Hannah's Blessing

by Collette Scott

  “Hi, Wills. Is Mr. Doyle here?”

  Wills reached for their bags and effortlessly hauled them over his wiry shoulders. “Hey, Mrs. Somerset! Welcome home. No, he’s still in New York. There’s a message at the house for you. How was your trip?”

  She sighed as she picked up the rest of the luggage while Lani helped Hannah into a borrowed wheelchair. “It was a great trip until the airport.” She managed a laugh, but the sound was as frazzled as her nerves. “Isn’t that always the way?”

  Wills smiled sympathetically. “I know what you mean. But we’ll get you home and settled. Mrs. Maclean has a meal all fixed up and waiting for you.”

  Diana remembered Devlan’s warnings about Mrs. Maclean’s cooking and shuddered. She wondered why he didn’t bring home Francois to cook for them. After all, the wild Frenchman was a superb cook. Remembering some of the menu choices he had offered to her made Diana even more disappointed to leave.

  “Mommy, is Uncle Devvie going to be there?” Hannah asked.

  “No, he’s still away.”

  “I want him to come back. Why won’t he come home?”

  Lani leaned over the wheelchair and made a hushing noise, but Diana sympathized with her cranky daughter. She was longing for his easygoing and cheerful presence as well.

  “I’m hungry,” Hannah whined.

  “We’re all hungry,” Wills said over his shoulder. “Hurry up and we’ll get home sooner.”

  Hannah giggled as the young man ran ahead of them and then turned around to wave at them to hurry. His antics drew a few curious looks, but his attempt to lighten the mood worked.

  “Traffic was awful on the ride down,” he said cheerfully as they loaded up the trunk.

  “Lovely,” Lani said.

  “But I’m hoping northbound will be easier,” he continued. “I’ll try to get you back as quickly as possible.”

  With a weary nod, Diana slipped into the cool car and closed her eyes. Her head lolled against the back of the seat as she listened to Hannah’s chatter. It would have been so easy to lose herself in the comfortable car, but she answered her daughter’s questions as they came and endured the long drive to Malibu.

  When they arrived, a stout woman was waiting on the steps. Without having to be told, Diana knew who it was. Biting back her laughter and the tears of loneliness that rose with it, Diana had to concede that Devlan had been completely right. Mrs. Maclean did look like a cream puff. She was short and stocky, with white hair and a round face. And her beaming countenance was the first thing Diana noticed when they pulled to the front of the house. With shuffling strides she met them at the car with a wide smile.

  “Why, hello, Mrs. Somerset. And Miss Hannah! How are you?”

  Diana climbed from the Bentley and reached out her hand in a friendly handshake. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

  “Oh, he tried to tell me how lovely you were, but I didn’t believe him. I just thought he was being a man and blind to all reason. I see now that I was wrong. Welcome home, ma’am.”

  Diana smiled shyly and ducked her head. All these compliments were welcome but definitely surprising. The close relationship that Devlan appeared to have with all his employees was remarkable. Their loyalty was beyond measure, and his trust and openness proved that the feeling was mutual. They entered the house together, stopping when Hannah gasped aloud at the gleaming luxury of the house.

  “We’re staying here, Mommy?”

  “Yes, but don’t break anything and don’t dirty anything.” She tapped her chin and sent a forlorn look in Hannah’s direction. “Actually just don’t touch anything.”

  Mrs. Maclean laughed. “Nonsense. She can go anywhere and do whatever she likes. It’s her house too.”

  Diana shook her head silently and narrowed her eyes in warning at Hannah. She nodded solemnly in return, her eyes wide with awe. She had never seen such luxury in her whole short life, let alone lived in it.

  As they helped her up the carpeted stairs to her new room, Hannah glanced around with plenty of oohs and ahhs. Excitement radiated from every pore, and she was beaming with joy by the time they reached her new room.

  “There’s so much to do. Look at all these toys! Are they mine, Mommy?”

  Diana listened to the chatter and answered when necessary, but all she wanted at that moment was to lie down and sleep. She half-heartedly played with Hannah, going through the paces on the floor with her toys like a robot. And though she knew that her downtrodden attitude was not good for her daughter to see, Hannah’s excitement was so great that she did not seem to notice her distraction.

  Once she was settled Diana went to her room next door, opening the door and inhaling the clean salt air. It was here in this house that Devlan had begun his seduction – that is, until his girlfriend entered the picture. Suddenly reminded that Devlan had a whole other life that she was unfamiliar with, Diana grimaced. Now that they had become lovers, she wondered if Devlan would break it off with Roxanne. If he did not, she was not sure what she would do. The idea of packing up Hannah and going back to Colorado was becoming harder and harder to imagine, even though she knew that it was what she would have to do sometime soon.

  But not yet, she reminded herself. She was not so blind that she could not see that he had been happy on the boat too.

  She walked across the room to open the French doors leading to the balcony. The swimming pool was just as she remembered, only without Devlan.

  Hannah came slowly into the room, precariously holding a box full of new toys in her fingers. She was still smiling, and Diana noticed how quickly she was recovering from her accident.

  “Look what Uncle Devvie left me!”

  “It was probably Kathy,” Diana muttered.

  “Who’s Kathy?”

  “No one, nothing,” Diana stammered. “Let’s have a look. Come to the bed.”

  Diana helped Hannah onto her mattress and together they opened all the new doll clothes. Hannah chattered excitedly the whole time.

  “Mommy, is Uncle Devvie going to marry you and be my daddy when he gets back?”

  Diana looked up in surprise. “I thought we already discussed this. Uncle Devlan is helping us out, but when you’re well we’ll go home.”

  “But I don’t want to go home, Mommy. I like it here. I love Uncle Devvie.”

  Diana sighed, a frown turning the corners of her mouth down. “I know you do, but this is only a temporary thing. Uncle Devlan is trying to be nice while your leg gets better, but he’s a very busy man. We can’t intrude on him forever.”

  “I thought he loved me.” Tears welled in Hannah’s blue eyes, slowly overflowing and streaming down her face. Diana gathered her into her arms and stroked her hair, hair so like her own.

  “You know what? I think we’ve had a long day and should get some rest. We’ll talk more about this later. Just remember that Uncle Devlan does love you. In fact, I think he loves you very much.”

  “I don’t want to go to bed, Mommy, I want Uncle Devvie.”

  Diana came to her feet and carried Hannah to her room. Then she placed the sobbing child under the covers and lay down next to her, softly stroking her back. As Hannah settled, Diana realized that this was just what she had feared. Though she knew the two had bonded, it never fully occurred to her the extent to which Hannah would attach herself to Devlan. Mistake already made, the more important question became how to handle the situation. As she lulled her to sleep, Diana pondered her newest dilemma. She already knew that the longer they stayed the harder it would be to leave. And it would become harder for Hannah to understand that they would have to do so sooner or later.

  What was she to do?

  Chapter 14

  Back in Denver there was a six-inch blanket of snow, and yet in Malibu the sun still shone brightly. The day had dawned unseasonably warm so Diana had donned her bathing suit and decided to lounge for a while out on the deck. She did not want to lose her Hawaiian tan too quickly, and Hannah and Lani were busy wor
king in the indoor gym which gave her a brief respite. Since she was left with nothing to do, she decided to take advantage of the freedom. It had only been a few minutes before she was dozing under the soothing music of Devlan’s iPod.

  “Happy birthday,” whispered a soft voice in her ear.

  Diana’s eyes opened suddenly, and she gasped her surprise. Devlan stood above her in the morning sunlight smiling broadly.

  “You’re looking great today, as usual,” he continued. He hunkered down to rest on the balls of his feet, disregarding the creaking of his highly-polished Italian leather shoes.

  With a squeal of pure pleasure, Diana reached forward and threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly and almost throwing him off balance.

  “Wow, hello to you too,” he said, laughing.

  His hands encircled her waist and he hugged her as he regained his balance. When they separated he placed a quick kiss on her cheek and handed her a brightly wrapped box.

  “Mike’s bringing this home even as we speak. If you throw on some shoes and something to cover your lovely little bottom, I’ll bring you out front to see.”

  Diana glanced at the box dubiously. “What’s the box for?”

  “Come with me and you’ll see.”

  Diana swung her legs over the deck chair and slipped her feet into her flip flops. As she came to her feet, she noticed Devlan was still staring at her. She flushed from head to toe with pleasure and excitement. He was finally home.

  Home?

  “I missed you,” he said, wrapping his arms around her again.

  “Where have you been? Hannah missed you dreadfully. She cried like the dickens when we got here and you were nowhere to be found.”

  “What about you, Diana? Didn’t you miss me?”

  “I, uh, of course,” she said with a shaky laugh.

  “You did miss me. Admit it.” He smiled lopsidedly. “I have never thought a king sized bed too big until you came into my life, woman. I have to admit that I’ve never slept so poorly before.”

  Diana laughed, and her apprehension began to melt away. “I know how you feel,” she admitted. “I haven’t slept too well myself.”

  “I noticed. You were out cold underneath those headphones. All I could hear was Elton John’s voice and piano. He’s all you listen to, isn’t he?”

  “He’s my favorite.”

  “Hmm, I’ll have to keep that in mind.” He released her and took a step back. “Come on before I molest you out here. I’ve got to go into the city for a while, but I wanted to give you your present first.”

  “It could’ve waited.”

  “I wanted to see you,” he admitted softly.

  Unable to hide her pleasure, she beamed. “I’m glad.”

  Reaching for a towel, Devlan wrapped it around her waist. “I’m not ready to share that luscious body with anyone.”

  She giggled and tied off the towel for him. “I have a sarong with me.”

  Devlan just locked his arm around her waist and led her to the front of the house. As they passed the open door, he released her long enough to search out Hannah and emerged moments later with her in his arms. Hannah was clinging to him tightly and rambling on and on, and Devlan seemed to enjoy the sound of her voice. Diana’s breath caught at the charming scene, for it still amazed her how well they got on. He understood her so well and had the patience of a saint. Not once had he lost his temper with her, and he really appeared to care for her. At the moment, he leaned over and planted a hearty kiss on her flushed cheek.

  “Ready? Mommy’s getting her birthday present.”

  Diana smiled at his reference to her. It seemed so natural for him to call her Mommy, and she liked the sound of it on his lips.

  When they had all come to stand on the front steps, Devlan gave her the okay to open the box. With shaking hands she untied the elaborate bow and then flipped it over to peel back the bright paper. The thick wrapping paper easily fell open, revealing a small box. It was too large to be a ring, but too small to be a bracelet or necklace. It was rectangular in shape and deep, so not earrings. With her heart pounding in her chest she took a deep breath and opened the box. What lay inside caused her to frown in confusion.

  “What is this? Is this some kind of car key?” she asked.

  Devlan smiled widely, his eyes dancing with excitement. “Yes, Diana, that gadget is a car key. And Mike will be here any – ahh, here he is now.”

  Diana spun around to see Mike pull into the driveway with a shiny new silver Mercedes sedan. Her mouth dropped open as the bodyguard halted the car in front of them, tooting the horn before he hopped out. “Here it is, Mrs. Somerset.”

  Diana glanced back at Devlan. “What’s this all about?”

  “Well, Mike turned your rental in. I thought it best to get you a car of your own.”

  “This is mine?”

  “Yes,” he said, nodding his dark head. His hands still had a grip on Hannah, but she could see that he wanted to embrace her. “It’s all yours, to keep. Happy birthday.”

  She approached the car hesitantly and peeked in the window. She still held the triangular shaped device in her hand that was supposed to be her car key. On it were buttons to unlock the door as well as a panic button. She stared down at it and then glanced back at Devlan, her eyes wide.

  “How do I work this?”

  The small group on the steps chuckled at her bewildered state, and Devlan put Hannah down before jogging down the steps to her side. His eyes were dancing with amusement. “This proves that your Corolla was just too old. Keyless entry has been around for a while now. Come here and I’ll show you.”

  She looked up at him hopefully. “Do you have time to go for a ride?”

  “Of course,” he answered with a slight frown.

  “Well you said you had to go to the city for a while, but I’d really like you to drive first. I just want to look at it.”

  “I’ll take you for a ride.”

  Diana slipped into the soft leather of the new Mercedes and ran her hands over the seats. Despite her comfortable upbringing, she had never owned a new car. The only car that she and Peter had bought new was the Mustang, and that had been his car alone. This was her treat, her car. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply the scent. There was nothing like the smell of a new car. The cleanliness and newness permeated the very air. On top of that clean smell was the delicious scent of Devlan.

  “This is amazing,” she breathed.

  “Ready?”

  She opened her eyes and glanced at him. His eyes glittered with unconcealed excitement. She could see that he was thrilled at having surprised her so much, but then her guilt returned. Fastening her seat belt, Diana smiled back, although her smile was slightly less confident and sure.

  “Devlan, I don’t know about this. It’s too much.” She shook her head. “I can’t believe you bought me a car!”

  “Nonsense.”

  He deftly started the motor and put the car into gear, pulling out of the driveway with a slight squeal of the tires. They were silent as he put the car through the paces along the quiet back streets of Malibu before heading back to the Pacific Coast Highway.

  “This car is magnificent,” he said appreciatively. “Just wait till you drive it.”

  “It’s beautiful… a work of art,” Diana returned. Her long fingers reached out and gently stroked the walnut trim. “It’s far too rich for me. Devlan, I really shouldn’t accept such a costly gift.”

  With an uncustomary show of anger, Devlan pulled the car to the side of the road. The only sound was the low sound of the radio and the quiet purring of the engine. Mumbling under his breath, Devlan twisted in his seat and scowled at her.

  “Hasn’t anyone told you that it’s rude to refuse a gift?”

  “Well, I –”

  “Don’t you think it’s time to stop refusing me?”

  “It’s not that.”

  Lean fingers reached out and grasped her chin, lifting it to meet his penetrating sta
re. His touch was gentle, but she could see irritation and frustration in the tight lines of his jaw and grim line of his mouth. “Then what is it?” he asked curtly.

  She sighed heavily. “When you do things like this I feel uncomfortable. I don’t want people to think that I’m here for your money.”

  “Everybody who’s anybody knows that you’re my sister-in-law. They all know that you’re here because of Hannah.” His voice lowered an octave as he continued. “Only those who were present know about our fling in Hawaii. I’ve taken great pains to ensure that our private relationship remains thus.”

  Diana nodded, and he released her chin to sit back in his seat. Fling? Since when had what happened between them become a fling? She stiffened in her seat, her brain refusing to believe what she had just heard. It was painful to think that he only viewed their relationship as a fling, and her all of old insecurities came flooding back.

  The car remained silent as they returned to the house. Devlan drove skillfully, though on the edge of reckless, and Diana knew that he was still irritated with her. She stared straight ahead until he pulled in the driveway and stopped the car.

  “You’re very quiet. Are you angry?” he asked softly.

  She shook her head no, not trusting her voice to speak.

  “I want to have dinner with you tonight. I’ll be in the office this afternoon, but if you’ll drive this into the city I’ll take you and Hannah out to celebrate.”

  Diana put on her best smile and nodded. He reached across the seat and planted a kiss on the top of her head. Even though she raised her chin to receive a kiss on her lips, Devlan released her and opened his door. He was at her side in an instant and gallantly opened her door for her.

  “I’ve really got to run. I’ll meet you at the office around seven o’clock, okay?”

  “How should we dress?”