Page 5 of Erik's Salvation
The home wasn’t anything spectacular, but it was hers. And that was more than she’d ever had before. Now she had peace and quiet. Empty land.
Well, empty bar Mr. Hunter’s home, which wasn’t so much a home as it was a two-story mansion. She had a view of the side of his house and part of the backyard from her kitchen window.
Her heart gave a sad little turn at the memory of Mr. Hunter. God, she missed him. His smiles as he watered his plants. The low hum of his voice as he sang under his breath. The man had loved nature and music.
At least he was with his wife now.
She scooped up some more cereal, almost groaning when the honeyed goodness hit her tongue.
Her phone vibrated on the counter. She smiled when she saw it was a text from Brigid, regaling Henry with their tale of picking up the panties from the road. The three of them had a group chat that never silenced for long. What did they send, two, maybe three hundred messages a day?
Brigid: Norman passed us and offered to help. I thought the poor old man was going to have a heart attack when he picked up a lace thong.
Hannah laughed. It was true. Norman was sixty and ran the local coffee shop, Black Bean, with his wife. When he’d seen the chaos, he’d offered to help, but she was almost certain he’d regretted his decision when he’d had to actually touch the sexy lingerie.
Henry: Ladies, let’s not give Norman a heart attack. I rely on his coffee to survive.
Hannah: Um…what about poor Hannah? I almost got hit by a car…
Brigid: You were saved by a hot guy, Hannah. I do not feel sorry for you.
Henry: Oh. Tell me more about the hot guy.
Hannah: No. He may have been good-looking, but he wasn’t very nice.
Brigid: They’re always the best in bed, Han. And you could use some good sex.
She’d had plenty of sex. Maybe not recently. But she was not so desperate that she’d consider Mr. Grump.
Henry: She’s right, Han. You’ve been stressed.
Brigid: James said if you’re feeling overworked, he’ll take some of your houses.
Over her dead body! James was another agent who worked at Reuben’s Real Estate. And just like her, he was struggling with the competing business in town. It was seriously slim pickings.
Hannah: I don’t think so.
Henry: Tell James to get his own damn houses. Our girl works hard and needs her commissions.
Brigid: I did tell him that. But he’s been stressed, so I’m not getting enough sexy time.
Hannah grinned. Brigid was not shy about her sex life. At the start of their friendship, the amount of information she’d disclosed about her sex life with James had been kind of awkward. But four years later, Hannah was used to it…kind of.
Henry: Tell the man to get it up! His woman has needs.
Brigid: Oh, don’t worry…I have been. What are you having for dinner?
Hannah: Cereal.
Brigid: Again?
Henry: Didn’t you have that last night?
Dammit. She had. Tomorrow, she was making a chicken salad. She’d send a picture to her friends just to keep herself accountable.
Henry was a construction worker, but he didn’t fit the stereotype. He was too clean-cut and easy to talk to. Brigid had introduced them shortly after Hannah had moved to Redwood, and she’d never looked back.
Hannah: Maybe.
