of respect for since she managed to get my dad to dress up in that ridiculous costume. “And this is his fiancée, Mandy.”
Hannah shakes both their hands graciously, and they exchange pleasantries.
“I thought we’d use your neighborhood to trick or treat in. I’m just going to leave my car in the driveway if that’s okay?” I ask my dad.
“Of course, of course,” he booms jovially. “And when you’re done, come inside and we’ll have a drink. Mandy made some Halloween cookies. I bet Hope would love some.”
“If it’s not too late,” I say, vowing silently to make it so. “We better get going.”
I usher Hannah and Hope out to the sidewalk and we head down the street to the next property.
“Your dad seems nice,” Hannah says, and my head snaps her way.
“That man you just saw… I think he’s been overtaken by aliens.”
Hannah laughs. “You mean your father isn’t normally nice?”
“He’s nice enough,” I admit. “But dressing up like that? Actually celebrating a holiday? That was just very, very weird.”
I get a little smirk from Hannah. “I think it’s sweet. I bet his fiancée got him to do it.”
That’s probably true. There must be some outside force that made such a change in him.
As we traverse the neighborhood, Hope talks excitedly about the other kids and their costumes. I wait at the bottom of each porch as Hannah walks with her to the door, wondering how I ended up in this Twilight Zone.
Taking a woman and her child out trick or treating.
My dad embracing a holiday and dressing up.
My questioning whether I could let Hannah go to Knight Investment Group. It seems a little too magnanimous for such a selfish son of a bitch.
The best thing would be to cut Hannah loose tonight. We’ll part as friends, and I can feel proud about my good deeds. I can move on… probably even hit the Wicked Horse tonight and get laid.
For the first time in forever, the thought of going to the club has no appeal to me whatsoever.
I ponder it all as we move from house to house. Hannah eventually lets Hope go up on her own while we wait out on the sidewalk. Her phone stays out, and she has probably taken a million pictures of her daughter already.
She’s snapping more as we watch Hope walk up to another door.
“Are you okay?” she unexpectedly asks me, and I jolt.
“Yeah… why?” I ask in surprise.
“You’re just really quiet. I don’t know… you seem to be struggling with something.”
Hannah puts her phone in her pocket before facing me. She moves in closer, her eyebrows pulling in with concern.
Christ, she’s beautiful. More so than any other woman I’ve ever known. It’s an inside-and-out sort of beauty, and the thought of not seeing her anymore causes my gut to tighten painfully.
“No,” I say after clearing my throat. I give her a reassuring smile. “Nothing’s wrong. In fact, I’ve been wanting to ask you something.”
“What’s that?” she asks, tilting her head to the side.
Might as well just fucking go for it.
“My sister puts on this charity gala, and it’s in a few weeks. My mom used to do it and well, Christina has taken up the helm on the project. Would you like to go as my date?”
Hannah just stares at me, obvious confusion written on her face. “Date?”
“You heard me correctly,” I say with a smirk, thinking she’s so cute right now and it’s going to suck not to be able to fuck her tonight.
Hannah worries at her lip with her teeth a moment before she blinds me with a smile. “Okay. But what do I wear? And I need to know when, since I’ll need to find a sitter for Hope. Or maybe her dad can take her for the night.”
She goes on and on about it, and I assure her that I’ll help her with a dress and we’ll get everything sorted. We continue to walk from house to house, letting Hope fill her bucket with candy. Out of the blue, Hannah slips her arm through mine as we stroll.
My reflex isn’t to push her away. Rather, I instinctually pull her in closer to me.
So this evening isn’t ending like I had originally planned, but I think I’m okay with that.