Page 38 of Mine This Time
Chapter Twenty
Mari
Hannah Grantham handed me a cup of coffee, gesturing to the small tray in the center of the round table in her office. “There’s cream and sugar right there. Help yourself. Just a word of warning, I do tend to make my coffee on the strong side.”
She offered me a warm smile before she turned to fill her own cup of coffee from a coffee maker on a small table against the wall by her desk. I added a splash of cream and nothing else.
“Fortunately, I like my coffee strong. Thank you for taking the time to meet with me today.” I took a sip of coffee, appreciating its rich, dark flavor as it slipped across my tongue.
“I’m happy to meet with you, Mari. You are giving me free press, after all.” She sat down across from me. “Are you hungry? I didn’t even think to ask you that. I do apologize,” she said in her soft southern accent. “I can certainly see if we’ve got anything left over from breakfast this morning. I’ve got the best chef. I’m just crossing my fingers she doesn’t leave.”
“Oh, no, thank you. I had breakfast before I came out here.”
“Excellent then. Now, before we get into what you might need for your story, tell me how you’re doing.”
I paused, recalling my earlier conversation with Nash. He’d suggested it was fine for me to let Hannah know what the situation was with Brett—if only to provide a level of protection for Hannah and her family. After all, she’d need to be alert in case Brett tried to stay at Creek’s End Inn again.
I was still embarrassed about this entire mess. Yet, I could use someone other than my brother and Nash to shed some light on the situation.
“Well, I’m okay. It’s been an interesting week,” I offered.
Hannah angled her head to the side. “I’m sorry about what happened with your boyfriend. Is everything all right now?”
“You know how life is. Sometimes circumstances show you a person’s true colors. Even if it’s miserable at the time, it’s all for the best in the long run. That’s how I would describe what’s happening with Brett.”
Over coffee, I spilled the tale of what had transpired. I left out the details of what happened between Nash and me. I was still trying to adjust and absorb it.
“I’m beyond glad Nash is helping you, and of course, your brother. Between the two of them, it sounds like it will be all right,” Hannah commented.
“If my brother has his way, he’ll take care of it as soon as possible. I just hate this whole situation. I can’t believe Brett got tangled up with a loan shark. Dear God. I would’ve thought it was common sense that was a bad choice.”
Hannah clucked and shook her head slowly. “When it comes to money, people make dumb decisions sometimes. I sure hope you’re not beating yourself up over Brett.”
“I feel like such an idiot,” I said with a sigh.
“Oh, hon, don’t do that. Not everybody has our best interests at heart. I felt foolish once as well. I have absolutely no doubt you’ll come out of this stronger and better off than before. Overbearing brothers aren’t exactly helpful even when they mean well. I don’t know about you, but it makes me want to show them the opposite. Nothing’s worse than when they’re right.”
I laughed softly. “Definitely not. Thanks for listening. Nash suggested you might need to know the details if for some reason Brett thought to stay here again. I can’t imagine it after he left me hanging with the bill, but this is a place he’s familiar with.”
Hannah didn’t seem rattled. “I dare him. Don’t worry about it. We’re a busy place, so that should deter him. Plus, no need to worry because Alec is home for two weeks since he injured his shoulder. He’s resting and rehabbing with a trainer in New Orleans.”
As if Hannah conjured him, there was a light knock at the door, and it opened immediately. Alec Darrells, Hannah ’s husband and basketball star, stepped through. “Just popping in to let you know I’m gonna head out to take care of a few errands. You need anything at the grocery store?”
Hannah looked over, and in a mere second, I felt as if I were interrupting a very private moment. All they did was look at each other, but the love and heat between them was evident at a glance.
“Can’t think of anything, but don’t you dare get Danny any more of that ridiculously sugary cereal. I’m sure he’s already pestered you for it.”
Alec grinned. “What if I like it?”
“It’s not healthy enough for you, and your trainer would kill you,” she teased as he leaned over to dust a kiss on her cheek. “By the way, this is Mari Channing. She’s doing an online spread for inns around New Orleans. We’re going to be in it.”
Alec glanced my way, casting me an easy smile. “Nice to meet you. I’m sure Hannah appreciates what you’re doing.”
“Considering she’s giving me a list of recommendations, she did a lot of my work for me. Rest assured, Creek’s End Inn will get top billing in the story.”
After Alec departed, Hannah shook her head. “He’s too much, isn’t he?”
“He obviously adores you.”
