Hannah's Home

by Pamela Kelley

  “I’m good, Stacy. How are things with you?”

  She laughed. “Busy as usual, but somehow I managed to get engaged. Rick’s a great guy. He’s an attorney here.”

  He smiled. “I’m happy for you. He’s a lucky guy.”

  Her voice softened. “Thanks, David. That’s nice of you to say. What about you, has anyone captured your heart yet?”

  “Not yet. Not fast enough for my mother, anyway.”

  “I can imagine. So, what can I help you with?”

  “I have a favor to ask. It’s a long shot as I doubt the date is even available, but if by any chance it is…here’s the situation.” He told her about the event and that Hannah was singing. When he finished, Stacy was quiet for a minute.

  “Hold on a sec. Let me check the booking calendar.” He heard the clacking of keys as she typed on her computer keyboard.

  “Well, you’re in luck. We had that date booked for almost a year, but the group had to reschedule just a week ago and it’s free now. It’s yours, if you want it.” They discussed the particulars and David said he’d be back to her to confirm as soon as he connected with Hannah.

  He decided to go home at lunch, and to stop by Hannah’s house after. Something told him the conversation needed to be in person. It would be too easy for her to say no over the phone.

  He inhaled a quick sandwich at his house, then walked a few doors down to Hannah’s place. Her car was in the driveway, so he was pretty sure that she was home. He knocked on the door and rang the doorbell. He also noticed a small camera above the door and wondered if Hannah was checking to see who was at the door before she answered it. He hoped so.

  A minute later, the door opened slowly and Hannah stood there in bare feet, old jeans and a faded blue college sweatshirt. Her hair was gathered on top of her head in a messy bun and she was wearing thick glasses instead of her usual contacts. She looked adorable and a bit confused when she saw him.

  “Hi, David. Is everything okay?”

  He smiled. “It’s fine. I just came home for lunch and there’s something I needed to talk to you about. I thought it might be easier to stop by if you were home. Do you have a minute?”

  “Um, sure. Come on in.” She opened the door wide, and he stepped in and followed her to the kitchen where he saw a plate of cookies and a mug of hot tea.

  “I hope I didn’t interrupt your lunch?”

  She laughed. “You didn’t. Unless you call cookies lunch, which I guess maybe it is now that I think about it.”

  “I like that. Cookies for lunch. You must have a sweet tooth?”

  “Guilty. Want one? I baked them yesterday. Peanut butter chocolate chip.”

  “Sure. That sounds good.” She handed him the plate, and he took a cookie and bit into it. “I can see why you’d want to make a meal out of these. This is delicious.”

  Hannah looked pleased with the compliment. “Thank you. So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?”

  “I have some good news and some maybe not so good news, depending what you think that is. The good news is our ticket sales for this event have never been so good, thanks to you.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful news!”

  “It is,” he agreed. “But we have an interesting problem. As of eleven today, we sold our last ticket. And the demand is still really strong. Sabrina has been fielding calls from people looking for tickets. If we were to move to a bigger venue, we could probably sell more tickets and raise a lot more money for the center.” He paused to see how she’d react.

  “Oh, wow. Well, it would be impossible to get a bigger venue on such short notice, I would think.”

  “Ordinarily it would be. But I’m friends with the booking coordinator at the Lewiston arena and they could do it. The date’s available thanks to a cancellation. But, I didn’t want to say yes until I checked with you, to see if you’d be okay with a bigger venue. I know you said you were looking to cut back on that kind of thing.”

  A look of something, surprise maybe, flashed across Hannah’s face.

  “How big is the arena?” she asked.

  He told her and her jaw dropped.

  “That’s pretty big,” she said slowly. “You really think you could sell enough tickets for it to be worthwhile?”

  He nodded. “I do. The phone has been ringing off the hook, Hannah. Now that word is out that you’re singing.”

  She was quiet for a long moment and then finally said, “Okay, I’ll do it. Since it’s for a good cause.”

  She seemed hesitant, though, and David felt a little guilty. He didn’t want her to feel forced into doing something.

  “Are you sure? I heard that you’re somewhat introverted and that you get nervous in front of crowds.”

  She nodded. “It’s true. I almost feel like throwing up before I go on stage—every single time, and the bigger the venue, the worse it is. But once I start singing, it all fades away. I really would like to help.”

  She sounded sincere and determined and David appreciated it.

  “Thank you. It will mean so much to the center and the kids.” He glanced out the window and saw the dock in the distance and the large back deck. Hannah followed his gaze.

  “It’s a gorgeous day out. Warm for this kind of year. Do you want to walk out on the deck for a minute?”

  “I’d love that.” He followed her outside and to the end of the expansive deck which led down to the dock. The air was so still that the water barely rippled in the slight breeze. A small boat motored by and got Hannah’s attention. She looked closely at it as it went by, then turned to David.

  “Charlie is going to help me find a small boat. I’m dying to get out there myself and maybe even try fishing. It looks so relaxing and fun.”

  “It is. What are you doing this Saturday? I was planning to go fishing and it’s always more fun with company. I’d be happy to teach you how to fish. It’s the least I can do since you agreed to sing at the new venue.” He grinned and found himself holding his breath as he waited for her to decide.

  “This Saturday? Okay, I can do that. I look forward to it.”

  He grinned. “Great. I’ll be by around ten or so, if that’s not too early?”

  “It’s not too early. I’ll see you then. Oh, and I’d like to see the venue this week if possible too, just so I can check out where everything is and prepare for it.”

  “Of course. Maybe tomorrow end of day I can run you over there and we can get a good look at the stage and the function rooms?”

  “Perfect.”

  Chapter 8

  Hannah changed outfits three times the next day, trying to find just the right thing to wear. She reminded herself that it was ridiculous as this was not a date. Just a meeting to check out the Lewiston arena. But still, she had that nervous feeling one sometimes got on a first date. Which was so silly. She knew this, yet she still couldn’t decide what to wear. And she took extra care with her hair, curling it into long, loose curls that spiraled down to the middle of her back.

  At a quarter past five, she heard David’s truck pull into her driveway and the alarm company app on her phone showed her the live camera footage of David standing outside her front door. She turned off the alarm and opened the door, grabbing her purse and jacket.

  “Hey, there. Are you ready to go?” David asked when he saw her.

  “I’m ready.” She followed him to his truck and was impressed when he politely opened her door for her. She climbed into the passenger side and settled on the soft leather seat. David hopped in and they were on their way.

  Lewiston was just under an hour away and they chatted and listened to Hannah’s favorite local country music station. She was pleasantly surprised when one of her songs came on and David sang along on the chorus.

  “You like this one?” She somehow hadn’t pictured David liking her music.

  He laughed. “Are you serious? Everyone likes your music, Hannah. I have your latest CD. I think Maggie does, too.”

  “I’m sti
ll not used to that. To people actually recognizing my music. I should be, I guess.”

  He glanced her way and smiled. “Yes, you should be. Will you still be making new music?”

  “Yes. I hope so. I’m excited to focus on writing for a while, instead of performing. And teaching. I’m really looking forward to that.”

  “What will you teach? Singing?”

  “No, I’m not a vocal coach. I’m planning to offer some workshops on songwriting and maybe work with kids at the center who might want to learn how to do that.”

  “I think that’s a great idea and an incredible opportunity for them.” He sounded so complimentary and sincere that Hannah felt herself blush.

  “Thank you. I’d just like to be able to give back a little. I was fortunate to have some wonderful teachers that encouraged me when I was younger.”

  “That is so important,” David agreed. “I had the same, though not for music. I had a few teachers in high school and college that nurtured my interest in business. And of course it started with the family business, Quinn’s Pub.”

  “You weren’t interested in taking over the pub, with Ryder and Maggie?” Hannah was curious about that.

  “No. That’s their thing. I was always more interested in the big picture of running the restaurant and where everything came from. They worked with a few suppliers that weren’t great and I had ideas on how things could be done better.”

  “And you were right. I hear your business is doing great.”

  “It’s doing okay,” he admitted. “I enjoy it.”

  Hannah smiled. She knew from what Maggie had proudly said, that David’s company had grown to be the top restaurant supplier in the region. He’d done very well for himself and he clearly loved the work. She was happy for him. She knew how lucky she’d been to earn a living doing what she loved.

  Another song came on that they both knew and they sang along to that and a few more as they drove along. Before she knew it, they were at the arena. David led her in and introduced her to his friend Stacy, who was beautiful. Hannah sensed something, a certain familiarity between David and Stacy, who seemed happy to see him. But she also noticed that Stacy was wearing a gorgeous engagement ring and chatted about her fiancé and their upcoming wedding as she showed them around.

  It was a very large venue. Bigger than Hannah would have expected for Idaho, but Lewiston was a growing city. It just hadn’t been on any of her tour schedules. Everything looked good, though. She would forward the information to her security team and they’d do a check as well a few days before the performance.

  “I’m so excited that you’re going to do a show here,” Stacy said as they walked out. “I’m actually a huge fan, and this is such a great cause. Rick and I are going to get tickets.”

  “We can give you complimentary tickets,” David immediately said but Stacy shook her head. “That wouldn’t feel right. I want to contribute to a good cause.”

  He grinned. “All right, then. We will happily take your money.”

  The ride back to Quinn Valley seemed to fly by as they chatted easily. Hannah was happy to discover that David was surprisingly easy to talk to. He seemed to enjoy the conversation, too.

  “I have to admit, I was wrong about you,” David said after they sang along to a Blake Shelton song that they both loved.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I had it in my head that you were stuck up, snooty and didn’t want to have anything to do with the likes of me. That goes back to high school, though, a long time ago.”

  Hannah sighed. “I understand why you thought that. I’m sorry that I gave you that impression. I was always painfully shy. I’d freeze up when people talked to me sometimes. They’d think I was rude or stuck up and it was just nerves. It took me a while to find my voice.”

  “You mean you weren’t disgusted when I asked you out? I have to admit, it crushed me a little.”

  “It wasn’t you at all. It was just me being shy. By the time I found my voice, you were gone.”

  “Really? You mean if I’d stuck around, you might have said yes?”

  “I might have.”

  “Well, isn’t that something?”

  They were both quiet for a moment, listening to a slow song about love lost and found again, that came on the radio. When they reached Quinn Valley, Hannah was mortified when her stomach growled loudly. But David just laughed.

  “I’m hungry, too. Do you want to grab a bite somewhere? Or I actually have a cooler in the back with some steak samples from one of my vendors. We could cook them up at my place or yours?”

  “That sounds good. I have some mashed potatoes we could have and salad, too.”

  “Perfect. I’m not much of a cook, but I have mastered cooking steak on the stovetop. Secret is to baste it in butter.”

  Hannah laughed. “Butter makes everything taste better.”

  “Do you like red wine? I think I have a bottle of Cabernet, too. Charlie actually gave it to me the other day and I forgot to bring it in.”

  “I love Cabernet.”

  Chapter 9

  David was feeling something he hadn’t felt in a long time, a magnetic pull towards someone and a hint of uncertainty as to whether they felt it, too. He was encouraged by what Hannah had said. Blown away by it, actually. To learn that she hadn’t rejected him in high school and that she might even have said yes, if he’d been just a little more patient. It was quite a revelation.

  But high school was many years ago and now Hannah was a superstar, way out of his league. Was he imagining that there was some kind of vibe on her side, too? It was too soon to know, but he was definitely intrigued by what he’d learned and by what he was feeling. Most of the women he’d dated made it very clear that they were interested, but he was never sure if the interest was in him, or his company.

  David wasn’t a billionaire, but he was well off and successful, especially for someone his age. He smiled, thinking of his sister Maggie and how she often reminded him that he was a ‘catch’ and that he needed to be super picky to find someone that really loved him. He appreciated her concern, but it hadn’t really been an issue because David wasn’t actively looking. He’d been happy to focus on work and date lots of interesting women and see where things went. He liked to keep it light and so far, he hadn’t met anyone that he’d wanted to get more serious with. He wasn’t at all sure of his feelings for Hannah, but he was interested in exploring them, if she was.

  “Are you sure you don’t mind cooking?” Hannah asked when they reached her fancy stove in the kitchen. “I could put the steaks in the oven,” she offered.

  He laughed at the thought. “I don’t mind at all. Once you’ve had my butter-basted steak, you’ll never cook them in the oven again.”

  “Okay then. What can I do to help?”

  “You could open the wine and pour us each a glass.”

  He handed her the bottle. It was a very good Cabernet. Charlie had excellent taste of course and knew his wines. She got a saute pan out for him and a stick of butter. While he started melting it in the pan, she opened the wine, poured two glasses and handed one to him.

  She took a sip and closed her eyes for a moment, savoring the taste. “I haven’t had this one before. It’s good. Really good.”

  David took a quick sip and agreed. “It’s excellent.”

  Hannah watched as he swirled butter in the pan and then added the steaks. While they cooked, she tossed a salad together and heated up some leftover mashed potatoes. The steaks didn’t take long, and once they were done, David set each on a plate and drizzled the buttery sauce over it. They helped themselves to the mashed potatoes and salad, and brought their plates to her kitchen table.

  It was still light out, but the sun was getting ready to set and as they ate, they watched it slip out of sight, leaving a breath-taking, rosy pink sky.

  “The views from here are incredible,” David said.

  “They really are. And your steak is, too. I never would have thoug
ht to cook it like that on the stove.”

  He smiled, and looked pleased with the compliment. “Thanks. It’s a trick I learned from my mother, actually, growing up working in the restaurant.”

  “She used to do most of the cooking there?”

  “All the cooking. My parents started the restaurant together. My father was the business side of it and my mother handled the food. She’s an amazing cook.”

  “She’s retired now?” Hannah knew that David’s father had died of a heart attack ten or so years go.

  “She is. I think it was hard for my mother to be there after my father died. She stayed on until a few years ago, though. Ryder and Maggie bought it from her and now she’s doing whatever she feels like. Most days, that means she stops by Quinn’s in the morning to have coffee and visit before the day gets started.”

  “Is she dating someone now? I thought I saw her with someone last week at the coffee shop downtown.”

  “She is. An old boyfriend looked her up not too long ago and they’ve been pretty much inseparable since. He seems like a decent guy and she’s really happy, so it’s all good.”

  “Oh, that’s wonderful. And what about you?”

  He smiled slowly and it took her breath away when his eyes met hers. There was a hint of amusement and something else there. “What about me?” he said.

  “Is there anyone special in your life?” She felt rather forward asking, but she was curious to know.

  “No, there’s no one now. What about you?”

  “Me? No, no one. I’ve been too busy touring. My last relationship didn’t last because of it.”

  He nodded. “I can imagine that must be hard unless the person toured with you, which most couldn’t do.”

  “Right.” She suddenly felt self-conscious talking about her dating status and changed the subject as she got up to clear their plates. “Do you feel like a little dessert? I have some fresh strawberries and whipped cream. No shortcake, though.” The berries were really ripe and delicious.