“Oh, sweet! Come on in.” He waved her up to the front door. “Sorry. Didn’t mean to make you feel unwelcome. I’ve had an insane work schedule this week and have barely seen JP at all. I think Kayla’s been giving him a run for his money the last few days, too.”
“No, you’re fine,” she said as she stepped into the house.
“Hannah!” Ronnie shouted. “I’m so glad you made it. Now we have an even number of girls and boys. Want a glass of wine?”
She started to say yes, but Jagger pulled Ronnie’s long ponytail, making her smack his arm and Hannah laugh.
“How come when I call you a girl, I get a twenty-minute speech about being a misogynistic pig and how you’re a woman? Then you go and call yourself a girl? And us boys? Doesn’t that kinda make you a man-hating bit—”
Ronnie shot him a glare that could have melted an iceberg.
“Person,” he finished.
Hannah giggled. This family was just so damn fun.
Don’t get used to it.
Pointing the unopened wine bottle at her brother, Ronnie scowled. “Because I can say whatever I want. And you are a pig. It’s that simple.”
Jagger rolled his eyes before opening the refrigerator. “Well, at least you have solid logic behind your reasoning,” he said as he pulled out a beer.
“Exactly,” Ronnie replied, winking Hannah’s way.
“You have any siblings, Hannah?” Ronnie asked. “If so, I hope they’re not half as annoying as mine.”
The question, innocent as it may have been, hit her like a horse kick to the stomach. It was then she realized it’d been weeks since she’d had to tell anyone about her sister’s death. And now that she was, she’d be telling half-truths and twisting the story. It seemed disrespectful to the memory of her sister and the daughter she left behind.
The words wouldn’t pass her lips.
“Hannah?” Ronnie said in a soft voice.
“Yeah?”
“You okay? You kinda spaced out for a second.”
“Uh, yeah, sorry.” Shaking her head back into the moment, Hannah found the courage to voice the painful words. “I, uh, had a sister. A little younger than me.”
“Had?” Ronnie’s tone held profound sadness. Even Jagger watched her with sympathy in his gaze.
“Yes. She passed away not long ago. Part of the reason I’m taking some time away from home.” Not a complete lie. And growing truer by the day. She’d found being removed from the suffocating grief of her parents helped her personal healing journey.
“Shit. I am so sorry, Han. I did not realize I was stomping on a sensitive subject.” She set the bottle down and walked over with her arms outstretched.
Before she knew it, Hannah found herself wrapped up in a surprisingly strong embrace. She was the worst person in the world for lying to such kind people. “Please don’t feel bad,” she said. “It’s just hard to think about sometimes.”
“All right, the baby is out cold. Let’s—Hannah?” JP rushed into the kitchen. “You okay?” He turned toward Jagger with a ferocious scowl. “You do something to upset her?”
“Whoa, there, papa bear. Simmer down.” Ronnie released her and went back to opening the wine.
JP took her place. He cupped Hannah’s shoulders. “What’s wrong.”
She sniffed and shook her head. “Nothing. Really, I’m okay. Ronnie was just asking about my family, and I mentioned my sister passed away not long ago. Just kinda stirred up some painful memories.”
“Shit.”
Now he was the one hugging her, and as much as she’d appreciated Ronnie’s kind comfort, JP’s embrace brought things to a whole other level. His firm body pressed all along the length of hers. She wanted to wrap her arms around him and sink into his warmth.
“I had no idea.”
His deep voice stroked over her nerve endings, igniting a tingly need she’d rarely experienced. Forget sinking into his warmth; she had the senseless urge to rip off her clothes and rub herself all over him like a cuddly cat. And beg him to do the same. What would he look like under that plain black T-shirt? More ink? Tanned skin or paler than his arms and face?
Ugh. Dangerous thoughts!
“It’s okay. Just catches me by surprise sometimes.”
Kind of like this foolish crush she’d developed. More than foolish—plain stupid. She didn’t belong here in JP’s world. Not after all the damage her family had caused. He’d never accept her as part of his life after all the lies she’d told. And he shouldn’t.
JP kissed her cheek then stepped back. She tried hard not to react to the feel of his lips on her skin but failed. Her stomach quivered, and her heart fluttered with silly hope.
“Let’s get you a drink,” he said, voice thicker than usual.
Did her pain affect him?
No, how silly. She’d probably imagined the change in his inflection.
“Okay, no more sad talk allowed,” Ronnie said as she held a glass of wine out. “Drink this. I’ll keep an eye on you and refill when you’re low.”