Upon recognizing her. Hannah smiled. “Scarlett’s told me about you. She’s happy you decided to move back to Serenity.”
“Oh, honey. She’s the best decision my son has ever made. I’m proud to call her my daughter-in-law. Find a seat, and I’ll be right back.”
Cole led her to a table and held out the chair for her. When he sat across from her, he took her hands in his and rubbed his thumbs along the sides. “See, I knew you’d do great,” he praised.
“Thank you for helping me,” she murmured. “If I keep getting incentives with all these sides, I might have to up my game.”
“Take your time, Hannah. We’re not in any rush,” he said, gazing at her. Her entire body seemed to flush under his regard. A warm feeling drifted from her head to her toes.
“Here ya go,” Cherise said, setting two wedges of pie and a healthy scoop of vanilla ice cream on the table.
“Thank you,” Hannah said, distracted by the smell of the warmed dessert. She scooped up the cold side and licked her spoon, sighing with contentment.
She glanced up to see Cole staring at her. His eyes seemed darker as his gaze turned intense. Her tongue swiped along the back of the spoon, never breaking their eye contact.
Cole coughed and cleared his throat while he seemed uncomfortable in his seat. She blushed and peered down at her dessert, picking off the crust.
Cole picked off a piece of the ruffled edge and held it up. “It’s not bread. It’s crust. Since you don’t trust yours, then trust me,” he said softly.
“It’s the texture,” she whispered, scanning the room to see if anyone watched.
“Stay with me,” he said softly. “It’s only you and me. I’ve watched Edie make her pies with sugar, flour, salt, water, and butter. It makes the crust nice and flaky. Like the pancakes, it tastes buttery.” Cole bit into a piece and held out the rest to her. “Go for the win, Hannah.”
She swallowed as she stared at the golden crust.
“Edie makes them fresh daily. Once you taste it, you’ll know there’s never leftovers. It doesn’t have time to mold or harden.”
She leaned in and opened her mouth while keeping her eyes on him. He placed it on her lip and she pulled back. Spitting the piece into her napkin. Tears welled in her eyes as she ran from the center, running blindly toward his truck.
“Hannah, wait,” he called, running after her. She heard his footsteps getting closer, and sheer panic ran through her. She dodged and increased her pace.
An arm scooped her up at the waist and pressed her against the brick building. Her breath came out rapidly as she twisted and struggled against him. Two hands cupped her face, forcing her to look at him.
“It’s me, Hannah. I’ll never hurt you,” he insisted. “I’m sorry I pushed. You weren’t ready.”
Her hands grasped his wrists. “I hate this. I detest feeling like some stupid ninny,” she spat. “Scarlett runs into fires, and I run from bread.”
Cole shook his head. “You ran because I pushed you. You make strides every day, like driving tonight. Some days, we take two steps forward and one step back, but you’re still moving toward your goals. Don’t stop because I acted like an idiot.”
“You’re one of the kindest and most gentle people I know. Animals gravitate toward you because they know when they meet a good person,” Hannah said shakily. “I don’t know why I ran except I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“I’m not your father, Hannah. You want to know why I’m here? I lost my best friend, John, the day Brody got injured. I want to know who killed him and why. I’ve spent months feeling lost until Cookie told me about this job. I searched the website, saw the mountain, and something called me here. It sounds stupid when I say it, but I believe you brought me here.”
“Me?” she asked, confused.
Cole stepped back, giving her room. He wiped his forehead. “Yeah. It’s like we have a connection I can’t explain. When I took the pinecone Brody brought you, I saw something in your eyes. I think about you all the time, but I don’t want you to feel uncomfortable. I’m your friend above all else. Kassie will kill me, but I can’t help it, Hannah. I want you to heal, and then I want to date you.”
“Me?” she asked again.
“Yes, Stormy,” he chuckled. “You keep me guessing.” Cole brushed the hair away from her face. “Did I make this awkward?”
She pressed his hand against her cheek. “I like you, too.”
He leaned in and hesitated, his mouth hovering over her lips as he waited to see how she’d react. Hannah made up the distance between him as she reached for his shoulders, pulling him closer. His tongue traced her bottom lip. “You taste like your side of ice cream,” he murmured, exploring her mouth. His hand went to her waist and rested casually, giving her space.
Hannah moaned softly, enjoying his kiss. Heat flowed from her belly and between her legs as he explored her mouth and nuzzled her neck.
“Let’s go home,” he said softly, his voice sounding a bit strange.
