Almost Midnight (22 page)

Annie furrowed her brow. “That’s Tanner Clearbrook, isn’t it? Or
John
Tanner Clearbrook?” she chuckled, knowing the entire story of how Hannah hadn’t known the man’s full name when she first started working as a tutor to Jeremy.

“Yes, it’s him.  Now, will you help me? I don’t want him to see me.”

Hannah’s heart pounded as she gazed out at the dark water. She wasn’t usually such a coward, but she wondered if swimming was an option. If Tanner wanted to talk to her, it would be on her terms not his.

“Annie,” she said, desperation in her voice. “You have to—”

“All right, Hannah!” Tanner’s voice boomed against Hannah’s ears.

Hannah groaned and fell against the wall. Tanner had the band’s microphone!

“Maybe you folks can help me out here!”

The crowd started to talk, thinking that this was part of the cruise entertainment, and they were ready to play.

Hannah closed her eyes, trying to think. In order to leave, she would have to get on all fours and crawl toward the exit door. The dinner boat was still close enough to shore. Maybe she had a chance to evade him if she timed it right. How he had found her was anybody’s guess, but if he wanted to embarrass her more, he’d be sorry. She’d have a thing or two to say to him later.

“Hannah Elliot is about so high,” his voice echoed over the crowd. “Blond hair as gold as the wheat fields in summer.”

Hannah clenched her fists. Tanner Clearbrook was not sweet-talking her into anything. She loved Jeremy, but she couldn’t stay on as his nanny, no matter what money it involved. And marriage without love was out of the question.

“Annie, I’m leaving,” she hissed beneath her breath. “Are you coming with me?”

Annie frowned. “Come on, Hannah. He’s looking for you. Aren’t you going to tell him you’re here?”

“Are you kidding?” Hannah’s heart skipped a beat. “The man hates my guts.” 

“Yeah, right. Like he came thousands of miles to see you because he hated your guts?”

“I don’t want to talk about it. You can come with me or stay here, but I’m leaving. We’ll have to crawl on all fours to get out of here alive.” 

“You can’t be serious? You aren’t planning on swimming, are you? That’s...crazy! What if he wants to tell you he’s sorry?” 

But Hannah was already on her way, twisting through the crowd. Tanner’s commanding presence began to gnaw away at her self-confidence. She didn’t need to be hurt again.

Yes, she would swim if she had to. She had won first place in state swimming when she was in high school. Annie didn’t need to come with her. In fact, it was better that Annie stay on the boat. Hannah had no idea if her friend was a good swimmer or not.

But it seemed Annie didn’t like her plans. Her friend muttered something, then stood up on her tiptoes. “Tanner Clearbrook?” she shouted. All heads, including Tanner’s turned toward Annie. “Are you looking for Hannah Elliot?”

Hannah heard her friend’s voice and clenched her teeth in irritation. She was never going to speak to Annie again!

“That’s what I said, wasn’t it?” Tanner replied.

“What’s she to ya?” Annie asked.

“Everything,” Tanner said, softly. “Hannah Elliot is everything to me. I love her and I was a fool to let her go.”

Hannah refused to be baited. She missed the sight of Annie pushing her way through the crowd toward Tanner as she pointed in Hannah’s direction. Tanner nodded.

“You what?” Annie asked louder. “I didn’t hear that.”

“I said I love her,” he said loudly. “I love her!” 

He loved her? Hannah stopped. Her breath solidified in her throat. Could it be true? She looked up. But a part of her brain refused to be tricked again.

Before she could think about her next move, like Moses parting the Red Sea, the crowd separated and Hannah caught Tanner towering over her with his irresistible dimpled smile that pierced her defenses. All at once, he was kneeling down beside her and taking her hand in his.

A pulsing knot throbbed in her chest. His scent pummeled her senses, and she began to remember the way he held his child, the way he fixed a breakfast tray, the way he kissed her. She couldn’t control her trembling lips or the tears that began to well in her eyes. She still loved this man, no matter what he had done to her.

“I love you, Hannah Elliot.” 

A hush fell over the crowd, and Hannah felt her legs weaken.

“I want you to marry me. Please say yes, honey. I’m sorry for everything I did with Reach Medicals. I’m sorry for every jealous thought I had with you and that gorilla man. I’m sorry for ever acting like I was some grand duke, making decisions on your behalf. I’m sorry from the bottom of my heart. I love you and want you to be happy. Please, say you’ll forgive me. You and my son are everything to me.”

He was asking for her forgiveness. The tender vulnerability in his gaze sent Hannah’s defenses crumbling. He wanted her. He loved her.

“Come on, Hannah,” someone cried out. “Give the guy a break.”

“Yeah, Hannah. Have mercy on the poor guy.” 

The murmur increased, and soon everybody was shouting at her.

“Yeah, honeybunch,” Tanner replied in a silky voice. “Give the poor moron a break. Marry the guy and stop his suffering. I was a stupid, selfish man who wanted things his way. I’m sorry. I can’t promise you that I’ll be perfect, but I’m going to try to make you happy.” 

Before she could answer, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her, sending a whooping cheer throughout the crowd.

His half-hooded eyes drilled into hers like Cupid’s arrow spearing her heart. “Jeremy misses your gingerbread.”

“What about you?” she asked, wrapping her arms around his neck. “What do you miss?”

“I miss you, baby. Just you.” His voice was so tender, it cracked with emotion. Two silvery eyes glistened with regret.

“Don’t leave me again, Hannah. I couldn’t stand it. I love you too much to ever be without you. I was a stupid moron to pull your resume. I’m going to ask you again. Forgive me? I want to marry you and have children with you. I want to live with you until we’re old and gray. I just plain want to love you, baby.”

“I forgive you.” Hot tears spilled from Hannah’s lids. “And yes,” she said softly. “I’ll marry you.” 

His laugh was alive with delight. She kissed him with a hunger that surprised even her. The boat full of onlookers cheered her on.

For the first time since Nick, Hannah abandoned herself to a string of intensifying emotions that left her giddy with desire and hope. Tanner loved her. He had asked to be forgiven in front of a crowd of men, something Nick would never have done.

She knew Tanner wasn’t perfect, but neither was she. Wasn’t that what marriage was about? Learning from each other? And helping each other to become a better person, if both were willing?

Tanner squeezed his hands around her. “Let’s get out of here, honey.” 

He quickly escorted her outside the cabin for some privacy.

But despite Tanner’s efforts for a secluded getaway, the crowd pressed their noses against the glass, including Annie.

“Hannah, honey,” Tanner said, slipping her feet to the floor and nuzzling her neck.

“Hmmm?”

“I was wondering if you ever made your gingerbread for Alex Richards.” 

Hannah giggled. “And what if I did?”

“I’ll squeeze every drop of ginger out of that hairy gorilla.”

Hannah raised her hand to Tanner’s chin, trailing a finger along his adoring dimple. “Then the answer is no. I save my specialty only for the people I love.”

Tanner cupped her face in his hands, brushing her wet cheeks with his thumbs. “I love you, Hannah Elliot...and your gingerbread.”

“Tanner?” she whispered, her cheek resting against his.

“Hmmm?”

“Before we get married, I liked to clear the air. I don’t want anything between us.”

He tilted his head away from hers, his hard gray eyes narrowing in question. “Why is it that I feel this has something to do with Alex Richards? Does it?”

Hannah nodded a yes.

“Then I don’t want to hear it.” His hands began to explore her back as he crushed her to him.

“Tanner, please...”

He dropped his gaze, smiling. “What?”

“That gingerbread...” she said, biting her lip, afraid to go on.

“What about it?” he asked sharply, raising an inquiring brow.

“Well, it’s really not my recipe at all. I got it from Candy and—”

“Stop!” He sliced his hands through the air. “I don’t want to hear it.”

“But, Tanner,” Hannah giggled, “Candy got the recipe from Alex.”

Tanner shook his head in disgust. “Did you have to say that?”

Hannah smiled. “Is that so terrible?”

“As a matter of fact, yes. Jeremy has our wedding cake all planned. And I can’t believe it’s going to be made from that hairy gorilla’s gingerbread recipe. I won’t have it.”

Hannah stroked his ear with her finger. A deep feeling of peace swept through her. “What if I figure out another specialty for our wedding, then will you be happy?”

“Another specialty?” He jerked back and gave her that famous dimpled Clearbrook smile, making her knees tremble. “Hannah, Hannah, Hannah,” he said, leading her behind the deck where no one could see them. “How many specialties do you have?”

“Tanner,” she protested. “Please—”

“Please?” he said with a hint of mischief. “Say no more, honeybunch. Say no more.” 

He dropped his lips to hers, his touch igniting a fire deep in her belly. Love poured through Hannah like a liquid fire, and she found herself fighting the tears that poured from her heart.

“I love you, John Tanner Clearbrook.”

“And I love you, Hannah.” 

He kissed her again, and she felt the warmth of a single tear fall upon her cheek. His tear. Instantly, she knew that her fate had been sealed – sealed with the life of a man who loved her.

EPILOGUE

Hannah had never been happier. The wedding was beautiful, even the reception had gone on without a hitch except for one thing.  

“Who the h—” Tanner caught himself as he glowered at Alex Richards sitting at the table on the opposite side of the banquet room. “Who asked him to come?

“I invited him,” Hannah said sweetly. “Now, you behave.”

Tanner looked hurt. “Me?”

“Yes, you.”

“Why?”

“Because I asked you to.”

He frowned and crossed his arms like a stubborn little boy. It was all Hannah could do not to laugh. “Tanner, dear?”

“Hmmm?” he said, his intense gaze roaming her face.

She curled her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Do you know I love you?”

Tanner smiled, sweeping her into his arms. “Why, Mrs. Clearbrook,” he said, turning to the crowd of guests and waving a good-bye as he exited the hotel ballroom and headed down the hall toward their honeymoon suite. “I think I like this specialty much better than gingerbread. Much better by far.” 

About ten yards from the reception area, he let her slide slowly to the floor, his strong hands settling on her hips, and then he kissed her, smacking his lips together into a devilish smile. “Hmmm, much tastier, too.”

She laughed. “John Tanner, control yourself.”

“No.” He grabbed her elbow. “Don’t think I can. We’re married and you’re mine.” His twinkling eyes caressed her with such desire and love, she felt dizzy with wanting.

“Tanner,” she said, laughing. “Everybody’s looking at us.”

“Like I care?”

Heart hammering with joy, she caught the wicked gleam in his eye and backed up against the wall. “Tanner.”

His brow shot up in amusement, and she took that moment to take a few running steps down the hall. He stalked after her. “Run wife run, as fast as you can, you can’t hide from me—”

With a loving cry, Hannah spun around and ran headfirst into Tanner’s broad chest.

“I’m the gingerbread man.” The love in his muffled voice curled around her heart.  

She buried her face into his neck, her tears wetting his black bow tie. “I love you so much. I’m so happy. I never thought I would be happy again.”  

“Aw honey. Don’t cry. I love you, too.” 

He swept her into his arms, and this time, he didn’t let her down until he had her safely tucked away in their honeymoon suite and made her his forever.  

Jeremy stood beside Fritz, both of them grinning as Tanner carried Hannah down the hotel corridor.

“See, Grandpa. I told you Dad liked the story. He’s telling Hannah his favorite part right now. Hear him?”

Fritz thumped his walking stick against the floor, looking twenty years younger than his sixty years. “Well dang it, if you ain’t right. Looks like your dad’s been studying up on his reading. What’d he say about that gingerbread man?” 

Jeremy shrugged. “You’ll have to read the book, Grandpa.”

Silently, they watched as the couple turned the corner and disappeared toward the honeymoon suite.

Fritz tapped Jeremy’s foot with his mountain cane. “Where’d you say that book of yours was?”

“At home. It’s kind of a little kid’s book, but don’t tell people I like it, okay? But it’s real funny when an adult person reads it out loud. Uncle Rafe read it to me yesterday, in this real silly voice, and I couldn’t stop laughing.”

Fritz raised a weasel-like brow. “Rafe, huh. Well tarnation, maybe if I try something sweet like gingerbread on Mr. Know-it-all Doctor we might have us another wedding.”

Jeremy grinned. “You mean, maybe I’ll have a real live aunt?”

Fritz rubbed a thoughtful hand across his jaw and glanced over his shoulders at Candy Richards leaving the reception hall with her brother. “Yep, Jeremy, my boy, a real live aunt. Dang it, and we’ll get something sweeter than gingerbread too.”

“Like candy?” Jeremy asked, smiling.

Fritz laughed and ruffled Jeremy’s sandy locks. “Knew you had my taste, boy. Candy is just what I have in mind. Rafe’s had a sweet tooth since he was a babe. Leave it to me. You’re going to have that aunt in no time. Yes, indeed. No time at all.”

“I kind of miss Uncle Max. He’s always so much fun.”

“Well, that stupid boy of mine got stuck in Europe and couldn’t make it.”

“You don’t think he was hiding from you, do you, Grandpa?