HANNAH
Jason strolled down the path and found the three still settled in their chairs. Hannah and Carmen deep in a conversation that didn't seem to have a point, which was probably the point.
He leaned down, scooped Olyvia into his arms, and gave Hannah a look that made her face flush red-hot.
She scrunched her face and mouthed, shut up, but Jason just waggled his eyebrows and laughed.
"She's already out cold," he said, gesturing to the girl limp in his arms. "I'm not waking her just to give her back. Go on, get this beautiful woman a drink. Make friends, for once in your life."
Hannah rolled her eyes, but couldn't stop the smile forming on her lips. For all his teasing, Jason had stepped up in ways she could never repay. He wasn't just her brother anymore. He was the anchor that helped her stay upright when everything else collapsed.
She turned to Carmen. "Well, that was dramatic. But would you like a drink? On me."
"Are you sure?" Carmen glanced toward Jason, but he already sauntered off, gently swaying with Lyvie against his shoulder.
"Oh, he won't take no for an answer. And anyway, it's an open bar. I might even splurge and get you two."
"Ooh look at you. Big spender."
They laughed, making their way inside toward the makeshift bar set up at the back of the barn. A loud country song blasted from the speakers. Hannah caught the way Carmen subtly shook her head and handed her a whiskey without asking. It felt like a smart move.
People stared. Or maybe, just the men did. Hannah noticed it more now, the way their eyes followed Carmen like she was something they'd only seen in movies.
As they slipped into a quieter corner, Carmen began explaining the merger. Her tone was easy but exacting. Corporate power with a soft New York accent surrounded by a Tennessee drawl.
"The next two weeks are back-to-back meetings. Strategy sessions, negotiations, all-hands where half the room's just there for free coffee and snacks. You know–strictly corporate fun."
"But, you make it sound so effortless."
She chuckled, "only on paper. Once people start tossing around terms like synergy and shared equity, it turns into a full-blown tug-of-war."
Before Hannah could respond, a man passed by and blatantly tried to catch Carmen's eye.
She didn't even blink.
"Do they all act like this?" Carmen asked quietly, sipping her drink.
Hannah hummed. "Honestly? I've never gotten quite this much attention in my life."
Carmen turned, her gaze slow and deliberate. "I don't believe you."
Something in Hannah's lungs stopped working. Her throat tightened like she was mid-allergy attack. Like she needed an EpiPen to survive the way Carmen's eyes tracked over every inch of her.
If she'd caught fire in that moment, she wasn't sure she had the wherewithal to put herself out.
"I'm not the new girl anymore," Hannah managed, her voice light but raspy. "Charm wears off quickly."
She took a long swallow of beer, as if that could cool the fire curling beneath her skin.
"Now, you? You're a fresh face. Mysterious. Gorgeous. I'm pretty sure half this barn is plotting how to get you out on the dance floor." Hannah couldn't believe the words had come from her.
YOU ARE READING
Of Course, It's You
Romance[Book 1 in the Of Course series] The only reason Hannah made it to this wedding, was because her friends asked for her daughter to be the flower girl. After the death of her wife, Hannah resigned herself to a life devoid of love and she's determined...
