Leave Me Breathless

‘You two going to ignore us forever?’ Jake says, settling his beer on the table and swapping Caleb to his other arm, but not before he lifts him for a quick kiss to his forehead. I smile. The tiny bundle isn’t much bigger than Jake’s hand.

Cami rests back in her chair, and Hannah follows suit. ‘Sorry, boys. Girl talk.’

I turn an interested look onto Hannah, who just shrugs, looking a little too coy for my liking. ‘Cami was telling me all about how she met Jake.’

‘It’s a long story,’ Cami adds.

Jake snorts, though his expression is soft on his wife. ‘Ever wondered what it’s like to be in heaven and hell at the same time?’

‘Is that even possible?’ I ask as Jake claims his beer.

‘Trust me.’ He raises his bottle to his wife, and she grins. ‘It’s possible.’

‘I think it’s very romantic,’ Hannah says wistfully. ‘The whole bodyguard-and-client thing.’

I take a nervous peek at Jake. Romantic isn’t a word I’d use. I know the story all too well. It sent the agency into meltdown, Lucinda was nearly carted off to the nuthouse, and the world was a media frenzy.

‘It had its moments,’ Jake says quietly, looking down at his baby boy. He seems to fall into thought for a few moments before bringing himself back into the conversation. ‘What about you, Hannah?’ he asks. ‘Where do you come from?’

I know what he’s doing, and I discreetly cast my attention across to my girlfriend as I tip my beer to my lips. Eyes low, she plays with the stem of her glass. ‘Not much to tell.’ She smiles. It’s forced. ‘I moved here a few weeks ago, and I don’t plan on leaving.’

She doesn’t? Is she just giving lip service? I don’t know, but my heavy heart softens a little. ‘Good,’ I jump in, wanting her to know how happy that makes me.

‘Family?’ Jake pushes, his face perfectly friendly, his tone purposely soft.

‘My mother died five years ago. My dad eight years ago.’

I’m quickly more alert to the conversation. Her mother died five years ago? Lucinda could only go back five years.

‘I’m sorry,’ Jake says sincerely. ‘Siblings?’

Hannah shifts in her chair, her lips tight as she smiles through them. ‘No.’

Jake’s head cocks, interested. I don’t like it. ‘No family at all?’

Okay, enough. I give him a sharp kick under the table as I slam my beer down to disguise the sound of my boot meeting his shin, and his jaw tenses, a choked cough escaping. That hurt? Good. ‘Another beer?’ I ask, my head tilting, my eyes telling him to get his arse in the kitchen. I need another drink. I’ve been so busy cooking, eating, and trying not to let my mind wander all evening, I’ve only had one beer.

‘Sure.’ Jake rids his hand of his bottle and maneuvers Caleb into both hands, standing. ‘You can show me that scratch on your truck.’ Rounding the table, he hands the baby over to Cami before dropping a kiss in her hair.

‘Scratch?’ Hannah asks. ‘I thought you had it repaired in Grange.’

‘I did,’ I confirm. ‘Then some idiot in a Mitsubishi driving on the wrong side of the road clipped the side of my truck.’

‘I’m beginning to question your driving ability.’ Hannah gives me an ironic look as I get up and go to her, hearing Jake chuckle.

‘My driving ability is sound. People just keep getting in my way.’ I give her shoulder a little squeeze and instantly feel the goose bumps. ‘You cold?’

‘A little.’

‘I’ll get you a sweater.’ I jog back to the cabin and find Alex and Charlotte on their bellies in front of the TV with a bowl of popcorn. ‘Hey, when did you two get back?’ I ask as I go to the bedroom.

‘Well, Chunk is about to do the truffle shuffle,’ Alex calls. ‘So about twenty minutes ago.’

I snatch a grey sweater down and head back out. ‘The Goonies?’ I ask, grinning at the TV as I pass.

‘Can you believe Charlotte’s never watched it?’ Alex is horrified. And so she should be. Charlotte breaks out in fits of giggles, laughing and pointing at the television. ‘See,’ Alex says, stuffing a handful of popcorn in her gob. ‘Told ya it was funny.’

I have a little chuckle myself and meet Jake at the door. He gives me a frown, and I point back to the girls. ‘The Goonies. Kills me every time.’

‘Shit, I haven’t seen it in years.’

I leave Jake to reminisce and take the sweater to Hannah, though I hardly get a second glance from her as she accepts, lost in girl talk with Cami again. I’m feeling a bit neglected, to be honest. I’m not used to sharing her, except with Alex, of course, but my daughter and I come as a package. I bend and put my face right in front of Hannah’s, blocking Cami out. She retreats in her chair, frowning at me. ‘What are you doing?’