Page 28 of A Second Chance in Seabury
‘Now, how would you know that?’ she said, holding his twinkling gaze.
‘They told me,’ he said simply.
Hannah blinked. It sounded ridiculous… but somehow, she knew it was the truth.
‘Right,’ said David, coming to an abrupt halt. ‘Here we are!
Blimey, how were they already at her garden gate?
Somehow, the pair of them had navigated the winding hill out of town without so much as a second’s pause in their chatter. Hannah glanced around in wonder and spotted Jason and Sarah heading through next door’s garden gate, arm in arm and laughing over some private joke or other.
‘I’d better…’ she nodded towards her front door.
‘Unless you fancy a cuppa?’ said David.
‘I…’
‘Or I could even stretch to a hot chocolate?’
Hannah was sorely tempted, but she forced herself to shake her head. If she didn’t get a little distance from this beautiful man with his honey scent and kindness, she had a feeling she was going to fall right into his orbit and never want to leave.
‘I’d better not,’ she said. ‘But… another time?’
‘Any time,’ said David, holding out his hand.
Hannah took it, thinking that a handshake was possibly the weirdest way to end such a lovely evening. David stared at her hand for a long moment before bringing her fingers to his lips and kissing the back of her hand.
‘Oi, Dad - get a wiggle on!’
Hannah jumped as Jason’s yell from next door pierced the night air.
‘It’s freezing out here and you’ve got the keys!’
David rolled his eyes. ‘Duty calls,’ he said, letting go of her hand with a soft smile. ‘Sweet dreams, Hannah.’
Hannah nodded, lost in a daze as she watched David turn and amble away. ‘Wait!’ she called, just as he was about to disappear. ‘Your jacket…?’
‘Keep it. There’s no point in getting cold on your way to the front door.’ He smiled at her again. ‘You can drop back tomorrow… you know where I live.’
With that, he disappeared into his own front garden, leaving Hannah to wander through her gate into the rose-scented darkness. She paused on the path and stared up at the glittering stars, wondering if Millie was watching.
Definitely.
With one last sniff of the sweet air, Hannah turned and let herself into the quiet house.
Hannah couldn’t wipe the daft smile off her face as she wandered through to the kitchen, flipping lights on as she went. Grabbing the kettle, she filled it at the sink and then set it to boil. If she’d been brave enough, she could have been sipping honey-sweetened hot chocolate with the others right now…
‘That would have been a bad idea!’ she laughed.
Hannah hadn’t wanted to push her luck. None of the others had made her feel like the odd one out, but she knew that’s what she really was. She’d enjoyed every second of their company, but it was time to call it a night. It was time for them to retreat for a cosy game of Snakes and Ladders, and time for her to get back to reality.
Hannah sighed, staring around the mess she’d left all over the kitchen counters.
Reality? Reality was a lonely mess.
A sweet waft of warm honey drifted up from David’s jacket, and she let out a long breath. No, she didn’t have to be lonely. She had friends here, even if she felt like she didn’t deserve them.
‘My goodness, you’re a little ray of sunshine!’ she tutted, rolling her eyes at herself as she poured hot water onto a mint teabag. Then she paused, staring at the pot of honey. Why not? A dollop of comforting goodness might help her sleep sweetly!
