Chocolate Cherry Cabin

Chapter 2

Hannah tried to usher her friend Cassandra McTavish into her house, but the woman was intent on ogling Louis, who was doing something manly with power tools out on his driveway despite the chill of the gray morning.
"Who's the long drink of water next door?" she asked. Hannah rolled her eyes and tugged Obi away from Cass and her five-year-old son.
"Hi, Spaghetti," Dusty said, curling his arms around Obi's neck and receiving a lick on the ear. The kiddo loved the name that Brant Wylder, the local veterinarian and dog rescuer, had given the pooch when he'd found him. To Dusty the dog's name was Spaghetti, and he refused to call him by anything else.
"Put your eyeballs back in your head and get in here," Hannah hissed at her friend, who was still watching Louis.
Cassandra laughed. "He's making you want things, isn't he?" She waved her cowboy hat at him when he looked over, as though sensing he was being talked about. "Mmm. He's yummy all the way from head to toe. Is he single?"
Hannah yanked her inside before she could cause trouble, Dusty and Obi on her heels.
"Hey, how are you feeling, Dusty?" Hannah bent down, studying the small boy. He'd been diagnosed as having a heart issue a few weeks ago, something that had been overlooked since his difficult birth but had recently grown problematic. Cassandra, insistent that her son shouldn't be so small, pale or winded, had pursued the problem until she got his care into the right hands.
The current challenge was the cost of surgery to remedy his condition. Landon, Cass's new boyfriend, wanted to help, but she had reservations about borrowing six figures from the NHL goalie—even for her son. The boy, however, seemed to be running at about half volume compared to usual, and Hannah hoped that Landon would be able to strong-arm her friend into accepting so the surgery could happen soon, and Cass didn't end up buried in debt.
"I saw Dezzie at the hospital," Dusty announced.
"Really? That's so cool." Hannah smiled, knowing that inside the Dragons mascot costume was her friend Violet Granger, who worked for the hockey team.
Thomas came running up, carrying a Batmobile toy in each hand, passing one to Dusty. Her eldest son was nowhere to be seen, which meant he was enjoying his first day of Christmas vacation with his nose in a book or absorbed in a video game Calvin had bought him. Hannah considered calling him out to say hi and play with the other boys, but decided to let him be, knowing her sons were reaching an age where they didn't always want to do the same things, or do them together.
"Quiet play today, please," Hannah warned, nervous that Thomas might tire Dusty out.
"Thanks for letting us stop by," Cassandra said, hanging her farm coat at the door as the boys headed to Thomas's room. She was wearing a red sweater sporting a fuzzy reindeer, complete with a blinking light for a nose. The woman was as into Christmas as Hannah was. In fact, she was even selling beautiful Christmas trees out at her ranch to make a little extra holiday cash. "Dusty's been going stir-crazy out there."
"I thought Rylnn was spending more time out at your place," Hannah said, referring to Landon's young daughter. Landon and Cass were pretty new as a couple, but seemed to be blending their families fairly well. It gave Hannah hope that if she found someone for herself it would be just as seamless.
"She's so girlie Dusty tends to go a bit crazy after playing with her for days on end."
"Alexa needs to adopt some boys Dusty's age." Cass's sister lived just down the road, but so far she and her husband didn't have kids.
"Cash is on board, but I don't think Alexa's ready."
The women moved toward the kitchen and Hannah tipped her head in the direction the boys had gone. "How is he?"
"Good. There's no rush for the surgery other than the fact that I want to see him strong as soon as possible."
"If there's anything I can do, let me know."
"Thanks. Hey, did you hear the news? Polly's expecting!" Her sister's hired hand, Nick Wylder, and his girlfriend, Polly, lived next door on Alexa's ranch.
"That's great!"
"April's planning a baby shower for her."
"I heard a rumor we may need to plan a shower for April, too." Everyone in town was having babies, it seemed. Hannah hoped her cousin Athena and her sister put in a baby section in the shop they planned to open next month. "Maybe one for you, too?" She waggled her brows at Cass, who laughed.
"Yeah, we're not going there."
"I thought things were good with Landon."
"They are. But no. We're not doing the whole...thing." She scrunched her nose and Hannah let it go, curious as to why kids seemed to be off the table. Then again, she hadn't even seen Cass and Landon kiss or hold hands yet, so maybe it was too soon to start talking babies. She just hoped the two single parents weren't using each other as parenting pinch-hitters to make their lives easier, and giving up on love in the process.
Although she could definitely see the appeal of bringing in a pinch-hitter—especially since they both had busy lives and neither had their baby-daddy or baby-mommy in the picture.
In the kitchen, Hannah turned on the coffeemaker, then the kettle, and leaned against the counter." I heard you two are going to the Dragons' Christmas gala on Friday."
"Yup."
"Do you have your dress yet?" Hannah could imagine the black tie affair, the dresses that Cass and her friends Violet and Daisy-Mae planned on wearing. They'd be gorgeous. Hanging out with NHL stars in a beautiful ballroom. It was all so far away from the life Hannah lived that she wanted to soak up every detail.
"Yup. We'll have to find you a date for next year."
Hannah laughed. A date? She could be living in France by then if Calvin liked what he saw when he met with the engineering firm that was calling him over there for meetings. The deal was that if the job looked good the whole family would move so they could still be geographically close to each other. It was an exhausting thought, but she wanted Calvin in her boys' lives and would do whatever it took.
"Find you a yummy hockey player," Cass added.
Hannah waved a hand. "Men just complicate things."
"You're not looking to date again?"
"I have the boys. I'm busy enough."
"They'll grow up faster than you think. You're going to need more than a dog to fill that hole."
Hannah felt a pang at the idea of her sons leaving the nest. "Then I'll get a second dog."
Cass didn't laugh. "The boys are going to be on a different continent for almost a full week. When do they go? Tomorrow?" Hannah nodded. "Their lives are already becoming separate from yours."
Seriously. Did her friend know her every sore spot?
Hannah fiddled with the sugar bowl in the middle of the table. Wade and Thomas were tagging along with Calvin and their grandmother on the trip to Paris. The four were making an official vacation of it, with a planned stop at Disneyland Paris. The boys were going to bond even more deeply with their dad, which had always been a secret wish of Hannah's. And yet she had reservations, too, as though she feared being replaced in their hearts, or that she might not be able to keep up with the excitement and adventures Calvin was able to provide. She wanted to be there for her children, create stability and consistency in their lives, but she also didn't want to be boring.
"You don't want to move there, do you?" Cass asked.
"Oh," Hannah said, waving her hand again. "You know me. I'm happy in Sweetheart Creek, but family comes first. I'm sure France will be an incredible experience for all of us if it comes to that."
The front door opened and a woman called out, "I hope y'all didn't start without me." Obi scrambled to his feet, let out a bark and careened out of the kitchen to go check out the visitor.
Cassandra called, "Perfect timing, Athena! The coffee's ready."
"So's the tea!" Hannah added.
"Bet she chooses coffee," Cass whispered.
"She likes tea."
"Yeah, but she's burning the candle on both ends at the moment with her job and trying to open the shop next month. It's gonna be coffee." She lifted her voice and called out, "I'm just nagging Hannah about speaking up for what she wants."
Cassandra stood, sloshing dark coffee into the red-and-white cup Thomas had painted for Hannah on Mother's Day—a thoughtful gift arranged by his teacher. Then she poured hot water from the kettle into the teapot, filling the room with the scent of chocolate chai, Hannah's favorite.
"Hannah, listen to Cassandra," Athena Gavras ordered, followed by the resounding thunk of her cowboy boots hitting the mat at the door. "Who's the hottie next door? Is he the reason for this conversation about speaking up for what you want?"
Hannah choked on a fake laugh. "It's Louis."
Since her cousin worked for the Dragons NHL team in San Antonio, like Louis, but as their dietician, she should have recognized him.
"Because I can see why you'd want that hunk of hotness, even though jocks aren't my type," Athena said, entering the room while unwinding a stylist, rose-colored scarf that brought out the cheerful pink highlights in her dark brown hair. "So if you're trying to summon the courage to request some adult time with him, I totally back up Cass. Although he looks an awful lot like Louis Bellmore from a distance, don't you think?"
"He is Louis Bellmore," Hannah grumbled, as Cass handed her a cup of chai. "Thanks."
Athena began laughing. "I assumed my eyes were lying and that it couldn't be him. I mean...next door? To you?" She laughed again. "How is he even still alive?"
"Apparently looks don't kill," Hannah said mildly.
"Well, if you need help hiding his body, I've been eavesdropping on the mystery novel book club that meets in the bookstore near the arena, and I might have a few suggestions."
"I'm not going to kill the man," Hannah muttered into her cup.
Maybe her spats with Louis had been more legendary than she'd realized if Athena still remembered her ranting about him. Then again, Sweetheart Creek had never gone light on gossip, and him being back in town was no doubt stirring up old stories.
"We were talking about Paris," Cass announced, pushing the red cup closer to Athena. "I assume you want coffee?"
"Yes, please!" She grabbed the mug and raised it to her lips.
Cass shot Hannah a look of triumph. Hannah stuck out her tongue, realizing that maybe Thomas was picking up habits from her, not Wade.
"Hannah doesn't want to go," Cass said, sitting again.
"I said I'll go to France," Hannah protested.
"But you never said you want to go."
"Let's change the subject, please."
Cass's voice grew slightly dreamy. "Isn't Louis lovely? He's that perfect blend of strong but not bulky, you know?"
"Not my type. I'm looking for a nerdy professor." Athena turned to Hannah. "I brought you this from the store's latest shipment." She handed her a book. "It made me think of you. It's an autobiography about a woman who changes her entire life after divorce, and basically goes out and kicks butt."
"Inspiration, perhaps?" Cassandra asked, snagging the book to read the dust jacket. "Did she move to Paris to follow her ex? Because that doesn't sound like butt kicking." She gave Hannah a meaningful look.
Hannah sighed. "I'm not following him. It'll be an enriching experience for all of us." She stole the book back.
"So have you told Louis how awful he is?" Athena asked, a devilish smile peeking above the rim of her cup.
"Of course I have." She tucked a strand of her shoulder-length hair back into its bun.
Athena said to Cassandra, pointing at Hannah with her thumb, "This crazy woman used to pick on him every day in school."
"He always started it," she mumbled.
Her cousin gave her a smug, knowing smile. "I figured you had a crush on him or something. I kept wondering when you'd give up the fight and kiss him. I mean, every girl in town was crushing on him when he moved here."
"Not me!"!"
"So? Has he asked you out yet?" Athena asked.
"Why would he?" Hannah asked, crossing her arms. "And I don't know why you're both so interested in this. He was awful in high school and I never had a crush on him. And I never will."
"He's always had this protective vibe around you," Athena stated, "like he was some sort of Neanderthal who wanted to drag you back to his cave and kiss you."
"You need to get out more," Hannah said, trying to ignore the shivers that zipped through her body at the thought of Louis kissing her. She'd bet his kisses were divine.
Except for the whole it-being-Louis thing.
"Maybe try reading fewer caveman romance novels," Cassandra suggested to Athena.
"That's not a genre," she protested. She grinned. "But it should be."
"I bet it is," Cass said. "You should look it up."
"Remind me if I forget. I'll stock a few in the new store and recommend them to Mrs. Fisher. I bet she'd get a kick out of them."
While they talked books, Hannah tried to imagine finding love again—with someone other than Louis. She adored Hallmark movies, where the characters always got swept up in sweet love, and the complications in their lives just sort of resolved and fell away without much pain. Was real love like that? Kind of like what she and Calvin had started out with, but with some staying power and a lot more kick?
Hannah sighed. She and Calvin had never seemed to quite find that spark she saw in the movies, and when they'd separated he'd questioned if they'd ever truly been in love.
It had felt like love to her.
Was it because they'd been so young that it had felt not quite real to him? Or had he truly not fallen for her? If she'd been more adventurous would he have stayed interested? Or was she simply comparing real life to the fictional, feel-good dreams that were sold by movie companies?
"The only thing that Louis has ever done," Hannah said firmly, hoping to put the subject to bed once and for all, "is pick apart my life and make me feel like I'm not living up to my potential. He acts like his life goals are superior and that wanting a family is boring."
The heat of anger had returned. He'd really managed to get under her skin all those years ago, and then had stirred it all up again the day before yesterday, as though she'd never been able to grow up and move past it.
Athena waved away Hannah's argument. "You're single. And from what I've heard, Louis is, too."
"You know," Cassandra said, "the man might have a point about the family thing. There is more to life than simply raising our sweet little hellions."
"There are also several good reasons why Louis is still single," Hannah stated, locking her hands around her cup. His personality being the big one.
"But he's hot," Cass said, sighing wistfully.
"And he's smart." Athena lifted a brow. "Accomplished. Does he read? I've always been a sucker for a reader."
"He's bossy," Hannah countered. "He thinks he has the right to dictate what I do with my life."
"Just like Calvin," her cousin muttered.
"We discuss things," Hannah argued. Calvin had a say in her life, but he didn't run the entire show.
"I never saw that bossy side of Louis," Athena mused. "I only saw the two of you flirting—sorry, verbally attacking each other—around town."
"Has he really made you feel less than worthy?" Cassandra asked, tipping her head to the side and sending her curls into a tangle.
"Well..." Hannah fumbled for something concrete to support her claims. "He..." He'd been nothing short of awesome with Thomas the other day.
But she knew what he was like, deep down. She knew what his judgment felt like, and that if she waited long enough it would pop up and blindside her.
"He carried Mom inside when she fainted," Thomas called from the hall outside his room, "and he fixed my nosebleed."
The little eavesdropper. Seriously. Heat was already creeping up Hannah's face as she tried to figure out how to explain the incident, while her friends gaped at her.
"It wasn't like that," she said numbly.
"You were holding out on us?" Cassandra shot her an unimpressed look.
"It's the quiet ones," Athena said knowingly. She had leaned back, legs crossed, her coffee mug secured between her elegant hands.
"He didn't carry me."
"Wait," Athena added. "Do you still have that thing about blood?"
"What thing?" Cassandra asked.
"I tend to get woozy when I see blood, even though everything's totally fine." Hannah closed her eyes, trying to erase the image of Thomas's nose and mittens.
"It's why she didn't become a doctor," Athena stated.
Hannah's eyes flew open. "You know about that?"
She shrugged. "I figured it out a few years ago. At first I thought dissecting the frog was an isolated incident. Because you were still totally fascinated and jumped right back into science—as long as you didn't have to dissect anything." She turned to Cass. "Louis caught her when she fainted in class."
"No!" Cassandra breathed.
"I thought she was finally going to see Louis's attention for what it really was, and date him instead of Calvin."
"Wh-what?" Hannah sputtered. "I do not like Louis Bellmore. I have never liked him. And—and he never..." He had caught her, though. Like a hero. An annoying hero who wasn't supposed to have even noticed her during the worst moment of her life.
"So he had to carry you yesterday?" Cassandra asked, leaning forward, a fist tucked under her chin. "Like, to your room?" Her grin was almost evil.
"I just leaned on him, and then he put a wet cloth on the back of my neck and gave me a candy to bring my blood sugar back up." She began talking faster, worried they'd think the situation had actually meant something. Which it hadn't. But it felt like it could if she wasn't careful. "And he ran all of Thomas's things through the wash after getting him cleaned up."
Realizing she was twisting a tendril of hair around her finger, she dropped her hands, locking them around her cup once again.
Cassandra had a far-off expression that probably wasn't too different from her own. Single moms had two kinds of fantasies. The first she called Hot Men Scenarios. They were the standard sweep-you-up, real-life-doesn't-exist ones. And then there were Thoughtful Hot Men Fantasies, where the guy runs loads of laundry while cleaning the entire house and making you dinner. Preferably something that didn't come out of a box or can.
Both were enough to send a woman off to la-la land for considerable amounts of time.
Kind of like the little fantasy playing out in her mind right now. Louis was wrangling with Thomas's mattress, getting the fitted sheet put on in a way that stayed when a bouncing boy climbed—actually bounded—into bed each night.
"You have a crush!" Athena giggled.
"I do not!"
"So totally do," Cassandra said with a small smile. "And who can blame you?"
"Maybe I'll have to develop a fainting condition." Athena winked at her. "That seems like a good way to catch a man around here."
Hannah gave an exasperated sigh while her cousin laughed.
Someone knocked on the front door, then it swung open and a male voice called out, "Knock, knock! Just returning your cookie container."
Seriously. Louis Bellmore had the worst timing in the world.
* * *
Louis made himself at home in Hannah's kitchen even though he could tell she didn't particularly want him there. Her friends, however, were so curious he could practically feel the energy crackling in the air. He knew Athena, of course, the team's dietician and Hannah's cousin. The gal with the wild brown curls he was pretty certain was the woman his goalie, Landon Jackson, was using as his nanny or was dating or something. Honestly, there weren't enough hours in the day to keep up with his players and their love lives.
He nodded at Athena, then said to the new gal, "I'm Louis, Hannah's neighbor."
"Cassandra." She gave him a firm handshake, with a no-nonsense look that brought up a strong urge to salute her. Then she popped up and reached for the largest cup in the cupboard. "Want coffee?"
He sniffed the air. Cinnamon and spice... "Actually, is that chai tea I smell?"
Cassandra's smile grew. "A whole pot for the taking." She lifted it and poured him a cup. "Honey? Milk?"
"Yes, please. Although, really, I should probably go..."
"Just how Hannah takes hers." Cassandra practically pushed him into a chair next to Hannah. It looked like he was staying.
Thomas raced in with a gigantic smile as Louis doctored his beverage.
"Hey, kid. How are your intergalactic missions going today?"
"I destroyed some drones!" Thomas held out a fist, and Louis gave it a bump while taking a gulp of his tea.
He finally allowed himself to glance at Hannah. She was watching with what seemed like a mixture of warmth and disgust. He set the empty cookie container in the middle of the table. "Thanks for the neighborly gift. Your cookies were amazing."
Her cheeks turned pink. She looked cute today, with her wavy brown hair pulled into a loose knot and wearing a baggy sweater that hugged the lovely curves motherhood had given her.
"Athena!" Thomas declared, jostling Louis from his thoughts. "Do you have any new books about galaxies? I want to read about Tatooine! It's where Luke Skywalker is from."
"Why would you have a book about galaxies?" Louis asked her. He'd known the dietician vaguely in high school. Their paths crossed in a few meetings and here and there at work, but he was in the dark about her personal life. Although he knew she'd published a few cookbooks and that she was Hannah's cousin—a fact that had almost caused him to ask about her on multiple occasions. But as far as Louis knew, Athena didn't have kids of her own, and didn't look as if she might be a Star Wars superfan.
She shrugged. "Just a project my sister and I are working on."
"She's opening a bookstore in Sweetheart Creek!" Thomas exclaimed.
"Really?" Louis felt a flash of alarm. Was she quitting the Dragons? He needed the best professionals Miranda Fairchild could hire. They were making strides this season as a new team with a lot of older players, but losing the woman who nagged them about proper nutrition wouldn't help move them forward to more wins.
"Tatooine is a fictional planet, Thomas," Hannah said. "It's not real."
"I know." His focus was fixed on Athena, who hummed thoughtfully.
"There are a lot of interesting books about Star Wars, and I have a new shipment coming early next week," she told him. "I'll text your mom if there's anything good in there, okay?"
"Okay! Thanks!" He scooted off again, hollering, "Dusty! I'm getting new Star Wars books!"
Hannah winced at her cousin, who laughed and told her not to worry about it, then turned her attention to Louis. "I'd heard a dirty rumor you'd moved back to town."
"Yeah, I did. What's this side hustle? You quitting the team?"
"Nope."
"Good."
"I heard you're a pilot now?" Athena said. "Any chance you could fly me to work sometimes? I hate mornings."
Louis laughed. "I'm pretty sure half the team is moving out here. Seems like the place to be. But yeah, I might be able to help you with the commute now and again."
Hannah was watching him, arms crossed, her tea abandoned. She looked...jealous? No, that couldn't be. Miffed, maybe.
"He doesn't fight with starfighters," Thomas interjected, sliding in from the other room. "He stays in this galaxy."
"Thanks!" Athena said. "I was wondering about that."
The kid nodded and dashed out again. He was a ball of energy and Louis had no idea how Hannah kept up with him.
"What have you ladies been up to?" he asked.
Hannah had lifted her cup to her lips, reminding him how entirely kissable they looked. "Cassandra's selling Christmas trees if you need one."
"I do, actually. Well, no. I don't actually decorate. But if I did I'd need a tree."
"Scrooge," Hannah muttered.
"If I'm Scrooge, then you're Will Ferrell in the movie Elf."
"Hardly."
"Do you have kids?" Cassandra asked. "Hannah works in the day care down the street, Colts and Fillies. It's the best."
Louis glanced at Hannah, who was watching him, jaw clenched. She thought he was going to judge her for the fact that her job didn't pay well and likely had no benefits, he knew.
So much wasted potential.
But there was no way he'd say so. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of a fight.
"Full-time?" he asked.
"Half."
"Do the boys go there?"
"They're in school."
"You're going to ask for full-time, though, right?" Cassandra pressed.
"Edith had to make additional cuts." Hannah sounded glum, even though she'd pasted that stupid I'm-happy-don't-worry-about-me smile on her face. "It's fine, though. Tonya really needed the extra hours this month. She doesn't get much in the way of child support, and Calvin takes good care of us."
Her glance darted Louis's way, but he kept his mouth shut.
"Those boys are going to grow up one day, then where will you be financially?" Cassandra muttered in warning, before taking another sip of her coffee.
Louis liked this gal. No wonder his goalie was so smitten with her.
"I heard you went to college," he said to Hannah, leaning an elbow on the table.
"I took a few early childhood education classes."
"For a teaching degree?" He felt a moment of hope that she'd managed to use her smarts and stand up for what she wanted, instead of being so agreeable that she got passed over both professionally and with Calvin. Maybe she had something to fall back on and Louis could quit worrying about her.
She shook her head and looked away.
"Do you ever think about expanding your...uh, career?"
She sighed heavily, as if she knew what he was thinking.
"You should upgrade your education and become a teacher!" Athena said, laying her palms on the table. "Say goodbye to that day care. You'd be an awesome teacher."
"Hear, hear!" Cassandra declared.
"Goodbye to changing diapers and wiping drool," her cousin stated.
"Goodbye to poor pay and not enough hours," her friend added.
"I need that flexibility," Hannah insisted.
"You don't," Cassandra said. "You need a retirement fund. Us single moms need to look out for number one and build our own security. You thought you and Calvin would be a team forever. But you're not. You need options."
"You don't need nearly as much flexibility now that the boys are in school," Athena said, "And when you do, the almighty Calvin can leave work early or even stay home when the boys are sick."
Louis found himself nodding, and quickly stopped.
"I don't have the time, money or focus right now," Hannah said. "Things work with me being at the day care. And it's local, where we all live. School would mean being in the city again."
Despite her protests, Louis could see it. They'd stirred up her desire to want more, and it was a dangerous, slippery slope. But that spark of fight in her eyes, even though she was trying to tamp it down, was sexy.
"I bet some of your classes could be applied toward a teaching degree," he said. "That would cut down on time and cost. You also might be able to take some of the courses online. And..." he sucked in a deep breath "...even though this offer might lead to my murder, I could fly you to some of your classes."
* * *
Fly her to classes.
Seriously.
Was Louis trying to prove how wonderful his life was in comparison to hers, or was he thinking that showing off like some sexy jet-set hero was going to make her heart flutter?
All the man had to do was walk into a room and suddenly Hannah's life was being turned upside down and Louis had her friends telling her that how she was living wasn't good enough for her and her sons. The worst part was that they made a valid argument, and had stirred up an urge to reach a little higher and find something better for herself.
Hannah needed to lock that urge down. She'd worked really hard over the past year and a half to smooth over the disturbance of the divorce and resettle the boys.
"I know a guy in admissions at the college in San Antonio." Athena was already tapping out a message on her phone. "I'm going to ask him about how to upgrade your early childhood development classes into a teaching degree."
"Ask how much she can do off-campus," Louis told her. Athena nodded and continued to type.
"Y'all, this is nice. Really," Hannah said carefully, hoping to curb their efforts before they literally marched her off to college.
"I'll ask if you have to do any practicums and if you could do them here in town," Athena added, not looking up from her phone. "Naina Elm at the elementary school takes education students all the time and she'd take Hannah in a heartbeat. Whenever I see her at the library she's always talking about how much her daughter, Anya, loves her."
"Really, I'm sure I can look into this if I become interested," Hannah said. "You don't need to bother your friend, or Naina." She desperately wanted to pull Athena's phone from her grip and hide it.
"She won't look it up," Cassandra whispered, reaching out to tap the table in front of Athena. "Send the message."
"Hey, that's not fair! My life has been in turmoil. Can't I just enjoy some calm before someone creates a new storm?"
The telltale sound of a text being sent filled the air.
All. Louis's. Fault.
She really was going to murder him.
* * *
Louis winced when he noted Hannah's expression. They were pushing her too hard, too fast. He could see she wanted to become a teacher, but there were so many obstacles, and they were overwhelming her.
As far as he was concerned, it was her time to shine as brightly as the sun on a cloudless day. But she needed time and space to work through the barriers and wrap her mind around the career change.
"So what are y'all doing for Christmas?" he asked, knowing she loved the holidays.
"Oh! The piano in the barn needs tuning," Hannah said, clapping her hands together. "Does anyone know of a local tuner? The one who did mine after we moved cost me an arm and a leg."
"Must be difficult playing now," Louis said dryly, earning a chuckle from Cassandra.
"Wise guy," she murmured with a smile, and he caught Hannah flashing her a look.
"The kids' Christmas concert is coming up," Hannah explained, "and the barn's piano is horribly out of tune. Nobody'll be able to sing on key if I can't get that thing back in shape."
"You're accompanying the singers?" Louis asked, perking up.
She nodded.
"Are you going to come?" Athena asked him.
"I'm sure you'll be busy, given your hockey schedule," Hannah stated quickly.
He shrugged. "I'll probably have a game or late practice."
"We have some days off around Christmas, Louis," Athena said, her tone dry as though she was busting him in a lie. "Come listen to the little kiddos sing out of tune. It's cute."
"Maybe I will." He'd like to see Hannah perform, if he was free that day. In high school she'd played the piano while the kids sang, and there had been something about the way she'd become swept up in the music that had led him to learn guitar, piano and a few other instruments. He loved putting sounds together and had recently begun creating sound baths for his players, to help them settle and focus before a game.
"Yeah, well, if you come, don't lurk at the back and stare at me like you did in high school," Hannah grumbled.
Louis swallowed. She'd noticed him? He'd left before she'd finished her performance, worried that she'd track him down and demand to know what he was doing there. A high school kid at a children's concert, watching the singing, having snacks and waiting for Santa to appear with some presents... Yeah, it looked weird. He'd gone out of curiosity and had been enthralled by her hidden musical talent.
"Fine. I'll sit in a seat. And I can tune a piano," he added, immediately wondering why on earth he'd said that.
They all faced him.
"What?" Hannah asked softly.
"I rented a room from a piano tuner when I was taking my paramedic courses. I can probably get it sounding okay if it's not too far out of whack."
"You're hired!" Cassandra exclaimed. She dug around in her jeans pocket. "In fact, I happen to have the key for the barn right here. I was dropping off a tree earlier. I'll let Mrs. Fisher know you and Hannah have the key. Feel free to tune it at your leisure—as long as you have the key back to her by the end of her shift today."
Hannah took the horseshoe key chain and handed it to Louis, being careful not to touch him in the process.
He shook his head. "I need someone to come with me."
"Why?" Hannah asked. "You've forgotten where the community barn is?"
He remembered. It was a gorgeous old structure that had been converted into a community hall, just outside of town. You tended to remember places where you felt your life change.
"No," he said slowly. "I need someone to tell me if my tuning is up to her royal specifications." He took Hannah's hand, and she inhaled sharply as he gave her back the key, folding her fingers around it.
Her gaze was steely as she looked at him. Yeah, once again he should probably fear for his life. He was poking his nose in her business and she didn't like that. It probably didn't help that her friends seemed to be on his side.
"My royal specifications aren't part of tuning a piano," she said, sounding a bit breathless.
"I toy with the piano, but mostly stick to guitar. I'm not an expert like you are."
"Mr. Adventure," she said. Yup. There it was. The Great Wall of Hannah Murphy, keeping him out with one simple nickname that erased his fantasy of the two of them playing a song together in her living room, laughing, smiling and sharing a moment. "You probably learned just a few bars from "Stairway to Heaven" to impress a chick, and now tell everyone you can play."
"Better than putting routine before living life," he snapped back. The woman was so hung up on stability that she'd never let her guard down long enough to see him for who he really was, for the potential he had to offer. They'd never have a jam session in her living room.
She glowered, and he cursed himself for reacting to her barbs.
"I doubt we could even get a professional in this close to Christmas," Athena was saying, ignoring their bickering. "Y'all better get down there."
"Together," Cassandra added.
Had Louis ever mentioned how much he liked Hannah's friends?
"Now?" Hannah clutched her cup like it could protect her.
"Now," Athena confirmed.
"We'll babysit," Cassandra offered.
"We only have the key until five," Athena said.
"We can borrow it another day. Maybe on the weekend. I'm sure Louis is—"
"No time like the present," he interrupted, standing up. "I've got two away games this weekend." He gave a quick nod of goodbye to Athena and Cassandra.
"Always the bossy pants," Hannah grumbled as he ushered her to the door, his hand against her lower back.
When she didn't jump away he felt a stirring of hope. He felt like he'd been making progress with her earlier, and even though he hadn't been able to keep his mouth shut and had annoyed her, he wanted to believe that they were on the path to friendship.