it’s better to talk through the pain with someone else who cares. At that moment he made a decision.
“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked, moving to the table to sit across from her, while pretending not to see the tears glistening her eyes. Tears that she quickly swiped away before smiling over at him.
“I was just sitting here thinking about what I’m preparing for Sunday’s dinner. It’s so nice to have the three of you home again. I want it to be special.”
Jace nodded. He couldn’t speak for his brothers but deep down he was glad to be back. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed this place. Until now his visits had been brief, but this time he was back to stay. “Well, don’t get carried away, Hannah. The more we eat the harder it will be to work off later.”
She chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. “There’s more tea where this came from if you want a cup.”
“Thanks, I think I will,” he said, getting up from the table. “I came down for a glass of warm milk but I think the tea sounds better.”
As he poured the hot water in the cup he glanced over his shoulder at her as she stared down into her tea. Hannah had been with the Grangers for years. His grandparents had hired her as nanny and housekeeper just weeks after his father was born. And twenty-five years later she had gone to live with Sheppard and his wife when Jace came into the world, then remained to care for Caden and Dalton, as well.
Hannah’s husband, Raymond, had died years ago and she had taken the death hard. She and Ray had one child together, a daughter name Maretha, who’d made Texas her permanent home after attending college there.
He could not remember a time when Hannah had not been a part of their lives. She had been there when his grandmother had died, and had helped them deal with the loss of their mother and the incarceration of their father. And she was here for them now. But she was dealing with her own grief as much as theirs. He knew his grandfather considered her more than just a housekeeper. She was part of the family.
And Jace knew that his grandfather had loved her.
He hadn’t been surprised when his grandfather had confided in him the last time he was home. Jace knew neither Caden nor Dalton had a clue, mainly because they hadn’t come back to Sutton Hills as often as he had. He had been able to watch the two of them interact on a daily basis. But no one had seemed surprised with the generous bequest Richard had left for Hannah. Probably because they felt she deserved everything she got for putting up with the Grangers for as long as she had.
As certain as he was that his grandfather loved Hannah and she loved Richard in return, Jace knew the affair had only developed after he and his brothers had left for college. Loneliness had been a factor, as well as the fact that Hannah looked pretty good for her age. To Jace’s way of thinking, she had begun looking younger and prettier each and every time he came home to visit. And Jace more than anyone was glad she had been there as someone Richard could trust and spend happy times with.
He moved to rejoin her at the table. “He loved you, you know.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him and his heart twisted at the tears he saw swimming in her eyes. “You knew?” she asked in a shocked breath.
“Yes, he told me and I was glad,” he said, reaching out and placing his hand on hers.
She swallowed. “Do you think Caden and Dalton...”
“Know?” he finished for her. Shrugging, he released her hand. “Not sure if he told them, too, but it doesn’t matter. Granddad probably wasn’t an easy man for a woman to love so I believe what the two of you shared was special.”
“Thank you, and it was,” she said, swiping away her tears. She got up from the table to grab a tissue and then returned to sit across from him once again. “You boys are doing the right thing, Jace. Your granddaddy loved that company and he would not
“You couldn’t sleep either, huh?” he asked, moving to the table to sit across from her, while pretending not to see the tears glistening her eyes. Tears that she quickly swiped away before smiling over at him.
“I was just sitting here thinking about what I’m preparing for Sunday’s dinner. It’s so nice to have the three of you home again. I want it to be special.”
Jace nodded. He couldn’t speak for his brothers but deep down he was glad to be back. He hadn’t realized just how much he’d missed this place. Until now his visits had been brief, but this time he was back to stay. “Well, don’t get carried away, Hannah. The more we eat the harder it will be to work off later.”
She chuckled as she took a sip of her tea. “There’s more tea where this came from if you want a cup.”
“Thanks, I think I will,” he said, getting up from the table. “I came down for a glass of warm milk but I think the tea sounds better.”
As he poured the hot water in the cup he glanced over his shoulder at her as she stared down into her tea. Hannah had been with the Grangers for years. His grandparents had hired her as nanny and housekeeper just weeks after his father was born. And twenty-five years later she had gone to live with Sheppard and his wife when Jace came into the world, then remained to care for Caden and Dalton, as well.
Hannah’s husband, Raymond, had died years ago and she had taken the death hard. She and Ray had one child together, a daughter name Maretha, who’d made Texas her permanent home after attending college there.
He could not remember a time when Hannah had not been a part of their lives. She had been there when his grandmother had died, and had helped them deal with the loss of their mother and the incarceration of their father. And she was here for them now. But she was dealing with her own grief as much as theirs. He knew his grandfather considered her more than just a housekeeper. She was part of the family.
And Jace knew that his grandfather had loved her.
He hadn’t been surprised when his grandfather had confided in him the last time he was home. Jace knew neither Caden nor Dalton had a clue, mainly because they hadn’t come back to Sutton Hills as often as he had. He had been able to watch the two of them interact on a daily basis. But no one had seemed surprised with the generous bequest Richard had left for Hannah. Probably because they felt she deserved everything she got for putting up with the Grangers for as long as she had.
As certain as he was that his grandfather loved Hannah and she loved Richard in return, Jace knew the affair had only developed after he and his brothers had left for college. Loneliness had been a factor, as well as the fact that Hannah looked pretty good for her age. To Jace’s way of thinking, she had begun looking younger and prettier each and every time he came home to visit. And Jace more than anyone was glad she had been there as someone Richard could trust and spend happy times with.
He moved to rejoin her at the table. “He loved you, you know.”
She jerked her head up and stared at him and his heart twisted at the tears he saw swimming in her eyes. “You knew?” she asked in a shocked breath.
“Yes, he told me and I was glad,” he said, reaching out and placing his hand on hers.
She swallowed. “Do you think Caden and Dalton...”
“Know?” he finished for her. Shrugging, he released her hand. “Not sure if he told them, too, but it doesn’t matter. Granddad probably wasn’t an easy man for a woman to love so I believe what the two of you shared was special.”
“Thank you, and it was,” she said, swiping away her tears. She got up from the table to grab a tissue and then returned to sit across from him once again. “You boys are doing the right thing, Jace. Your granddaddy loved that company and he would not
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