Page 32 of Chocolate Cherry Cabin

She met his steady gaze, not backing out of his personal space, but looking at him with defiance, as if facing down an inner demon.

“I think we’re going to make great friends,” he said. He brushed the sides of her arms, his mouth still angled like it might land on hers sometime soon. She was leaning in.

But then her nerves got the best of her and she laughed.

“You don’t want to be my friend?” He leaned away, giving her some space.

“No, that’s not it,” she said quickly. “I want to be friends, but we...we had a love-hate relationship in high school,” she stated, her expression apologetic, slightly panicked. “But without the love part. Can we actually hang out and not kill each other?” Her laugh was awkward. “Because thisthingthat’s happening—” she pointed to the narrow space between them “—is feeling like we’re missing a pretty big step, and you should know that I’m done with love and relationships and everything else.”

So she had felt it, too.

That was good.

Even if she was telling him there was no chance she’d ever consider a relationship that went beyond friends.

She swallowed hard. She wouldn’t look at him, and he had a feeling she’d wanted to get swept up in the moment despite her reservations.

Did she worry that he’d tire of her, leave her high and dry like Calvin had? Or was she worried he wasn’t serious about things like relationships and would break her heart?

And possibly her boys’ hearts, too.

Louis gently cupped Hannah’s face and she flinched, but when he didn’t advance, didn’t move or speak, she finally looked up, her long lashes creating shadows over the smudges of mascara under her tired brown eyes.

“Take a breath,” he instructed. He inhaled slowly to demonstrate.

“I am!” She wasn’t. She was freaking out.

“Learn this, okay? Love alone isn’t enough to bring happiness,” he said. “You need more than that. We all do. And yes, I would have loved to kiss you a moment ago. You didn’t imagine it.”

Her mouth dropped open, then clamped shut again. He quickly placed a finger over her lips before she could say anything. “But even more than that, I would love to be your friend. It’s okay if you’re not looking to jump into something right now, and I respect and honor that.”

The fight went out of her, and her shoulders softened. He pulled her into his arms, hugging her.

“I’m sorry that your love for Calvin wasn’t returned in the way you wanted. Everyone deserves to be loved back, with just as much oomph as they feel.”

He paused when a hiccupy sound escaped, and released her when she raised her hands between them, wiping up tears that had pooled between her lashes.

Louis pulled a clean tissue from his coat pocket and dried her cheeks.

It felt like he’d brought her to tears a couple of times today. He had to leave for practice soon, but maybe tonight, when he was home again, he could do something for her. Help build her back up so she could be the superwoman she needed to be when her boys returned.

“Where was that tissue when Thomas had his nosebleed?” she muttered.

Louis chuckled. “I decided it would be smart to keep a couple stashed in my pocket. I do have a rather active seven-year-old living next door. And his mom, as you may have heard, could use a little help when he gets nosebleeds.”

He gently wiped away the last tear and Hannah leaned into him. “Thank you,” she whispered.

“You’re welcome.” He wadded the damp tissue into a ball, holding back from pulling her against him again. “What are you up to next?”

“It’s movie night tonight,” she said, with a quaver in her voice.

He captured her face in his hands, tipped it down and placed a kiss on top of her hat, then took a few steps backward. “Thanks for the walk, Hannah.”

And he strode away, wishing it was easy. Wishing he could pull her under his wing, kiss her on the lips and be everything she needed in order to be strong.

* * *

Hannah watched Louis walk into his house before she went into her own, feeling oddly rejected. Somehow he’d broken her open, making her feel both vulnerable and connected, and then he’d just turned and left.

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