Hannah didn’t trust herself to speak. She didn’t open her eyes, but she nodded. She refused to whine. First, she was afraid if she did, she might never stop. And second, she didn’t want to ruin her friend’s enthusiasm.
It almost felt as though she’d left her heart somewhere. No more Will. His tour would begin soon and she might not see him for months, possibly years. It was hard for her to think of it.
“I can’t believe…” Anne Marie began.
Last night Will was supposed to have come over and they had planned to say their goodbyes. But a security breach had him stuck at the United Nations and he hadn’t been able to leave. Rafe used Will’s phone to text her to explain.
The captain is furious. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this mad. But turns out the threat was coming from the ambassador’s own security team. The captain has several men left to interrogate. It doesn’t look good.
She asked Rafe to tell Will she understood. And that she would miss him. Maybe he could call her in London if he had the time.
But the text had depressed her deeply. She hated that she’d grown to need him so much and she cared more than she ever thought possible.
Before last night, she’d planned how she would say goodbye to him. She would make sure she had his favorite meal and that they made love until they were so sated they could barely breathe. Then she would lay atop him soaking up every bit of his strength to tide her over in the months to come.
Then she’d received the text.
It was the suckiest way ever to say goodbye to someone she cared about. She had plenty of boyfriends in the past, but never had she shared such a level of intimacy. Leaving—
“I can’t believe we made it here so fast,” Anne Marie chirped. The cab door opened and cold air rushed in.
Hannah opened her eyes.
Something about stepping out onto the curb would make it all real. She didn’t want to go. Will. She needed him. She was a grown woman so tied up in a man it was ridiculous.
Pull yourself together.
Forcing herself to move, she got out of the cab. Would it be like this every day? Would she have to force herself out of bed each morning after spending her nights worrying if he was safe?
“Hannah!” Will’s voice boomed.
He was coming out of the airport.
She dashed toward him and he caught her.
“I thought I missed you.” He squeezed her so tight she lost her breath but didn’t care.
“I can’t believe you’re here. How did you get away?”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m here. Sorry our goodbyes have to be so public.”
“I don’t care. I—” She glanced up at him, the words stuck in her throat.
“Come on, let’s get you checked in. Besides, you aren’t really dressed for this kind of cold. I know, fashion before comfort. But you’re going to end up with pneumonia someday.”
“You’re such a fast learner.” Hannah refused to let go of him, but he picked up a couple of her bags with the arm that wasn’t wrapped around her.
“I’ve had a great teacher.”
They didn’t talk as she checked in at the VIP counter. While she was budget-conscious about the business, she wanted Anne Marie to have the first-class treatment on British Airways. It was a far different experience than traveling coach.
The luggage was taken care of and Will took both of her hands in his. They shared intimate gazes, trying so hard to say everything inside them with their eyes.
“Now that that’s all taken care of, I’m going to head to the gate,” Anne Marie said.
“I’ll be there soon,” Hannah promised as Will led her to a corner near the line at security.
“This isn’t how I imagined we would say our goodbye.” He folded both of her hands in his.
She leaned in to him. “Thank you. I don’t know what you did to get here, but I’m grateful.”
“The idea of you leaving without—” His mouth captured hers before he finished his sentence.
The airport was crammed with people but she didn’t care. Hannah opened her mouth to his and teased his tongue with hers.
Roping her arms around his neck she held on tight, filling her soul with as much strength from Will as possible. The strength of those powerful arms, the tender looks…she wasn’t sure how she would live without him.
He raised his head and stared at her as if he were trying to memorize her face. She did the same to him.
“Give me your phone,” she ordered him.
He gave her a questioning look but handed it over. She held it away from them and took a picture.
They were both smiling but there was a sadness in their eyes. She texted the picture so she would have it, too.
“Remember that day I said this was all in fun and that when our time was over we would walk away?” she said. “I was wrong. I mean, we talked about it before. About us caring for one another. But…don’t think I’m one of those clingy women who—” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I’m not doing this the right way.”
“I love you, Hannah,” Will said softly.
Did she hear him right?
“This isn’t the right time and I’ve probably scared you. But I want you to know before we part. You’ve become so important to me and I’ve loved you from the first moment I met you. Though, it took me a little while to figure out what it was. You’ve brought me such comfort and made me believe there is good in the world. I’ll be taking you in my heart wherever I go.”
“Oh, Will.” She kissed him hard, giving him every piece of her heart that she could.
He loved her. Tears dropped to her cheeks and Will pulled away.
“I didn’t want to make you cry.”
“You didn’t. I’m so happy it’s spilling out of my face.”
He chuckled. “I don’t want to let you go but you’re going to miss your flight.”
“They have more flights. I can take one tomorrow.”
Will frowned. “We’re being deployed tonight.”
“Oh, no. But the summit isn’t over.” Somehow if she left him in New York, she felt he was safe.
“That’s the thing about being a marine, everything can change in a heartbeat.”
“Do you know where?”
“Yes, but—”
“You can’t say.” She sighed and then gave him a bright smile. She wouldn’t make him feel worse. He’d done so much for her and she wanted him to see her smiling.
“You’re such a fast learner.”
“I’ve had a great teacher.”
“I’ll email you daily if I can. And I’ll let you know when we can chat online. Though, the hours may be squirrelly.”
She choked back tears and forced a smile. “Anytime. I mean it. There isn’t anything I’ll want to do more than talk to you. Except maybe kiss you.”
She kissed him again. Then she stepped away. “You better come home to me, Will Hughes, or I will hunt you down. Do you understand me?”
He gave her a quick salute. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I want you to know that I’m going to go now and it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do in my life. But I’m going to be a grown-up if it kills me.”
Taking her in his arms he kissed her again, this one lasting a full minute. “I needed to fill up my soul with you, Hannah. And know this is just as hard for me.”
She walked away from him, taking shallow breaths to try to steady her emotions.
She made it through the other side of security before she realized something.
Oh, no. I never told him I loved him, too.
20
Six months later
PARIS. THIS WAS her dream and she couldn’t believe it had come true. After her success earlier in the year in London and New York, she’d been invited to show her new fall line as the precursor to the Jacques Le Vien show. It was an honor, and more than ever she felt the pressure to succeed.
Anne Marie snapped her fingers in front of Hannah’s face. “Boss,
we have a problem.”
“Anne Marie, I told you. No problems tonight. We’ve been through everything. All the models are here. I just checked.”
“It’s nothing major but I need your help. Charles in the lighting booth says he has two different scripts to follow and he doesn’t know which one is the right one since we changed everything up during rehearsal. I’ve got to get the models lined up. I’d send Jesse, but he wasn’t at rehearsal. I want to make sure they get it right.”
“I’m on it.”
Hannah moved around the back of the stage and up to the stairway that led to the balcony where the lighting and stage crews had set up.
“Hey, guys, I heard there was some confusion.”
Charles held up two scripts. “I’m not sure which one you want.”
She flipped through the pages. The first one was the draft they’d devised at home before they actually saw the setup. “This is it,” she said as she handed him the right one.
Kayleigh, who had been promoted to event producer, climbed into the booth.
“What are you doing up here?” Kayleigh took her seat next to Charles. “Three minutes until start time.”
“Have I mentioned how much I appreciate the job you’ve done here? I can’t believe who is sitting in that audience.” Kayleigh had persuaded all of the top fashion editors and store buyers to attend.
Kayleigh waved her away. “Flattery is always welcome but we have zee show to do. So you will go and be pretty somewhere else,” she said in a fake French accent.
Hannah’s comm crackled. “Hey, boss,” Anne Marie said, “why don’t you stay out front and watch the show? We’ve got everything covered. Promise. It’s Paris—you should see your own show.”
She started to argue but Anne Marie had a point. “What about the last-minute adjustments?” Hannah was always making changes and every design that walked out on stage had to be nothing short of perfection.
“What, you don’t trust me?” Anne Marie didn’t sound angry but there was a tone to her voice.
“Of course I do, but this is—” She stopped herself. While she’d learned that she couldn’t shove work on everyone else, there were times when she needed to give those around her more responsibilities. Will had called it raising the stakes and believed that most people rise to the occasion. “Fine, I’ll stay out here a while. But make sure all the belts are centered and that Cheri wears the sapphire scarf with the blue Louboutins.”
“Got it. And don’t worry. We’ve done this one twice already in New York and London. I think we’ve got it down. Enjoy the show,” Anne Marie said.
Hannah peered over the balcony. She couldn’t believe the faces she saw below. Many of the audience members were her idols. Some of the top designers and many of her friends had arrived to show their support for her. And she had just the right amount of celebrity turnout that would give her coverage on the entertainment television shows and magazines.
“Kayleigh, you’ve done an amazing job with all of this. I think you managed to get everyone on my dream list.”
“You hire the best, you get the best,” Kayleigh said as she put her headphones on.
Hannah turned to go down the stairs. She wasn’t sure she could handle being out front. If something weren’t perfect she would only have herself to blame. But she changed her mind at the last minute. The gang back-stage could handle the models and they were every bit as invested in the show as she was. She moved away from the booth area and sat down in the church balcony as the lights dimmed.
This was her largest collection and she’d pushed herself harder than ever. There were a couple of pieces that were risks, but she was pleased with them. Ultimately, that was all that mattered. While it was important that other people liked her designs, she created works that fed her soul. Her hope was that if she loved her creations others would, too.
The only sad note was the man she loved the most wasn’t here to share it with her. They had been video chatting as much as possible, and every time she saw his face, she fell a little harder for him. But it had been more than two weeks since she’d last talked to him. He’d been sent on a special mission and she’d received an email that he would be out of touch for a while. Still, she couldn’t help but worry.
She glanced up to the heavens. Praying had become almost an hourly routine. Every time he crossed her mind, she took a moment.
Please look after him. He’s the only man for me and if I lose him, I don’t know what I’ll do.
The house lights went down and stagelights flared to life. Will’s music filled the church, a mixture of rock and blues. She’d gotten the music from Dickey, who had recorded Will that night with Master Z. It had been a huge hit with the New York and London crowds. Everyone wanted to know who Will was. He’d chew her out if he knew, but it was another way to keep him close to her. Besides, the bluesy music fit the show so well.
Hannah saw people lean in to one another and imagined they were asking who that was. It was music that went straight to the soul.
Monique, one of her favorite models, stepped out in the aquamarine blouse with black wide-legged trousers and Hannah had to remind herself to breathe. The editors were madly writing in their notebooks and many of them took photos with their cell phones as Monique made her way down the carpeted runway.
As each design came out onto the stage, Hannah found herself watching the audience’s faces. People were smiling. She’d been to hundreds of shows and she knew that wasn’t the norm. They seemed to be genuinely enjoying the show. Of course, one never knew for sure in this business.
There was a collective gasp and her eyes shot to the stage. Hannah’s breath caught.
The model had crutches under his arm, but there was no denying the hot body under the unbuttoned shirt with the low-hung jeans she’d designed just for him.
“Will.” She murmured as she ran down the stairs, which wasn’t an easy task in the four-inch heels she wore. By the time she ran up the side entrance of the stage he’d made his way back down the runway.
She threw her arms around him and kissed him hard on the mouth, nearly knocking them both down.
Will pulled her closer and steadied them.
Hannah was vaguely aware of the roar of the crowd around them, then the models coming out and doing their final run.
“Is it really you?” Hannah whispered against his lips.
“Yes.” He kissed her again.
Hannah’s heart raced and her mind tried to wrap around the fact he really was right here with her.
“Hey, you have a show to finish. Turn around and look at those nasty fashion folks and smile like you own the world, babe.”
Hannah tore her eyes away from his face to glance out. The lights kept her from seeing much but there were tears on many of the faces of those on the front row. Those hard-core editors who seldom had a nice word were clapping wildly. They weren’t so nasty when they were staring at true love.
Hannah managed a smile and a quick wave.
“I think that’s more for you.” Hannah put a hand on his shoulder and smiled out to the audience again. “I put that you were my inspiration for the collection in tonight’s program.”
She’d also used the photo she’d taken at the airport. It went well with her Casablanca-themed collection.
“And you used my music.” He grinned.
“Yes. You can sue me someday but not right now, okay?”
“I’d scoop you up and run for the nearest place we could be alone, but I have a feeling some of those people are going to want to talk to you.”
“I don’t care,” Hannah said honestly. “Let’s go.”
He chuckled and leaned down to kiss her again. The audience went wild. “Maybe we should at least get off the stage,” he suggested.
As they moved behind the curtain Will was ambushed by their friends. Anne Marie was sobbing. “Leland told everyone about Will. They’re going nuts out there. That was the most romantic thing I’ve ever seen,” she said.
<
br /> “You knew about this?” Hannah couldn’t believe Anne Marie had kept a secret. That wasn’t usually one of her best attributes.
“I called her about two hours ago. I wasn’t sure I’d be here in time for the show. They wouldn’t let me out of the damn hospital in Germany.”
His words finally hit her. The crutches. “Oh, Will, you need to sit down. Are you okay? What happened? Do you hurt?”
He laughed again. “I’m fine. I’ll tell you all about it later.”
Well-wishers inundated them and Hannah forced herself to smile and shake hands. She didn’t have any idea if they were happy about the show or about the public display of affection and she didn’t care.
Hannah wasn’t sure what she said to the press. Will stood next to her, fielding as many questions. After about a half hour Anne Marie shooed everyone away and Hannah was never so grateful for her friend’s protective nature.
“Will. Oh, no. I’ve done it again.”
“Hey, Hannah, what’s wrong?”
She led him to a table he could sit on. She was so worried about his leg. “If the general sees this, he’s going to be furious. The paparazzi loved you and your picture is going to be splattered all over the world.”
Will shoved himself onto the table. He pulled her in front of him so that she was between his legs.
She tried to pull away. “I don’t want to hurt your leg.”
“You aren’t.” He wrapped his arms around her. “And you don’t have to worry about the general anymore. Well, except the fact that he’s always going to be my dad.”
“What?”
“I’ve been honorably discharged.” He pointed to his leg. “A sniper bullet cut my time a little shorter than I planned.”
“Sniper?” A hitch caught in Hannah’s throat. The possibility that he might not come back had always been in the back of her mind, but this made it so much more real.
“Yep. He was in a tower where we were trying to evacuate some kids after they found a bomb near one of the schools. Hit an artery and I would have bled out if we hadn’t had medics with us who were so close by.”
Her vision blurred and Hannah’s mind went hazy.
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