Page 75 of Keeping You

It’s early Sunday morning when Hannah’s phone starts ringing like crazy. She silences it and rolls back into my side, but it rings again. She rolls over and silences it again, only for it to ring again when she’s back at my side.

“Really?” she groans as she rolls back and looks at it. She sighs heavily and answers. “Morning, Mom.”

Running a hand over my face, I climb out of bed, slipping into a pair of boxer briefs, and make my way to the kitchen to make coffee, knowing as soon as Hannah hangs up, she’s going to need some.

Her face is full of frustration when she comes out of the room. As soon as she’s close enough, I hand her a cup. She manages to give me a soft smile before plopping down in a chair at the table and taking a sip. I don’t think I’ll ever get tired of the sight of her in my shirt.

I take a seat across from her. “Why was your mother calling?”

Her shoulders slump as she sighs. “She informed me that she’s planned a little celebration to celebrate our marriage this Saturday night. She’s lucky it’s one of my days off, but you’reworking the night shift on Friday, so I told her you probably won’t be able to make it.”

She tips her head back before wiping her eyes. Seeing how a single phone call from Lauren impacts Hannah has my blood on fire. She wants nothing more than her mother’s love and approval.

“I’ll be there,” I say.

She looks at me, her tears sitting in her eyes, begging to fall. “Grayson, you don’t have to. It’s my mother. She should have asked if that day worked for us. I know how hard a Friday night shift is. I’ll just go on my own.”

“Spitfire, we’re family. You’re my wife. I’ll be there.”

My words have her tears falling in earnest. I stand and slide my hands under her thighs, picking her up as she wraps her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I carry her to the couch and sit with her wrapped around me. She holds on tightly as she cries, and I run my hand over her hair and kiss her temple. When her sobs subside, she’s still holding on. I want to be her rock. That place she knows will keep her safe in the storm.

I kiss her temple again and whisper, “Do you want to go back to bed?”

She nods against me, and I carry her, pulling the blankets aside so she can climb in. I climb in behind her, pulling her in tight. Her head rests on my chest while I run my fingers through her hair as her finger traces over my skin.

“Have you talked to your dad?” I ask.

“No,” she whispers. “We’re having dinner later this week.”

“Invite him on Saturday. It’s your party. In fact, you should invite the girls, too. If you’re going, you should be surrounded by people who support you.”

Her hand stops its delicate movements. Her breath dances across my chest as she lets out a long breath. She nods slightly. “You’re right.”

I feel the tension slowly leave her body as she relaxes into me. I don’t let myself sleep until I hear her soft snores.

This week has been a shit show at the hospital. Samantha called out for a couple shifts, so we were down a nurse, and we seemed to receive all the crazy cases over the last few days. I’m tired as fuck when I wake up from my nap on Saturday. I take a cold shower to help wake me up so I can make it through this party. Hannah’s dad agreed to be there tonight, along with all of our friends. I gave the guys a heads up about Lauren so they aren’t surprised when they get there.

Hannah’s dinner with her dad went about as she expected. He was sad to have missed her wedding and lose the chance to walk her down the aisle, but he said as long as she’s happy, he’s happy for her.

When I come out of the shower, Hannah’s looking at herself in the floor-length mirror. My jaw hits the floor. She’s wearing a gorgeous lavender dress that accentuates her every curve as it hugs her body. The dress dips to the middle of her back in a tasteful but extremely sexy way. She’s wearing strappy black heels that make her only a few inches shorter than me. Simple makeup highlights her natural features, and her hair is done up, showing off her long neck, and all I want to do is go over and mark every inch of it. I want to writemineover every inch of her body.

She notices me staring and smiles at me in the mirror. I can’t help myself. I walk up behind her and wrap my arms around her waist as I kiss her neck.

“You look stunning,” I whisper between kisses.

“Thank you,” she whispers between her quickening breaths.

I give her neck a little nip, and she moans.

I step back and say, “We should get going.”

She nods and faces me. With a wicked little grin, her fingers walk up my chest as she leans in and whispers, “I’ll get you back for that,” and walks away.

I know she’ll follow through, and I look forward to it.

When we pull up outside Lauren’s, tension radiates off Hannah. Her knuckles are white she’s holding her clutch so tightly. I move around the car and pull open her door. I undo her seatbelt and spin her so she’s facing me. Placing my hands on either side of her face, I make sure she’s looking me in the eye before I say, “Don’t let her get to you. I know it’s hard, and she’s your mom, but you are smart, and strong, and gorgeous. You are a respected nurse. You have friends who love you. She does not get to define your worth, only you do.”

She nods, and I kiss her forehead, offering her a hand to help her out of the car. We walk hand in hand to the front door, and I knock. Richard opens the door, a large smile on his face. He hugs Hannah before offering his hand to me, and I shake it.

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