She nodded and took his offered hand. He handed her the keys. “Do you feel good enough to drive?”
Hannah took stock of her body, still learning how to interpret its signals. Cole made her feel like she walked on air. The heavy, dark feeling she carried retreated into the shadows. Something lurked in the dull recesses of her mind, warning her, but she felt the soft glow of the moon fill her.
“Yes, I’m fine,” she assured him before getting into the truck. Her confidence grew as she made it up the mountain without a hitch and drove the speed limit. She passed him the keys as they entered their cabin.
“Do you feel tired? Cookie and Fiona will arrive in the late afternoon. I can’t wait for you to meet them,” he said as he released the dogs from the crates.
Nine ran toward Hannah and then to Cole, yipping and swishing her tail in excitement. Brody approached Hannah and nuzzled his snout in her hand, demanding attention.
“I’m never sleepy at night. When I close my eyes or lie in the darkness, the shadows come. Thank you for putting my lights up in my room and my lantern. I forgot to ask Scarlett if I can stay with her while you visit with your friends,” she said, removing her coat.
“I don’t want you to leave,” he confessed. “You’ll love Fiona and Cookie.”
“They can have my room. I can sleep on the coach,” she offered.
“I’m taking the hammock outside or the couch, depending on the weather,” he told her. “Please don’t leave. If I made you feel uncomfortable, I apologize.”
“Do you want to lie on the hammock with me and watch the stars?” she asked, hoping to stem his concerns. “I’m not upset. Sometimes, I’m mad at myself. I’ve lost two years of my life, and I hated every minute in those hospitals. It makes me feel weak and proves my father right.”
Cole picked up the warm blankets from the basket and followed her outside. He kicked off his shoes and lay down, holding the blankets up for her to join him.
Hannah slid in, and he tucked the covers over her.
“Your father’s wrong. If he saw how far you’ve come in such a small amount of time, he’d eat his words. You’re doing great,” he said, turning on his side to face her.
“Two years doesn’t constitute a small window of time,” she said thoughtfully. “I didn’t talk because I felt terrified. Do you want to know the worst part?”
“Tell me.”
“I can’t tell you what happened. After days of watching my friends die, they raped me. I blacked out, and they revived me with water. I have scars and medical reports which tell me what they did, but I only remember brief flashes. Claire says it’s my brain’s way of protecting me. Yet, I felt frozen in fear until I met you.”
Cole’s thumb caressed her cheek. “I have a confession. My friend Cookie and his wife agreed to come because I asked them. Cookie met Fiona during a mission. I thought it might help you process everything if you knew you didn’t have to go it alone. It’s one thing to talk to a therapist and have them analyze everything, but quite another to have a friend who understands.”
“I’m not ready to talk about it with strangers,” she said, feeling panicky.
Cole pulled her close and kissed her forehead. “You don’t need to talk. I want you to listen. Let’s face it, if you can listen to me chatter all night and not say a word, you’ve become a master at it,” he teased.
She smiled as her hands played with the buttons on his shirt. “It only became difficult when you read about Tad and Vera and his long hose. I debated on whether to put you out of your misery or let you keep reading for the amusement.”
“Why, you little minx,” he exclaimed as he tickled her.
Hannah’s laughter filled the porch as she squirmed away from his fingers. Brody barked from inside his crate and Nine decided to join in.
“It appears I have two protectors,” she said when he stopped.
“No, you have three,” he murmured as he kissed her gently.
Her heart raced as his voice deepened, vowing his protection. Hannah knew if she wanted to feel truly free, she needed to learn how to protect herself first. Good men died attempting to defend her from further harm. In the end, the rebels took what they wanted and she lay helplessly on the ground. She never wanted to depend on someone else, and yet Cole gave her the security she longed for. Hannah didn’t trust herself to know the difference between protection and security, but she longed for something more. Did she feel brave enough to discover it?
CHAPTER 29
Cole greetedCookie and Fiona as they got out of their car. Hannah hung slightly back, and he wished he never mentioned Fiona’s reason for visiting.
“Hey, we’re glad you made it,” Cole said, shaking Cookie’s hand and hugging Fiona.
“It’s good to see you,” Cookie said as he smiled at the woman behind Cole. “You must be Hannah.”
Hannah approached, and Cole noticed her nervously shaking Cookie’s hand and then Fiona’s. He took her other hand and gave it a supportive squeeze.
