Page 6 of Chocolate Cherry Cabin

Hannah kept her head down, groping her way toward the house, trying to act natural.

“No,” Thomas said with a hint of curiosity.

She needed to get over fainting at the sight of blood. It had completely derailed her life once, and was making it impossible to parent her own child when he needed her now.

Her vision fogged as she tried to navigate the steps to the door. Louis hooked his arm under hers, offering support when she wobbled.

It’s just a nosebleed. Everything’s okay.

The fog grew worse.

I can handle this. It was nothing! Thomas isfine.

She straightened her spine, determined to shut off this stupid physical reaction, but her vision went dangerously black. Louis practically lifted her up the steps as he said to Thomas, “Boots off. Then find some tissue in the bathroom.”

Louis settled her on the bench at the door. But before he followed her son to the bathroom, he remarked, “So you’re a mom?”

“Yes.”

“And you never did become a doctor, huh?”

* * *

In the kitchen, Hannah gave herself a pep talk, hoping to get rid of that icky feeling in her gut. She hadn’t passed out in front of Louis. That was a win.

She could hear him laughing at fart jokes with Thomas in the bathroom, drawing the attention of nine-year-old Wade, who’d been building LEGO in his room. Soon the three of them were cackling together. Apparently males never outgrew their delight with bodily noises.

Listening to their laughter shouldn’t warm her heart, especially since Mr. Judgment was not only delighting her sons, but had also just saved the day. He was the last person she ever wanted to owe a thing to.

But she was a mom—a single one at that—and seeing her sons bond with an adult male was like an aphrodisiac. Anyone who could make her boys laugh, and who could turn the tide on an upcoming freak-out, earned a little heart thawing.

Even Louis Bellmore.

There was a thump as small feet hit the bathroom floor, followed by a “There you go, buddy.”

Moments later Thomas came ripping around the corner, his socks nearly sliding out from under him on the laminate flooring, his straight brown hair flopping to the side. The dog chased after him with a happy grin.

“Mom! Louis put a cold cloth on the back of my neck and pinched my nose and the nosebleed stopped! Did you know it was just broken blood inside me—”

“A broken blood vessel?” she asked.

“Yeah! And my body is already fixing it.”

Hannah smiled, remembering that same feeling of excitement and awe when she’d discovered the curious and very mysterious functioning of the human body around his age.

“It’s pretty cool, isn’t it, sweetie?”

Both boys had entered the kitchen, their eyes shining at having an unexpected visitor filled with interesting facts, who liked to laugh at the same things they did.

Had it been so long since she and Calvin had laughed together that Louis felt like a marvel?

The sound of the washing machine door closing in the hallway outside the bedrooms was followed by the rush of water. Louis was washing everything that had been soiled so she wouldn’t even have to see it.

Another chunk fell off the thawing iceberg in her heart. If Louis wasn’t careful he might meet Ms. Sweet-and-Quiet, Gushing-Over-You Hannah, and she had a feeling he preferred her tougher let’s-duke-it-out side. Plus she’d never forgive herself if she went sweet around him.

“Louis knows fartanddiarrhea jokes!” Thomas bounded over to the pantry door and flung it open. “Can I have the new cereal?”

“Sure.”

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