Page 64 of Only You

“Lucy texted me when I landed and said you told her she could spend the day with Isabelle and her family.”

“What do you mean?” I slipped on my shirt. “She told me last night she asked you if she could go with them, and you said yes.”

“I first heard of it earlier today. I really wanted my daughter home when I returned. I haven’t seen her in almost a week. You probably should have texted me yourself last night and asked.”

“So, it’s my fault?” I narrowed my eyes.

“I’m not saying it’s your fault, Hannah. But you knew I hadn’t seen her all week. You could have told her no.”

“She told me she texted you, and you said it was okay.”

“Do you believe everything an eleven-year-old tells you?” His brow arched. “She’s going to say anything to get her way. I have to go.” He kissed my forehead and walked out the door.

I stared at the door and wondered what the hell just happened. Was he seriously blaming me? I grabbed my purse, climbed into my car, and drove to my sister’s house.

CHAPTER 21

Alex

I stood in the kitchen and watched Hannah leave the guesthouse. I didn’t plan on knocking on her door when I returned, but I needed to see her. As hard as I tried not to think about her while I was away, I couldn’t stop, which posed a problem for me. I regretted renting her the guesthouse. Access to her was too easy and something I didn’t think about at first.

While I was away, I did a lot of thinking. Some of that thinking involved Hannah and our ‘situation.’ She was becoming a distraction, and I couldn’t have that. Taking my bag up to the bedroom, I unpacked and put everything away. Opening the door to my mother’s old room, I stared at it one last time before the crew came to the house tomorrow to start working on it.

It was seven p.m. when the front door opened, and Lucy walked in.

“Hi, Dad.” She walked over and hugged me.

“Hi, sweetheart. How was your day?”

“It was a lot of fun. I’m happy you’re back.”

“It’s good to be back. I’m sorry Mara had to leave like that. She’ll be back in a couple of days. How was your time with Hannah?”

“It was okay. I had to sleep in her bed one night because she let me watch that scary movie. She was so excited about it and made us popcorn. She was really mad when you texted and told her to turn it off. Then she said I never should have told you we were watching it. She basically said I should have lied to you.”

“She said that?” I narrowed my eye.

“Yeah, Dad. She also said I could swim in the ocean if I wanted to, and she’d watch me from the shore. I told her I’m not allowed to go in without an adult, and she said I’d be fine.”

“Did you go into the ocean?”

“No, Dad.” She slowly shook her head. “I promised you I wouldn’t, even though she said it was okay. Please don’t ever leave me with her again. Please, Dad,” she whined, hugging me.

“I’m home now. Why don’t you go upstairs and take a bath? You have school tomorrow, and you smell like chlorine.” I smiled.

“Okay.”

“Did you eat dinner?”

“Yeah. Isabelle’s dad took us all to the Seaside after the waterpark.”

After she ran upstairs, I looked out front and didn’t see Hannah’s car in the driveway. Pouring a double scotch, I took it out on the patio and sat down in one of the loungers. Thirty minutes later, I saw her walking to the guesthouse.

“Hannah, can I talk to you for a moment?”

She turned and looked at me. “Sure.”

“I’ll come to you,” I said, getting up from my seat and walking to the guesthouse.