Page 12 of Sworn to Defend
“Heard you look good in a tux.” Joker slid across the bench and clapped him on the back.
“I might’ve been described as the perfect James Bond body double a time or two while modeling.”
“Told you any compliments would go straight to his head,” Ransom grumbled, slinging his arm around Brynn’s shoulders.
Everyone had already noticed his interest in Hannah well before he’d admitted it to himself. Now, the only person left to convince was Hannah herself. Her hands rested on her lap, and he looped his arm between her elbow, clasping one of her hands in his. Her skin was warm and fit perfectly against his palm. She glanced at him, eyes wide, but didn’t pull away.
Every so often, he’d caress the back of her hand with his thumb, fascinated by the goose bumps that immediately popped across her skin. She was incredibly responsive to his touch, and he couldn’t help but think about what her reaction might be when he explored other parts of her body. He let go of Hannah’s hand and reached into his pocket for his cell phone. Collin was up next at bat, and he trained his camera on him as he moved up to the plate. Patrons of both teams clapped and cheered as Collin swung the bat at the tee, and the ball went rolling. A volunteer on first base jumped up and down as Collin sprinted toward her, arms waving in the air. He snapped picture after picture, warmth filling his chest at the triumphant smile on the teen’s face. He turned the phone so Hannah could check out the photos.
“Those are great.” Her eyes brightened as she scanned the photos. “Can you send them to me?”
“Of course.” Their gazes met and held, the air charging between them. He’d never pressure her to give him more than she was ready for physically or emotionally, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to coax her beyond her comfort zone. He texted her the pictures and took her hand again, enjoying the feeling of being exactly where he was supposed to be. He’d never had this sense of rightness, of peace, settle over him, and he wouldn’t squander a second of it. Something vibrated against his arm, and he glanced at Hannah’s midsection.
“What do you have in the fanny pack of yours?” He grinned.
Hannah gave him a playful push and started to unzip the pack. “Nothing good.” When she removed the cell phone and glanced at the screen, her expression got tight.
“Work?” he asked. It would suck not to spend time with Hannah after the game, but at least he was available to take Collin home.
“No,” she sighed, hitting the red circle to bypass the call. “My mother.”
“Do you need to get it?” The relationship was strained, and he hated that for her.
“If I thought she had anything new to say, I might.” On the field, the teams were lining up to shake hands. Spectators were getting to their feet and making their way toward their players.
Their friends were starting to collect their belongings. “We’ll be right down,” he said. Joker and Ransom exchanged a look, and both nodded, clearing out of the space so he and Hannah could have a moment alone. “Is something wrong?”
Hannah sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. “In Agatha’s world, nothing is right.” She blinked and jammed the phone back into the pouch. “Rochelle told her I invited a guest.”
“And she’s giving you a hard time?” His mouth went dry. He’d love to know why Hannah’s parents were completely distant, yet they felt like they could control Hannah’s choices.
She straightened her shoulders. “It’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Why, though?” He was trying to ignore the desire to pick up the phone and tear into a bunch of people he’d never met. It was going to be a challenge to keep himself in check if anyone was disrespectful to her.
“She hasn’t personally selected you from a pool of eligible bachelors, let alone dug into your personal life, criminal records, and bank accounts. I told you going would be awful. Your life is going to be under a microscope.” Her carefully controlled tone gave her away. She’d been dealing with this shit for so long she was good at masking the hurt. She put up with their actions, but she didn’t expect anyone else to.
“I’ll gladly tell them anything they want to know to keep the pressure off you.”
“You really mean that.” It wasn’t a question but a statement.
“Yeah, baby, I do. Now, let’s get something to eat with Collin and go back to your place.”
“Are you inviting yourself over again?”
“Last time, I didn’t invite myself. I just showed up.” He grinned, gave her leg a quick squeeze, and stood. Once again, he was thankful for the turn of events that left him on medical leave so he could act as a buffer between Collin, Hannah, and her over-the-top family.
Chapter Seven
Hannah sighed and smiled at Collin in the rearview mirror. He was gazing out the window intently, a streak of chocolate on his cheek. After the game, their party of three had turned into eleven. The man who sponsored the team had even joined them. She had no idea that he had once been on a SEAL team with Brynn’s fiancé. They’d gotten a big outdoor table at the local burger joint, and after an hour of talking and laughing over cheese fries, burgers, and shakes, they had finally called it a night.
Each time she glanced up, her stomach bottomed out when she discovered Hunter’s intense gaze pinned on her. She couldn’t keep her mind from wandering back to what he’d said about exploring all of her freckles. He’d insisted on following them home to make sure they got there safe, which made her stomach tumble. It had been a long time since anyone cared if they got to their destination or not. Now, she had a group of friends who constantly texted, and even if she didn’t always respond to the group, the comments made her smile. She not only had female friends for what seemed like the first time in forever, but Hunter, who gave her full-body shivers from a mere look. She was in trouble.
“How do you feel about Hunter coming with us to Texas?” she asked her son.
A grin spread across his face. “Happy.”
She was getting used to the idea. No matter how obnoxious her family was, Hunter wouldn’t judge her for it. She took a left onto their street of small, suburban ranch homes and into the driveway. Hunter’s truck pulled in beside her and parked. Although it was nearing nine o’clock at night, the sky was still bright. Collin whipped off his seat belt and swung open the car door. She slid out of the driver’s side in enough time to watch Collin give Hunter a bear hug. His gaze met hers over Collin’s shoulder and he smiled. Watching them together made something unfurl inside her chest. Something she was incredibly frightened of, yet desperately wanted to nurture.