“I thought that safety was the reason for leasing the SUV,” she challenged.
“It was,” he spluttered. “That death trap you were driving could have broken down and left you and the girls stranded at any given moment.” He leaned towards her. “A safe vehicle does not replace the need for a phone. What if you’re in an accident?” He threw his hands in the air in disgust. “And I know how much you value organization. This will help!” He could tell she was still unmoved. “Damn it, Hannah!” He growled. “Why won’t you just let me take care of you? Why won’t you let me help you?” His shoulders drooped in defeat. He stared at her. She was so stubborn. She was such a challenge. “Fine. We’re not through discussing this. We’ll talk more once the girls are in bed.” And he turned on his heels and headed down the stairs to the dining room.
Needing a few moments to gain her self composure, Hannah had gone into her bathroom and stared at her reflection in the mirror. She wasn’t pleased with what she saw. She leaned over the sink and finally laid her cheek against the cool marble counter, waiting for the negative feelings welling up within her to dissipate. She struggled to make sense of that. She smiled weakly. It wasn’t that he would ever hold it over her head. She sighed. And she knew he genuinely was concerned for her safety and that of the children. She scowled. On top of that, he had obviously given it some thought, some careful selection. Great. She was going to have to back down. She was going to have to concede defeat. More than anything, that would make her feel weak, and she hated being weak.
With each step toward the dining room, her stomach hurt more. It was too quiet, she realized, when she walked through the archway. The room was empty. She went to the hearth room and the kitchen only to find those rooms vacant as well. Confused, she stood for a moment in the stillness. The sounds of laughter wafted through the open French doors. Slowly, she peered out the door. The kids weren’t seated at the patio table either. A movement to her left caught her attention. She turned and gasped.
There was a big red linen tablecloth laid out on the ground surrounded by numerous candles. Having noticed her arrival, Gavin walked over and threw a wrap over her shoulders. “It’s getting a bit chilly,” he commented in a low voice. “I thought you might need this.”
She stood there, staring up at him, fully aware of the warmth that was spreading through her from his hands lingering on her shoulders. Something about the moment left her breathless. She nodded and whispered, “Thank you.”
“Come eat with us,” he murmured as he propelled her down the steps toward the grassy spot he had selected for their dinner.
The girls were chattering happily while they ate their pizza. “Look, Mommy! A real picnic!” And they laughed in true delight.
“I find that sometimes when the meal is nothing much to look at, a little ambiance helps,” Gavin said with a hesitant smile.
“I can’t believe you,” she said, shaking her head as he passed her a plate of food. She sat and stared about her. She couldn’t have asked for a more pleasant night for a picnic. The twilight was taking hold, the stars appearing by degrees in the darkening sky. If she listened closely enough, she could hear the water lapping at the shore. It was the kind of experience that made her wish for things that could never be. She blinked to hold back the tears that threatened to form in her eyes. Better that she save her energy for eating. No use upsetting her stomach further. And she threw herself into the conversation taking place around her.
That night, before she was even seated in the chair across from him, Gavin was pressing the phone issue once more. He swallowed. It was hard for him to say what needed to be said. He was used to barking orders and being taken seriously. He should have known this woman was going to give him trouble from the start when she didn’t even recognize the importance of his family name. His mouth felt like sand as he struggled to form the one word that he knew might sway her, might make her more malleable. For reasons he couldn’t possibly express, that she accept the phone was of the utmost importance to him at that moment.
“Please,” he croaked. His head bowed slightly and his voice dropped several decibels, “Please take the phone.” He no longer held it in his clammy palm. Instead he nudged it across the desk with one finger until it was in front of her. Then he slowly moved his hand away, as though he were afraid any rapid movement might spook her.
Relief flooded through her. He was giving her an out. They were both wrong. They were both right. The solemn look faded and was replaced by a hesitant smile. Her head dropped to the side as she studied him a moment. “Okay,” she said quietly. His reaction she recognized as relief with a hint of disbelief. She nodded again to reassure him. “I’ll take the phone.”
His shoulders sagged as though a heavy burden had been lifted. They were both winning. And had he really lost anything by asking nicely? Gavin watched as the transformation in Hannah was complete. He could actually see her brightening as they eyed each other across the desk.
“So, are you going to teach me how to use it?” The playful tone had returned to her voice.
“Of course,” he said smiling. He motioned to the couch that was close to the fire. “Let’s go sit over there and I’ll help get you started.” They walked over to the couch and she once again folded her legs under her. He smiled, knowing it meant she was comfortable. All was well between them once more.
“What should we do first?” She asked eagerly, practically bouncing with enthusiasm
“First, we’ll program all the important numbers.” He smiled. “Naturally, I have already taken the liberty of programming all my important numbers for you.” He showed her how to scroll through her phone book. “The direct line to my office is in there, as well as the home phone, my cell phone…” His voice trailed off as he continued through the directory, “And this is the doctor.” He tried to hide a chuckle, knowing full well that he would get a jab to the shoulder for that comment.
Hannah didn’t disappoint him, but surprised him instead with an elbow to the side. “You insufferable man,” she complained half-heartedly, earning a full-blown laugh. Her eyebrows rose expressively at the unfamiliar but welcome sound. “Thanks for the tour; can I add some of my important numbers now?”
“Certainly. Let’s see what you consider to be an important number.” He glanced at the ceiling while he thought. “Oh, I know. Wing Stop. Papa John’s Pizza. And let’s not forget Ru San’s.” He smirked as he listed some of her favorite restaurants.
“Actually,” she said playfully, “I thought I’d start with family and friends. We’ll add Amy first.”
Though he was sitting closest to the fireplace and the room had to be seventy degrees, he shivered. “Amy?” He asked weakly.
“She’s my best friend since grade school,” Hannah began in explanation. “Amy Pendergast. She’s a big shot lawyer. I’m just lucky she’s representing me for free.” Hannah continued to prattle on about the nature of their relationship, but Gavin had gone strangely silent once he recognized his lawyer’s name. Suddenly, realizing that he was no longer paying attention, she paused. “Are you okay?” Her face was truly concerned. And without thinking, the back of her hand skimmed his forehead as she wiped at the cold sweat that had broken out.
“Hmm. No fever,” she murmured as she moved to reach behind him and feel the back of his neck.
Instead, Gavin caught her wrist. “I think I just need to lie down.” He tried to shrug off the incident. “Having you around is clearly too much excitement for my weak constitution.” He gave a half-hearted smirk and rose from the couch.
“It’s only nine o’clock,” Hannah protested. She studied him for a moment and saw that he wasn’t relenting. “Well, if you really don’t feel well…” She glanced about the room. “I’ll shut down the house, but do you mind if I stay here and read for a bit?”
“That’s fine, Hannah,” he said as he ruffled her hair on his way to the door.
She rose, scowled at him, and moved to her seat in front of his desk. By th
e time he closed the door behind him, she was already engrossed in her book with the phone on the desk within arm’s reach. He smiled ever so slightly and headed down the hall.
The girls had been taken to preschool, the dry cleaning had been picked up, the mail had been sorted, and Hannah couldn’t stop fidgeting. She was restless as she watched the demolition take place. She was restless as the men loaded the truck to take the items selected to the Habitat for Humanity store. Now, with nothing to do for the next several hours, she was even more restless.
Finally, Madge could stand it no longer. “Why don’t you just go work in the studio?” She watched Hannah pretend to mull the idea over. “You know that’s what you’ve been thinking about for the last several hours anyway,” she said smugly.
Turning a lovely shade of salmon, Hannah shrugged. “I can’t help it. I like staying busy. Would you mind terribly if I just went down to the studio for a couple of hours?” She glanced at the clock. It was only one thirty and she wouldn’t be able to pick up the girls until four so as not to upset their routine. She could work for a few hours and still have plenty of time to clean up before heading out.
Slowly she made her way to the studio. It weighed heavy on her heart that she was doing this behind Gavin’s back. She didn’t like lying, and though some would suggest that this wasn’t technically a lie, it still felt that way to her. She frowned. On top of that, her work would never be comparable to that of India. Though Hannah didn’t like the pieces she had seen scattered about the house, she could recognize the imagination and ability that had produced them. No, she was nothing like India.
Leaving the doors to the studio flung wide open, Hannah invited the sun and fresh air inside. The room had smelled stale when it was first unlocked. After her thorough cleaning it smelled almost medicinal. Smiling, she nodded. She knew how to remedy that. Rushing from the room, she bounded up the steps and headed straight to the enormous closet in her bedroom. She grabbed the boxes from the shelves and remembering that last time she over did, sighed, opting to take them to the studio one at a time.
Several more trips and she was ready to get down to business. At one time, before the twins, she had been popular on the arts and crafts circuit. Her candles were much admired for their scent, their hand painted containers, and their longevity. Smiling to herself, she imagined what she could accomplish in this amazing room. Snapping out of her reverie, she smirked. Nothing would get accomplished if all she did was stand around dreaming about it.
Slowly she unwrapped the packing from some glass containers she had already prepared. Examining them, she heaved a sigh of relief that the designs were still intact. She could actually have candles ready to go in a few hours.
Before long, Hannah was humming to herself. So engrossed was she in the process that she didn’t see Madge peeking around the corner. She stepped in closer, unwilling to startle the woman as she poured the hot fragrant wax. Once she saw that Hannah was done, she cleared her throat. “Sorry to disturb you, but it’s about that time,” Madge warned, pointing to the clock hung over the back counter.
Nodding, Hannah pulled off the apron and hung it on a nail she found in the wall. She was more relaxed than she had been in ages. And she knew it wasn’t just the studio, it was everything. Her life finally felt settled, finally made sense. Just then, an unfamiliar chime interrupted her thoughts.
“Oh,” she giggled. “My first call.” The screen showed that it was Gavin calling from the office phone. “Are you calling to place your dinner order?” She asked with a laugh.
“Alas, no,” he said seriously. For hours he had procrastinated about contacting her. “I have a meeting tonight after work. I won’t be home until later. Please don’t wait dinner for me.” He was eager to hang up, eager to get this meeting over with. If he was being truly honest, he was torn about going home as well. Seeing Hannah had somehow become the best times of his day. Finding her smiling face and easy demeanor every morning in the keeping room while he drank coffee and she sipped tea before facing the rest of his dreary day was an experience that was only rivaled by his evenings spent with her in the study.
Leaning back in his chair, he sighed as he realized how important it was to him that she was there, waiting on him when he returned from the office. Her face would brighten when he entered the room, and soon they would be swapping stories about their day. He liked sneaking up the stairs and listening to her read to the girls. And then, he had come to count on her sitting across from his desk reading at night. It was so comfortable. In such a short period of time, Hannah had succeeded in turning his house into a home. He gulped. He actually liked having her and the girls around. So much for his revenge, but maybe he had a chance at something even better.
“Well, what do you think?” Hannah asked on the other end of the phone. There was an edge to her voice that told him she had asked a question and he had completely missed it while he was lost in thought.
“I’m sorry, Hannah,” he apologized sincerely. “I was distracted.”
Sighing loudly, she repeated the questions, “What if I feed the girls and continue their routine and I just wait to eat with you?” She asked as if this were the most natural question in the world.
“You would wait to eat with me?” His voice was incredulous. With India, he was lucky to have a plate in the oven. He’d hunt around and eventually find her every time in her studio.
“I offered, didn’t I?” She responded, seriously.
“I was just going to hit a drive-thru on the way home, but if you’re willing to wait, I’ll grab us something different so it’s fresh and hot.” His mind was already spinning with the possibilities.
“Nothing too extravagant,” she warned. “I hate when you spend money on me.”
“Fine,” he scowled. And the Ruth’s Chris take-out dream fizzled. Instead…Long Horn? Now he had something to look forward to, as long as his meeting went well.
Half an hour after leaving the office, Gavin found himself sitting across from none other than Amy Pendergast. She looked particularly uptight this evening in her navy blue dress suit. This was a woman to be taken seriously.
“I was surprised to hear from you,” Ms. Pendergast began. “The divorce is final. I expected our dealings would be done.” She folded her hands on the desk and waited for him to reveal the nature of their scheduled encounter.
Choosing his words carefully, Gavin finally spoke. “Well, it has come to my attention that we have someone in common.” He waited for her reaction.
An eyebrow rose sharply. “Someone?” She asked. “Not something?”
“Oh, most definitely someone.” He leaned forward and watched as she slowly leaned back in her chair.
“Don’t keep me in suspense,” she said. “Do tell.”
Swallowing, he said, “Hannah and the girls are living with me.” And then he waited.
Amy stood abruptly and leaned over the desk. She could keep her cool in court, around a mediation table, and in meetings, but Hannah was her weakness. They were more like sisters than friends. She was fiercely protective of her. “How is it that Hannah is living with you?” She asked angrily. She racked her brain for a reason that Gavin might be punishing her. The settlement didn’t go precisely the way he had hoped, but still it was more than fair. She had always taken his calls. They were in constant contact during the process. Why must Hannah suffer for whatever imagined injustice he had endured?
This reaction was exactly what Gavin was trying to avoid. “Please sit,” he said warily. He could sense her hesitancy. “I said ‘please,’” he reminded her. Suddenly that word had taken residence in his vocabulary. It was becoming so commonplace that he had very nearly used it when speaking to an employee at the office.
Amy sat with a thud. “How have I wronged you?” She asked weakly.
“Wronged me?” Gavin asked. And suddenly his face lit up. She thought that he was using Hannah to punish her. It was almost laughable. Then a small voice in his head piped in. Nope it’
s not about her; Hannah was supposed to be punished for being a greedy self-serving bitch. His face darkened just as quickly. “You never wronged me, Ms. Pendergast.” He shook his head. “This isn’t about you.” He struggled with the explanation he had contrived to spout out during their discourse.
He began slowly, with great concentration, “My mother was nagging me about finding a woman. She wanted grandchildren. And there was Hannah, already with children, needing a place to stay.” He looked her in the eyes. “Everyone wins.” He shrugged. If that was the truth, why did he feel so lousy? But he knew. It was because that wasn’t his intent when he moved Hannah in. Well, according to the law, it wasn’t intent; it was actions that people were held accountable for. He straightened some. And he’d never hurt Hannah.
“You’re not here just to tell me that,” she said as she leaned forward to assess him with those angry eyes.
Gavin cleared his throat, feeling the weight of her stare. “No. I just want everything to continue as it has been. As you know, I don’t do well with change.”
Second Chances Page 13