Page 113 of Square Deal

“Han—”

“Y-you love me?” she asked. Her voice was still hoarse, but there was an unmistakable quiver in her words.

Okay, not what I was expecting.I thought she would have me drawn and quartered when she heard me berate her mother. In my defense, her mother was a bitch, and I meant every word with the utmost disrespect.

I handed Hannah her phone and shrugged casually. “Well, yeah, of course I do.” I cracked a smile and pulled her in by the front of the giant t-shirt she was wearing. “I bought you soups.”

Tears filled her eyes. “You mean it?”

“You’re not pissed at me for yelling at your mother?”

She shook her head. “Any man willing to yell at my mother for me is either out of his damn mind or…”

“Or?”

She wrapped her arms around my neck. “Or he’s the love of my life.”

Caution signs flashed in my mind. Sirens blared, and bells rang out an imperative warning. I dismissed them without a second thought and decided to jump head first off the cliff instead.

“Are you saying you’re in love with me, Hell Yes Ma’am?”

Hannah rolled her eyes good-naturedly. She nodded, and I pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“I wish I could kiss you right now,” I admitted.

“I wish you could fuck me up against the wall,” she countered.

I growled and ground the hardened length of my erection in between her thighs. “I want that too, but I want you to get better first.”

“Stupid fucking cold,” she grumbled.

I chuckled and cradled her against my body. “Your mom hates me. She also tried to forbid me from speaking to you ever again.”

That made her giggle. “Good thing I’m fresh out of fucks to give.”

“I’m sorry if I just made things harder for you two.”

She gently shook her head. “You’re probably the only person on the planet who can get away with calling her on her bullshit. Unlike the men they always try to set me up with, they can’t controlyou. It’s going to be a showdown when y’all finally meet, though.”

“You want me to meet your parents?” I asked. Nerves flooded my system. I never got nervous. I was cool as a cucumber when I was under pressure. But Hannah Jane talking about introducing me to her parents kick-started that intrinsic fight-or-flight instinct.

Fight, I reminded myself.

Hannah’s smile reached her eyes in the way that made them crinkle at the corners. “Hell yeah.”

27

HANNAH JANE

After the most horrific Christmas sinus infection that made me feel like I was on the verge of becoming past tense, things seemed to fall into place.

Isaac still traveled constantly, but we saw each other as much as humanly possible. Luckily, my job making wedding dreams come true at the Taylor Creek Inn kept me absurdly busy.

December turned into a miserably cold January. January gave way to February, and Isaac whisked me away for a magical Valentine’s weekend in Ibiza. March brought a resurgence of early summertimers to the coast for spring break that had the inn bustling.

Maybe I was still looking through rose-colored glasses, but Isaac was perfect.

He was attentive and intuitive. He showered me in gifts, and I wasn’t ashamed to say that I loved that.

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