Page 24 of A Daddy for Hanna
The air left his lungs. He stopped in the middle of the path to stare down at Eli’s handwriting decorating the envelope. A few seconds passed before he recovered from the shock, and he shook his head to clear his thoughts.
Three weeks had passed since Hanna had come to stay with him, and even though she intended to see her brother again someday, the fact that she planned to eventually leave had been easily forgotten.
She filled his days and nights, bringing him more happiness than he’d thought possible. Even though he hadn’t taken her innocence, even though he hadn’t taught her how to touch him sexually yet, they still shared a bond he despaired to break
Their connection went beyond anything sexual.
With the passing of each day, he longed to keep her forever at his side.
It was the height of selfishness though, because Hanna longed to leave. Or so she had claimed when she’d first arrived here.
Could her ambitions have changed? Dare he hope?
He clutched the mail and followed Lady, who was almost back at the cabin. It was ridiculous to believe Hanna would want to stay here. After all, the farm she’d grown up on was only a few miles away. The family who shunned her was surely in her thoughts, though she rarely spoke of them.
Ben paused at the bottom of the cabin steps, surveying his home and his land. He’d worked hard to build this fortress in the middle of nowhere. No one from his previous life could find him if they tried. He didn’t have a landline and was therefore unlisted in the phone book. He had several burner phones he kept hidden in a closet for emergencies, but his name wasn’t attached to them. And while he had a searchable address, Ben Foster was a pretty common name, and so far, none of his old friends, family, or acquaintances had contacted him by mail. Not that he thought they would be looking for him. Next month would mark his eighth year in these woods.
He glanced at the kitchen window and saw Hanna standing at the sink, oblivious to his presence. Could he leave the safety of his cabin for her? Would she withdraw from him if she knew of the reason he’d left his home in West Virginia? He sighed.
There was only one right thing to do at this moment.
He had to give her Eli’s letter.
The smell of frying bacon reached him when he entered the cabin. He swallowed hard and headed to the kitchen, where he found Hanna placing two plates on the table. A beaming smile brightened her features when their eyes met. Her smile faded in an instant though, and she regarded him with genuine concern.
“What is it?” she asked. “Is something wrong?”
He forced a smile and held up Eli’s letter. “No, nothing’s wrong. This is for you.”
She clapped her hands together and gasped in delight. “Finally. I was so worried he didn’t get my last letter.”
Ben passed her the envelope and wondered what Hanna had written in her last letter. A few days after she’d come to stay with him, she’d sent another letter off to her brother. Ben had shoved the sealed envelope into the mailbox, resisting the urge to tear it open in hopes of discovering her secret thoughts and dreams.
Anxiety twisted his stomach as Hanna ripped the letter open. She spread the folded paper out on the table and sat down, her eyes bright with curiosity.
Ben took a seat across from her, ignoring the breakfast she’d placed in his spot. “Did Annabel have the baby yet?” he asked, hoping Eli’s wife had delivered their first child safely.
“No, not yet.” Her eyes moved back and forth as she scanned the page. “At the time of this letter, Annabel is nine days away from her due date. Her doctor says baby and mother are both healthy. Eli says he’s happy I left home and that he always knew I would. He wishes he could come see me right now, but he’ll have to wait until the baby is born and they are settled back at home. He says his job is giving him two weeks off once the baby comes, and he will…” She paused and glanced up at Ben. Sadness replaced her prior joy, and she bowed her head to continue reading. She gulped and licked her lips before speaking. “He says once Annabel and the baby are settled at home, he’ll come get me. He wants me to come to Oregon to live with them.”
The emptiness inside Ben knew no bounds. He felt like he’d already lost the most important thing in his life, even as she stared at him from across the table. Sweet little Hanna. He did the math in his head, calculating exactly how many days he might have left with her. Even if Annabel had the baby today, he would have at least two weeks or more with her. Perhaps even longer, if Eli decided to drive instead of fly. Ben inquired if he’d indicated his method of travel in the letter, and Hanna said he had not.
“You don’t look happy.” He reached for her hand and laced his fingers through hers atop the table.
Tears pooled in her expressive blue depths, and she sighed and pushed the letter away with her free hand. “Of course I am happy,” she said, smiling as a tear ran down her cheek. She brushed it away and tried to wrench her hand from his as she stood up. “Let me go, Daddy.” Her voice trembled.
Daddy. She hadn’t called him Mr. Foster in quite some time. The affection in her voice when she called him Daddy always filled up the empty places in his soul. She completed him each and every day, over and over again. She didn’t balk when he called her his little girl. If anything, she craved it. He saw the need to be cared for in her eyes each time their gazes collided. The bond between them had grown more each day, alongside her growing trust in him.
But now she was leaving.
Their relationship was ending before it even had a chance to begin.
Hanna made another half-hearted attempt to yank her hand from his, but Ben still didn’t release her. Instead, he pulled her closer and brought her down in his lap. He cradled her as she cried softly in his chest.
No words passed between them, but their hearts bled together as the sun danced through the window and spilled over her golden hair.
He kissed the top of her head, letting his lips linger as he breathed in her feminine scent. He should be happy to see Eli again after all these years. He should be happy to see Hanna reunited with her brother, and happy that Eli wanted to give her a safe place to stay, a family to be a part of.
But Ben wasn’t happy at all. By God, he wasn’t ready to let her go. He would never be ready to let her go. Three weeks. Three weeks was all it had taken to turn his world upside down.
