Hannah (The Hawthorne Sisters) (7 page)

Life had changed so much. And what if she left to live with Bryce
? Who would take care of the farm? She didn’t want Maggie and Sarah saddled with those things. They had brighter futures. Maggie was soaring in school and could do grander things than working on a farm. Sarah was too young to have to worry about such things. Still a kid, she had high school to finish, and then hopefully college, too. No, Hannah would have to stay here, helping her mother. It only made sense. Though, she’d only be living down the lane.

Feeling a little selfish, she realized she had her own life to live
, too. She’d have children, her own house, and chores to do. She couldn’t run the farm here forever. Maybe she could help them bring in a ranch hand, somebody to pitch in and help. Could they afford it? She couldn’t ask Bryce to foot that bill. She’d figure it out. Or even Allie. No, that’s not fair either. She had her own life to live.

Pacing across her room, she was unsettled.

These were decisions her mother should be making, and yet Hannah couldn’t help but want to shoulder the burden. She’d stepped in, taken on the role. It was her responsibility…only, it wasn’t. Her job was to live her life and start her own family. The reality hit her.
She wasn’t in charge.  She was just a girl that filled in when Mom couldn’t.
Mom was okay now. She could take care of her family, right? Hannah would help. Maybe it was time for her to step down, take a step back. She had her own life to live. Those words rang through her again. Family meant being there, but it didn’t mean giving up your own life in the process. She’d do what she could, but it was time for her to move forward.

Yes, she’d marry Bryce. Yes, she’d start her own family. A smile spread across her face as she realized what was holding her back. She was, and her own self-imposed responsibility and wanting to take care of her famil
y. She’d find someone who could step in and help run the farm. With a lighter load on her shoulders, Hannah sank back into her bed with relief washing through her veins. She knew her answer. Yes, she would marry him.

Hannah ran a finger over
the new ring she wore. She was getting married.

**

At Thanksgiving dinner, everybody offered them congratulations. She’d let it slip a week earlier, but now that they were seated together at the kitchen table, it was the center of conversation. At first her mother worried she might be moving too fast, like her sister usually did, but knew Hannah was grounded and wouldn’t make a decision she wasn’t happy with.

Allie had moved out
, and Hannah would be getting married. Gretta looked at her girls sitting at the table. They’d added two more chairs to the end of the table, and they all sat together. Only Richard hadn’t made it, but with Bryce here and her five girls, they had a full house as it was.

Richard was going to his own family’s Thanksgiving
. He was angry with Allie that she’d chosen to go home and not go with him. It didn’t go over well, and Allie sat at the table, barely having a word to say. She should have gone with him, sat by his side. What was she thinking? She knew he’d be angry with her for at least another day. When he got angry, he brooded and didn’t let her forget that she’d pissed him off. It was hard to shake the feeling of his wrath. It was a foolish mistake, but she’d wanted to see her sisters and offer her congratulations to Hannah and Bryce. Besides, she hadn’t been home in a while, and Mom was getting on her to stop by. Thanksgiving made sense, so she chose that day to come home.

Maggie sat watching everyone talking a mile a minute. She loved when they were all together like this. There wouldn’t be many more big family dinners soon. Allie already moved out
, and Hannah would be moving out too. The house would seem empty with only herself, Sarah, and Mom living here.

Hannah spoke of hiring help when she moved out, but Gretta scoffed. She’d figure it out. Hannah had done enough. Bryce knew of someone that might be a good fit, and offered to give Gretta his contact information. She thanked him, and told him not to wor
ry. She’d be just fine.

Sarah played with her food. She couldn’t help but notice her father’s presence missing. It was the first Thanksgiving without him. Christmas would be even harder. Even with a full house, it somehow felt empty today. She’d give anything to see him just one more time.

Chatter filled the kitchen, details of when Hannah and Bryce would get married, but nobody really noticed that Allie, Maggie, and Sarah were wrapped up in their own worlds. The voices of Gretta, Hannah, and Bryce filled the room. As long as there was conversation, nobody paid attention to who was talking – and who wasn’t.

Gretta looked at her family, happy to see everyone together. Tuc’s absence was noted, but she didn’t want to bring everybody down talking about it. She held him close in her hear
t and sent up a prayer, hoping he was listening.

Maggie got up and started to clear the table. She liked hearing the chatter of the conversation. It was comforting having her family around. She knew when she finished college and moved out, starting her own life, she’d miss the
bustle of a crowded home. Even though she was quiet by nature, she liked the movement and activity of a full home.

Sarah got up to help clear the dishes
, and whispered to Maggie, “I miss Daddy.”

Maggie turned and hugged her sister. “We all do, but life keeps moving.”

Together they cleaned up as the conversation bubbled at the table. Allie excused herself and made a phone call. She was going to leave early, wanting to spend some time with Richard. She said her good-byes, and headed out.

“Does she seem okay to you?” Hannah blurted out the minute
Allie left.

“She claims to be happy.”

“She doesn’t act like she’s happy.”

“I know. I worry about her sometimes. She’s searching to fill some void. I just wish she’d find what she was looking for.”

The conversation rolled back to Hannah and Bryce.

Winter
was surprisingly mild the first half of December, but the second half dumped way too much snow on them. The foyer was a mix of hats, scarves, gloves, and coats. Boots were clustered by the door so they didn’t drag a mess in. It took years for Gretta to teach the girls to do that when they were small. One would always scamper in, and in their excitement, spread muddy or snowy footprints about.

It was hard to believe how far they’d come. This last year
was a hard one, with the loss of her husband. It was hard on all of them. The loneliness never left her, but she had her girls. Sarah and Maggie were back in school for the year, Hannah would be getting married in the spring, and Allie felt like a shadow. She barely saw her anymore.

Christmas Eve was sneaking up on her fast. It was her favorite time of the year. It would be odd to share this year’s festivities without Tuc, but they’d make the most of it.
Gretta hired a local boy to help bring in the tree she’d picked out. Christmas was only a week away. Usually she had the tree up by now, but it was hard to get motivated without Tucker. They used to go pick out a tree together and make a day of it, stopping for a bite to eat. It was one of the few days of the year that they took a day to themselves to go on a date. She put it off as long as she could, and tried to swallow the pain of a new tradition. This year she let Sarah and Maggie pick out the tree.

Gretta couldn’t help but notice when the boy helping them looked too long at Maggie.
She was a beautiful girl, but never seemed to notice the side glances of guys checking her out. Maggie couldn’t see her own beauty, and always pushed compliments away. She closed herself off to invitations with her body language and shyness.

Sarah was digging out the Christmas decorations, excited to start trimming the tree. This was her favorite time of the year. She loved all the twinkling lights and
seasonal decorations they’d put out. When the tree was garnished, her favorite part was turning out the lights in the evening and watching the tree twinkle and blink to the background noise of the fireplace crackling.

They were doing things later this year than usual, but with Dad being gone
, it felt weird to start without him. They knew they couldn’t put it off forever, and finally decided it was time. He’d want them to celebrate and enjoy the season.

“Hannah, remember that year you wanted a moose for Christmas? Mom made you chocolate mouse
, and got you a stuffed one.” Maggie smiled, remembering the childhood memory.

Hannah laughed. “Yeah, it was always about animals with me. You always wanted anatomically correct dolls. Not dolls who had boobs that were bigger than their heads.”

Maggie laughed. “I just felt lacking.” She looked down. “Now, I’m more than happy with what I’ve been given. But honestly, some of those dolls force unrealistic expectations on girls.”

It was nice to see Maggie in her moment of laughter. She was such an introvert and quiet so much of the time, she’d be the one listening while everyone else was talking. She seemed relaxed and happy as they trimmed the tree.

Sarah held up the angel. “Nobody will be tall enough to reach.”

“There’s a step stool in the pantry,” Gretta said. “I’ll go get it. You can put it up this year, Sarah.”

“That was Daddy’s job.” She stood looking at her mother.

Gretta swallowed, not wanting the moment to be pulled down. “It’s your job now.” She smiled and went to get the step stool.

Hannah watched as Sarah climbed on the step stool and reached over to the top. Maggie handed it up to her. Hannah helped her guide the placement so it wasn’t crooked. When they were all done, they stepped back and looked at the finished product.

“Are we ready?” Gretta picked up the cord and plugged it in, letting the lights come to life.

They stood silently taking in the display. Something about Christmas always brought them together. It was their favorite time of the year.

“Allie will be coming over for Christmas Eve, right?” Maggie asked.

“Last I spoke to her, she was. I told her to bring Richard with her. They’ll come here Christmas Eve, and then go to his parent’s house on Christmas Day. What about Bryce?” Gretta turned to face Hannah.

“Christmas Eve, he’ll be here. He still hasn’t found Bev, and I think Christmas Day will be hard for him. We may just share a quiet day together at his place.”

“I hope she’s okay.”

“Yeah, me too.”

**

When Allie called, Gretta was heartbroken. She wouldn’t be coming over for Christmas Eve. Richard wasn’t feeling well, and she didn’t want to leave him. He was hung over and not in the mood for celebration. His work party had kept him up late the night before.

She tried to convince her daughter to come without him, but Allie rebuffed. “That wouldn’t be a good idea.”

As Hannah and Bryce arrived, Hannah was surprised that Allie wouldn’t be sharing in the celebration. Allie loved Christmas. It wouldn’t be the same without her.

“So, I have some good news,” Gretta smiled proudly. “The boy that helped us deliver the tree is going to help us with some projects around here. He’s college aged, and comes with good referrals. I went back to speak with him a few days after he helped us set up the tree. He was so polite, such a gentleman. Anyway, he’s going to work weekends here, since during the week he’s in school. Maggie, you might know him. He goes to your school. Anyway, the tree farm he’s working at is only seasonal work. I asked him if he might be interested or know anyone about his age that would be interested in part-time work. Turned out he was looking for some part-time work between his studies.”

“Mom, that’s great.” Hannah was pleased she’d taken the initiative.

“Well, since my Hannah will have her own home to worry about, I thought I should look into that.” She placed her hands on Bryce’s shoulders. “You’ll take good care of my girl, won’t you?”

“The best.” He smiled, looking at his future bride.

Gretta had been baking all day, and placed out an assortment of cookies. Sharing in snacks and stories, they gathered around and shared gifts and memories of Dad. They laughed over cherished family moments, silly things the girls had done, and filled Bryce in on some of Hannah’s moments through life.

Mom pulled out the photo albums and everyone poured over them. The ones that had Dad in them got extra special attention. There was sadness in Gretta’s eyes, but enough time had passed that she pulled herself out of the funk. It was hard to believe this past year had gone by so quickly. She couldn’t imagine life without Tuc. When Tucker Hawthorne asked her to be his bride, she was thrilled. She loved him until his very last day, and he’d given her four beautiful daughters.

Now it was time for Hannah to get married. She wished her daughter the same happiness she’d had all these years.

As the night moved on and laughter and talking was quieting down, Bryce was
ready to head home. Thanking the Hawthorne family for a lovely evening, he said goodnight. Hannah followed him to his truck, her hand tucked in his. “Best Christmas ever,” he whispered, pulling her into a hug.

“Right, I’m sure,
sitting around with a bunch of gossiping girls spilling over pictures.”

“It was my first Christmas with my future wife.” His lips were warm and his mouth hungry as he leaned in to kiss Hannah.

“If you keep kissing me like that, I’ll never let you go.”

“I hope that’s a promise.”

“I love you, Bryce.”

“I love you.” Kissing her forehead tenderly, his lips brush
ed against her skin.

On arriving home, he didn’t expect to see his sister waiting for him.

“Beverly?”

“I’m sober,” she shrugged. “Will you have me back in your life?”

Bryce embraced his sister. “Come inside.”

After a long night of talking, Bev curled up with a blanket and napped. She’d share Christmas Day with her brother, but then she’d be heading out. She found a place a town over, and was able to find a part-time job. She was starting over
, and working on her sobriety day by day. Bryce was proud of her and wished her well.

Christmas week was a snowy one, and when New Year’s Eve rolled around, Hannah and Bryce decided they’d stay in. They’d share a bottle of champagne
, and make a couple of bacon wrapped filets.

Dinner was amazing
. Cleaning up, the couple moved around one another putting things away and finishing up.

“I can’t believe how much my life has changed this year.”  Bryce pulled his girl close.

“Hopefully for the better,” she grinned.

Bryce kissed
Hannah. Closing her eyes, she parted her lips, enjoying the lushness of his mouth tasting hers. Her entire body felt electric when they were together. She felt warm and safe in his arms. Slowly his mouth moved lower, trailing down her neck, nuzzling and teasing her.

Hannah
murmured softly, “If you keep that up, I’m going to be in trouble.” Everything inside of her tingled as her breathing slowed, steady and deep. “That feels so good,” she whispered.

Bryce had to restrain himself. He wanted nothing more than to carry her into his bedroom and make love to her. Forcing himself to stop, he took her hand and led her to the sofa.

“I can’t imagine my life without you in it. One day we’ll look back on this, and tell our kids about our lives.”

“One day. I do want kids, Bryce, but I’m not in a hurry.”

“When it happens, it happens. We’ll let nature decide for us.”

“I like that.” That felt right.
Hannah’s voice was soft. “I don’t know if I ever said ‘thank you.’ I’m sorry.”

“Thank you for what?”

“I was cold, abrupt, and rough when you saved our home. I appreciate what you did for us, and I’m sorry I was rude at first.”

“Oh
, baby, no need. And you did stop by. Don’t you remember that day in the barn?”

“This past year was a blur. So much has changed. I feel like I’ve gone from being a girl to a woman.”

“You’re an amazing woman. You’ve always been, in my eyes.”

“Thank you.” She nuzzled into the nook of his arm.

“You know that it’s going to kill me to wait until spring. I’m ready to call you my wife and make love to you now.” He grinned and squeezed his arm tighter around her.

“We don’t have to wait. We could make love now.”

“No. Let’s wait. We’ve waited this long.” It killed him to say it, but it was the right thing to do.

“The way you kiss me, you leave me aching for more.”

“Mrs. Callahan… I like the sound of that.”

“Me too,” she purred.

“And kids…you’re going to be an amazing mother.”

“Take me to bed,” she whispered.

“You’ll kill me yet. Do you know how hard it is to say no to that kind of offer?”

“Then don’t say no.” She arched an eyebrow at him, flirting with him.

“One of these days I may take you up on that offer.”

She sighed, exaggerating. “Fine, I’ll behave, but only for a few more months. The minute we get married, you’re all mine!”

“It will be the best day of my life. I’m counting the days until spring.”

THE END

Thank you for taking the time to choose an Ava Catori title. If you enjoyed reading this, be sure to check out other stories in the series. “The Hawthorne Sisters” features four sisters and life with their widowed mother. I’d suggest reading “Allie” next. While they can be read in any order and are each standalone stories, the series runs linear if you like to keep timeframes in order.

To read them in order:

Hannah, Book 1

Allie, Book 2

Maggie, Book 3

Sarah, Book 4

If you enjoyed this story, please consider leaving a review so other people can decide if this book might be right for them. Thank you so much for your time. Be sure to check out the next book in “The Hawthorne Sisters” series.  You can find more information at A
vaCatori.com. If you’d like to be notified of future releases, be sure to sign up for our mailing list.