like to be half of a couple. Not that she’d go so far as to call them an official couple, but having him stand by her side in front of her parents went a long way toward lowering her defenses where he was concerned.
“Makes a lot of sense,” Lincoln said gruffly, which brought back fond memories of how ridiculously overprotective he’d been when Hannah first began dating. He’d grilled all her dates as if they were planning to run away and marry her rather than take her to the movies. Only Caleb hadn’t been intimidated, but he’d known her dad for years by the time he started dating Lincoln’s daughter. “That coffee ready yet, Mol?”
“Coming right up.”
Nolan took advantage of their preoccupation with the coffee to press a light kiss to her temple. “I’ve got to get to work. I’ll call you later.”
Hannah smiled up at him and nodded.
“See you later, Mr. and Mrs. Abbott.”
“Bye, Nolan,” they said in unison.
Hannah walked him through the mudroom and held the door to the garage open for him as he stepped into the boots he’d left there the night before. “Sorry again about my folks.”
“They’re fine,” he said. “They’re doing what any decent parents would do the day after their daughter suffered a painful loss.”
Hannah experienced a pang of sadness at the thought of Homer. She was really and truly alone now. Well, except for her humongous family and loving friends, especially the one who was looking at her now with concern etched into his handsome face.
“You okay?”
“I will be. Your company helped a lot last night. I appreciate you staying.”
“It was a terrible hardship, but somehow I survived.”
Her smile stretched from ear to ear.
“That’s a beautiful thing,” he said softly, gazing down at her with unabashed affection. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and ran his finger over her cheek, making her nearly swoon from the sweetness of his gesture. Then he zeroed in on her lips, making her body heat from the memories of what had transpired between them during the night.
Hannah licked her lips, and his eyes burned with desire as he gazed at the slide of tongue over lips. “What’s a beautiful thing?”
“That smile. I’d do anything to see it every day.” He brushed a kiss so fleeting over her lips that Hannah barely had time to register that he was kissing her before it was over.
She wanted to plead for more, but this wasn’t the time or the place for more.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Hannah nodded and pressed the button to the garage door opener, closing it after he’d backed his truck into the driveway. Before she returned to face her parents, Hannah took a series of deep breaths, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. She pressed cold hands to her face, but that did nothing to address the pounding of her heart or the dryness in her mouth.
When she walked back into the kitchen, her dad popped up from the table with comical speed. “I’ve got to get going to work.” He kissed his wife, who patted his arm as she smiled at him. “George and Ringo are probably tearing up the Rover waiting for me.” He kissed Hannah. “Let me know if I can do anything for you, honey. Anything at all.”
Hannah leaned into him, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of the aftershave he’d worn all her life. “Thanks, Dad.” She had no doubt that he’d sell his soul to the devil to save her from one additional minute of pain in her lifetime, and she loved him for that. But she also knew he had no desire whatsoever to hear the details of her evening with Nolan.
Her mother on the other hand took a seat at the table with a steaming mug of coffee, settling in to talk it out.
Her dad left, and Hannah turned to face her mother.
Molly raised a brow in silent inquiry. “So.”
“So.” No one said Hannah had to make it easy on her.
“Not in the mood to chat?” Molly asked.
Hannah took her time pouring a much-needed cup of coffee. She moved
“Makes a lot of sense,” Lincoln said gruffly, which brought back fond memories of how ridiculously overprotective he’d been when Hannah first began dating. He’d grilled all her dates as if they were planning to run away and marry her rather than take her to the movies. Only Caleb hadn’t been intimidated, but he’d known her dad for years by the time he started dating Lincoln’s daughter. “That coffee ready yet, Mol?”
“Coming right up.”
Nolan took advantage of their preoccupation with the coffee to press a light kiss to her temple. “I’ve got to get to work. I’ll call you later.”
Hannah smiled up at him and nodded.
“See you later, Mr. and Mrs. Abbott.”
“Bye, Nolan,” they said in unison.
Hannah walked him through the mudroom and held the door to the garage open for him as he stepped into the boots he’d left there the night before. “Sorry again about my folks.”
“They’re fine,” he said. “They’re doing what any decent parents would do the day after their daughter suffered a painful loss.”
Hannah experienced a pang of sadness at the thought of Homer. She was really and truly alone now. Well, except for her humongous family and loving friends, especially the one who was looking at her now with concern etched into his handsome face.
“You okay?”
“I will be. Your company helped a lot last night. I appreciate you staying.”
“It was a terrible hardship, but somehow I survived.”
Her smile stretched from ear to ear.
“That’s a beautiful thing,” he said softly, gazing down at her with unabashed affection. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and ran his finger over her cheek, making her nearly swoon from the sweetness of his gesture. Then he zeroed in on her lips, making her body heat from the memories of what had transpired between them during the night.
Hannah licked her lips, and his eyes burned with desire as he gazed at the slide of tongue over lips. “What’s a beautiful thing?”
“That smile. I’d do anything to see it every day.” He brushed a kiss so fleeting over her lips that Hannah barely had time to register that he was kissing her before it was over.
She wanted to plead for more, but this wasn’t the time or the place for more.
“I’ll see you soon.”
Hannah nodded and pressed the button to the garage door opener, closing it after he’d backed his truck into the driveway. Before she returned to face her parents, Hannah took a series of deep breaths, hoping her face wasn’t as red as it felt. She pressed cold hands to her face, but that did nothing to address the pounding of her heart or the dryness in her mouth.
When she walked back into the kitchen, her dad popped up from the table with comical speed. “I’ve got to get going to work.” He kissed his wife, who patted his arm as she smiled at him. “George and Ringo are probably tearing up the Rover waiting for me.” He kissed Hannah. “Let me know if I can do anything for you, honey. Anything at all.”
Hannah leaned into him, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of the aftershave he’d worn all her life. “Thanks, Dad.” She had no doubt that he’d sell his soul to the devil to save her from one additional minute of pain in her lifetime, and she loved him for that. But she also knew he had no desire whatsoever to hear the details of her evening with Nolan.
Her mother on the other hand took a seat at the table with a steaming mug of coffee, settling in to talk it out.
Her dad left, and Hannah turned to face her mother.
Molly raised a brow in silent inquiry. “So.”
“So.” No one said Hannah had to make it easy on her.
“Not in the mood to chat?” Molly asked.
Hannah took her time pouring a much-needed cup of coffee. She moved
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