The air rushed audibly from her lungs. “Oh, my God! I can’t believe she lied! Why would she do that? I mean, obviously to trap you, but… how… oh, my God!”
His heart leaped at the sound of Hannah’s concern about Melissa’s duplicity. “She got pregnant, but the father didn’t want to be involved, so she figured I was an easy target. I guess she thought because I was a police officer I would do my duty and take care of everything.”
“Dylan, I am so, so sorry. I’m stunned, shocked, angry for you.” She shook her head and added, “But I’m so glad that you found out the truth.”
“Me, too. I told Melissa that I’d help her find resources for financial assistance, but she said that she was going to head back to her hometown and let her parents know what was happening. I haven’t heard from her since she left several days ago, and I don’t expect I will.”
They sat in silence for a moment, and he had no idea what Hannah’s thoughts were but wanted to offer her a chance to let the new information sink in.
A breeze blew through the trees nearby, sending the windchimes hanging from her porch into an erratic, tinkling rhythm. Crickets chirped in the background, and for the first time, he looked around. Her house was small but down a long lane, set apart. It gave her privacy, something he could understand considering he wanted to build his house on his land away from others.
Turning his attention back toward her, he said, “A lot has happened in the past couple of months, and I can’t begin to apologize enough for what happened to us. I wish I could turn back the hands of time and go back to our dinner at The Wharf before everything went to hell.”
A sad specter moved through her eyes, and her lips curved only the slightest bit at the edges. “I have no idea why things happened the way they did, Dylan, but I’ve spent the last couple of months realizing that perhaps I jumped in too quickly with you.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but she reached out and placed her hand on his arm, stilling his words.
“I had just moved into town. I didn’t know anyone and with the stress of a new job and position, it was exciting to start a new relationship. But I’ve spent the last couple of months focusing on me. My career. My staff. My department.” She waved her hand around and added, “My home.”
He swallowed deeply. While he knew it was a fantasy to think she’d jump into his arms at the news that the baby wasn’t his, he’d still held onto a now-crumbling hope. “Are you saying that I’ve missed my chance?” His heartbeat pounded so loud, he was sure she was able to hear it as well.
“I think… for now, we’re best as colleagues. We jumped into dating without even being friends first. Right now, Dylan, that’s all I can offer. I hate that Melissa’s lies hurt you, but her actions put the brakes on us, which might not have been a bad thing.”
The numbness that he’d grown used to over the past couple of months split open his chest, allowing pain to seep in. He wanted to argue. Prove her wrong. Demand that she give him a second chance. But as the evening sun dipped into the sky and the crickets continued their singing, he leaned back, allowing new thoughts to settle.
Hannah was right. While they hadn’t rushed into sex, they’d rushed into a relationship. From there, his life had gone into a tailspin with everything that happened with Melissa. His department leadership had suffered. His effectiveness as police chief had suffered. Plagued with self-doubt, he wondered what kind of man he was and what kind of man he wanted to be.
He looked up and saw her gaze pinned on him, concern pouring from her. He attempted a smile but knew the quirk fell short. “Okay, Hannah, I want you in my life, so I’ll take you however I can get you.”
With his hands planted on the arms of the rocker, he pushed himself to a stand, and she took to her feet also. He leaned over and kissed her forehead, memorizing the feel of her soft skin against his lips. His voice cracked as he stared at her beauty. “But please, have mercy. When we see each other, know it’s killing me, so please… have mercy.”
Tears pooled in her eyes and he turned away in haste, not wanting to see the expression on her face. Jogging to his vehicle, he climbed in and headed back to his cabin near the shore.
4
Present Day
Another wedding. How many does this make?
Hannah had lost count of the number of friends’ and colleagues’ weddings she had attended in the past several years. Not unusual for someone in their early thirties, and she certainly never begrudged any of her friends finding love. Weddings always seemed to make everyone so happy… at least others who were coupled together or singles excited to have a chance to dress up for a date that included good friends, food, and alcohol. But for true singles, weddings served as a stark reminder that others enjoyed what they hadn’t found yet. Or rather, maybe found but gave up.
As she turned onto the drive toward her destination, she sighed heavily. Stately trees lined the sides, long ago planted by the previous owners who wanted to showcase their home to perfection. Coming to the end of the lane, she spied the huge house in the distance. Cars and trucks now covered the drive and grassy area off to the side.
Guests alighted from their vehicles, laughing and talking as they walked toward the back of the property. Colt Hudson had inherited the stately two-story brick home from his grandparents. It had existed virtually empty with only the lonely bachelor living inside for years and now was filled with life and love. Today, Colt was marrying Carrie, gaining a son in the process.
Hannah sat for a few minutes after turning off the engine, trying to tamp down the multitude of emotions that clawed at her. Colt and Carrie deserved their happiness. Hell, they’d found their soulmate in each other. Hmph… soulmate. What the hell does that even mean? She shook her head in derision. God, when did I become such a cynic? She knew true love existed. It may have been fleeting, but she’d felt it before.
She looked down at her dress, smoothing her hands over the silky material, hoping it had not wrinkled too much in the short drive from her house. While some of the women were dressed in bright colors, Hannah had chosen pale blue silk. Glancing down at the front, she congratulated herself on finding a style of dress that was both feminine and modest. The square neckline only hinted at cleavage, but the back dipped much lower. High waisted, it flared over her hips, swaying slightly as she walked.
She had inherited her dark hair and blue eyes from her father and her curvy figure from her mother. Her father was tall and lanky. Her mother was shorter with an hourglass figure. Hannah preferred men to look at her eyes and not her boobs while conversing but hoped her appearance wasn’t dowdy next to her friends who were more gaily attired.
Shaking off those thoughts, she threw open her door and stood for a moment, once more running her hands over her skirt, twisting around to look toward the back to make sure the dress was not wrinkled. Having already sent a wedding gift, she had nothing to carry other than her purse, and she lifted the small strap over her shoulder. She walked toward the side of the house, wishing that someone else would come along so that she didn’t have to find a seat by herself.
“Hannah!”
The sound behind her halted her progress, and as she turned around, she smiled at the approaching couple. “Hello!”