Harboring Hannah by Pepper North
Chapter 3
Three weeks later…
“Hi, Osiris!” Deke leaned against his prized boat, ready to talk to the man who’d already become a friend. “You’re not on speaker, are you?”
“No. Kenzie’s outside playing with Lollipop.”
“I don’t know if he’s even going to notice I’m back,” Deke laughed. He’d had to kennel his bull mastiff when the massive dog had needed knee surgery. The vet had counseled he would need to be kept quiet to allow the repair to heal correctly. Thankfully, Osiris and Kenzie had needed a place to stay while building their own house in SANCTUM. They’d volunteered to take care of Lollipop while they’d stayed at Deke’s house.
“He’s waiting for you. One mention of your name and he’s searching. That big lug loves Kenzie, but there’s no dispute that you are the top dog in his life.”
“You’re headed our way?”
“I am. Solo, unfortunately. The Little I was sure was mine has disappeared. I’ve used all my resources to find her, but nothing, not even tracing her phone and hiring a private detective, has allowed me to locate Hannah.”
“I’m sorry, Deke. Are you going to hang around to keep searching?”
“I haven’t heard a peep from her for three weeks. No one’s seen her. The police aren’t worried because she messaged a friend that she was going offline for a while as she explored the Midwest. According to her family, this is her typical pattern and Hannah will show back up somewhere else.”
“I know you’re worried.”
“I am,” Deke admitted. “I feel like I’m abandoning her, but the reality is she’s gone.”
Silence stretched between the two men. Finally, Deke shook his head to dispel the worry. “Enough of that. I can only trust that if I’m supposed to find my Little, she’ll show up. I’m heading to SANCTUM tomorrow, bright and early.”
“Bringing that cabin cruiser with you?” Osiris asked.
“It will be perfect to float on the lake. I’m planning on stocking the water with more fish when I get there. What do you and Kenzie think of fishing?”
“I haven’t done a lot but anything that allows me to sit, drink a beer, and hang out with my Little sounds amazing,” Osiris joked.
“I can’t wait to meet you both. Have you heard any word about the puppy?” Deke asked.
“We’re going to pick her up next week. Kenzie thinks we’re going on a ribbon run. That girl loves making bows. Lollipop gets to wear a new one frequently.”
“He’s a keeper. It was obvious from my first days with him that Lollipop was a lover, not a fighter,” Deke laughed. “I’ll let you go. See you in a few days.”
Forcing himself to move, Deke continued to secure the boat to the trailer. A feeling of overwhelming frustration flashed through him. Striking out, he slapped his open hand against the hull.
“Dammit, Hannah! Why couldn’t you trust me enough to tell me what’s going on?”
He pressed his forehead against the cool hull of the boat for several seconds to regain control. Deke knew Hannah was the one. Even after only a week of spending time with her, he was certain she was his Little. He could only guess that she’d run scared. Deke had tried to move slowly and surround her with reassurances. It hadn’t been enough. Or maybe it hadn’t been fast enough. The mistake was on him. Now he’d lost her.
Straightening, he pulled on the straps to test for slack. That’s it. I’m ready to go. Hopefully, Hannah knew he’d come back for her in a flash. Or come get her wherever she was.
* * *
Hannah jumped at the loud thump on the side of the boat. When she’d needed to change up her hiding spot, her first thought for safety had been Deke. Just as she’d suggested, he’d found a place for the boat at the marina when it emerged, clean and rehabilitated. She’d searched the docks at night until she’d found it.
To Hannah’s delight, she discovered he was living in the boat. Hovering just out of sight, she’d kept an eye on Tobler’s Toy and the handsome man who’d treated her so well. She returned often with the excuse of seeing if he’d left town, but Hannah knew she really just wanted to see him. Sitting against the mooring posts on the dock late at night had been the closest she’d dared to get to the man who drew her so strongly. Covered by shadows, she’d laid a hand on the hull, comforted that he was only a few feet away.
Hannah knew he was supposed to go back to SANCTUM. He’d shared stories and facts about the people that already lived there with her. Deke was different from all the other men she’d dated. He actually seemed to care about her instead of playing games. Hannah had been so afraid to make another mistake. Then one of the worst mistakes of her life had resurfaced and she couldn’t stand to see the disappointment in Deke’s eyes. That would gut her.
She’d been sure he would move on quickly, like everyone else always did. Deke hadn’t. He’d stayed in the area. He’d seemed upset when he couldn’t find her. Hannah didn’t know what to think. Thanks to the allure of her dad’s prestige and wealth, she’d learned to be on her guard with people who showed an interest in her. She’d been duped so many times that everyone thought of her as a screwup. Deke hadn’t treated her like that at all. He’d seemed interested in her for herself.
So, she’d returned as often as possible to see him. Determined to keep her latest blunder a secret, Hannah had taken the easy way out. She’d run away from her problems again. But she couldn’t force herself to stay away from Deke. Something drew her to him.
Needing to know what he was doing, she’d used a dummy account on a burner phone. She had way too much experience with this. Requests for her to contact him, the police, or the private detective he’d hired filled Deke’s social media. She’d tried to convince herself that he was just a nice guy who felt obligated to look for her. He couldn’t really care for her.
When he’d moved out of the boat that morning, Hannah had snuck inside. Deke had transformed the inside into a cozy home. Instantly, she felt safe. Exploring, she’d found a package of pretzels and a bottle of water to fill the emptiness inside her. Lying down on his bed, Hannah buried her face in his pillow to inhale Deke’s scent. She’d just stay a minute. Then, he’d returned earlier than she’d expected. The murmur of his deep voice penetrated the hull. Freezing in place, she strained to hear his conversation.
After jumping at the thud on the side of the boat, she heard him moving around the outside of the boat. It was too late now to get out. Hannah would wait for her chance to later. Now she was just going to enjoy being close to him—even if close was thirty feet behind his massive truck.
Hannah heard the truck door slam and the engine start. The cabin swayed as it had when he’d trailered the boat from the water. Bumping around the inside, she raised her hands to brace herself against the walls at her feet and head. Her body rocked back and forth as the trailer rolled up the slope from the docking area.
“It will get better when he hits the road,” she whispered to reassure herself.
“Ugh!” Hannah rolled off the bunk and landed with a thump on the ground.
She cupped her hands around her head to protect herself as the boat rocked savagely around her. Hannah’s stomach rolled inside her body. Taking deep breaths to try to wipe out the nausea, she sat up and leaned against the bunk for support. Since she’d been a kid, Hannah had always gotten car sick unless the air conditioner, or the wind, blew in her face.
Maybe I can go up on deck. Deke won’t see me if I stay down.
Hannah inched her way over to the narrow stairs. Twice, she lurched to the ground when the boat made a turn. Panicking, she clasped her hand over her mouth and tore up the stairs to lean over the side of the boat as the snack of pretzels and water burst from Hannah. Miserable, she held on to the railing with one hand as she tried to avoid splattering the mess on Deke’s prized boat.
