by Pat Ballard
“Settle down, Will, and let’s talk,” she admonished. “I’m selling Rockwell Place.”
“Like hell you are!” he exploded. “Over my dead body.”
“What do you care? You’re never here. And now that you have your allowance from Grandfather’s will in place and don’t have to worry about that, why do you care if I sell the house?” Hanna hoped to calm him down with her reasoning.
“You can’t put this place on the market, Hanna. I’m telling you right now, you’d better call that real estate agent and tell them to come get the sign if you don’t want me to use it as a bonfire right where it is. I’m not asking you, Hanna, I’m telling you.”
Hanna had never felt threatened by Will before when they argued, but this time was different. His normally tanned face was chalky white, and she could see his hands trembling.
“Will, what’s wrong with you? Are you threatening me? Why do you care so much about this house all of a sudden?”
“You fat, selfish bitch, you just better do as I tell you!” He reached out and slapped the coffee mug, splashing hot coffee onto the front of Hanna’s body. He turned to go back into the house and walked right into Matt’s fist.
Matt had been standing at the open door listening to Will’s outburst. When Will slapped the coffee all over Hanna, it was the last straw.
Matt’s first punch landed square on Will’s nose, jarring him backward. Matt barely heard Hanna’s sharp cry of surprise before his left hand landed upside Will’s head, staggering him back away from Hanna. Matt’s third punch took Will to his knees.
Matt was silently thankful for the barroom brawls he’d taken part in as a younger man. It gave him the practice and know-how he needed now. Before he had a chance to follow through with another punch, Will moaned and fell forward on the deck.
Shaking his bruised and already swelling hands, Matt went to Hanna and took the mug from her trembling hands.
“Are you okay?” he asked, checking to see if the coffee had burned her anywhere.
His tenderness, coming on the heels of the chaos that had just taken place, was more than Hanna could stand. Looking up at him, her chin quivering with tears that were threatening to start, all she could do was nod her head.
“Baby, don’t cry,” Matt said, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around her. But his gentle concern only caused the dam of tears to break, and Hanna couldn’t hold back the hurt any longer. She sobbed into Matt’s shoulder.
Neither of them heard Will struggling to his feet, and didn’t know his intentions until he slammed a wrought iron patio chair across Matt’s back, knocking him to the floor, groaning in pain.
“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll take this house off the market today,” Will snarled at Hanna and stormed from the deck.
Hanna dropped to her knees. “Matt, is anything broken? Are you okay?” She reached out to touch his back, but he rolled over and made a feeble attempt to sit up.
“What in the hell is wrong with your brother?” he asked, turning one way, then the other, testing to see if he had any broken ribs.
“I don’t know, but he sure is upset about me putting the house on the market.”
“Why are you doing that, Hanna? I saw the sign last night when I came home.” He pulled himself up into a chair and sat down, moaning slightly as he leaned back into the chair.
“You okay?” Hanna asked, watching him closely, using her concern to put off answering the question as long as possible.
“I’m okay,” Matt assured her. “My back hurts like hell, but I don’t think I have anything broken.”
“Do you think we need to take you to the doctor?”
“Hanna, stop hedging. Why are you selling the house?”
“Why not?” she asked. “Mother’s traveling now. Will’s never here anymore, and you’re always gone until the wee hours of the morning, so I seem to be the only one rattling around in this huge house by myself. So could someone please tell me why I need to keep the house?”
“Because it was your grandfather’s, and it is your heritage, and you know you love it. I think you’ll really regret it if you sell it. Maybe not now, but later on when you get older, you’ll really wish you had kept it, especially when you have children. Think of the special gazebo your grandfather built for you. Don’t you want to share that with your children?”
“Children? Matt, get real. I’m thirty years old, and fat. Do you really think I’m going to meet someone who will love me and make children with me before all my eggs are so old they’re using a cane?”
“Hanna, I’m your legal husband. If you want a baby, we can make one right now.”
Hanna stared at Matt, open-mouthed. She tried to speak, but words wouldn’t come.
“I’m serious, Hanna. Let me give you a baby, so you can get the rest of your inheritance, and see the end of this nonsense. Maybe if you did have a baby, your mom and Will would give you a little peace.”
“What? I can’t believe you think I would stoop low enough to bring a child into this world just to help my own cause! What kind of person do you think I am? And what kind of person are you to even suggest such a thing?” Hanna couldn’t believe Matt had made such a crazy suggestion.
“Wait, Hanna. Don’t jump to conclusions. I thought you meant you wanted a baby, when you said you couldn’t find anyone before your eggs got too old.”
“So, out of pity you just volunteered to help me out? Give me a break, Matt. I don’t need your pity.” Hanna started toward the door back into the house.
“I know that’s right,” Matt’s sarcastic voice stopped her. “You have enough self-pity of your own. You sure don’t need anyone else’s.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Hanna asked, dumbfounded.
“Hanna, do you ever listen to yourself? You constantly put yourself down, and by doing so, you invite other people to do the same thing. Then you get all hurt and full of self-pity. And when someone does try to compliment you, or just treat you like a normal person, you get all defensive at that. Until you start thinking of yourself as a normal, okay person, you can’t expect anyone else to treat you like one.” Matt knew he was saying too much, but he had waited too long to say it.
“Just when has anyone tried to build me up? Or compliment me? I don’t believe I’ve heard any of that. Where was I?” She tried to make her voice hard, but the quiver came through anyway.
“What about me, Hanna? Haven’t you heard any of the things I’ve said to you? I’ve even fought for you, and may have a broken knuckle even as we speak.” He looked down at his swollen hand to make his point.
“True, but you’re getting well paid for your services. Marrying me saved your skin from the IRS, gave you a place to live, and food to eat. So, I’m sure you feel obligated to say and do all the right things. It’s not like you’re saying them because you really mean them. And, by the way, I heard you on the phone telling someone you would get some money from me. Just figure out how much you need and let me know. I’ll write you a check.”
Hanna slammed the door so hard behind her she was afraid the glass was going to shatter. Her anger carried her up the stairs to her room with so much momentum that Matt heard her bedroom door slam before he could even get his mouth closed.
So that was it. She’d overheard him talking to Dave about his aunt’s loan, and assumed he was talking about her. Matt didn’t know whether to go to her and show her how much she turned him on, or just leave her alone and let her anger wear off.
Maybe he’d better just leave her alone for now. She sure seemed determined to sell the house all of a sudden. But where did that leave him? It was a shame. He had already grown to love this old house and surrounding estate. If he just had the money, he’d buy it—
Two days later, the real estate agent called and informed Hanna someone had put a contract on the house. They hadn’t tried to negotiate, and didn’t even want to take a tour of the place. They just wanted to buy it, sight unseen.
“But when do I have to be out?” Hanna asked her, feeling apprehension creep up her spine.
“Apparently, there’s no hurry. She said just whenever was convenient for the owners.
“She? Did you get a name? Is it a family?” Suddenly, Hanna wanted to know who was going to live in her dear home.
“It was a strange thing,” the real estate agent said. “This older lady came in and just wrote a check for the total amount. Said I could keep the check until all the paperwork was cleared, then I could let her know. She must be buying it for her children or grandchildren.”
After getting off the phone, Hanna sat for a long time, staring into space. It was done! She had sold her home.
Doubt flooded her, making her eyes fill with tears. She’d expected it to take longer for Rockwell Place to sell. What was she going to do now? She hadn’t had time to even come up with a plan, other than just put everything in storage and travel for a while. Well, so be it. That’s what she would do.
She hadn’t seen Matt since she had stormed away from him two days ago. She felt a little guilty to have been so hard on him after he’d jumped on Will like he had in her defense, but he’d asked for it by all those things he’d said to her.
Telling her to act like a normal person and the whole world would treat her normal. Yeah, right! Like it was easy as all that.
What if he’s right? The question came from nowhere. If only it could be that easy, she thought with a deep sigh.
Matt. Thank goodness she’d heard his conversation about the money when she did. She’d been so captivated by his charm that she’d been about ready to jump in bed with him. What a fool thing that would have been to do.
But just thinking about the way he kissed and touched her made her whole body ache and yearn to do more than just be kissed by Matt Corbett. What a wimp she was, she scolded herself. Even knowing he was just using her to get to her money almost didn’t matter when she remembered how good it felt to be in his arms.
That’s why she had to get away from Rockwell Place. Away from Matt Corbett. Before she did something really stupid like going to bed with him. Or even more stupid like letting him know she was hopelessly in love with him.
Chapter 7
The impatient ringing of the doorbell interrupted Hanna’s morning. Remembering that Lena, the housekeeper, had taken the morning off, Hanna hurried down the stairs to find out who could be visiting this early in the day.
Who could it be? Her mother and Henri had left for Europe yesterday, and she hadn’t seen Will since his fight with Matt, well over a week ago.
Looking through the peephole in the door, she saw two men in suits standing, casually talking, so she opened the door.
“Yes?” she inquired, taking in the expensive-looking clothes the two men wore. They had an unusual look that she couldn’t quite place. Almost like the men she had seen in movies that portrayed the Mafia. The thought brought a slight smile to her lips, until the tallest man spoke.
“Yeah, we’re lookin’ for Will Rockwell. Y’know where we can find him?”
A chill started a slow crawl up Hanna’s spine. What had her brother gotten himself into this time? These men were not playing games. Their eyes were cold and hard, and their poor grammar belied the expensive suits.
Hanna tried to close the door, but the tall one, moving quickly, stuck his foot in the crack before she could get it closed.
“Oh, no you don’t, lady. Not until we can find that no good bastard that made off with our money. And what’s that sold sign doin’ out front? This is supposed to be our collateral if he can’t pay his debt.” Not waiting for her answer, he pushed his way inside, the shorter one close on his heels.
“I’m Hanna Rockwell.” Hanna’s fear gave way to anger. “This is my house, and Will is my—”
“Morning, gentlemen.” Matt’s quiet voice interrupted Hanna. She glanced around to find him standing with a gun aimed at the two men.
“You boys have a seat and let’s talk about this,” he said. Hanna couldn’t believe the controlled fury in his voice.
“Ain’t nothin’ to talk about,” said the tall one, sitting on the couch. “Will’s been real free with his gamblin’, and he ain’t real good at it, and he used this house for collateral in case he lost and didn’t have the money to cover his debt, just like I told the lady.”
“We don’t know where Will is. But one thing’s for sure, this house wasn’t his to use as collateral. He doesn’t own any part of this house,” Matt told the men.
“Well, that ain’t real good for poor Will. This was his last time to screw up. The Boss told him if he did it again, he wouldn’t live to tell about it. I don’t know what he is to you two, but you might as well kiss his ass good-bye, cause he’s a goner.”
“How much does he owe?” Hanna asked.
“Hanna!” Matt said in a warning voice.
“How much?” she persisted, ignoring Matt.
“Ten grand,” the tall one answered.
“Promise me you won’t hurt Will, and I’ll have the money for you tomorrow. But I want your boss to meet with my lawyer and sign an agreement that he will never do business with Will again, and that Will’s life won’t be in any danger. Do we have a deal?”
“Can I use your phone to call the Boss? We had instructions not to come back without Will or the money.”
“Here,” Matt said, throwing him his cell phone.
Soon the two threatening men were out of the house, and the door was soundly locked.
“So that was why Will threw such a fit when he found out the house was for sale. He knew if those goons saw the sign, they’d be after him,” Matt said, sinking into the nearest chair.
Hanna sat down on the couch, but couldn’t seem to take her eyes off the gun still clutched in Matt’s hand.
Catching the direction of her eyes, Matt quickly shoved the gun into his pants pocket.
“Don’t worry about the gun, Hanna. I’ve been registered to carry guns since my days on stage. Can’t be too careful, you know.”
Suddenly, tears welled up and spilled out of Hanna’s eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She tried to wipe them quickly away before Matt could notice. It seemed like she was always blubbering when he was around, and she hated for him to think she was just a silly crybaby.
But he saw the tears and was quickly on the couch beside her, slipping an arm around her shoulder.
“Hanna, don’t,” he said, taking her chin in his hand and lifting her face to his. “We’ll take care of this. We’ll bail Will out this time, and maybe he’ll learn a lesson from this mess he’s in.”
Hanna gazed deeply into Matt’s calming eyes. He always seemed to show up at the right time to defend her. First from Will and her mother, now from those two goons. Just like her knight in shining armor. So what if he needed money from her? He had come to her rescue even when he agreed to marry her, hadn’t he? If not for him, she wouldn’t have as much of her inheritance as she had. He really was her knight in shining armor, she thought, a smile playing around the corners of her lips.
Her quivering lips, trying to smile even in the face of yet another trauma, were more temptation than Matt could stand. Even though he still stung from her accusing him of wanting her money, he couldn’t stop himself from lowering his lips to hers.
The rejection he expected didn’t come. Instead, he felt her lips yielding under his, and returning his kiss. How he wanted to take her up to his room and consummate their marriage! Every fiber in his body wanted to make love to her and show her what a desirable woman she was, and how much she turned him on. He wanted to get lost in her womanly body, and spend time exploring all the ways that turned her on. But not yet. She wasn’t ready yet.
Slowly, he ended the kiss and raised his head to gaze down into her half-closed eyes. He knew from the first that it was inevitable he would fall in love with her, but nothing could have warned him of how deep his feelings would go for her this soon. As he gazed down at her upturned face, a
wareness dawned on him. He was irrevocably, deeply in love with Hanna Rockwell!
Before the realization could totally sink in, the front door burst open and Will stormed into the room. But it wasn’t the belligerent, cocky Will they usually encountered. He was tired and worn looking, and looked as if he hadn’t had a bath in a week.
“Hanna, you have to help me. I’m in deep trouble,” he pleaded, dropping to his knees in front of them. “Those two men that were just here are going to kill me if they find me. They’re—” He couldn’t go on from the emotion in his voice.
“I know, Will.” Hanna almost felt pity for her half-brother. The brother she had always wanted to be close to. She had always wanted them to be friends, but Will had seemed to hate her so much.
“You do?” Suddenly he was all attention.
“Yes. Houston Couch is going to talk with The Boss tomorrow, but you and I have a lot of talking to do first. I’m glad you’re here.”
Three days later, Hanna and Matt stood at Nashville International Airport and watched an airplane lift off with Will on board. After settling all his debts, Houston Couch had decided the best thing for Will to do was to disappear and get a change of scenery for a while. He was headed for Europe to join his mother and Henri.
Without Matt knowing, Hanna had reimbursed Will for all the money he had spent on Matt’s IRS debts and residence before the wedding.
“I know they’re so happy that he’s joining them,” Hanna said with a soft chuckle, as the plane disappeared into the blue horizon.
“You have a real mean streak, don’t you?” Matt teased her. Ever since the revelation that he was in love with Hanna, he couldn’t keep his eyes off her. She had so much to offer a man. Somehow, he had to make her realize that.
“No! I don’t have a mean streak. They deserve each other,” Hanna declared, having to look away from the fire in Matt’s eyes.
Was she just imagining it, or had his attitude changed since the day the goons had come by the house? He looked at her with such intensity that she was either lost in his gaze, or had to look away for fear of being engulfed in it.