But Hannah was too young to get pregnant. She wanted to be a nurse, pave her own life. She deserved that. I wanted to give her that, fuck did I want that.
But I didn’t trust myself. Not completely.
Because I feared that my love took things from her too.
A whole fucking future.
HANNAH
ONE WEEK LATER
Second to Waylon, my brother was the most unexpected visitor on Beau’s doorstep. Beau said it was now my doorstep too, but I couldn’t trust it. Not yet.
Not when I was so fragile, still healing emotionally and physically from last week.
“Jack?” I gasped, staring at the man on the stoop.
My brother smiled weakly, waving. “Hey, sis.”
I stared at the man I hadn’t seen in years. He’d invited me to his place for Christmas my first year after leaving Waylon. It had been clear that he’d had to argue my case to his wife.
She didn’t like reminders of his upbringing. She came from money. My brother made a good salary, but only because he worked for her father. Was under his thumb. I was happy that my brother no longer went hungry, though I didn’t entirely like who he became in order to get there.
But we all had to survive the best way we knew how.
His was to cut himself off from his past. Me.
It hurt, most especially when I was almost destitute with nowhere to go. But I managed.
My brother’s weak smile disappeared when I took off the glasses that had been part of my “costume” while dressing up with Clara.
“What thefuck?” he hissed with a fury he wasn’t entitled to.
The bruising around my eyes was the worst the first few days after. Beau hadn’t been able to look at me without clenching his fists and muttering curses under his breath. But then he’dshaken himself off, put on his brave face. For me. He was militant about taking care of me, ensuring that I had painkillers every four hours. Ice. Rest.
Luckily, rest didn’t mean all kinds of physical rest. That first night, after I cried more tears than I ever had in my life, I’d reached up for him, pulling our lips together.
Beau had kissed me back until my intention for more than kissing was made clear.
“Baby,” he protested meekly. Well, as meekly as was possible for Beau. “You’ve been through enough today.”
“Yes,” I agreed against his mouth. “And now I need you.”
His eyes were strained with hesitation. Worry.
I gripped his beard. “Please?”
Beau’s arms banded around me. Then he gave me what I wanted. Gently. Lovingly, worshipping me.
His touch didn’t heal me, but it helped me drift away. For a time, at least.
There were practical things that needed doing to ensure that Jacob was punished as he deserved.
Beau held my hand as I gave my statement against Jacob, pressed charges.
It didn’t look good for him. He had assaulted me. Threatened a pregnant woman who the police chief happened to be madly in love with and vehemently overprotective of. Then there were the two wives of some serious badass alpha males who were out for blood.
In a normal situation, it would’ve been safe to say Lori’s asshole baby daddy was going away for a long time. Except he, apparently, had wealthy, powerful parents. So it was more complicated, which was why Finn had moved into Lori’s house. Temporarily, according to her.
