Never Let Me Go (Welcome To Redemption) (8 page)

Great idea
, Hannah thought. With any luck she’d still be out when Chase arrived back from the station. And if he got mad because she’d dared to disobey him, too damn bad.

“I’m leaving now.”

Her friend was waiting for her on the front porch when Hannah arrived. “You don’t look any worse for the wear. I was expecting crutches, bandages, stitches maybe.”

Hannah couldn’t help but laugh at the woman’s absurdity. “Gee, sorry to disappoint. Next time, I’ll tell them to crack me a good one.”

“Shut up and get in here before I crack you a good one myself.”

Hannah followed Shar upstairs, waving at her father as they passed. A nice if nerdy computer genius, John Russo worked out of his home—which meant very little privacy for her friend.

“So, are you ever going to move out and get your own place?” Hannah asked as soon as she shut the bedroom door behind her.

Shar plopped down at her vanity table and picked up her curling iron. She met Hannah’s gaze in the mirror as she twisted it around a lock of her ridiculously thick, long blonde hair. “I could ask you the same question.”

“True, though I do have some privacy now that Drew’s moved into Lindy’s place.”

Shar slowly slipped the ringlet curl free and set the curling iron down. “Maybe it’s time you and I thought about getting a place together. I’m finally making enough money to afford it, and didn’t Hutch give you a raise recently?”

Hannah thought about culinary school, which had been on her mind, of course, since Chase brought it up. “I’ve actually been thinking about going to school. I mean, I love working at the diner, but I don’t want to be a waitress the rest of my life.”

“Not that there’s anything wrong with that,” her friend was quick to stress. “But yeah, I hear you. Okay, so what were you thinking about going to school for…a business degree? No, wait…culinary school?”

“Culinary school,” Hannah confirmed.

“Very cool. But why now? I mean, I guess I did think you would probably work for Hutch ‘til you were too old to lift the coffee pot.”

Hannah whipped a pillow at her. Shar laughed.

“I’ve thought about culinary school before, but…well, it seemed impossible. I’d have to work in order to afford it, but I’d have to quit working at the diner because the closest culinary schools are in either Chicago or Minneapolis.”

“Well, it’s not like you can’t get a part-time job in either Chicago or Minneapolis,” Shar pointed out. “Sure there’s not more to it than that?”

Hannah shrugged, reluctant to admit again just how much influence Jimmy had had on her. “I guess I wasn’t sure I had what it takes to make it in the culinary world.”

“Okay, so what changed your mind?”

“Chase. I made him supper last night, and he loved it.”

“Ooh, Sheriff Sexalicious! What, did he stop by to check on you or something?”

“No, he’s staying with me until Drew and my dad get back from L.A. In Drew’s room,” Hannah quickly amended. Boy, if that wasn’t starting to sound like some sort of mantra.

“Well, now, isn’t that convenient,” her friend teased with a bat of her eyelashes. “Have you made a move on him yet? And don’t bother lying to me, I can read you like a book.”

Hannah chuckled over the truth of that statement. Sharlet Russo: human lie detector.

With a sigh of resignation, Hannah told her best friend everything, including the humiliating conclusion to their almost night of passion. “I swear, I’ve never been more humiliated in my life. The thought of that man feeling—
sorry
for me makes me want to scream.”

 
Shar unplugged her curling iron and sat on the bed beside Hannah. “What a dumb ass. And it’s his loss. If the man is truly that stupid, he doesn’t deserve you.”

A reluctant grin broke free of Hannah’s pursed lips. “Well, to be fair, you are a bit biased. And Chase is far from stupid. He’s just…not interested.”

“If he’s not interested then he
is
that stupid.” She gave Hannah’s shoulder a little nudge with her own. “But if he is interested, he’d better come to his senses quick. Before some other guy sweeps you off your feet.”

Hannah couldn’t even imagine dating anyone else at this point, never mind being swept off her feet. “Hey, could I run downstairs for a bottle of water or something?”

“I’ll get it.” Shar stood up and grabbed an empty glass off her nightstand. “I’ve got a taste for something sweet.”

She hurried from the room and returned a few minutes later with two bottles of water and a pie box from Hutch’s Diner. “There’s one slice left. I’ll split it with you.” After tossing a bottle of water and a fork on the bed, Shar opened the box to reveal one last slice of Carrie’s strawberry-rhubarb pie.

Hannah’s stomach clenched. A vision of a gun being brandished in her face caused her to bypass the fork and pick up the water.

Sudden confusion gripped her just as she twisted off the cap. She was almost certain the only pie box that had left the diner in the last couple weeks was the one the thieves helped themselves to. Shar’s half-brother, Dillon Zelinsky, had a rap sheet a mile long and moved back to Redemption a few months back after his girlfriend kicked him out of their apartment.
Could he have…?

Unfortunately, she couldn’t positively identify either of the robbers—as Dillon, or anyone else.

She watched as Shar dug her fork in for a bite, unsure of whether or not she should say anything. It’s not like she couldn’t be mistaken. Though they rarely sold whole pies, it was certainly possible Hutch had sold one himself some morning before she’d started her shift.
Unlikely, but definitely not impossible.

“Hey, if you don’t want any, I’m more than happy to polish this sucker off myself,” Shar teased as she forked another bite into her mouth.

“Thanks, but my stomach is a little off today. Just the water is fine.”

“You okay? This isn’t over Sheriff Sourpuss, is it?”

Hannah laughed. “I thought he was Sheriff Sexalicious?”

“That was before I realized what an idiot he is.” Shar grinned as she stuffed the last bite of pie in her mouth.

“Can’t argue with that. Though it’s not his fault; he’s not attracted to me.”

Shar lifted an eyebrow. “Please. Even I’ve seen the way he stares at you when he thinks you aren’t looking.”

Hope flared to life again at her friend’s declaration, though Hannah hated herself for it. “It’s obviously not enough—he made that very clear.”

Shar pursed her lips and seemed to mull something over. “You said everything was fine until your brother called, right?”

“Yeah. So?”

“So? Isn’t it obvious? He’s one of your brother’s
best
friends. I’m sure there’s some kind of guy code among friends that you don’t tap your friend’s sister, right?”

Hannah caught the corner of her bottom lip between her teeth as she considered her friend’s observation. When Chase first burst through the door of the diner after the robbery, he’d had a look in his eyes she’d never seen before. Then he’d crushed her in his arms as if he’d never let her go.

At first, she’d thought that maybe she imagined the raw emotion in the way he’d held her, spoke to her. But when they’d kissed…
wow
. There hadn’t been a shred of doubt that Chase wanted her as much as she wanted him. And of course, that was when Drew called and screwed everything up.

Could it really be as simple as that? The reason Chase did a complete one-eighty after their passionate kiss and pronounced them just friends? Her heart swelled with hope—which annoyed the crap out of her. Dammit, she didn’t want to keep getting her hopes up over that fickle man!

“Hey, I meant to ask you, did you know Jimmy’s back in town?”

Hannah glanced up in shock, all other thoughts blown from her head. A slight pounding started at the base of her skull as she digested that bit of news. She had so hoped to never see that man’s face again. And if he was, in fact, back in Redemption, he’d probably show up at her place, sooner or later.

“Are you sure? I mean, did you see him? Or just hear he was back?”

“Sorry, but I saw the sleazy little bastard with my own eyes. Dillon’s had him to the house a couple of times now.” Shar rolled her eyes. “Figures those two losers would reconnect, hey?”

Hannah gave an absent nod.
 
Jimmy back in town…Could his timing be any worse? “Hopefully he’ll get bored soon, like he always does, and skip town again before I run into him.”

Shar shrugged as she took a long pull off her water bottle. “One can only hope. Last time he was here, Dillon bragged they were on their way to Green Bay to visit a few strip clubs.” A look of disgust curled her lips.

“Wish I could say I was surprised. Jimmy’s hand spent more time down stripper’s G-strings than down his own pants. And that’s saying something.”

Not that she personally gave a shit. Any genuine feelings she might have had for the handsome bad boy died for good the last time she caught him cheating on her. And truthfully, by that point, she’d felt more relief than anything else. She’d only put up with his last couple of attempts to win her back because she knew he’d make a scene—and usually while she was working. So it just became easier to humor him than get pulled into a public argument. She’d known he’d become bored again soon or later and leave town for a while, which he’d done right after Lindy’s Valentine party. She’d just really hoped this last time he wouldn’t return.

But as the saying goes: Wish in one hand, shit in the other.

“Yoohoo, Porter? You in there?” Shar teased as she slowly waved her hands in front of Hannah’s face.

 
“Sorry…I was just thinking about the diner.”

Shar gave her head a playful tilt. “Now, why am I not surprised? I suppose if Hutch is still in the hospital, you’ll have to open for him?”

“Just for a few days, give him some time to rest.”

“That man is lucky to have you.”

Hannah shrugged. “He’s like family to me. He and dad have been friends for as long as I can remember.”

The distinctive rumble of a truck engine could be heard coming down the road, and Shar hurried over to look out the window. She chuckled, then turned and pinned Hannah with a slow, ‘let the fireworks begin’ smile.

“Guess who’s here?”

Chapter 7

Chase turned onto Brookstone Avenue and relaxed a little when he saw Hannah’s Chevy Impala sitting in the Russo’s driveway. Torn between wanting to kiss her, and handcuff her stubborn ass to his side, Chase parked on the street and sat there for a minute to get his emotions under check. The combination of fear and frustration was pretty damn lethal.

When he’d arrived at Hannah’s house and realized her vehicle was nowhere to be seen, he had raced inside and checked the garage. Not that he’d truly expected it to be in there. No doubt still pissed at him for the night before, Dimples had no intention of heeding his advice. That fiery spirit both excited and exasperated him.

He hated having to lie to her about his feelings; the hurt in her eyes had been almost more than he could bear. But it had been for the best for both of them, for many reasons. Nothing complicated a friendship more than sex. And if Chase couldn’t have Hannah in his life as a lover, he damn well wanted to keep her as a friend.

After a quick search of the house, he’d noted the answering machine flashing and quickly pressed the Play button. Mystery solved—she’d raced over to her friend’s house.
No doubt to complain about yours truly.
Well, too damn bad. He had to be extra cautious for her own good. As sheriff, it was his job to keep the impossible woman safe until the robbers were caught and behind bars, and that’s exactly what he planned to do. After that, she was Drew and their dad’s problem.

He sat behind the wheel, dreading having to go up there and basically order Hannah to follow him home, like the little girl she lamented being treated as. And frankly, she had a point as far as her father and brother were concerned. But it was different with him. If anything happened to her, if that piece of shit made good on his threat and caught her off guard when he wasn’t around to protect her, he’d never forgive himself.

When John Russo stepped out onto his front porch and looked in his direction, Chase knew he’d procrastinated long enough. He climbed from the truck and crossed the street as John walked up to greet him on the sidewalk.

“Hey, Sheriff, good to see you. What can I do for you?”

Chase took off his shades and slipped them into his front shirt pocket. “Evening, John. I need to speak with Hannah, if you don’t mind.”

“Not at all. She’s in the house with Shar. Come on.” John led the way around to the back door which opened up into the kitchen. He stopped short, his hand on the knob, and glanced back with a sort of sheepish expression. “For a minute, I was afraid you might be here looking for Dillon.”

Chase quirked a brow, a little surprised by the statement. John’s stepson had been in trouble with the law more times than he could count, but as far as he knew, the guy hadn’t gotten into any trouble recently. At least, not since he’d moved back to Redemption. “No…though if you have something you’d like to share, I’m all ears.”