Almost Midnight (sweet contemporary romance) (Colorado Clearbrooks)

by Teresa McCarthy

  He stuffed the glass into the gorilla’s face, nodding for the man to sit down. To his amazement, Richards took a seat across the table. The man’s lips twisted into a wry smile over the rim his glass.

  “Just asking. Man’s got a right. Hannah’s needs a job, and I’m thinking of putting in a plug for her around Chicago. A woman with an engineering degree is in demand and you know it.”

  Tanner saw the glittering interest in the man’s eyes and battled against the jealousy consuming him. “She’s got a job, right here. When she’s better, she’ll be taking care of my son.”

  “Pffff. That’s not the kind of job I hear she’s looking for. The woman has a degree in engineering. She could work anywhere if it weren’t for her mother. But her mother loves it here, and it seems Hannah is willing to stay no matter what.”

  He leaned back in his chair, a glint of sarcasm flickering in his blue eyes. “Or is your idea that you hope she’ll be more of a nanny to you than your son?”

  Tanner controlled the impulse to pummel the man’s face. Instead, he shifted his gaze to the condensation that blanketed the outside of his glass. “You think she could do better in Chicago? Or is it that you think she could do better with you?”

  The accusation hung in the air. They glared at each other, as if they were standing in a boxing ring waiting for the bell to chime and start round one.

  It seemed like an eternity before Alex spoke. “Whatever works for me,” he finally said, then downed half his lemonade in one long swallow.

  It was all Tanner could do not to slam a fist up the gorilla’s nose.

  “I got money too, Clearbrook,” Alex said, smacking his lips. “But you got one up on me. Hannah likes that little boy of yours and I can’t blame her. Jeremy’s pretty cool.”

  Tanner gritted his teeth, wondering how long it was before his composure snapped.

  “But the problem is,” Alex went on, “I like Hannah. However, I can see the lady likes you. But if you slip up anytime in the next millennium, I’m going to be by her side faster than you can drive that Jaguar up your driveway.” He smiled then, flashing an irritating set of white teeth Tanner’s way.

  It was obvious the gorilla knew all along the exact reason Tanner had decided to work at home.

  Under the most stressful business dealings, Tanner had never lost his temper, but Richards was pushing him beyond reason. “Listen, Gorilla Man, I don’t know who gave you the right to come barging into my home, but I’ll tell you something right now, you’re leaving.”

  Alex smiled and stood. “Fine, no problem. You don’t mind if I change, do you? I wore my trunks beneath my jeans on the way here. But...”

  Tanner’s lips tightened. “Bathroom’s right through there.” He shot his arm toward the back door where Jeremy had disappeared.

  Alex grabbed his bag and started across the lawn. “Nice house you have here.”

  “Thanks, too bad you won’t be visiting again.”

  Alex let out a wry chuckle. “I wouldn’t bet on that. Somehow, I have a feeling I’ll be back.”

  “Hey,” Jeremy squealed as he ran out the door and straight into Alex. “Where you going?”

  The large man patted Jeremy’s head and sent Tanner a wink that made Tanner bite back a curse.

  “Have to go,” Alex said calmly.

  “Aw, pooh,” Jeremy said with a frown. “I was hoping you could help me and Hannah play some games on Dad’s computer.”

  Alex looked up at Tanner and smiled.

  “The man has to go, Jeremy,” Tanner said coolly. “Hannah has to rest. I’ll play some games with you.”

  “Whoopee!” Jeremy jumped up for joy and ran to his father, squeezing Tanner’s legs. “You’re the best, Dad.”

  “Whoopee,” Alex said beneath his breath as he walked toward the house to change.

  Tanner glared at the titanic shoulders disappearing into his house. Not that he wasn’t able to physically throw the man out, but with Jeremy here, it would be foolish.

  Jeremy tugged on his father’s pants. “Dad?”

  “Huh?” Tanner’s gaze hadn’t left the house.

  “You don’t like Alex because he likes Hannah, right?”

  Jeremy’s question snapped Tanner’s gaze back to his son. Inwardly, he groaned. “No. I mean yes...I mean...” He wiped his forehead with a stiff hand. “It doesn’t matter right now. Let’s go play those games.”

  Frowning, Jeremy dropped his gaze and rubbed his good hand over his cast. “I don’t want him to marry Hannah, Dad. Then she won’t take care of me. I want her here all the time.” Round gray eyes lifted to lock with Tanner’s worried ones. “Don’t you?”

  Tanner breathed in a deep sigh. “Yep. I’d like her here all the time, too.”

  But could he get Hannah to stay? Would she ever be able to love him? Or would he forever be competing against memories? His memories of Julie. And her memories of Nick.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  It was time to go home.

  Hannah surveyed the Clearbrook kitchen with a dismal sigh. She had been recuperating at the mansion for over two weeks when Dr. Rafe had given her lungs the all clear yesterday. Though she and Jeremy had worked on his reading and writing a little bit every day, it was time for her to return to the daily routine of sleeping in her own apartment and living her own life.

  Her mother was coming home tomorrow, and Hannah wanted to get things ready for her too. The lady had wanted to come home as soon as she’d heard about Hannah’s illness, but Fritz had assured Lorraine that Hannah was improving everyday, and there was no need for the lady to hurry home, though he did miss her.

  Hannah had reassured her mother as well, but she had deliberately avoided any conversation about Tanner and his hold over her emotions.

  Confused about the man’s hot and cold attitude the last few weeks, Hannah tried to shield her heart from any thoughts of love. But it didn’t seem to be working. The millionaire’s manners had been impeccable, and though he’d kept his distance from her ever since that kiss in the hall when he’d carried her from the pool, she would never forget the burning imprint he’d made upon her heart.

  She loved him, and it scared her to death. It meant trusting a man, and she didn’t know if she could do that again.

  “Hey, Hannah, you want some more gingerbread? Mable’s is pretty good, but not as good as yours. She made some yesterday before she left.”

  Hannah looked at Jeremy and smiled. “No, I’ve had enough.”

  “And you’ve had enough too, young man,” Tanner interrupted, walking into the kitchen.

  Hannah glanced up at Tanner, her eyes freezing on his tall, lean form hovering near the kitchen door. He wore a pair of faded blue jeans and a white polo, looking much too comfortable. His nearness sent her thoughts scampering for cover.

  He caught her staring at him, and she quickly shifted her gaze toward the table, her heart skipping a beat.

  “Jeremy, doesn’t your Grandpa want you in the backyard?” Tanner tilted his head toward the door.

  Jeremy stuffed another piece of gingerbread into his mouth. “Nope. Don’t think so.”

  “Really? I think I hear him calling you right now.”

  Without warning, Tanner scooped his son up by his armpits and carried him into the next room, gingerbread and all.

  Jeremy gazed upward and smiled, showing a mouthful of brown crumbs stuck between crooked teeth. “Oh, I get it. You want to talk to Hannah alone. Gosh, Dad. You should have told me that in the first place. You gonna ask her to marry us or what?”

  Heat singed Hannah’s cheeks as she stared at Tanner’s surprised expression. Everything had been neutral after that kiss in the hallway, until now, until Jeremy had opened his mouth.

  “Out,” Tanner suddenly commanded, dropping the boy on his feet with a thud. “Out now, or so help me—”

  Jeremy gulped, dropping his gingerbread on the floor. “Okay, I’m going. I’m going.”

  Tanner cleared his throat as he grabbed
a mug of coffee and sat down next to her. The muscles in his arms flexed as he lifted the steaming coffee to his mouth. Okay, she admitted it. She longed to be held by those arms and loved by this man. But it was her dream, not his.

  “Tanner, you know Jeremy was only joking,” she said, smiling.

  Two pale gray eyes clung to her face. A warm shiver slipped down Hannah’s spine.

  “Did you love your husband?”

  The question came out of nowhere. Hannah stared back, speechless. There had been no hesitation in his voice. She had been ready for a few words, but nothing like this. Maybe she hadn’t heard him right.

  “What?” she choked out, watching his jaw tense.

  He cleared his throat and placed his coffee cup next to the gingerbread. He plowed a hand through his hair, his eyes flashing the question before he repeated it again. “I asked you if loved your husband. Nick, wasn’t it?”

  A throbbing pain squeezed her heart, and she looked away, her throat growing thick with tears. “Why wouldn’t I have loved him? I already told you I did.”

  Tanner’s finger suddenly brushed across her chin, turning her to face him. The gesture was gentle and filled with such tenderness, she wanted to wrap her arms around him and hold him forever.

  “Tell me about it,” he said in a low whisper.

  “I can’t,” she said, biting her lip.

  She immediately dropped her gaze to the table. Why after days of polite conversation was he getting personal again? In the hospital, she’d told him about Nick. She thought she’d purged the worst of her feelings, but she realized her emotions were still raw.

  “Did you love him, Hannah?” He slipped his hand in hers, patiently waiting for her to answer.

  Her mouth trembled, and she tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let her. She lifted her chin. “I did love him. I married him, thinking he was everything I dreamed of.”

  He placed a cool palm to her cheek. “He let you down, is that it, honey? The man you loved let you down? He didn’t want children and you thought he did. But marriage to you was forever. Is that it?”

  “Yes,” she said, clenching her fists.

  She rose from her seat and walked toward the counter, emptying her cup in the sink. Behind her, she heard a chair scrape against the floor.

  Bowing her head, she closed her eyes and fought back the tears. “Nick was everything to me. I loved him. But after we married, he became very protective of our relationship.”

  Her grip on the counter tightened and her knuckles turned white. “When he finally admitted he didn’t want children, I still loved him.”

  Wordlessly, Tanner stepped behind her, his arms locking around her waist. She dropped her chin to her chest and sighed.

  “But I was so mad at him, I wanted to scream.” She paused, wanting to lean back against Tanner and let him shelter her in his strong arms. But she held back her tears, stiffening her spine. She wouldn’t lose control.

  “I hated Nick after he died. Hated him for leaving me with nothing. Hated him for not telling me the truth before we married. I hated him for so long, and pretty soon, I begin to hate myself for hating him.”

  She eased through Tanner’s hold and slowly turned, lifting her gaze to meet his. Two smoky gray eyes looked down at her with such compassion her heart ached.

  “No matter what my husband did, I finally came to realize, I loved Nick in my own way, Tanner. In my heart, there’ll always be a special place for him. Like you loved Julie.”

  A flash of pain glittered in his eyes. She waited for him to say something, anything. Had he loved Julie so much, he could never love again? She felt as if a noose had tightened around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

  A moment passed before he took her hand in his and peered out the window. “I loved Julie. She was my high school sweetheart. She was the mother of Jeremy. Those two facts will never change.”

  She watched his expression still, and her heart squeezed. He didn’t love her. “Tanner...I need to leave today.”

  He stared at her. “Don’t go.”

  Her heart fluttered with hope. A hot ache grew in the pit of her stomach. “Why? Why shouldn’t I go.” Tell me you love me. Tell me you want me to stay forever.

  In one fluid motion, he pulled her to him, kissing her with such possessiveness she became limp in his arms. The velvety warmth of his touch seeped into her blood like a consuming fire. Her thoughts fell apart as his lips continued their gentle search of her mouth. He lifted his head, his voice simmering with passion. “Is that enough reason to stay?”

  She felt the tug of his charm, but her heart chanted, no, it wasn’t enough, not for her. She wanted love. She wanted commitment. Darn it, she wanted marriage.

  “Why else should I stay Tanner?”

  “Jeremy needs you.”

  Jeremy? What about you?

  She had walked into this house with her eyes closed and her heart open. She deserved this, she kept telling herself, but she wouldn’t let it break her.

  Hiding her disappointment, she slipped from his embrace and moved toward the pan of gingerbread on the table. She covered the pan with a piece of plastic wrap, feeling as if it were her heart she had covered with the flimsy barrier – a heart with barely any protection at all.

  She avoided his towering presence and shoved the gingerbread alongside the breadbox. “I’ve recovered and I have to go home today. My mother’s coming back tomorrow.”

  She heard a low growl, but continued to chatter on. “Naturally, I’ll still be coming here during the day for Jeremy.”

  She swiveled around slowly, needing to remove herself from Tanner’s powerful presence before she lost everything she had fought for after Nick had died.

  “Of course, I should let you know now, I do have another job lined up. In the fall, that is.”

  For a long moment, Tanner didn’t move. “I see.”

  Was that hope she saw in his eyes? Or even love?

  Suddenly, Jeremy bolted into the room. “Well, did you ask her?”

  “Ask me what?” she answered with raised brows, knowing full well what the little imp was up to.

  Though it wasn’t working, she had to acknowledge the amusement in Jeremy’s and Fritz’s plans as they tried to bring Tanner and her together. But the muscle that flicked in Tanner’s jaw said that he didn’t see anything funny about it.

  Tanner shifted a determined gaze back to Hannah. “We need to talk.” His voice was firm. Unyielding.

  Hannah shot him a questioning stare. She understood where he stood. He understood where she stood. What else was there to talk about? There wasn’t any compromise on her side of things.

  Jeremy stood beside his father while Fritz hurried into the room. Tanner’s expression grew more serious by the minute.

  “Well?” the older man asked, staring form Hannah to Tanner, then back to Hannah again.

  “Well what?” Hannah asked, raising a delicate brow.

  Tanner glared at Jeremy, then turned an irritated expression upon Fritz. “Out! You two out of here. Can’t a man propose without a crowd in the room?”

  Hannah felt her body go numb as she sank into the kitchen chair. Fritz shot her a wink and dragged Jeremy out by the collar of his shirt. Before she realized what was happening, Tanner was kneeling beside her, holding her hands in his.

  “I was wondering if you would do me the honor of marrying me, Hannah Elliot?”

  She was too stunned to speak. Marry him? Was he serious?

  Tears sprang to her eyes. His endearing smile had somehow found its way past the barrier around her heart.

  “I want you to be my wife, honey. I know it’s soon, but I know it’s right. I need you.”

  A lump lodged in her throat. But what about love, she wanted to ask. “I don’t know, Tanner. I just don’t know.”

  His eyes searched her face. “Is it because of Nick?”

  She could barely think. Nick? Was that the reason Tanner had restrained himself? He felt her late husband
was competition?

  “No, Nick isn’t the reason at all. I don’t feel ready yet. I have some things to think about. What about my mother?”

  Her mother had nothing to do with it. The question was, did Tanner love her? She thought he did, even though he hadn’t said so, yet deep down, it was also hard for her to trust a man again.

  “If you haven’t noticed, your mother and my father have been carrying on for weeks. At church. At the hospital. They’ll probably elope if we don’t stop them. Dad’s been going crazy with her staying away so long.”

  Hannah’s jaw dropped open in shock. “What?”

  “Your mother, my dad.” Tanner’s lips twitched. “Together.”

  “I never imagined that Fritz’s Sunday romps to church included wooing my mother. Oh, they’ve had lunch now and then with a few friends, and Fritz has talked to her on the phone, and they are good friends in a way, but...well...I never thought—”

  Tanner brought her hands to his lips and kissed them. “What about an answer, honey? A pair of curious eavesdroppers are waiting on the other side of that door.”

  His eyes were dark with desire, his hold gentle and unmoving. A part of her rejoiced in his deep affection for her, but a part of her was also afraid. “We’ve only known each other a little while. This is insane.”

  “I want you to marry me, Hannah. It doesn’t have to be tomorrow. I admit I was hoping this would bribe you a little?” He pulled out a huge diamond ring and slipped it onto the table.

  Her eyes flew to the rock, and it hurt to speak. “Oh, Tanner. It’s beautiful.”

  “Not as beautiful as you.”

  Her eyes filled with tears of joy. He wanted to marry her. “This is all too much for me. Please, I n-need time to think.”

  His brows narrowed. He was a man who usually got what he wanted at the snap his fingers. But she loved him, and she knew eventually he would utter the words she desperately needed to hear. He wasn’t like Nick at all.

  “Then what about dinner tonight?” he asked, stroking the skin beneath her wrist. Her cheeks flushed under his fiery gaze. “We can talk about all this. I know a little place—”