“Yeah,” he said, snuggling lower to face her. “You’re unpredictable. I’ll never know what you’ll do next. Will you be a soft and gentle rain or will you turn and become wild and rampant?”
“When did I turn wild?” she asked, chuckling.
“When you spoke and asked for mac and cheese. You might as well have decked me. You surprised me,” he admitted.
“I shocked myself,” she confessed. “What time do you need to go to work?”
“Leo texted and told me to get you settled. I still want to check on the dogs. Do you have any appointments today?”
“Claire wants me to meet her this afternoon at 1400. May I go with you?” she asked.
“How about we go get dressed and I’ll take you to Bryanna’s Bakery. Sometimes she makes pancakes. We’ll pick up stuff you like to eat at the grocery store after you see Claire,” he explained as she sat up.
Brody jumped up on his hind legs and slid the glass door open. A minute later, he returned carrying his food dish.
“I guess I’ll feed my friend while you shower. Can you be ready in thirty minutes?” he asked.
“I’ll be done in fifteen,” she said, rising from the hammock and giving Brody a good morning cuddle.
In her bedroom, she pulled out a pair of jeans and a sweater. The light cream color brought out her hair and eyes, according to Samantha. Putting her products inside the shower, she covered her stitches. Then, she washed and dressed, anxious to start the day. It seemed her body wanted to catch up on everything she missed over the last two years. Running a brush through her hair, she left it down. She applied a bit of blush and gloss to her lips and pronounced herself ready. Hannah grabbed her phone and slid it into her back pocket along with her credit card and ID. She hated carrying a purse.
Entering the living room, she put on her sneakers and waited for Cole. Brody sat on the floor beside her, letting her know he watched her six.
In the bedroom, Cole took out his phone and called Saint.
“What’s up, brother?” Saint greeted him.
“I have a favor. Hannah hasn’t eaten pancakes in years. Does Bryanna have any today?” he asked.
“I’m off today. By the time you arrive, we’ll have some pancakes ready,” Saint assured him.
“Thanks, man,” he said before hanging up. He glanced at the closed door and called Cookie.
“Hey, man. What’s up?”
“I wanted to invite you and Fiona up this weekend. Hannah’s staying at the cabin with me and I hoped Fiona might be willing to talk to her. She experienced an episode last night and thought the rebels found her,” Cole explained.
“I’ll check with Fi,” Cookie said. “She’s shared her story with others, but will Hannah be ready to hear it?”
“I want her to know she can recover from all this. I’m sorry if it’s too personal. She feels bad about last night and I want to give her something to work toward. I don’t know the whole story, but have you ever met someone and you feel like your whole world might revolve around them?”
Cookie huffed. “Do I ever. When I saw Fiona, she didn’t make a sound. When I got closer, I saw her condition and got her out. As we traipsed through the jungle, it felt like my personal mission to have her return with me. Do you feel the same with this woman?”
“Yeah,” he confessed as he ran his hand through his hair. “I’m afraid to say it out loud. I don’t want to sound crazy but I live to see her smile.”
“Yeah, I know the feeling. I’ll check with Fiona tonight and see what we can do,” Cookie said. “I gotta run.”
“Later,” Cole said before hanging up. He grabbed his keys and wallet and entered the living room to find Hannah and Brody snuggling. “What a traitor. I feed him and he acts like I don’t exist since he found you.”
“Nope. We were discussing his passion for burgers and I promised not to tell anyone you fed him one,” Hannah said, standing and following Cole to the truck. Once he secured Brody, he headed down the mountain and parked in front of the community center.
“The signs haven’t arrived yet. The right side of the center belongs to Bryanna’s bakery and the left opens to Ty’srestaurant. The middle acts as the community center, usually the seniors gather there. They share one huge kitchen and help feed anyone who needs a meal. The teens and veterans from the hospital work here, too.”
Hannah slowly slid from the truck as Cole retrieved Brody, who sidled next to her.
“Don’t worry, you’ll like it here,” he assured her.
Bryanna spied them entering and rushed over to greet them. “Hi, Hannah and Cole. Can I get you a cup of coffee?”
