He tried not to laugh. He loved Ruby dearly, and was amazed by the way she always saw the best in people. “I’ll make sure to show her some pictures.”
“Have you had a good time?” he asked. Ruby’s face lit up as she remembered the past few days. It was the first year she’d attended as a counselor, and she positively glowed at the trust he’d put in her. He was pleased he’d listened to Hanna when she suggested he give Ruby a call.
“It’s been amazing. The kids are fantastic, and Hanna’s let me be involved in all the organization. She hasn’t stopped running around, and when she’s not sorting out the bands she’s been sitting with the kids, or playing softball with them.”
He wasn’t sure how he knew she was near. Maybe he saw something from the corner of his eye, or perhaps the hair on his skin stood on end at her closeness. Either way, when he heard the familiar cadence of her laughter, he swung around.
Hanna was chatting animatedly with a counselor, flinging her arms around and grinning wildly. Every movement was exaggerated, and her vibrancy made him want to run over and sweep her up in his arms. Like Ruby, she was dressed for the steaming hot weather. Short denim cut-offs curved over her behind, and she’d knotted a sleeveless black band t-shirt over her navel, revealing a sliver of tanned skin. Even from here he could see she’d caught the sun.
Richard walked over to the two of them, noting with pleasure that when Hanna lifted her head up to see him, an unguarded smile spread across her lips.
“You’re here!” The evening sun reflected off her tan skin. “What do you think?”
“You’ve done a fantastic job. The director keeps calling me up and asking if you can do the same thing next year.”
Hanna laughed. A throaty, sexy chuckle, which made his body ache. “You know, I’d love to. I’m so amazed by the kids, they’re all so brave.”
“I don’t know how to thank you for what you’ve done.” He burned with the need to hug her. But since their reconciliation they’d kept each other at arm’s length, as if they were both aware that to step into the murky waters of physical contact would break down the delicate dam they’d created.
“I couldn’t have done it without Ruby.” Hanna hugged his sister against her side, and for a moment he felt a pang of jealousy. “She’s been like my right hand man. I’m thinking of offering her the job of manager in our New York office.” Her tone was light and teasing.
The fortunate side effect of her failure to recruit a suitable candidate to run the office was that she had stayed in Manhattan longer than she had originally planned. He wasn’t sure how much effort she was putting into the search any more, but if he had his way she’d be cancelling the contracts with the agency and agreeing to stay out here full time.
He liked having her around. She was easy to talk to and bounce ideas off. She was the first person he wanted to call when he was having a bad day—or a good one, come to that. She was his friend—probably his best friend—and it made him happy to have her near.
“I’ve got to go and sort out the next band.” She smiled at him, and he could feel a little flutter in his heart. “I’ll catch up with you later, okay?”
“Sure.” He agreed easily, knowing he needed to circulate and catch up with the kids. “I’ll try and grab you before the fireworks.”
Hanna was talking to a group of donors when the final band finished, looking incongruous in her festival clothing amongst the linen dresses and smart suits. It didn’t seem to faze her as she answered questions and accepted their compliments.
Richard stood and watched for a while, liking that she didn’t know he was staring. Meredith had once described her as “zany,” which was as good a description as any, though it probably had the opposite effect to the one Meredith was hoping to create. Hanna’s quirkiness endeared her to him.
Maybe he was just jittery about the wedding. Even with more than a year to go, Meredith was ramping things up, spending weekends with the organizer, trying to coax him out to try different caterers and bakeries
“There’s absolutely no way I’m making a speech.” Hanna’s voice rang clearly through the night air now the music had stopped. His lips twitched at the thought of her standing up, her tiny body dwarfed by the main stage, and stuttering her way through a long list of people to thank.
“You deserve the accolades,” Mimi Flynn, a wealthy donor and 9/11 widow, was saying. “My son tells me you managed to get so many great bands organized.”
Hanna coughed out a laugh. “I think Sean may be a little biased.” Richard didn’t have to look to know she was blushing. “But thank you, anyway.”
Tired of being a spectator, he walked toward the group, his presence drawing their eyes away from Hanna. Keeping half an eye on her, he spoke with the donors, smiling and thanking them for their help. He knew most of them well—from their links with the foundation, as well as bumping into them at other events—and it was hard to keep their exchanges to pleasantries. They were his friends.
Hanna finished talking with Mimi, then glanced over at the rest of the donors. “I think the fireworks are about to start. I’ve arranged for some drinks to be served just outside the donors’ tent.”
Her words were greeted with pleasant murmurs of agreement. Within moments, the lure of champagne and canapés had cleared the group, and he watched them walk toward the white canvas tent.
And then there were two.
“Hey.” Hanna was rubbing at her arms, and he could see the goose bumps lifting at her skin. The evening air was still warm, but her clothes weren’t appropriate for sundown.
He wished he was wearing his jacket, just so he could drape it over her shoulders, but he’d left it on the backseat of his car, along with his tie. “You look cold.”
“It’s the absence of body heat,” she joked. “I’ve been okay as long as I’ve been in a group of people. I’m like the poor kid stealing next door’s milk from the stoop.”
>
She started to shiver. Not teeth clattering, full on shudders, but her body was shaking enough to make him want to do something about it. He stood for a moment, reasoning with himself that if it was any other female friend, he wouldn’t hesitate to pull them closer and wrap his arms around them. Maybe run the palms of his hands over their skin until the shaking stopped.