I picked Luna up so that she didn’t get her slippers dirty and started off on the short walk to the farmhouse. About halfway there she wrapped her arms around my neck and snuggled against me. I knew that the time was running out on my carrying her days. Soon she’d be too big.
In just a few weeks, she’d be five years old. She was still tiny, which made carrying her easy, but I had a feeling once she started kindergarten, she would no longer be as accommodating to me picking her up. I wanted to treasure this time for as long as I possibly could.
Luna was excitedly talking my ear off about the fireflies that were flitting around the edge of the trees that the property backed up to. As much as I tried to be present with her and listen, my mind was preoccupied with all the different scenarios we might encounter when we arrived at Mr. Hank’s house.
Would he be home?
Would his wife be home?
Would he look as good as he’d sounded, smelled and felt?
When we reached the bottom steps, I paused as a rush of nervousness flooded through me. The wooden steps creaked as we made our way to the top. I got the oddest sensation of butterflies low in my belly and I took a deep breath in through my nose.
“Are you okay, Momma?” Luna asked.
“Yeah baby, I just have some butterflies in my belly.”
It had been a long time since I’d felt nerves like these. The last time had been when I met Richie eight years ago. That meeting had led to Luna, which was a good thing. But it had also led to me having to pack up our lives in the middle of the night and move across the country.
I’d do it all again because it gave me my baby girl. But there was a reason that I was gun-shy of butterflies.
After I knocked on the door, we waited and didn’t hear anything. It was then that it dawned on me that we were out in the country now. What if he was already in bed because he was an early riser. This wasn’t exactly a farm but it was a farmhouse. Maybe he got up with the roosters at dawn.
Shit, I inwardly cursed. Instead of disturbing him, I should have just left a note with his money inside.
I didn’t have time to write a note, but I figured that I could slide the cash under the door. Dollars to donuts, he’d figure out where it came from.
I set Luna down.
“What are you doing, Momma?”
“I’m just going to put the money right here for Mr. Hank,” I explained as I bent down, bracing my hand on the door as I slid the cash under it.
It had just disappeared when the door opened and I stumbled forward, falling on my hands and knees. My glasses fell to the ground.
“Momma!” Luna called out beside me. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” Unless I could die of embarrassment, I was fine. I was just about to pick up my glasses when I felt myself being lifted up off the ground. Large hands had scooped me up like I weighed nothing. And I definitely weighed something. I’d always been a curvy girl, but after having Luna those curves were even more voluptuous. She was about to be five and I still had fifteen pounds to lose from my baby weight.
But in Hank’s arms, I felt light as a feather. When he set me down and my feet touched the floor I automatically reached out and placed my hand on his chest for balance. That was a mistake. Feeling the chiseled planes of his chest beneath my palms caused my knees to weaken once again.
I jerked my hands away and when I did my legs wobbled beneath me.
“Are you okay?” he asked as he supported me.
“Uh, yeah, I just…” My mind was spinning trying to come up with an excuse as to why I’d reacted the way I had. “I was just…I dropped my glasses.” I gestured down to the ground.
“Here, Momma!” Luna placed them in my hand.
It sounded like a drumline was playing in my head from the pounding of my heart. Hank released his hold and I closed my eyes as I placed the glasses on my face.
I always wondered how the cast of Married at First Sight felt before they walked down to the altar and saw their soon-to-be-spouse for the first time. It had to be what I was feeling now. I was excited and sick to my stomach and light-headed. I was nervous and anxious and didn’t know if I was going to throw up or faint or both. That was the level of anticipation that I felt as I slowly lifted my lids.
When I did my jaw dropped and my entire body went numb. Apparently, the fail-safe switch worked for arousal as well. I’d never seen a more ruggedly handsome man in my life.
Bear-Man had a strong jaw covered with a well-trimmed beard that my fingers were itching to run through. His brown hair was a rich shade that complemented his tan complexion, suggesting he was a man that spent his days outdoors. His hazel eyes were surrounded by long, thick lashes that ninety percent of the women I knew would pay big bucks to have. And then there were his lips. I’d never paid much attention to a man’s lips before, but his lips were, for lack of a better word, kissable. They were drawing me like a neon sign flashing Kiss Me.
I wasn’t sure how long I’d been standing in awe and wonder as I stared at the sexiest man I’d ever seen when I heard Luna giggling.
I blinked and looked down to find her chasing the dollar bills that I’d pushed under his door that were now airborne after a breeze had blown through.
“Oh my gosh!” I began to scramble like one of those contestants in a glass box on a game show trying to catch as much money as they could.
There were several seconds of chaos before the money was all secured. I managed to grab two bills, Luna had three, and Hank had effortlessly recovered the rest.
“I um…we um…just wanted to stop by and return this.” I shoved the bills in Hank’s hand.
“You don’t have to do that.” Hank tried to push it back into mine.
Seeing his too-good-looking-to-be-true face, feeling his large, work-roughened palm against mine, and smelling the rich scent of manly musk was all too much for me. He was too much for me. My fight or flight instinct kicked in and since there was no way I stood a chance against knocking out the hormone spike I was currently experiencing, I went with flight.
“Yes, we do. I’m so sorry. Luna was playing Girl Scout.” I picked her up so that we could make a quick getaway. “Sorry again for disturbing you. Twice. Have a good night.” I turned to go and was on the steps when I heard the floorboards of the porch creak behind me.
“Did you want to come in? I can get the box.”
“It’s okay!” I called out as I rushed into the field.
“Momma, my treasure box,” Luna pleaded.
“We’ll get it later.” Or never.
I’d never had a reaction to someone like the one I’d just had to Hank. And for some reason, it scared me more than walking in and finding my condo vandalized.
CHAPTER 5
Hank
The parking lot of Southern Comfort was empty as I pulled into it. I shut the engine off, took off my ball cap, and ran my fingers through my hair. This was the last place I wanted to be right now. I wasn’t a fan of being summoned, especially when I was pretty damn sure I knew what the summons in question was about.
Billy had texted me about an hour ago asking if I could stop by. I’d been tempted to say no. The only thing that stopped me was I knew if I did that he’d just show up on my doorstep. And I wanted to be alone.