Daniel pulled into the driveway and shut off his truck. Once inside the house, he was welcomed with the wonderful scents which only his mother could conjure. Well, maybe Hannah could too. He couldn’t help but think of her and how she would act if invited into their home, into his mother’s kitchen.
“Daniel, you’re home. I was getting a little worried,” Mary exclaimed as Daniel entered the kitchen. His mother was removing a tray from the oven. The distinct smell of toasted nuts, nutmeg, cinnamon, and banana hovered low in the air. Those golden little mounds of perfection were his mother’s famous banana nut muffins.
“Those smell amazing, Mom.” Daniel would steal one, but he knew the roof of his mouth would pay dearly.
“Thanks, dear. I felt the need to bake.” She smiled up at him as she sat the tray on a cooling rack on the counter. “So Patrick came by a couple of hours ago to pick up the twins. He’d mentioned you helped Hannah. Something about car trouble?”
“Yeah, she needed a lift home.” Daniel knew where this was headed. Maybe he should chance eating the scorching hot muffin.
“Well, that’s nice of you, dear. I was just curious as to why you were getting back so late.”
“I wasn’t with Nina, Mom.” Daniel knew that’s what she was after. It was clear she was relieved.
“Good.”
“Mom, we talked this morning. I know your feelings about her. I agree with you. She’s not the right one for me.” Daniel decided to go for a muffin, but his mother beat him to it. She carefully grabbed a large one and sat it on a saucer.
“Butter?” she asked. He nodded as his mother quickly slid a pad of butter into the slit she had made in the muffin. “Be careful, it’s hot.”
“Thanks.” The sweetness hit his mouth first, the flavors exploding all at once. Why wouldn’t his mother sell these magnificent muffins? “So good,” Daniel commented, his mouth full.
“So, how’s Hannah?” Her hazel eyes sparkled and a funny grin appeared on her face. Well, that was quick. Daniel started to laugh as Mary O’Brien did what she did best—keep tabs on her children.
***
Hannah
She watched the tiny cluster of bubbles swirl down the drain. The citrus smell of the dish soap was strong but wonderful. This was Hannah’s favorite part of the day, after dinner, when everyone had slipped away to different parts of the house. She was left to the quiet of her kitchen, her mother’s kitchen. God, how she missed her. Could things have ended differently if they’d sought help earlier? Maybe, or perhaps it was simply God’s plan.
Cancer. A sick and dirty word, foreign to their Russian ears when they’d finally gone to see a doctor. The man in the starched white coat, with the thick rimmed glasses and sullen expression, had said it was too far along to fight. The Belsky family rode home together that evening, quiet. Their lives were about to be forever changed, and Hannah had only been fourteen years old. As she lay in her bed that night, she could hear her mother and father crying through the wall. Her tears soaked her own pillow, and she didn’t know just how much worse things were about to get. Nina had been young but old enough to understand. She was the favorite, the beautifully majestic child, with pale blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Hannah loved her sister, but there had always been a divide between them. That gap had only widened more after her mother passed away only two months later. They were prepared, but Hannah knew no one could be truly ready to see their mother waste away into virtually skin and bones, the sick smell of death hovering in the air. Hannah had been raised to know how to run a home. She’d learned cooking, cleaning, and mending, all while being homeschooled. Nina was naturally lazy and had no desire to learn any of those vital skills. Hannah would find herself not only taking the place of her mother, but having to try and raise her wild sister. Nina lashed out and hated Hannah, especially when Hannah would try to make Nina do anything, whether it be cooking or cleaning. Nina wanted to escape. Hell, they all did. Their father was never the same after their mother died, and he hadn’t exactly been the warmest man to begin with. They knew he loved them, but he was denied sons, and it was under her mother’s watch and insistence that he showed their daughters any affection. Hannah felt as though she had simply become a maid, cook, nanny, and runner of the household. She had never felt like she was his daughter. He did show more kindness to her sister. Perhaps he knew she was actually the weaker of the two, that she needed more love.
Hannah wiped away a lone tear. It had been almost fourteen years. Fourteen years of putting herself last, years spent just watching quietly and just being expected to keep the house. Hannah never experienced fun in the traditional sense, but Nina had enough for the both of them. So when she’d sat in their dining room with the charming Daniel O’Brien, their time together blindsided her. He made her feel like she was in one of those classic romance movies; the ones she liked to watch when she was alone. She knew nothing of dating, yet when Daniel asked her out she quickly jumped at the chance. What had she been thinking?
Hannah was lost in her thoughts as the warm water ran over her hands, rinsing the clean dish she held. Nina appeared at her side.
“So what was today all about?” Nina leaned against the counter, her eyes burning with a quiet rage.
“What do you mean?”
“Having Daniel get gas and seeing me. Geez, Hannah.” Nina rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed.
Hannah sighed. Leave it to her sister to try and twist things, somehow making Hannah think it was her fault, when it was Nina’s all along. Typical behavior. Nina always tried to toss the blame onto someone else, whether it be Hannah or a farmhand—literally anyone but herself.
“Well, why’d you do it?” Nina pestered more firmly, her hands on her hips and a little more aggression in her voice.
“I didn’t do anything. He needed gas. Nina, there’s only one gas station in town,” Hannah explained with patience. She could feel her own temper starting to take hold.
“You didn’t need to break the car, for starters.”
Hannah laughed hard at the absurdity of her sister’s remark. “Are you serious?”
“It’s your fault, Hannah. If he wasn’t having to give you a ride home, he wouldn’t have seen me.” The look on Nina’s face, like she actually believed she was telling the truth, blew Hannah’s mind.
“Nina, you have been stringing poor Daniel along. He doesn’t deserve that.”
Nina glared at Hannah with anger and quickly stomped away like a spoiled child, because that was truly what Nina was. She had never had to be responsible for anything in her entire life, not before their mother’s death and certainly not after. In all honesty, it worried Hannah. How was Nina going to ever survive in the world? Would Hannah always have to raise her little sister?
Hannah turned off the sink and dried her hands on a nearby dishtowel. She pondered things for a moment. What if things went well between her and Daniel? What if they got serious? What if they got married or had kids? What would she do about her father and Nina? Who would take care of things here? Hannah knew it was a lot of what-ifs, but she needed to be prepared, because if she had learned anything from her mother’s death, it was that life took you on unexpected journeys, whether you were ready, willing, or otherwise.
***
Daniel
Canadian geese flew overhead in a V formation as Daniel carefully cast the line of his fishing pole out into the still lake. The late evening swarm of mosquitoes were nipping at his neck, but this was the perfect time to fish: just as the sun was setting behind the mountains, when the heat of the day was cooling, and when the deer could be seen grazing in the fields. Daniel loved this time of the day, this brief period of calm with muted light, that lull before night took over.
“So, Hannah, huh?” Liam asked as he reeled his line back in.
Daniel was visiting his brother at his cabin for an impromptu evening of fishing. It was the best stress reliever in the world, as far as Daniel was concerned. Not that he was stressed, but fishing seem
to cure all sorts of worries.
“Well, maybe.” Daniel had opened up to Liam about the day before, spending just those few hours with Hannah, and even his run-in with Nina.
Liam paused and took a swig from his beer bottle, then said, “Well, you did say you asked her out.”
“I know, but do you think it’s too soon?” Daniel asked. He was feeling a bit of remorse. He worried that Hannah would think he was simply asking her out because Nina had rejected him.
“Nah, I don’t think so. I mean, look at it like this. Nina wasn’t the right one. We all could have told you that, but you needed to figure that out on your own.” Liam sat his bottle back down on the grassy shore and sent his line sailing through the air and into the water.
“You have a valid point. I guess I was just sort of excited that a girl that looked like that would want anything to do with a guy like me.” Daniel looked away, focusing on the darkening surroundings, the quiet of nature encompassing them. He didn’t want Liam to see the truth in his eyes.
“Daniel, you’re a good guy, man. Any girl would be lucky to have you. It’s about you finding one who deserves someone as decent and kind as you.”
Daniel sighed. What Liam, or anyone in the family, didn’t understand was that Daniel didn’t see his value or worth. Girls had passed him over so many times that he was actually terrified of them. He didn’t have to ask Nina out. She’d just sort of ordered him to pick her up and take her here or there. Sure, they kissed, but it didn’t really do anything for Daniel.
“I’m serious. I’m not saying it because you’re my brother. You are one of the best guys I know.” Liam looked at Daniel, then bent down and retrieved his beer again. Daniel did the same, and they both took a long, leisurely sip. Daniel cherished moments like this with Liam, simple quiet activities like fishing. These were some of the best times. He could count on his brother to build him up when he was at his lowest, to give him sound advice, and to just be there without any kind of judgment. Liam was more than his brother; he was also Daniel’s best friend.
Chapter Seven
Rachel
“Are you almost ready, babe?”
She could hear the slight irritation in Liam’s voice from the other side of the bathroom door. Hell no, she wasn’t ready. Today was the first day of school, and as she stood in front of the mirror, she couldn’t believe how enormous she looked. Rachel had tried changing into various maternity shirts. Everything seemed so tight or made her look like a whale.
“Come on, Rachel. We need to leave or we’ll be late.” His tone turned a bit more authoritative.
“Just go ahead and go,” Rachel shouted from the bathroom, tears of frustration starting to sting her eyes.
She heard him knock, then he entered. “What’s wrong?”
Everything. She didn’t dare tell him that. The poor guy was constantly worried about her. “I’m fine.” The tears pushed past the corners of her eyes and streamed down her face.
“Oh, babe.” Liam scooped her up into his strong arms, cradling her like she was the most precious thing.
“It’s nothing. I’m fine. I promise.” Her tears told a different story as she tried to convince him and herself that she was okay. Damn pregnancy hormones!
“I can call Karen and let her know we’re running late,” Liam offered as he kissed the top of her head.
“No, let’s just go.” Rachel ran her hands down her black maternity blouse and gray slacks. She grabbed some toilet paper and tried sopping up the mess her tears had caused.
He held her arms and looked at her, deep concern shining in his gorgeous eyes. “Are you sure?”
Rachel could only nod. If she even attempted to speak, she knew that it would only end in crying.
“It’ll be okay,” Liam tried to reassure her as he pulled her tightly against his chest. Rachel inhaled his scent: the same sexy mix of his aftershave and soap she had fallen in love with months ago.
***
They drove together in Rachel’s silver BMW, the sun blinding them as they drove in the direction of town. The beginning of September still had the feeling of summer. It was warm and beautiful, but by the end of the month, when the students and teachers had gotten into the groove and settled in, the leaves would start to change and there would be a crispness in the air. Then fall would turn the leaves on the trees a bountiful array of colors, and the scents of summer would be forgotten and replaced with warm cups of cider and wood smoke from chimneys as the cold nights took hold of Birch Valley.
As they arrived in the heart of the small community, they saw children with their new shoes, backpacks, and clothes walking to school. The parking lot of Birch Valley Elementary was not full yet, and they easily found a place to park.
“You ready?” Liam asked as he undid his seat belt. God, he’s so handsome. Rachel wanted to kiss him right there, well, amongst other things. Again, damn pregnancy hormones. The green button-down shirt he wore tucked into his dark wash jeans brought out all the hues of emerald in his eyes. His hair had been freshly cut at her insistence, and he had even shaved that sexy jawline she loved kissing. Yes, this man was all hers.
Liam got out of the car and went over to her side to help her out. All visions of sexiness were lost as she realized that she must look like a helpless cow. Unable to remove herself out of the low bucket seats, she felt frustrated. Liam extended his hand and practically yanked her out of the car. Straightening her blouse and inhaling deeply, Rachel waited as Liam gathered his backpack from the trunk. He swung it onto to one shoulder, took her hand, and led her to old brick building, where their love story began.
***
Liam
Once inside the school, as they crossed into the bright foyer, Liam spotted Karen, the school secretary, as she rounded the corner. “Oh my, look at you.” Karen squealed in delight. “You’re just glowing, you beautiful dear.”
Rachel smiled, but Liam could see she was uncomfortable. He knew his wife was feeling anything but beautiful or radiant. Liam smiled to himself at the word wife.
They were approaching two months of wedded bliss, though he’d hardly call it that. He loved her, more than he ever thought possible, and that love continued to flourish and grow as each day passed. But they had met some challenges—one being her hormones. She was crying one minute, laughing another, and then right back at crying. Liam didn’t know where the tears began or where they stopped sometimes. The latest marital issue, one that was weighing pretty heavily on Liam, was their intimacy. They shared this almost combustible type of passion. He missed it, but he was terrified of somehow hurting Rachel. He wasn’t quite sure about how that factored in with pregnancy. She tried to reassure him, but he couldn’t shake his fears. Unfortunately, he could see that it was taking its toll on both of them.
“Oh, Karen, please.” Rachel shooed her away.
The bell buzzed and children started filing into the school. Liam bent down and gave Rachel a quick kiss. In the background he heard someone say, “Mr. O’Brien is kissing the principal.” He couldn’t help but laugh. Little did any of these students know that Ms. Montgomery was now Mrs. O’Brien. A happy little thrill surged through him. “Stay off your feet,” Liam instructed before he jogged toward his classroom.
***
Rachel
“Worried about the wifey, I see,” Karen teased as they both smiled and greeted the children.
“You could say that.” Rachel could feel the smile on her lips as she watched her husband disappear in the sea of students.
“So, tell me. How’s married life? How are you feeling?” Karen was not only her right-hand woman at work, she had also become almost a mother figure to Rachel when she had moved to Birch Valley.
“Well, married life is good. Pregnancy life, ugh,” Rachel admitted reluctantly, feeling her smile drift away.
A concerned scowl appeared on Karen’s softly wrinkled face. “How so?”
Another bell chimed, and the once-crowded foyer was now nearly empty of stu
dents. Rachel and Karen went back to Rachel’s office to catch up. She plopped down in her comfortable office chair behind the large mahogany desk, kindly left to her by Mr. Anderson, the lovely man she’d replaced. Rachel noticed there was not nearly as much room, and she felt a little constricted in the limited space. Karen noticed right away and started to move the desk forward.
Dating Daniel (Cloverleaf #4) Page 7