Worth the Risk(55)

A bit of hope niggled in.

“Everything’s political, right?” Lizzy said, picking up steam. “They definitely don’t want to look bad.”

“That’s true,” Abby added. “What if we got the media out there, really got the city to rally? People love kid causes. I actually know a local reporter, a friend from college.”

Hannah didn’t miss the we. That alone made her feel like smiling.

Lizzy cocked her head. “You know who we should be asking about this stuff? Stephen. He knows all there is to know about property laws and whatever.” She gestured with her hand.

The air backed up in her lungs at his name.

“And maybe Matt could help,” Abby added. “He knows real estate, but Lizzy’s right, Stephen is the one who knows the value of having undeveloped land. I’m sure he’d talk to some people for you.”

She worked to swallow the bite already in her mouth. Yeah. He’d offered and she’d said no. Stephen with his carved face and heart-stopping brown eyes. She’d felt something. Thought he did too. She pushed chicken salad around her plate. “How is he?”

“Stephen? Oh, he’s good, I guess. I haven’t seen him much.” Lizzy grinned, and stabbed a piece of fruit. “I thought you would have seen him. He seemed pretty hot to take you home Sunday.”

“No. I haven’t seen him since then.”

Mia’s eyes caught hers, full of sympathy. They’d already spoken about Stephen seeing her scars and everything that happened after. As usual, Mia had tried to put a positive spin on it. Look at it as personal growth instead of a stumble back. She’d also been the one to point out that Hannah didn’t actually know what Stephen had been thinking when she’d made him leave.

Lizzy let out an exasperated huff. “What’s my idiot brother done now?”

“Nothing.” She shook her head and pretended to drink.

“You know men don’t always say what they mean. Sometimes even say the opposite in addition to acting really stupid. Especially my idiot brothers. No offense, Abby.”

“None taken,” Abby said with a smile.

“It’s nothing, really. I just wondered how he was, that’s all.” After she’d told him her gory tale and then screamed at him to get out. Mia hadn’t held back on pointing that out too.

They finished eating, tossed around more ideas about building public support. Twenty minutes passed and the women had practically the entire thing planned. It just might work, and she wasn’t in it alone. She’d wanted to handle it herself but this felt different. Felt like friends helping friends, not family obligated to deal with her issues.

Lizzy walked with her since they were parked near each other. “That was fun. It’s good for my brain to talk to people over five.”

Hannah smiled and unlocked her doors, but instead of continuing to her own car, Lizzy paused.

“I probably shouldn’t say anything, though my brothers all expect me to butt in anyway, so I might as well. Stephen’s been…” She stared across the parking lot like she was debating what to say. “He’s been through a lot. He’s had some really tough years, but I’ve seen a change in him in the last few weeks.” She brought her brown eyes back to Hannah’s. “Since you. So if you care about him at all, give him a chance.”

If she cared about him? She was way past caring. But she nodded, mumbled, “Okay,” and got in her car. And give him a chance to what? She’d been broken by a man physically. Stephen could crush her heart into a million pieces.





Chapter 24


Stephen raised his foot, then lowered it and took a step back. Indecisive was not his middle name. Not a word even remotely associated with him. But in this moment, standing at the bottom of the steps leading to Hannah’s front door, that’s all he was.

The last time he’d been here she hadn’t wanted him anywhere near her and for good reason. He held little hope she’d want him here now. But he couldn’t stay away.

He’d made it up the first two steps when the door opened. The light from inside framed Hannah against the dark night like a halo. She wore pajama bottoms and a long-sleeved T-shirt—thin, no bra. His mouth went dry and he wet his lips, tried to swallow. “Hey.”

She didn’t reply to his brilliant greeting.

He jerked his hands from his pockets, ran them through his hair, and stuck them back. “I wanted to talk to you. I need to talk to you.” He knew she thought it was the scars, and that whole, it’s not you, it’s me thing was rarely successful. But that’s all he had because it was him. He wouldn’t leave until he’d convinced her of that.