Page 47 of We Can Forever

“Cheeseburger pizza. Of course. Why are you acting so weird?” Katie gets up. “Whatever. Tell me later. I need to go to the bathroom.”

“What do you mean?” I guffaw. “I’m not being weird.”

But she’s already gone. Which means it’s just Hannah and me, and for the first time, I’m not thrilled about it.

She frowns at me from across the table. “What’s wrong?”

“Uh…” I fiddle with my silverware. I could lie, brush off her concern.

But so far, I’ve been nothing but honest with her, and I’d really like to keep that habit going.

“The owner…Rochelle… We have a bit of a past.”

Her brow furrows slightly. “You dated?”

Shit. “Not…dated.” I rub the spot between my eyebrows, wishing my seat would open up and swallow me whole. “We had one night together. After meeting at a bar.”

“Oh. Okay. And you haven’t seen her in a while?”

“She wasn’t the only one,” I go on. Might as well get it all out there while we’re on the subject. “Not that I did it all the time, but when Katie and I came back to visit while we lived in Seattle, it would be my only time on my own, and I…”

“You found women to hook up with.”

I cringe. “Yeah.”

Shit. Is she going to hate me now? See me as some sort of sick, weird creep?

Or, even worse, think that I’m only using her for sex?

“I get it,” she says, taking me by surprise.

“You do?”

She shrugs once. “Yeah. It makes sense that you would use your few hours off from being a dad to have an…adult night with someone.”

“Yeah.” I nod, but the topic still feels incomplete. “I wanted more. I just…wouldn’t allow myself to go searching for it. Until you.”

“Oh. Really?” Her voice is silky, making me want to reach across the table and pull her into my lap.

“Yeah,” I breathe. “Hannah…”

“The pizza’s not here?” Katie interrupts, taking her seat next to Hannah.

“We haven’t even ordered it yet,” Hannah laughs.

The rest of the dinner is smooth—perfect. Katie and I share all the best sledding spots on the island come winter, and Hannah tells us all about the grant she’s applying for.

As we’re walking to my truck after dessert at the ice cream shop on the corner, Katie slips her hand into Hannah’s. “Can you stay over for a sleepover tonight?”

I suck in a sharp breath. One, it’s a school night. Two, Hannah is an adult who probably doesn’t want to make a fort and braid hair with an eleven-year-old. Three, her aunt is in town, and she needs to go home to her. And four…

I hope that Hannah says yes anyway.

Because I’d really like for her to sleep over—in my room.

But can Katie handle that? What will she think, knowing I have a woman in there? Will it make her too attached too quickly to Hannah?

“Ooh.” Hannah swings Katie’s hand back and forth. “That sounds like so much fun, but I have an early morning staff meeting with Flick.”

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