Charming Hannah (Big Sky 1)

“I am, too.”

Her head whips around to stare at me for a moment and then she smiles. “I think you mean that.”

“Of course I do. He’s an amazing man. I’m damn proud of him, and I’m enjoying spending time with him very much. I don’t know what the future holds for us, but I’m going to continue to enjoy him, for as long as I can. No relationship is easy, and we both chose professions that are harder than most, but I also think that means that we’re dedicated. I don’t see why that wouldn’t also include being dedicated to each other.”

“I like you, Hannah.” Mary is smiling now, almost smugly.

“Really? Because it sounds like you’re trying to warn me away from your son.”

“Not at all. I just wanted to see what you’re made of. I think you can stick up for yourself just fine. Not just to me, but more importantly, to the townspeople. You’ll need that backbone where they’re concerned.”

“They don’t scare me,” I reply honestly.

“Good.”

“Don’t scare her off already,” Brad says as he joins us. “I defeated Grace, but it wasn’t pretty.”

“He did not,” Grace yells up to us, making us all laugh.

“When are the fireworks?” I ask, looking at the time. “It doesn’t get dark here until after ten.”

“They wait until then,” Brad says. “I have to have my radio on, just in case. I have sheriff deputies helping my guys tonight, but if anything major happens, they might need to reach me.”

“I get it,” I reply. “What do we do in the mean time?”

“Eat,” Jacob says from the doorway. “I’ve just had more food brought in.”

“I’m going to gain twenty pounds today.” I laugh and jump up from my chair. “But I’m not complaining. Also, I think I’ll go down and kick some ass at the ping pong.”

“You think you can beat me?” Brad asks with a sexy brow cocked.

“Hell, yes, I can beat you. And Grace, too.”

“Let’s do it,” Brad says and rubs his hands together. I follow him down to the patio below where everyone else is hanging out, eating fresh Mexican food from a local restaurant.

“How did you have this delivered on a holiday?” I ask Jacob, immediately reaching for a plate.

“I own the restaurant, darling,” he replies smugly and steals a chip off of his wife’s plate.

“That’ll do it.” I load my plate with tacos and chips, gratefully accept a Mexican Coke from Max, and take a seat next to Jenna. “This smells so good.”

“Sm gmmf,” Jenna says with her mouth full, making me grin.

The food isn’t just good, it’s to die for, and I eat more than my share. When I can’t shove another bite into my mouth, I stand, stretch my arms over my head, then saunter over to the ping-pong table and pick up a paddle.

“Let’s do this, Hull.”

He’s sitting on the couch, watching me with hot green eyes. The kind of hot that tells me he wants to bend me over this table and do things to me that are definitely not appropriate for mixed company.

I toss him a sassy grin. “Well? Are you coming?”

“I’m coming,” he says, his lips twitching with humor. “I just worry about this.”

“Why?”

“I don’t want to embarrass you in front of our friends.”

“Aww, aren’t you sweet?” I stick my lower lip out in a pout, bat my eyelashes. “So chivalrous.”

“Just looking out for you, sweetheart.”

“Thanks, but I’ve got this.”

I serve the ball perfectly, and he volleys it back, but he’s no match for my backhand, and he misses my next shot. He whips those hot green eyes up to mine and looks genuinely surprised.

“You’re good.”

“I know.”

I serve again, and before long I win, not even giving him a chance to score on me.

“Who’s next?”

“Me!” Grace jumps up, stretches her arms across her body, and takes the paddle from Brad, who is scratching his head and watching me like he doesn’t know me at all.

Which only makes me laugh.

“How did you get so good at this?” Grace asks as she serves the ball and I volley it back to her. We volley back and forth more than a dozen times before she gets the point.

Grace is good at this.

“College,” I reply. “I didn’t play beer pong, I played ping pong.”

After a ferocious match, I win by just two points.

“You are a worthy opponent,” Grace says, bowing before me.

“As are you,” I reply, bowing in return, and then we dissolve in a fit of giggles, hugging each other. “How did you get so good?”

“I practice a lot. I may be clumsy, but this seems to be one of the things I’m good at.”

“I’ll play with you anytime.” I give her a high five and then head straight for the food again. “Ping pong makes me hungry.”

“I have dessert coming down soon,” Grace says as I take a bite of a chip. “Cheesecake.”