She glanced at the ceiling and back at him, her way of saying thanks. His heart raced again at seeing her obvious pleasure. To some, it might seem weird how he guessed her emotions, but to him, it seemed as natural as night and day.
Cole dug into the bag, locating the other item and held it up. “May I take off your shoes? We can add the lotion, and I can cover your feet with these nifty socks. Why don’t they make these for men?” He rubbed the silky lining against her hand. “These feel amazing. I bet you a hundred bucks, Taco has a pair. You should see his locker at work. He has enough face cream and hair products for everyone on the team. Patch ribbed him the other day, and he gave us an entire lecture on skin care. Knight says not to get him started on exfoliating.”
She watched him as he gently removed her tennis shoes, slid off her socks, and set her foot on his lap. “Holy cow, this smells good,” he said, rubbing his hands together before massaging it into her foot. He hit a sensitive spot, making her jerk her foot away.
“Ahhh, someone’s ticklish,” he teased as he lowered it back down and placed the socks over them.
Hannah watched wearily as Cole touched her. A zing ran through her leg as he used his large hands to slather the peppermint concoction. She felt him, like she felt Brody’s tongue lick her hand and cheek. The puppy in her lap felt soft and cuddly, warming her from the inside out.
When he found her ticklish spot, she almost bolted from the chair. The giggle sounded in her head, dying to burst from her lips, but her body held her back. The scent drifted to her nose,reminding her of the peppermint-scented bath soap she used during the holidays. When she went on tour, her mom always sent her four bars… two for her and two to share. The memory came out of nowhere, and her chest felt heavy as she thought of her mom. She missed her.
“Dinner’s here,” the nurse called as Cole slipped on her last sock.
“I’ll take Nine for another potty break and visit with the veterans. They need someone to drive the bus to the community center a couple of times a week,” Cole offered, giving her time alone. It almost made her sad. She enjoyed his interactions. Despite her inability to talk, Cole carried on a conversation as if they were old friends.
“Take your time and enjoy dinner. When I return, I’ll read to you. Samantha said she has more where those came from.” He gently lifted Nine from her. “I’ll add the lotion to your hands after you eat, then they won’t feel slippery.”
Hannah watched him leave with Brody and the puppy. He promised to return, and she reprimanded herself when she felt her chest ache. The feeling seemed to awaken something inside of her she thought no longer existed. Did she dare to hope Cole found a way to unlock the prison she found herself in?
CHAPTER 15
The nurse frownedwhen she returned to see Hannah’s plate still filled with food. “Hannah, you barely ate dinner. We have to do something to keep the meat on your bones,” she chided before picking up the tray and leaving.
Hannah glanced out the window. Cole didn’t return, and her brain refused to stop telling her how she didn’t deserve the attention.
A knock sounded on her wall and she glanced up, seeing Cole and his dogs. She desperately wanted to watch him train the beautiful animals. Yet she knew the moment she left the room, the panic and paranoia promised to set in. After experiencing it more times than she could count, Hannah gave up trying.
“Hey. Did you have a nice dinner? I’m sorry I took longer than expected. The bus refused to start and we helped one of the veterans, Larry, work on it. Shall we get to reading?” he asked, taking the seat across from her.
Hannah rose and moved to the bed, anticipating his deep, timbered voice reading to her. She missed doing it. It’s not as if she couldn’t, but she didn’t have any in her room.
Cole pulled a book from the bag. His eyebrows raised doubtfully as he read the title. “Fraternizing with theFirefighter,” he said as he glanced at the cover of two cartoonish characters clinging to one another.
He cleared his throat as she closed her eyes, listening to him read aloud. The sound of his voice soothed her as he read about how Tad and Vera met.
“Chapter Three,” he continued. “He brushed his hose up against her.” The book slammed shut, and Hannah opened her eyes to see Cole’s reddened cheeks.
“We’re gonna move right along,” he said, skipping over the sex scenes. It made her want to giggle.
“What the hell kind of book did she give me?” he muttered as he kept flipping the pages. Glancing up, he noticed her watching him. “Let’s say these two go at it like rabbits for the following ten pages.”
Hannah bit her lip, finding him amusing.
“Vera pressed her body close to his chest. I’m wet. Shit. I’m sorry, Hannah. This woman apparently likes sex… a lot,” he said, squirming in his seat. She turned her head toward the wall to keep him from seeing her grin at his embarrassment. The sound of a few more pages flipping filled the room. “Do you woman like this stuff? Seriously? It reads like a bad porn flick. I think they’re still banging two chapters later,” he said in dismay. “What happened to her grandmother? Did she leave the woman outside in the cold?”
Hannah shrugged and blinked innocently. The story sucked, but watching his expressions turned into much better entertainment.
“Some fireman,” he grumbled. “He left a little old lady outside to bang her granddaughter.” Cole shook his head.
“Chapter Eight, Tad held her close as he wiped the tears from her eyes. I’m sorry your grandmother passed. We did everything we could. Are you kidding me? They left her outside for Pete’s sake. She was in her eighties,” he exclaimed.
Nine jumped up on the bed and curled into her side. Brody lay beside the bed as if guarding her.
Cole read two more chapters before he closed the book. “I’d better get this little girl home. We’ll pick up where we left off tomorrow. I’ll come after dinner. I’m arranging transport for three new dogs and teaching Archer about training. I have a lead on a good litter of pups. I have to check with Leo concerning how many he wants on-site. We need the trained ones, but puppies can be taught for specific tasks.” He placed a piece of paper on the table. “Here’s my cell number. You can text me if you want anything. Goodnight, Hannah. Don’t forget to use your lantern.”
She watched him go with Brody tagging along. The room felt empty without him and his pals. Hannah yearned to break free and follow him. They say a dog knows a bad person from a good one. Brody adored Cole and the puppy cuddled into his chest, full of trust. Imagining what it might feel like wrapped inside the security of his arms, she stared at the moon. The light beams hit one of the stars on the ceiling, making it appear brighter than the rest. Hannah closed her eyes and wished with all her might Cole didn’t give up on her.
CHAPTER 16
