Harboring Hannah by Pepper North

Chapter 6

“Here’s our stopping point for the day. Let’s check into the hotel and go get something to eat,” Deke recommended, turning into the parking lot of a well-known hotel chain.

“I can sleep in the boat. Or in the truck,” Hannah quickly suggested.

“You’ll stay in a room where you’ll have a firm floor under your feet, a hot shower, and a warm bed, Hannah.”

“Deke, I… I can’t afford it,” she improvised. “I’ll be okay staying in the boat. Camping is my middle name. I won’t get sick while it’s parked.”

“No way. I can pay for a room for you, or we can get a room with two double beds.”

“Hotels scare me. Can I stay with you?” she confessed, jumping at his offer to share a room if he wouldn’t let her sleep out here.

“Of course. Let me go check in. Then you can tell me why you’re frightened to stay here alone.”

As she watched him walk away, Hannah searched for a reason to tell him she couldn’t stay by herself. How could she admit that she still had nightmares about that scary movie she’d had to watch? Hannah liked animated movies where cute animals sang and everything always ended happily. Sure, there were some scary music times in those movies, too, but nothing that lingered in her mind like the one at that old, abandoned motel.

Hannah looked up at the multi-floored hotel. There had to be some bad people in all those rooms. The girl staying alone was always the first to get attacked. At least, that’s what her friends had teased her about when they’d picked up on her fear.

“Little girl? Are you okay?” Deke asked, shocking her out of the scenes playing in her head.

“Ahhh!” Hannah shrieked before chopping off the sound when she realized it was him.

“Sorry. Did they have a room?” she asked, trying to change the subject quickly. Her heart fluttered rapidly in her chest. Hannah tried to be cool but knew from the concern drawing his eyebrows together that she failed miserably.

“Yes. Let me grab our bags and we’ll go check it out.”

Deke opened the rear cab door and pulled out her battered denim backpack and his duffle. Slinging her bag over his shoulder, he freed one hand to hold hers. After a reassuring squeeze, he asked, “Ready?”

“I can carry my bag,” she offered, reaching forward.

“No way. Daddy’s job,” he refused.

“I’m so much trouble.” Hannah dropped her head to study her shoes.

“Nope.”

This simple response made her peek up at him. Studying his face, Hannah noted his gentle smile. She hadn’t seen Deke upset yet. Was he always so positive?

“Do you ever get mad?” she asked.

“Not very often. How about you?”

“No. I usually just run from my problems rather than fight about them,” Hannah confessed, watching him to judge his reaction.

“That doesn’t solve the problem.”

A deep sigh escaped her lips as she walked next to him, her head drooping back down to study the concrete. When his hand pulled her to a stop, Hannah looked at him in surprise.

“Problems are easier to handle if someone always has your back. I don’t think you’ve had that kind of support before, have you?”

Before she could curb her reaction, tears sprung to her eyes. Deke stepped forward to gather her close. Warmth and human caring surrounded her. His hand smoothed over her spine to comfort her.

“Is she okay?” a kind voice asked.

Hannah looked over her shoulder to see an elderly woman clinging to the arm of her husband. Unsteady on her feet, the woman totally disregarded her own struggles to be concerned about a total stranger. Instantly, Hannah’s troubles seemed to shrink in importance.

Forcing a smile to her lips, Hannah assured her, “I’m okay. Thank you for checking on me. I was just sad for a minute.”

“You let that man support you. His shoulders are broad enough to hold your worries.”

Turning back to consider Deke’s powerful frame, Hannah agreed, “I think you’re right. Good idea.” Hannah slipped her hand into his. The answering squeeze dispelled more of the gloom surrounding her.

Deke just made everything better. She scooted closer to the man who’d already become her rock. Hannah crossed her fingers. Could he be so open-minded to forgive her?

“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s go up to our room.” Deke gently tugged Hannah with him as he walked toward the entrance.

Looking back at the elderly couple behind her, Hannah’s heart ached. The loving way the two supported each other surrounded them like a glowing aura. She wanted someone to care for her and share her life.

When Deke squeezed her hand, she met his gaze. “I think it’s time for you to be happy, Little girl. Let’s focus on making some wonderful memories.”

“I’d like that.”

“Me, too.”

They were quiet in the elevator as they rode up to their floor, each lost in their thoughts. Once they reached their room, Deke ushered her inside and set Hannah’s bag in the restroom before setting his on one bed.

“Go potty and take a shower while I research some places we can go to dinner,” Deke suggested.

She almost groaned at the thought of a shower. Hannah had used a bottle of water to take a sponge bath but hadn’t stood under hot running water for so long. “I don’t want to hog the bathroom,” she protested weakly.

“Go. Take as long as you want. Use all the towels, shampoo, and conditioner if you need it. I can call the desk for more,” he assured her.

Hannah glanced back at him as she reached the doorway. Deke was engrossed in his phone. He scrolled through what must be a list on the screen.

He looked up to see her watching. Immediately, he smiled and asked, “Anything you don’t like?”

“Nothing fancy, please. I didn’t pack clothes for anything that’s not casual.”

“That makes two of us. We’ll save an elegant restaurant for a special event. Go ahead, Little girl. I’ll find something we’ll enjoy trying,” he promised.

Hannah entered the bathroom and closed the door. Should she lock it? She shook her head without realizing she moved. Deke was the one person she trusted. Quickly, she undressed and dropped her clothes in a pile. Contemplating them reminded her she was running out of clean clothes. There was no way to do laundry here, but underwear would dry quickly.

She dug through her backpack to find her panties. Filling the sink with water, Hannah poured a small portion of the body wash into the sink and stuffed her delicates into the soapy liquid. Deciding to let that soak, she gathered the small toiletry containers and stepped into the shower.

“Ahhh!” Hannah couldn’t stop the moan of bliss as the hot water cascaded over her body. She reminded herself that Deke was waiting as she dipped her head back into the water. Sudsing up the shampoo, Hannah washed her hair before cleaning her body.

When she stepped out of the shower, Hannah felt like a real person again. Wrapping a towel around her head and body, she washed her panties quickly before wringing them out carefully. An idea flashed into her mind and Hannah unwrapped the relatively dry towel from around her and arranged the panties on the absorbent material. She rolled them up in the towel and twisted it to pull even more moisture from the damp clothing.

They just needed a bit of time to dry. She arranged the scraps of fabric over the shower stall. The thought of having clean underwear overruled her embarrassment. Dressing, she gathered all her stuff and opened the door.

Deke touched a few more letters to finish a message on his phone before glancing up to spot her. Immediately, he asked, “Ready to go to dinner?”

As if on cue, Hannah’s stomach grumbled. She pressed a hand against her abdomen and laughed. “I guess so!”

“Let’s go.” Deke stood and walked forward to pull her close. He held her quietly for a few minutes before whispering into her ear, “I’m so glad I found you again.”

“I’m glad you found me, too,” she answered, tilting her face up to invite a kiss.

As his lips pressed against hers, Hannah curled her fingers into his thick biceps. Clinging to him for stability, his warm kisses thrilled her. When he deepened the kiss, sweeping his tongue into her mouth, Hannah heard herself moan softly as she responded. Lifting on to her toes, she wrapped her arms around his neck to hold him even closer.

A small sound of protest escaped from her lips when he lifted his head to look at her. The hunger written on his face thrilled her. There was no way he could fake his attraction to her. But it was more than just sexual hunger. Deke looked at her with emotions Hannah struggled to identify—concern, caring, and more. She stared at him, trying to memorize his expression.

“I’m not planning to go anywhere,” he promised, as if reading her mind.

“Good,” she whispered. Then, taking a deep breath, she promised, “I won’t run away until you tell me to leave.”

“That’s never going to happen. Thank you for giving me the chance to prove to you that some people don’t leave when everything isn’t perfect. Now, dinner time.”