Claire froze. “He told you that?”
A noise halfway between a sob and a hysterical laugh escaped Hannah’s throat. “Just when I’m offered an incredible opportunity, I fall in love with the man of my dreams. It’s the worst timing in the world.”
“Wait a minute. You never told me you loved him.”
“I didn’t know I loved him until tonight. He danced with me in the grand ballroom. And it wasn’t just any waltz. It was the Viennese Waltz.”
“You love him because he can dance?”
“No, well, maybe, but that’s not the only reason I love him. He’s funny and kind and likes the same things I do.” Tears fell down her face. “I can’t imagine my life without him.”
Claire moved around the counter. “So why are you leaving?”
“Because I might never get the chance to do the residency again. It could change my life forever.”
“But is it the life you want?”
Hannah closed her eyes and imagined the life she’d always wanted. None of her dreams involved living thousands of miles from her sister and leaving behind the man she loved. “Maybe not, but it’s a start.”
Claire squeezed her hand. “It’s a good start, but make sure it’s taking you where you want to go.”
“I thought you wanted me to move to Vancouver?”
“I wanted you to move because it’s what you wanted. You spent hours filling in the application form and researching other residencies.”
Hannah sighed. “That was before I met Brett.”
“Are you sure you want to leave Bozeman?”
“I’m not sure about anything, anymore. I just wish—”
Someone knocked on their front door.
Hannah jumped off the kitchen stool. “That’s probably Brett.” Before opening the door, she looked through the window to see who was there.
She frowned as she undid the locks and pulled open the door. “Hi, Jason. I forgot to call Fletcher Security to tell them that Claire has arrived home. We’ll be fine here on our own.”
“I didn’t know Claire was missing.”
“Brett was going to let you know that we couldn’t find Claire. He wanted someone to wait with me while he was retracing her drive home.”
A flicker of emotion crossed Jason’s face. “I think you should sit down.”
Hannah’s blood pressure nosedived. “What’s happened?”
“Is Claire still here?”
Claire walked down the hallway. “Hi, Jason. How can we help you?”
He looked inside the nearest doorway and pointed to the sofa. “Let’s sit down.”
Hannah sank into the nearest chair. “Tell me.”
Jason glanced at Claire, then at Hannah. “Brett was involved in an accident. The police think someone ran a red light at an intersection not far from here. They hit the driver’s side of Brett’s truck. He was taken to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital.”
Hannah’s fingers dug into the arm of her chair. “Is he all right?”
“I don’t know. Brett’s sister was in the hospital when the police called her. She tried calling you, but your phone was busy. She asked us to find you to let you know what had happened.”
