She glanced up but instead of excitement he saw desperation in her young eyes. “You have to try and stop her,” she said, pleading with no shame.
He’d grown to love Hannah like he loved his own family and he’d do anything for this kid. Anything he could, Rick amended. Unfortunately that excluded what she wanted from him most of all. “I can’t.”
She blinked and turned away, that mutinous, stubborn tilt to her chin returning. “Because you don’t care if we stay or go either.” Her stubborn bravado faltered when her voice caught on her words.
“Untrue and you know it.” He still held her tight, no matter that she tried to pull away and put distance between them. She obviously wanted to blame him, force him to share the brunt of her anger.
“Then why won’t you help me get Kendall to stay?” Because Rick refused to shoulder the burden for Kendall’s impulsive actions. She obviously wasn’t facing her feelings and Rick wouldn’t be the one to make her life any easier. She didn’t deserve it. If her pint-sized, hellion sister wanted to torture her a little, maybe she’d be forced to take a good look at her decisions and their consequences.
“Because Kendall’s a grown woman,” he explained, gentle in tone but firm in his intention. “She knows her own mind. I can’t make your sister do something she doesn’t want to do, Hannah.”
“Yeah, yeah. Thanks for nothing.” She jerked out of his grasp and rose to her feet.
Rick followed, standing on the step above hers. “Promise me something?”
“Maybe.”
He loved this kid despite her wise-guy mouth. He shook his head and stifled a laugh. “Just think about what I said and give your sister a chance. She loves you.”
“Says you.” She turned and started to bound down the stairs.
“Hannah, wait.”
The young girl pivoted back to face him. “Yeah?”
“I just want to know where you’re going.” He couldn’t help looking out for her.
“To Norman’s for a soda. Jeannie’s there and since I don’t know when Kendall will decide to take off, I want to hang out with her as much as I can.”
Rick nodded. He’d felt the same about Kendall. “Need money?”
Hannah shook her head. “I earned some yesterday. But thanks anyway.”
His cell phone rang, disturbing their exchange. “Hang on a sec.” He pulled his phone from his pocket and answered on the second ring. “Chandler.”
“Hi, Rick.” There was no mistaking the soft voice on the other end.
“Kendall.” His heart picked up rhythm, kicking into high gear, and his mind began a steady whirl of questions. Had she changed her mind? Decided to stay? Did she need a friendly ear?
Did she need him?
All of those things, he hoped. “What’s up?” he asked her.
“Have you seen Hannah?”
His personal hopes plummeted and common sense took over. This was Kendall and she didn’t want to stay in town or with him. She never had. To her credit, she’d been honest about her intentions from the first. If he had anyone to blame for falling into a deluded trap, it was himself.
After all, he’d done it once before, with Jillian. “Your sister’s here.” He covered the receiver and gestured for Hannah to come closer. “In case she wants to talk to you,” he whispered.
“I have nothing to say to her,” Hannah said, her lips set in what he figured was a permanent pout.
“I heard that,” Kendall said, obvious disappointment and hurt in her voice.
And it was the hurt that got to him. Considering the woman was breaking his heart, he shouldn’t care. But he did. Too much.
“Can you get her to meet me at Norman’s?” Kendall asked, keeping things between herself and Rick strictly business. As if they’d never made love, as if he’d never declared his.
He swallowed hard. “Sure thing.”
“Thanks. I’ll see you both in a few minutes.” She hung up, dismissing him as if he meant nothing to her.
Get used to it, buddy. Rick turned to Hannah. “We need to meet your sister at Norman’s.”
She folded her arms across her chest. “I’m not hungry.”
He rolled his eyes. “Then don’t eat. Besides, you were going there anyway. I’m sure Kendall just wants to talk, so for your own sake, try meeting her halfway.” He braced his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye. “I know it isn’t easy and I know you’re not happy. But this is your life and only you can make it better.”
“Geez you are so full of it.”
He cocked an eyebrow, knowing he could only allow her big mouth to go so far. “Excuse me?”
“So full of wisdom, Officer Chandler.”
She grinned and in her beautiful smile he caught a glimpse of her sister. Hannah would be a knockout one day soon. She was well on her way. He only hoped she had more confidence in the world around her than Kendall did.
“Full of wisdom.” He shook his head and despite the screwed-up mess of his life, Rick laughed. “I see. In that case, you’re pretty full of it yourself. Now give me a minute to change and I’ll meet you downstairs.”
Hannah gave him a smart salute, turned around, and headed down the stairs. Rick would do the same. He’d meet up with Hannah at Norman’s, meet up with Kendall, pretend he was fine with her choices, then get the hell out.
He’d already scrapped his prior plan. No way would he tell Kendall he loved her one more time. He’d told her once. He’d shown her in many ways. Why set himself up to be trampled on again?
He might love Kendall but it was time he cared for himself more. Time to start rebuilding the walls around his heart.
* * *
If not for her sister, Kendall wouldn’t have willingly walked into Norman’s the day after her slide show unveiling. She wouldn’t have willingly called Rick. But she’d known better than to search Hannah out in person or ask her to come home until they’d talked. Hannah was hurt and angry.
The last time she’d acted on those emotions she’d taken Kendall’s car. This time around Kendall hoped to circumvent a major catastrophe. And she hoped to avoid a huge scene by meeting her sister in a public place.
By the time Kendall had parked and walked inside, Hannah and Rick had already taken a table in the back. Drawing a deep breath, Kendall held her head high as she passed the tables of people, heard the whispers again, and noticed the pointing. She wasn’t imagining being the center of attention, she knew, but she didn’t have time to worry about it now.
Whereas her sister wouldn’t meet her gaze, Rick did. Those gorgeous eyes stared into hers. From a quick glance, he looked as if he hadn’t slept well. Razor stubble covered his face and dark circles swept beneath his eyes. He looked as awful as she felt and she hated being the cause.
“Hi.” She forced a smile.
He didn’t return the gesture. “Hi, yourself.”
Kendall didn’t know what to say to him and apparently the feeling was mutual because silence descended, making her stomach cramp and her nerve endings tingle. Without warning, Hannah rose from her seat, pushing her chair back with a screech, making a huge amount of noise, and breaking the charged, silent connection between Kendall and Rick.