Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

I glance at Brad and Max, both still shirtless and in their drying swim trunks, chatting and laughing while eating their sandwiches. It’s clear they all get along well, that they care for each other. The wealth that Max has come into in the past few years hasn’t changed his dynamic with his family.

And let’s be honest, the two Hull boys standing shirtless together is a sight to behold.

“What are you thinking over there?” Brad asks, pulling me out of my own head.

“I’m just sitting here,” I reply and grin when he takes my hand and pulls me into his lap, nuzzling my ear with his nose. “That tickles, and your parents are right there.”

“They’ve done this many times,” he says and winks at me. “Are you having fun?”

“Absolutely. It’s the perfect day to be on the lake.”

“Do you want to go for a run on the tube after lunch?”

“No, thanks.” I wrinkle my nose, feeling the anxiety rush up inside of me, but I act calm and collected in front of his family and my friends. “I don’t think I want to get my hair wet.”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously.”

He frowns, watching me closely. “You brought a bag that has stuff in it for if you swim.”

“I just decided I don’t want to swim today.”

Please drop this.

“But you can go if you want to. I’ll watch,” I continue.

“You’re being silly. You’re a great swimmer. Just last month, we went kayaking up at Bowman Lake, and she fell in,” he tells the others, making us all laugh. “But she pulled herself right out. You’re not afraid of the water.”

Not that water.

The next thing I know, he’s standing with me in his arms, walking to the edge of the boat.

“Don’t.”

“I’ll go in with you.”

Before I can react, he’s jumped in with me in his arms, and I’m completely submerged in the water, kicking and swimming back to the surface. I immediately swim to the ladder and pull myself out of the water, on the verge of tears.

“There,” he says, still treading water. “Now you’re wet.”

“Get out of the lake please,” I say, my teeth chattering. Someone wraps a towel around my shoulders. I’m so scared, so angry, that I can’t see anything other than Brad pulling himself out of the water.

“Not cool, man,” Max mutters, but my eyes are pinned to Brad.

“What?” Brad asks. “I was just having fun with you.”

“I told you I didn’t want to swim.”

He cocks his head to the side, narrows his eyes, and props his hands on his hips. He’s not going to ask me questions in front of the others, which is a relief because I don’t want to have to explain in front of the others that he just took ten years off my life.

I climb the ladder to the top deck, and hear the engine roar to life, the boat pointed to the dock.

Great. They probably want to dump me off, and I don’t blame them. I’m such a downer! Not to mention, this is not the impression I wanted to give his parents.

What a mess.

“Hannah, will you please come inside with Jenna and me?” Grace calls. “We want coffees and need to use the bathroom.”

I sigh in relief, and climb down the ladder, not looking at Brad, and follow the girls into the house. When they head to the kitchen, I find the closest bathroom, close the door, and let myself have a meltdown.

Oh my God. I could have died. Not because of the swimming thing, but what if the electricity thing had happened again? And what if it happened when Brad was in the water and it killed him and I had to watch him die?

I can’t do this. I can’t do the relationship thing because he’s going to die eventually, whether that’s today or thirty years from now, and I just don’t think I’m relationship material.

At all.

I’m trying to calm myself down, but now the thought of losing Brad is stuck in my head, and my heart is beating so fast I’m pretty sure I’m having a heart attack.

I take a deep breath and stare at myself in the mirror. I look ridiculous with wet red hair, pale skin, scared eyes.

Why am I always so fucking scared?

There’s a knock at the door.

“Han, let me in.”

I close my eyes and pray for strength. Of course Brad would follow me.

I swallow, ignore my pounding heart, and wrap myself in strength I don’t have before opening the door and looking up at him.

“Hi. Sorry, I’m coming.”

I try to brush past him, but he grips my shoulders and gently pushes me back into the bathroom, shuts the door, and cages me in against the vanity, making me look him in the eyes.

“Talk to me.”

“About what?”

“You’re pissing me off, Hannah.”

“Yeah, well, that seems to be going around today. I need to get back to the girls.”