“You probably did that to protect her from me, huh?” I asked God. I hadn’t talked to God since the accident. Not in any nice way. I’d cursed at Him a few times right after—not that I was proud of it. I wasn’t even sure I believed in a higher power anymore. But if there was a God, He would certainly look out for a sweetheart like Hannah.
I nodded up at the cross. “That’s okay, God. You protect her from me if that’s Your plan.”
I wouldn’t be good for Hannah; she deserved better.
Who was I kidding? Hannah wouldn’t even go for me anyway. She wasn’t the type of girl to be okay with the fact that I was a convicted felon. I’d been a fool to even entertain this, and now I just wanted to go back home, throw myself into work, and forget this ever happened.
Chapter Fifteen
HANNAH
Three months later
My mom’s surgery was a success, and she’d just had her last scan. She was now cancer-free! After my concert in the spring, Jack had texted me that he was really busy with a new work project and I might not hear from him as often. I’d been crushed, to be honest, because it had felt like a blow off. When I texted to check in and ask how he was, I got one-word answers.
He was gone. Distant and no longer actively trying to get to know me. Meanwhile, Luke had stepped up.
He’d moved into town, we’d had coffee, and he’d spent the entire time apologizing and asking me about my new life and what he had missed. He hung on to my every word, and he mowed my mother’s lawn,. He was the sweet Luke I remembered from high school, except now he was a veterinarian with an office four doors down from the restaurant.
Luke and I had taken our time over the past three months getting to know each other again, and the entire time, I had been texting Jack, putting out feelers to see if he was interested or even had the time or desire to have a relationship.
But he’d ghosted me. Just stopped answering.
So I’d said yes when Luke asked me to be his girlfriend last night, and I wrote Jack off as the amazing billionaire from Seattle who’d blessed a lot of lives but didn’t have the emotional capability to handle a relationship. Luke, however, came in every day for lunch unless he was in surgery, and in that case, I sent his order over to him.
We worked well together, and he wanted a relationship—something I couldn’t say for Jack. It was a shame because I’d really felt like the Lord was putting Jack on my heart and the connection we’d shared felt so special. It felt like Jack and I had bonded in India, a lifelong bond. I would never forget him. But if I wanted to move on with my life, I was going to have to try.
Still, I couldn’t help but stare at his name in my phone as I planned my mother’s cancer-free party tonight.
Maybe it was worth one last shot.
Hannah with two N’s: Guess what?
I waited ten minutes and got no response.
Hannah with two N’s: My mom is cancer-free, and it’s in large part because of you. Thank you, Jack. Thank you for everything. We are having a party tonight at the restaurant. Can you hop on your fancy private jet and make it? I know it would mean the world to my mom.
I stared at my phone like a love-struck teenager, but got no response. It hadn’t been like this before. Jack had been busy, sure, but he always got back to me. Something had changed; I just didn’t know what. And I had Luke now—attentive, caring, emotionally available Luke.
I needed to focus on that, because Jack was clearly a waste of my time and energy.
Later that night, when the party was in its second hour, a beautiful three-foot-high, couple-hundred-dollar flower bouquet came addressed to my mother along with an identical one for me.
I opened the card, knowing who it was from before I saw Jack’s name.
Hannah,
Cancer-free! You must be so happy. Wishing you and your mom many more loving years together.
Jack
He’d gotten the text. He’d read it. And he’d ordered flowers instead of writing me back. Somehow, that hurt worse. It meant he was well and truly avoiding me.
Time to move on.
“Hey, beautiful! Come over here and dance with me,” Luke called.
I swallowed hard, walking away from the flowers and from Jack.
