The Playboy (Chandler Brothers 2)

“I’ll take care of it, okay?”

She sniffed and nodded, realizing he’d hung up before she could answer him anyway. Which was fine. She needed him out looking for Hannah, not consoling her. And when he returned her sister home safe, Kendall would absolutely throttle her.

Then first thing tomorrow, she’d head to the bookstore or library for a How-To book on raising teenage hellions.

Chapter Eight

Rick had just signed off duty when called. Though he’d decided to wall off his emotions where she was concerned, he’d never planned to maintain a physical distance. He enjoyed and cared for her too much.

He drove around town, not in his police cruiser but in his civilian car, looking for Kendall’s familiar red Jetta. Though he didn’t know Hannah well, he recognized an angry kid when he saw one and in the course of DARE, Rick had seen plenty. No way would he let Hannah and Kendall drift so far apart it was too late to mend the rift.

At a loss for any specific area to find Hannah, he started along First Avenue and when he came up empty there, he extended his search to the streets nearer to Edgemont, where Hannah had begun. The elementary school was located a block and a half from Crystal’s, now Kendall’s house, and he wasn’t surprised when he pulled into the parking lot and saw the lone red car parked diagonally between two spots.

He pulled up beside the Jetta and got out. The only concession to his being a cop was the flashlight he took from the glove compartment. Flicking the light switch on, he swung his arm around, illuminating areas around the school property. He stopped when he saw movement down the hill by the swings. Apparently there was still plenty of child in Hannah after all, and it was the needy child to whom Rick planned to appeal. He wanted her to give her big sister a chance.

As he walked down the grassy mound toward the swing set, he inhaled deeply. The smell of cut grass and dew surrounded him, bringing back memories of his time at this school and he grinned at the pleasant reminder before getting down to business.

“Hi, Hannah,” he called out, not wanting her to panic and think she was being approached by a stranger. Not that she’d consider Rick a best friend or confidant, but at least she was safe with him.

“What do you want?”

He shone the light between them. “I think that’d be obvious. I want to bring you home.”

“Why do you care?” She didn’t slow her swinging, her legs pumped back and forth like a young, carefree girl.

But Rick had a hunch it’d been ages since she felt either young or carefree. “Because I’m a friend of the family and your sister’s worried about you. So worried she called me.”

She snorted at him, kicking her feet into the dirt and halting her movement. “More like she’s worried I’ll crash her car.”

“She never mentioned the car, Hannah. She could have reported it stolen, then I’d be forced to take you in.” And considering she’d been driving without a license, driving underage and illegally, he ought to take her in anyway.

“But she did call the cops.”

He shook his head. “She called me.” He emphasized the distinction. “She trusts me and you should too.” He sat himself in the neighboring swing beside her.

Hannah turned to glance at him, narrowing her gaze. “I’m only fourteen. Aren’t you going to arrest me for driving without a license?” she asked, obviously testing him.

Despite the defiance in her young voice, Rick caught the hint of fear there too. It was the fear he could relate to, the fear that made him want to hug and reassure her, but he couldn’t. Only her sister could do that.

Instead he opted to build trust. “I could arrest you but I won’t.”

“Why not? ’Cause you’re doing it with my sister?” Her nose wrinkled in disgust and he stifled a laugh. “No, because I think Kendall deserves the chance to deal with you first.”

“So you two aren’t . . .”

“Doing it?” he asked. “I think that your sister and I deserve some privacy as to whatever we are or aren’t doing.”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” She sniffed and wiped at her eyes. “Whatever, I don’t care. You said you think Kendall deserves to deal with me? What about what I deserve? She’ll ship me off to another boarding school first chance she gets.”

His heart squeezed at Hannah’s statement, not just because he suspected she was right, that was what Kendall planned, but also because the kid was obviously starved for attention. She needed so much more than either he, a trip through jail, or even another boarding school of strangers could provide.

The irony was, Kendall needed the same thing, and as the oldest sibling she had the ability to fix things for them both. If only she’d realize and change her perspective on her transient life. For both Kendall’s and Hannah’s sakes, Rick hoped Kendall would come around. His needs went without saying.