Page 43 of Sultry Nights

"All right. Glad to help. I'll have something prepared for you around, what, five-thirty? But I'm going to make it a surprise."

"That's okay. Just don't make it too complicated so Hanna can possibly think that I made it."

Jace shook his head. "Well, I'm not going to promise you that, but I'll promise you a great meal."

"Well, I guess I can live with a great meal."

He hopped back in his truck and headed toward the barracks. He felt so much promise for the future.

23

The back door opened and Hanna jumped. She popped her head out of the kitchen and looked down the hall to see her mom.

"Hi, honey, I thought I'd come and help out a little bit today. I understand you had an extra big bun order, and I thought maybe other things were set on the back burner."

Hanna's heartbeat raced, and she cleared her throat lightly, giving herself a moment to settle.

"Thanks, Mom, yeah a couple things got put on the back burner. I need to get some cookies in the oven. If you wouldn't mind rolling those out, I'd appreciate it. I have the dough all ready to go in the fridge. And then I can work on another batch of cinnamon rolls."

"Sounds good, sweetheart. Dad told me that he invited you to dinner the other night and you couldn't make it, but we would like you to come to dinner tonight."

Hanna froze. Now, what did she do? She was in a relationship, right? Small town, word was going to get out, eventually. She probably better tell her parents before they heard something through the grapevine. After all, they weren't exactly sneaking around.

She twisted her fingers together, "So Mom, I've been seeing someone. Just a few times. But well, I've been seeing someone, and I'm supposed to have dinner with him tonight."

Her mom stopped. Her smile spread across her entire face. Her dark hair was pulled back in a ponytail. Much like Hanna usually wore while she was at the bakery.

"Is that so? Well, we would of course like to meet him, and of course, he's invited tonight as well."

Hanna played with her fingers. "Well, I'd have to ask him if he wants to do that. We haven't talked about... you know, meeting the parents or anything… or the kids, or whatnot."

"So he has children."

"Yes, he has two children. They're both grown. I mean, at my age, you know, that's who I'm going to meet, somebody with children likely."

"Oh honey, thank God you didn't have children with that criminal that you were married to."

"I know Mom, I know, I know, I know. I've thought of it so many times myself I can't tell you. That doesn't mean I don't wish I did have them, though."

"Well, you know with modern medicine and everything it's still not too late. You're only forty-five."

"Well, I'm not talking about having children, Mom. My gosh that's...oh my gosh I can't even think of that right now. But if the good Lord wants it I guess it could happen. Anyway, I'm not anywhere near that time, talking about that or anything. We're not that serious. But let me call him and ask him if he's interested in having dinner with you and Dad."

"Well, tell him we're interested in meeting him. And who is this him, anyway? So I don't have to keep calling him, him."

Hanna chuckled. "His name is Quinn Kurtz. And he..."

"Oh, I know Quinn Kurtz. Oh my goodness he's such a handsome man. You're lucky. He's, ooh, what do the girls call him these days? Dreamy?"

"Mom!"

"Well, he is, right? Dreamy."

"Yes, he's dreamy, but you shouldn't think that way about him. I mean what would Dad think?"

"Oh, honey your father and I have been married so many years he knows when I think a man is dreamy. I'll even tell him tonight that we're having dinner with the dreamy Quinn Kurtz."

Hanna's cheeks heated. "Well, I don't know that yet. I have to call him."

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