“I was. To this day, I hate that song.”
“What was it?”
I shuddered. “More than Words.”
“Oh my God, I love that song!”
“You and everybody else but me.”
She patted my shoulder consolingly. “I promise I will always say yes if you ask me to dance, and I will finish the song every time.” Then she gasped. “Look at your house! It’s beautiful!”
“It needs some work, but thank you.”
I let us in and gave them a tour, and Hannah’s enthusiastic praise for everything from the view of the lake to the high ceilings and roomy kitchen made me feel even better. Abby liked the purple and orange sponge paint in one bedroom, and was disappointed when I told her I’d probably have it repainted.
When we finished touring the house, we walked down to the beach. Abby asked if she could take off her socks and shoes and put her feet in the water, and Hannah said it was fine, but not to get her clothes wet. We stood side by side and watched her splash around and toss stones at a giant rock sticking out of the water about fifteen feet out.
“It’s a great house, Wes. I’m happy for you.”
“Thanks.” I glanced at her profile. My hands ached to touch her. “How are you?”
“Good.” She gave me a shy smile. “You’re so handsome. I keep wanting to stare at you.”
“God, Hannah. You have no idea how much I want to kiss you right now.”
She sighed. “I beg to differ.”
But we stayed a respectable distance apart. “I missed you last night.”
“I missed you, too. I kept wanting to call you, but then I’d talk myself out of it because I’m supposed to be taking time to think.”
“I know. I was the same. I picked up my phone a hundred times to text you, but told myself to leave you alone.”
“And I am thinking. But the problem is that I always wind up thinking about the sex and then I’m so distracted, I can’t even remember what else it was I was supposed to be thinking about.”
I laughed. “I believe it was something about making sure you’re making good decisions for Abby. And for yourself.”
“Oh, right.” She hugged herself. “Getting a little chilly, isn’t it?”
“Are you cold?” I couldn’t help it. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders to warm her up.
She looked up at me in surprise. “Just a little. But that feels so nice.”
It did. So I kept my arm around her, even when Abby turned and saw us. If she was surprised, she didn’t show it. “Can we go get ice cream now?”
“Sure,” I said.
“Sit down for a minute and let your feet dry, Abs. Then we’ll brush off the sand so you can put your shoes back on.”
“Okay.” Abby wandered about twenty feet away and perched on a cluster of boulders at the edge of the water, singing softly to herself.
Hannah glanced up at me. “Think we’re confusing her?”
“Maybe,” I admitted, reluctantly taking my arm from her shoulders.
“No, put it back.” She lifted my arm and snuggled into its curve. “If she asks, I’ll tell her the truth. I was cold and you warmed me up.”
“Okay.”