Page 26 of A Veteran's Desire

I shudder, thinking about how the intruder might have searched the entire house when they realized the deeds weren’t in the cabinet.

Abby lets out a long sigh. “I’m just glad Pops wasn’t home. He would have used the shotgun.”

I don’t tell her my thoughts, that whoever broke in didn’t get what they came for and might come back.

Abby gets up from her stool by the counter and takes her mug to the sink. “Anyone for more tea?”

She must have made a dozen pots of tea and coffee over the past few hours, making sure everyone was fed and watered. She insisted Pops go to bed an hour ago, especially as he had one too many beers at The Landing.

He and Rachel sped home as soon as they heard, and Rachel raced upstairs to the boys and hasn’t been down since. Sawyer and Liam slept through the entire thing, thankfully. Rachel refuses to leave their side and Abby brought up a blanket for her, so she can doze in the big armchair between their beds.

“I might go to bed then.” Abby looks around the kitchen. We’ve swept up the broken glass, and Sam boarded the door up for us. But there are empty mugs and footprints from where everyone traipsed through the house. “We’ll clean all this up in the morning.”

She leaves for bed, and it’s just Grant and me in the kitchen. I’m tucked into his side, like I have been all night.

Now with just the two of us, he peers down at me. “Do you know how to use that shotgun?”

I raise my eyebrows at him. He’s only seen the woman who bakes for the town, but I’m a country girl at heart. “Granny taught me to bake; Pops taught me to shoot.”

He chuckles, and it’s a tired laugh. “I’m glad.”

He runs a hand down his face. “Hannah, I’ve been an ass.”

I want to agree but he looks too forlorn, so I just wait to hear what he has to say, trying not to get my hopes up.

“I shouldn’t have pushed you away. You’re right. That isn’t the way to honor Mason.”

He turns me toward him so we’re facing each other, and I have to tilt my head to see his eyes.

“You’re right about what you said in the orchard; forgiveness is hard, particularly when it’s yourself you have to forgive. I’m not there yet, but I want to be. I want to do the work to forgive myself, because I want to be with you.”

My heart flutters, and I dare to hope. Grant’s palm traces my cheek, and he cups my chin.

“When I thought you were in danger, I panicked. One thing went through my mind. I had been so sure I didn’t deserve happiness, but I was being selfish. I thought, what if something happened to you and you never got that chance at happiness because of my hang-ups. I love you, Hannah. I’ve loved you ever since I saw you in the bakery. I don’t want to punish myself anymore. I want a chance at happiness, and I want you to have that chance too, and I hope that can be with me. Do you think you can be happy with me?”

My chest swells, and tears threaten my eyes. “Grant, I am happy with you. And I love you too.”

I rise on my tiptoes and our lips meet. He pulls me toward him and lets out a long contented sigh.

“I can’t let anything happen to you. Whatever threat this is, it’s not going to go away. They’ll keep pressuring you and the other landowners until you’re worn down or scared.”

“Or until we fight back. They thought we would be a pushover but we’ll fight them, Grant. The entire town will.”

He brushes my cheek with his palm. “Then I’ll stay right here, protecting you and your family until this is resolved.”

“You’re part of this family now, Grant.”

That part was easy, but the next part costs me. I take a deep breath and think of Granny, in the warmth of the kitchen where she gave me so much silent support, and before her my parents, whose love for each other wrapped itself around all ofus so tightly that its traces linger in the closeness of my sisters. My parents were taken from us, but their love stayed, trickling through the family to hold us together. They didn’t choose to leave. They were taken too soon, the same as Granny, and there’s a difference.

“Stay to protect us, yes, but stay because this is where you belong.”

He leans back to look at me. “Hannah, I’m not going anywhere.”

He kisses me, slow and certain, and something in my chest that’s been clenched tight for as long as I can remember finally lets go.

I’ve spent a good part of my life terrified that if I let anyone get close, they’d leave like my parents did, and Granny after that. But for the first time, I’m willing to take that chance and get close to someone who isn’t my family. Tonight, Grant put himself in harm’s way for me and my family, and now he’s standing in my kitchen telling me he’s not going anywhere. And for the first time in my life, I believe a person might actually stay. And I let myself want it, all of it, all of him.

“I’m not going anywhere either,” I whisper against his mouth.