by Jaci Burton
She grinned and wrapped her hand around his neck to pull him toward her for a kiss. “Have a good day.”
“You, too.”
She got in her car, and Kal pulled away first. She headed toward home, realizing that tension she’d been carrying all week was gone.
The night out with the girls had definitely helped. But the morning with Kal had been what she’d really needed.
She had a smile on her face as she entered the highway toward home.
CHAPTER 22
Kal wasn’t sure how Hannah would feel about an invite to his parents’ home for Saturday night dinner, but the whole family was going be there, and he wanted Hannah to be there, too.
Surprisingly, when he’d asked her, she’d said yes. His mother said to tell Hannah to bring Oliver along, too, since this was a family barbecue. Hannah had seemed happy that Oliver was included. And Kal was pretty pumped about it, too. He wanted everyone to meet Oliver, and for Oliver to meet his whole family.
And since Oliver finally had his cast on, he was a lot more mobile now. Plus, Kal hadn’t seen much of Hannah in the past week because he’d covered a couple of shifts for one of the guys on another TRT who’d been sick, so he’d been working practically nonstop. He was looking forward to spending some time with Hannah today.
He picked up Hannah and Oliver at their house.
“Where’s your mom?” he asked Hannah.
“She’s out on a date. She left this afternoon, didn’t tell me where she was going or with whom, other than she had a date.”
“Hmm. Same mystery guy?”
Hannah shrugged. “No idea. I asked, and she told me it’s none of my business.”
“Secretive, isn’t she?”
“Very.”
Oliver came running out and threw himself against Kal. “Hi, Kal.”
“Hey, buddy. I’ve missed you.” Kal hugged him back, happy to be around Oliver again.
“I missed you, too. We’re going to your momma’s house today?”
“Yup.”
“And your daddy is a fireman, like you?”
“Yup. And so are my two brothers. You remember Jackson from the day we went to the festival, right?”
“Yeah. He’s a fireman, too? And you have another brother?”
“I do.”
“Wow. You’re so lucky.”
Kal caught Hannah’s sigh. He wondered what that was about, but he didn’t have time to ask, because she gathered up a tote bag and handed it to him, and they headed out to the truck. On the way, Oliver asked him tons of questions.
“Are we goin’ to the house where you grew up?”
“No, my parents bought a new house a year or so ago. This one has a pool.”
“Oh, a pool. Mom, did you pack my swim trunks?”
“I did, but remember, you have the cast so you can’t get it wet.”
“Aww, man.”
Kal smiled.
“Do they have pets?” Oliver asked.
“No, they don’t. But they like animals.”
“I like dogs. Someday we’ll have our own house and then I’m gonna get a dog, right, Momma?”
“That’s right.”
They turned onto the street and parked in the driveway behind Rafe’s truck.
“It’s a lovely house, Kal. I can see why your mom wanted this one.”
“Yeah,” he said as they got out of the truck and he looked at the house. “Mom said it was perfect for her. Just the right size.”
“And the landscaping is gorgeous. All the flowers.”
He figured Hannah would pick up on that.
He gathered up the bags Hannah had packed, while Hannah picked up the bouquet of flowers she’d brought.
Oliver ran up to the porch and was first at the door. Kal liked that he wasn’t shy, which was a good thing in his family. His mom opened the door before Oliver had the chance to ring the bell.
“I saw you pull up.” She smiled down at Oliver. “You must be Oliver. I’m Laurel.”
Oliver held up his arm. “Hi. I broke my wrist. I have a cast.”
“I see that. It must have hurt.”
“Yeah, it did.”
Kal hugged his mom. “Hey, Momma.”
“My sweet baby. How are you?”
“Good.”
His mom folded Hannah into a hug, which was her thing. She hugged everyone. If Oliver hadn’t dashed inside he’d have been hugged, too. “Good to see you again, Hannah. I’m happy you took me up on my invitation, and that you brought Oliver.”
“Thank you for inviting us over today.”
“Come on in, you two. I made iced tea and lemonade, and of course there’s wine and beer for anyone who wants that. Oh, and I made margaritas. Josh bought me a margarita machine for my birthday. He knows how much I love those.”
Hannah and his mom walked in front of him, side by side. “That sounds fun. I’ll bet those are great poolside during the hot summer.”
“They so are. Would you like one?”
“I’d love one. Fire that machine up.”
“Momma, they have the coolest pool out back,” Oliver said, tugging on her hand. “Come look.”
Hannah had barely gotten to the kitchen and set the flowers down. “Okay. Let’s see it.”
Oliver dragged her to the door. “That’s a pretty great pool, isn’t it?”
“Hi, Oliver,” Carmen said as she came into the room. “Isn’t that an awesome pool?”
“Hi, Nurse Carmen. Did you see my cast?”
“I did. And I thought you might want to go swimming today, so I brought a cover for your cast that’ll keep it dry in the pool.”
“Really? I can swim today? Can I, Momma?”
“If Nurse Carmen says you can, then you can.”
“Cool!”
Kal’s dad, Josh, walked over. “Hey, Hannah. Good to see you.”
“Mr. Donovan.”
He motioned to Oliver. “It’s Josh. And come on, Oliver, let’s go take a look at the pool. Later we’ll go for a swim.”
“Okay.”
Hannah exhaled now that she’d managed to take a breath. What a whirlwind.
She walked over to the island where she’d set everything down and picked up the flowers she’d brought. “These are for you, Laurel.”
“Oh, how sweet of you. They’re so pretty. Let me get a vase to put those in.”
“I hear we’re firing up the margarita machine,” Carmen said, sliding into the seat at the kitchen island next to Hannah.
“That’s what I hear.”
“Momma, Jackson and Becks have their dog!” Oliver ran through the back door, his eyes wide with excitement.
“They do? That’s so awesome.”
“His name is Edgar and he’s a puppy, but he’s big. He’s German shepherd and . . . somethin’ else. I forget.”
“Labrador,” Kal said, coming up to stand behind Hannah’s chair.
“Yeah, that’s it. I’m gonna go back out and play with him. After I go to the bathroom.”
“Down the hall and it’s the first door, Oliver,” Laurel said.
Hannah tilted her head back to look at Kal. “You knew about this?”
“The dog? Yeah. Remember the fall festival? The dog they were looking at that day?”
“Oh, right. I remember that puppy.”
Kal grinned. “He’s a lot bigger now. It took a while for the home inspection and paperwork and vet check and all of that with the foster organization. But he’s been at the house for the past few days.”
“That’s great. How’s he doing?”
“He’s a lot of energy.”
“Oh. So like having a kid around, huh?” Hannah gave him a smile.
“You would know better than me.”
Becks came through the door just as Laurel had the machine going. “I’m just in time for margaritas, I see.”
“Take a seat,” Kal said, grabbing a beer from the fridge. “I’m going out back to hang out with the guys.”
Kal left, and Becks slid into one of the chairs.
“You know, it wasn’t all that long ago that I was surrounded by nothing but men and boys,” Laurel said, filling glasses with margarita mix. “Now look at this room.”
“We are pretty awesome, aren’t we?” Becks asked.
Laurel slid glasses to Hannah, Carmen and Becks, and lifted her own glass. “Here’s to all the amazing women.”
“To women,” Carmen said.
“Cheers,” Hannah said, toasting these women who had become her friends, and Laurel, who she’d known since she was a teenager.
Hannah took a sip. “Mmm, this is very good.”
“Thank you.”
Hannah turned to Carmen. “So, are you all settled back into work and home life after the honeymoon?”
Carmen nodded. “More or less. Though my head’s still on that beach.”
“I’ll bet it was nice,” Becks said.
“So very nice. I was digging in my heels getting on that plane. I thought about a mutiny, but Rafe was the one who insisted on coming home. He’s such a practical guy. Wanting us to keep our jobs, pay the mortgage . . .”
Laurel shook her head. “It’s one of his biggest faults. I did my best with him, Carmen.”
Hannah laughed. “You can always go back on vacation. Or for your first anniversary.”
“I’m hoping to be pregnant by our first anniversary.”
“That’s sweet news to my heart,” Laurel said. “Josh and I are so ready for grandbabies.”
“Aww,” Becks said, chin in her hand. “Babies. I can’t wait for babies. Your babies, that is, Carmen.”
“Not in any hurry, huh?” Hannah asked.
“Not in the least. I want to get married, run around the house naked with my husband for a year or two. Then we can talk babies.”
Laurel gave Becks a smirk.
“Sorry, Laurel,” Becks said. “Probably too much information.”
Laurel shrugged. “Hey, I still like running around the house naked with my husband.”
Hannah laughed.
“Oh my God, Laurel,” Becks said, laughing. “Now that is too much information.”
“Hey, can’t I have a sex life, too? I mean, no kids running around my house anymore. What are Josh and I supposed to do around here at night? Watch the news?”
“What are you all talking about?” Kal asked as he walked in to grab a few beers from the fridge.
“Your parents’ sex life,” Hannah said.
“And, I’m out.”
Eyes wide, Kal made a beeline for the back door, causing all the women to burst into wild laughter.
“Can I clear a room or what?” Laurel asked.
“You’re the master at it, ma’am,” Carmen said.
Laurel shrugged. “Hey, if you can’t embarrass your children, you’re doing parenting wrong.”
“I’m definitely filing that one away for later,” Hannah said.
They took their drinks outside and sat at the table on the shaded porch. It was a humid, hot day, and all the guys decided to get into the pool. Carmen fitted Oliver’s cast with the airtight waterproof cover, which fit perfectly, but wasn’t bulky, so he’d have mobility.
Hannah went over to him. “No roughhousing. No jumping in the pool. You get too rambunctious in the water, I’m pulling you out. Understood?”
He nodded. “Yes.”
Josh came over and put his arm around Oliver’s shoulders. “You have four firefighters here. And I have very strict pool rules, which I’ve already told him about. We’ve got this, don’t we, Oliver?”
“Yes, sir.” Oliver gave Josh a wide smile.
Hannah could tell Oliver was taking this seriously, so she nodded. “Okay, then. Have fun.”
She took a seat and picked up her drink, sipping it while she watched Oliver do his best not to jump headfirst into the water. She’d put him in swimming lessons when he was a baby, wanting to make sure he would always be safe in the water. He knew how to swim, plus, Josh was right—her son was surrounded by the best lifeguards she could ever hope for. She didn’t have to worry about him.
The guys batted a ball around in the pool, and Edgar lay at the edge of the pool and barked until Jackson tossed a tennis ball and the dog went to chase it.
Hannah couldn’t imagine a more idyllic Saturday evening.
“How’s the wedding planning going, Becks?” Hannah asked.
“Good. Got the venue, the caterer, the cake and the invitations ordered. We decided on a deejay instead of a band, so that’s taken care of. Now I just have to find a dress.”
“Do you have a certain dress in mind?” Laurel asked.
Becks shrugged. “I don’t know. Not really. I want to find something I love, but I’ve had no luck so far. I’ve tried on several. None of them feel like the right one.”
“It can be hard to find a dress,” Carmen said. “It’s more like a feeling you have when you put a dress on that you know it’s your dress. The dress.”
Becks nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly the problem I’m having. Plus going by myself means I don’t have anyone to offer opinions.”
“Aww, I’d have gone with you, honey,” Laurel said. “All you had to do was ask.”
“I didn’t want to bother you.”
Laurel pinned Becks with a look. “We’re family. Family is never a bother.”
Becks leaned across the table to squeeze Laurel’s hand. “Thank you.”
“I’d go, too,” Carmen said. “I’m loaded with opinions.”
Hannah didn’t want to insinuate herself in a family thing, so she stayed quiet.
“What about you, Hannah?” Becks asked. “Would you be interested in coming along and offering up your thoughts?”
She internally squealed with delight. “Are you kidding? I’d love to.”
“Great.” Becks beamed a smile. “Let’s figure out a day and time that works for everyone.”
It turned out that tomorrow would be the perfect day that worked for everyone. Even though it was a Sunday, the bridal shops were open, and everyone had the day off, so they made plans to have brunch and then shop.
“I’m so excited,” Becks said. “Thank you all for agreeing to go with me. There are a few shops I haven’t been to yet, so I hope you don’t mind doing a circuit with me.”
“We’re excited, too, Becks,” Laurel said. “I’ll bet you decide on a dress tomorrow.”
“I can’t wait,” Hannah said. “I love dress shopping, even if it isn’t for me.”
Becks laughed. “Tomorrow is going to be so much fun.”
They decided to change and get into the pool to cool off. Hannah slid into the water and swam over to Oliver, who was obviously having a blast. Josh had given him some goggles, so he dived to the bottom of the pool searching for the items that Jackson, Rafe and Kal had tossed down there. When he surfaced, he grinned at her.
“Can we get a pool, Momma?”
“Maybe someday. When we have a house of our own.”
“I like swimming.”
“I can tell. Are you having fun?”
“Yeah. And I like this bubble over my cast. Carmen said it . . . uh . . . unflates or somethin’. Anyway, we can take it home and I can have it for the shower.”
“Deflates,” she corrected. “That was very nice of her.”
“Yeah. I’m gonna go play ball, okay?”
She smiled. “Sure.”
Hannah swam over to the side and rested her arms on the edge, enjoying the cool water while she watched some of the group play ball.
> Kal swam over to her. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, why?”
“Because we’re all playing and you’re over here like you’ve been excluded.” He grabbed her hand. “Come on. Play with us.”
She laughed. “Okay.”
They ended up stringing a net and playing a game of water volleyball. Oliver was situated on the shallow end of the pool with Laurel, Josh, Becks and Hannah, while Carmen, Jackson, Rafe and Kal had the deep end.
It was so much fun Hannah nearly choked down swallows of pool water laughing. The Donovans definitely played a cutthroat game of water volleyball. No one gave an inch, which Hannah liked. And they treated Oliver like a member of the family. Josh even lifted Oliver out of the water so he could spike a ball over the net.
Jackson shot his father a look. “That’s cheating.”
“Yeah, show me where in the rule book.”
They switched up teams midway, and she and Kal ended up on the same team at the deep end of the pool, which meant that Hannah had to tread water while playing. She noticed Kal stayed close to her, even wrapping his arm around her a few times while they switched locations. It seemed as if he found every opportunity to get close to her, to grab her hand or touch her in some way. And he was always smiling at her and asking if she was okay.
Small gestures, but to her, they meant a lot.
In the end, Hannah had lost count of which team had won the most games. All she knew for sure was that she was utterly exhausted and needed a drink. They all climbed out of the pool and dried off. Hannah went inside with the women, and they made side dishes while the guys started up the grill and cooked pork chops for dinner.
Hannah helped with the mashed potatoes, spinach, collard greens and carrots, along with a delicious fruit salad.
“Kal tells me you don’t eat meat, Hannah,” Laurel said while they sliced tomatoes and mozzarella to make a caprese salad.
“I’m not a vegetarian. I just don’t eat a lot of meat. I’ll be digging into those pork chops tonight, though. I think I worked up a meaty appetite in the pool.”
Laurel laughed. “Me, too.”
Dinner was amazing, and Hannah ate a bit of everything, including a pork chop, which was delicious.
“You ate meat today,” Kal said. “Does that mean we’ve dragged you over to the carnivore side?”
