Wanted

by Ruth Langan

  “You? Sulk?” He shook his head. “I don’t buy that. Your grandmother warned me that you have a mind of your own.” The smile was back on his lips. “She never mentioned your fabulous body, though. I guess she figured I’d have to discover that on my own.” He leaned down to brush his mouth over hers.

  The heat was back. This time instead of a rush, it stole over them softly, warming their flesh, their blood, as they came together.

  He managed to pry his mouth free for a moment. “Want to try for the sofa?”

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew his head close to nuzzle his lips. “Maybe later. For now, I’ll settle for this. Just this.”

  And then there was no need for words as they lost themselves in each other.

  “I’m still finding it hard to wrap my mind around the woman I see rooting around in the dirt in my yard as the girl who grew up in that lovely old mansion.”

  Ethan and Hannah lay snuggled together on the sofa. The only light in the room was the moonlight spilling through the skylights over-head. There had been little time to sleep while they explored the wonders of their newly discovered love.

  Ethan studied the way she looked, eyes heavy-lidded, lips thoroughly kissed. His fingers played through the strands of her hair.

  Hannah smiled. “I guess there are some who expect the Brennan women to be pampered darlings. It’s just never been my style.”

  He brushed a kiss over her mouth. “Baby, I like your style. I like it as much as I like your family.”

  “They are special, aren’t they?”

  He nodded. “I was a little apprehensive about taking the boys there, but five minutes into our visit, I felt as comfortable as though I’d known all of them for a lifetime.”

  “That’s always been their special gift. Whenever my sisters and I brought friends home, Bert and Poppie would treat them like family. And Trudy always had little treats for them to take home.”

  “You don’t know what that means to Danny and T.J. The worst part about what’s happened in the past two years is that loss of family.”

  Because he’d told her about his own childhood, Hannah touched a hand to his. “It has to be twice as hard for you, having lost what little family you had.”

  “I really believe, if I’m ever able to clear my name, that my aunt will come around in time.”

  “I hope so, for her sake as well as yours. Doesn’t she realize that she has two adorable great-nephews that she doesn’t even know?”

  He nodded. “But it’s her pride that’s keeping her away. She believes I’ve dragged the family name through the mud.”

  “But not by choice. Can’t she see that she’s only adding to your pain?”

  Ethan gave her one of those heart-stopping looks. “My fierce little champion. Do you know how much it means to me to have you on my side?”

  She snuggled closer and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Why don’t you tell me?” As he started to speak, she stopped him with a long, lazy kiss. Against his mouth she whispered, “Better yet, why don’t you show me?”

  “Hannah Brennan.” His words were spoken on a moan as he dragged her close. “I do like the way you think.”

  “Umm. Is that coffee I smell?” Hannah pushed hair from her eyes as Ethan settled himself beside her on the edge of the sofa.

  “It is.” He handed her a steaming cup.

  “Oh, this is heavenly.” She sipped, then glanced at the tray. “What’s all that?”

  “Sustenance. You’ve been exerting way too much energy all night. I’d hate to have you slow down now. So I scrambled some eggs.”

  “My hero.” She stood up and tied an afghan around her like a sarong, before tucking into the food.

  “This is good.” She glanced around. “Where’s yours?”

  “I thought we’d share.”

  “Oh.” She pretended to snatch the plate away before handing it to him.

  He arched a brow. “You sure you can spare this?”

  “Only a bite or two. Then I’d like it back.”

  He took a taste, then fed her another bite. “Have I told you how much I enjoy watching you eat?”

  “How much?”

  “Almost as much as I enjoy watching you work. You’re amazing.”

  “While we’re passing out compliments, I’ll admit that I love the way you take care of your two sons. It can’t be easy doing it al

  He shook his head and reached for the coffee. But she saw the sadness that came into his eyes.

  Setting down the plate, she put a hand over his. “Would it help to talk about Elizabeth?”

  He kept his face averted. “We met in college. It’s funny, but we seemed to have nothing in common. I was a jock, in love with computers. She was a dancer who spent all her spare time teaching an inner-city dance class. But we had one common thread. We were both lonely, young and in love, and desperately wanted to be part of a family. We married right after graduation. Shortly after Danny was born, we started talking about having another baby. But that was the same time that Elizabeth started feeling threatened.”

  “About what?”

  He shrugged. “At first it was just this vague feeling that little things were happening that weren’t quite right. One night Elizabeth got sick after drinking some juice. Later, when she tried to find the container, it was missing. Another time she swore she heard someone beside the bed in our room. But when she woke me and turned on the light, we were alone.”

  Ethan stood and began to pace. “By the time T.J. was born, Elizabeth was convinced that someone was out to hurt her. I have to admit, I really didn’t take her fears as seriously as I should have. But at her insistence I had an alarm system installed and helped her pick out a handgun.”

  “A handgun? With two little boys in the house?”

  He nodded and ran a hand through his hair. “She had a locked drawer up high enough that neither of them could reach it. I thought with all that protection, that would be the end of it.”

  Though she wanted to go to him, Hannah remained where she was. “Tell me the rest, Ethan.”

  “I was at work when the police arrived. It was a cold October day, just two weeks after T.J.’s birth. A neighbor had spotted Danny out in the driveway in his bare feet. She knew Elizabeth well enough to know she would never allow that. The neighbor suspected that Elizabeth may have fallen asleep with the new baby, so she started phoning. When she got no answer, she called the police. They found T.J. asleep in his crib. Elizabeth was in the garage, in a pool of blood.

  “At first they suspected suicide. It happens sometimes if a new mother is suffering from postpartum depression. I assured them that Elizabeth had been just fine, except for those vague fears about her safety. There’d been no hint of depression. If anything, she’d been so vital and filled with a love of life. After the autopsy, the coroner couldn’t confirm or deny that the gunshot had been self-inflicted.

  “That changed everything. Though I’d been at work the entire time, there were times when I’d been alone, with no witnesses to verify that I was actually there. To this day, the authorities consider me a prime suspect in my wife’s death, simply because they can’t prove my guilt and I can’t prove my innocence.” His voice lowered with conviction. “But I know this. Elizabeth didn’t take her own life. She simply couldn’t.”

  “How could the police allow you to move clear across the country?”

  “They couldn’t stop me. But they let me kn’m still under suspicion.” He shook his head. “Nobody wants this solved more than I, Hannah. I left, not to run away, but because I needed to know that my sons were safe from not only the one who killed their mother, but also to find release from the unrelenting notoriety. Ours was a small town. Everywhere we went, Danny and T.J. were the objects of pitying looks. That’s no way to live. But I haven’t given up on finding Elizabeth’s killer. I hired a team of private investigators and told them to spare no expense to unearth the truth, no matter where it leads.”

  “Wha
t makes you think they can do what the police can’t?”

  He turned, and she could see the darkness in his eyes. “I’m convinced that the authorities, believing me to be the killer, have missed important evidence.” His tone lowered to a fierce whisper. “They’re saying that if it was murder, it was the perfect crime. I’m not buying it. No one is capable of committing the perfect crime. If it takes me a lifetime, I swear I’ll prove them wrong.”

  Hannah did go to him then. Wrapping her arms around his waist she lifted her face to his. “If it takes you a lifetime, I hope you’ll let me be part of it.”

  He framed her face with his hands and stared down into her eyes. What he saw there had his heart soaring. “Oh, Hannah. What did I ever do to deserve you?”

  “You came to the right town at the right time, and hired the best woman to decorate your yard and your life. Now kiss me quick.”

  He lowered his mouth to hers and tried to show her, with long, deep kisses and soft, quiet sighs, just how much she meant to him.

  Chapter 13

  “Where are you going?” Still half asleep, Ethan reached out and caught Hannah’s wrist as she eased away from the sofa.

  “Home.”

  “Now?” His eyes snapped open. “It’s barely dawn.”

  “Yeah.” She leaned close to brush a kiss over his lips. “I’ve got a business to run. Time to get ready for another week of sodbusting.”

  “I thought that was for ranchers in the Old West.”

  “Maybe. It’s also what landscapers do to earn a living.”

  “Don’t go. Give it all up. Stay here with me and be a kept woman.”

  Hannah laughed. “Now that’s a tempting offer. Let me give that some thought.” She tapped a finger on her crossed arm. “Okay. I’ve thought it over and my decision is—” she eased the silk tank over her head and stepped into the wrinkled skirt “—no. Sorry. I like my work. It may not be quite as satisfying as what we shared all night, but it’s a living.”

  He scrambled to his feet and drew her close. “At least you could leave me with a goodbye kiss.”

  “Uh-uh.” She gave him a knowing look. “One kiss will lead to another, and next thing you know we’ll be right back on that sofa.”

  “I didn’t hear you complaining an hour ago.”

  “No complaints.” She touched a finger to his mouth. “There’s nothing I’d like better than to stay and be lazy all day. But one of us needs to be practical.”

  He rolled his eyes. “Now I find out you’re not only beautiful, sexy and fun to be with, but practical, too.”

  “Every rose comes with thorns, Mr. Harrison.” She turned away and snatched up her keys. As she started toward the door he walked up behind her and drew her back against the length of him.

  Nibbling her ear, he muttered, “Will you have dinner with us when you’re finished with your work?”

  “That depends. What’re you planning to feed me?”

  “All the protein and carbs I can cook.”

  “Mmm.” She sighed as he nibbled his way down her neck. “I guess I could be persuaded.”

  “I’ve seen how hard you work.” He turned her into his arms and rained kisses over her upturned face. “I mean to restore all that spent energy as fast as possible, and maybe even persuade you to stay the night again.”

  “If you promise to kiss me like this, I’ll consider it.” She stepped back more than a little reluctantly. “Now I really have to go.”

  Ethan walked with her as far as the deck and watched as she climbed into the little red convertible and waved goodbye.

  He was humming a little tune as he walked inside and headed up the stairs to the shower. Minutes later, as he stepped out and reached for a towel, he heard the sound of Selena’s voice on his message machine. Ignoring the puddle of water, he snatched up the phone while glancing at the clock. “Isn’t it a bit early for a business call?”

  There was the slightest pause before Selena said, “You’re there. I thought maybe you’d gone somewhere for the weekend.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Because I phoned you yesterday afternoon and left an urgent message, and you didn’t even bother to respond.” She gave an exaggerated sigh. “Apparently it’s true what they say. Out of sight, out of mind. Now that you’ve physically left the business, it’s all too apparent that you’ve left it emotionally, as well.”

  “I’m sorry, Selena.” Ethan glanced down at the flashing red light on his message machine. “I forgot to check my messages. What was so urgent that you’re calling at dawn?”

  “The Davis contract hit another snag. They wouldn’t agree to the delivery date we’d promised them. I needed to be certain you could live up to an earlier date, but when I didn’t hear from you, I had to make an executive decision without your input. I hope you’re in the mood to work day and night, because you’re now going to have to deliver the new software program for their approval by the end of the mon

  He ran his fingers through his hair, swearing silently. Aloud he merely said, “If that’s the agreement, I guess I’ll have to live with it.”

  “You could always come back to Maine, and we could work on the program together.”

  “Not a chance.” He balanced the phone between his ear and shoulder while he fastened the towel around his waist.

  “That sounds ominous. Don’t tell me you’re considering making this move to Nowheresville permanent.”

  When he didn’t respond, she changed the subject. “You never reported back on that little date to the drive-in. Was it a trip back in time to the sixties? Did they have teenage girls carrying trays to your car? Or maybe that landscaper, what’s her-name, did the fetching for you.”

  “Her name is Hannah. And the boys and I had a great time. In fact, Selena, we’re having the time of our lives here in Nowheresville. And every day we’re here it’s starting to feel more and more like home.”

  The silence on the other end of the line seemed to go on for several beats before Selena finally said, “I can see I caught you at a bad time. You’d better go make yourself some coffee. Call me back after the caffeine kicks in.”

  Ethan replaced the receiver and caught sight of his frown in the mirror. After flying through a night of pure fantasy, all it took to bring him to earth with a thud was a well-aimed dart tipped with reality.

  Ethan and the boys stepped out onto the deck and watched as Hannah and her crew began stowing the equipment for the night. The retaining wall was completed, with lush plantings of fernlike foliage and flowering shrubs flowing over and around the boulders, softening every inch of space.

  Hannah approached, hair damp and sweaty, jeans and T-shirt streaked with dirt. She tipped up her water bottle, draining it. “Well? What do you think?”

  “It’s beautiful.” Ethan touched a hand to her cheek. “Almost as beautiful as you.”

  She winked at his sons and pressed her palm to his forehead. “Either your daddy is feeling feverish, or his eyes have gone bad. That retaining wall is beautiful. All I am is filthy and sweaty.”

  Danny giggled. “Daddy’s right, Hannah. You’re beautiful.”

  She dropped down on one knee and touched his forehead, then did the same with T.J. “It’s just as I thought. All the Harrison men seem to have acquired a rare strain of Devil’s Cove roseola spectacle psychosis. The dreaded rose-colored glasses syndrome. I’d call my sister, Dr. Emily, to see if there was a cure, but I’m not sure that’s wise.”

  “Why?” Danny asked in perfect innocence.

  “Because then you’d see me as I really am, this filthy, sweaty creature, and would no longer see me as a dazzling beauty. I think I prefer your vision to the truth.”

  The little boys knew by the way their father was laughing that Hannah was making a joke. And though they didn’t quite understand, they ughed along with him, enjoying the moment.

  “Daddy says you’re staying for dinner.”

  “First I’m going home to soak in my tub.�
�

  “Why don’t you take a bath here?”

  “Because I also need to get clean clothes.”

  “Then will you come back here to eat?”

  “Absolutely.” She waved to her departing crew before turning toward her truck. “Give me an hour.”

  “Can we go along?” Danny shouted. “We could play with Tiger and Marmalade while you take your shower.”

  Even while Ethan was protesting, she paused, then returned to the deck. “Now why didn’t I think of that?” She glanced at Ethan. “If your father has no objections, I’d like to take you both along.”

  “In your truck?” Danny was already clapping his hands.

  T.J., looking suddenly pleased, did the same.

  “Why not? There’s room for both of you.”

  When she turned to Ethan, he merely shrugged. “If you’re sure…”

  “I am.” She caught the boys’ hands. “Come on. Let’s get your car seats out of your daddy’s car. Tiger and Marmalade have been lonesome for playmates.”

  With Ethan’s help, she buckled the two boys into her truck before sliding behind the wheel.

  “Think you can stand being alone for an hour?” she called through the open window.

  “I’ll try not to go stir crazy.” He waved until her truck was out of sight.

  As he turned toward the house, it occurred to Ethan that Hannah’s question hadn’t been too far off the mark. Since Elizabeth’s death the boys had rarely been out of his sight. Their safety was his primary concern. But maybe, he thought with a trace of unease, it wasn’t the only reason for his vigilance. Two busy little boys assured him that he would have little time left over for himself. And so he had welcomed the distraction, knowing it kept him from dwelling on the pain of his loss.

  “We made it.” Hannah and the boys breezed onto the deck while she tapped her watch. “With five minutes to spare.”

  “Marmalade let me hold him,” Danny was shouting.

  “Me, too.” T.J. was twitching with excitement.

  Hannah inhaled the fragrance of onions and peppers on the grill. “Oh, something smells wonderful.”