Page 4 of Sworn to Defend

“Poor Hannah. She’s been in a complete tailspin for the past few days.” Sam frowned and shook her head.

He sat up straighter and angled his body toward Sam. “What do you mean? Did something happen?”

His pulse had kicked up as every scenario, from a broken-down car to a house fire, hammered through his head.

“Her sister’s getting married.” If anything, Sam looked even more distraught by what should technically be happy news. He was clearly not in on the details. They hadn’t really talked much about family. Most of their conversations centered on Collin.

“What am I missing?”

“Hannah’s family isn’t exactly supportive,” Sam said, shaking her head.

“They’re a bunch of uppity assholes,” Axe bit out.

“Fred, if this baby’s first word is a foul curse, I’m holding you responsible.”

“Well, that’s the best word for them. You know it. I know it. Now that baby’s going to know it.”

His jaw clenched. “As amusing as it is to watch you two argue, can someone tell me what’s going on?”

“When Hannah came to pick up Collin, she was upset, and we pried it out of her with a cold one. Younger sister called to tell her she was engaged and that Hannah had to have her a—” Axe had the decency to shoot Sam a sheepish look “—her butt in Texas in two weeks for the wedding. Imagine that. Just expecting someone to drop everything at your whim. Like the goddamn queen.”

That had been the night Hannah had visited. Relief swept through him. Maybe she’d found out about the engagement right before her visit. Between that and the bomb he’d dropped, she was too overwhelmed to even think about exploring their relationship. Hadn’t she told him she needed time to think?

“It sounds like her boss is giving her the time off, but it also means she has to pull Collin out of school. They don’t have time to drive like they usually do when they visit family, so they’ll have to fly.” Sam bit her bottom lip, a worried expression drawing her brows together.

He had to agree with Axe. Announcing a wedding ceremony with only two weeks’ notice seemed egocentric. That wasn’t the kind of person Hannah was. Not at all. Hannah must have her reasons for typically driving down to Texas. The hustle of the airport was enough to put anyone on sensory overload. How many times worse was it for Collin? He reached for the remote at his side and pressed the call button for the nurse. He needed to talk to the doctor. See if the physician would agree to discharge him. He had no doubt that Hannah could pull everything together in the span of two weeks to travel to her sister’s wedding, but that didn’t mean she should. She was part of their group of friends now, and he intended to show her she could depend on someone besides herself, even if it just meant running last-minute errands.

The next afternoon, Branch got his wish and was discharged after a lengthy debate with his doctor. He’d promised to take it easy and monitor his injuries, but the first thing he had to do was check on Hannah and ensure she was okay. He raised his brows as he pulled into the driveway and winced at how it tugged his stitches. Parked behind Hannah’s car was a glossy white Mercedes. The car didn’t belong to anyone in their circle. He killed the engine and exited the truck, shutting the door behind him. His long legs ate up the space to the front door, and he knocked. After a few seconds, he tried again. There was no movement despite the two cars in the driveway. Maybe Hannah was out back.

He skirted around the side of the house. The grass had been recently trimmed, and he drew in the fresh scent. So much better than stagnant hospital air. All Hannah did between raising her son, conducting routine maintenance on her home, and working full-time both amazed and concerned him. He’d never met someone who could manage more, but at the same time, it had to come at a price. Sometimes, he caught her unaware, and the exhaustion etched into her features was so profound he wanted to scoop her up and let her sleep for days.

He rounded a trash barrel full of lawn clippings and stepped into the backyard. The weather was warm for spring, and the sliding glass door to the porch was open so the air could flow through the screen. Music was on inside, some kind of pop song. For some reason, he didn’t take Hannah as a top-hits kind of girl, but it wasn’t like they’d had in-depth conversations about their likes and dislikes. Voices rose over the music. He couldn’t make out what was being said, but he could hear the frustration in Hannah’s tone.

Past caring about someone inviting him in, he slid open the screen door and stepped into the living room. The scent struck him first. He wrinkled his nose at the heavy floral perfume that must belong to whoever owned the car parked out front. Hannah’s scent was so soft you barely noticed the hint of citrus from her soap. Natural, just like her. Something you wanted to breathe in deep to get more of, not something you wanted to repel by tucking your head into your shirt.

“I told Vivienne not to include you in the bridal party.”

His head snapped up at the other woman’s tone, and he began to stalk toward the voices, hackles raised.

“The least you can do is let me measure you for the dress and make sure you go to the appointments I booked. The spray tan should cover your freckles for at least seventy-two hours, God willing. Your mother has explicitly stated that you need to blend into the wedding photos, not stick out like a sore thumb.”

“Well, please let my mother know I’ll do my best not to one-up the bride.” Sarcasm dripped from Hannah’s tone.

That a girl. Hannah always had a quick comeback. He needed to find out the exact context of the conversation. He loved Hannah’s top-to-toe freckles. Some gold, some bronze. They covered every inch of her skin—well, what he’d seen, at least. The little specks were beautiful, and so uniquely her. The idea that anyone would ask her to cover them, let alone her family, made his gut burn.

“Like you could. What was it that the kids at the academy used to call you?” There was a predatory laugh. “Oh yes, Homely Hannah. How could I forget? If you follow the beauty regime your mother sent to a T, you might even be able to catch the eye of someone special at the event. A groundskeeper, maybe one of the waitstaff. I assumed I shouldn’t include a plus-one on your invite. I know you never had good luck in the men department.”

Fuck. No. Like hell, someone was going talk down to Hannah. Anyone who thought an honest blue-collar job made a person less wasn’t one garnering his respect. He closed the distance to the bedroom, ready to tear into the bitch who was spewing vile words. Ones that couldn’t be more untrue.

“If you think your not-so-subtle digs have any impact on me, you’re sorely mistaken. God, what a shallow, vapid existence to only care about your appearance. The things you have. And no, I have no intention of arriving three days early to visit my mother’s plastic surgeon, nor will I make a date suffer through an event with my family.”

Branch wasn’t waiting for the other woman’s comment. He flung open the door to Hannah’s bedroom. “Baby, what’s going on? I wasn’t expecting company.”

Hannah was standing in the center of a cheery yellow room. One that would’ve made him smile were it not for the heavily made-up, very plastic-looking woman who was the source of the overwhelming smell in the house. He sidled up to Hannah, nuzzling her neck, looping his arms around her waist, and drawing her close. Fuck, but she felt so right in his arms. He couldn’t help himself from kissing her cheek, then her forehead. Hannah leaned into him, and warmth and relief flooded through him. He spared a glance at the woman, whose eyes were now wide with confusion, darting back and forth from him to Hannah.

Time and experience told him women found him attractive. He might’ve used his good looks and easy nature to his advantage in the past, but the one-night stands had run their course before he hit his midtwenties. The woman did not try to hide that she was overtly checking him out. Her eyes roamed over his body without a single thought to Hannah—or maybe that was why she was so open in her perusal. Regardless, his temper was rising. Hannah might not believe it yet, but he was hers.

“Beautiful, who is this?” He jerked his head toward the woman he was quickly coming to despise.

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