Always The One. Tara Randel
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Название: Always The One
Автор: Tara Randel
Издательство: HarperCollins
Жанр: Короткие любовные романы
Серия: Meet Me at the Altar
isbn: 9780008906115
isbn:
Okay, so she was overreacting. Wouldn’t be the first time.
The next couple of hours dragged on as Hannah finished her day. The black slacks and white sweater she’d dressed in that morning did little to keep her warm. Despite the heated classroom, she couldn’t seem to stop shivering. She was exhausted by the time the kids had been released and she was free to leave. As she took her keys in her right hand, she remembered her earlier prickliness and clutched the pocket-size container of pepper spray attached to the ring. With the other hand she gripped her leather tote bag, ready to head home to check on her mother and then relax with a strong cup of tea. She made her goodbyes to her colleagues and walked to the parking lot.
A frigid late-afternoon wind whistled around her. Pine trees swayed, the needles rustling, cones dropping to the icy ground with a thud. Clouds hadn’t left the sky since she’d been outside earlier. Patches of crusty snow lingered along the curb from the storm a few days earlier. She shrugged deeper into her coat, wishing she’d remembered a hat. In the five years she’d lived here, she’d never gotten used to winter in Nevada.
Her car came into view. Hannah scanned the lot, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Silly, really. No one had bothered her in a long time. Still, the years of drills were seared into her muscle memory, most of them unnecessary. Heaving out a laugh, she reined in her imagination.
In her haste to cross the lot, her boots slid on an ice patch but she righted herself before wiping out. Carefully navigating her steps, she finally made it to her car. Relieved, she pressed the button to unlock the door. Her hand had just settled on the silver handle when she heard rapid footsteps on the asphalt behind her. She tensed. Continued to open the door.
Almost there.
She tossed the tote inside just as she heard, “Hannah.”
Shock enveloped her. No one had called her that name in over fifteen years.
A presence drew up beside her. Panicked now, she turned, lifted the canister in her hand and aimed at the deepest blue eyes she’d ever seen…a color she’d never forgotten.
DERRICK RECOILED AS Hannah’s hand rose, a small pepper spray canister in her grasp. She wasn’t really going to… Flinging his hands in the air, he ducked, then slipped on the ice, his feet skidding out from under him, arms flailing as he dropped with a loud whoosh.
Thankfully the fall kept him from the full force of the spray, but the dose that did reach his eyes made him cringe. He sucked in a sharp breath at the combination of burning eyes and skin on fire. His right hip took the brunt of contact with the solid ground, but he managed to roll and scramble upright again. Through the stinging tears, he saw Hannah, eyes wide, mouth open.
“Derrick?” she whispered.
He rapidly blinked his stinging eyes, flushing the pepper spray as best he could, and tried to ignore the jolt of pain radiating through his body.
His vision may be blurry, but he saw enough to know Hannah was still as achingly beautiful as he remembered. Her usually curly auburn hair was pulled back into a tight knot, her hazel eyes still as luminous as ever as they stared back at him. In disbelief, if he had to gauge her reaction. Her skin was like ivory, but he couldn’t miss the dark circles under her eyes. She was tall. Willowy.
He couldn’t stop the racing of his heart as he stood mere inches from her.
“Oh my gosh. I thought…” She stepped closer. “Are you okay?”
“I will be once I can see again.”
“I was sure someone was watching me.”
“Guilty as charged,” he mumbled.
She reached into her car and returned with tissues. Stuffed them in his hand. “If I had known…”
Derrick gently dabbed at his eyes. “How could you?”
“True, but I…” She leaned over, peering into his face. “It doesn’t look too bad.”
It wasn’t. He’d been sprayed full-on in training and knew he’d survive this attack. Still, the burning sensation was not receding.
“I scared you. It was my fault.”
“Should we go inside so you can flush the spray out?”
He blinked again, his vision clearing. “I’ll be fine.”
She looked doubtful, but instead asked, “Derrick. It’s really you?”
“In the flesh.” He balled up the tissue and stuck it in his pocket.
Her eyebrows angled together, the shock of seeing him finally hitting home. “How…how did you find me?”
“I got your street address from the package you sent. No one answered at your house, but a neighbor walking his dog told me where you work when I mentioned that I was an old friend.”
She reared back. “That’s impossible.”
“You sent the gem so I’d find you.”
“Derrick, I never sent you anything.” She paused, clearly confused.
“Then who?”
“I don’t know.” She reached out to grab the open car door. “Right now, I’m needed at home.”
He placed his hand on her arm to stop her. She sucked in a breath and jerked away. “I’m not sure what’s going on,” he told her, “but I’m not leaving until I do.”
“Fine. We can have this conversation at my place.”
“I’ll follow you.”
She nodded, then ducked into her sedan. He strode back to his rental car, thankful the limited amount of pepper spray hadn’t incapacitated him enough to keep him from driving. Firing up the engine, he saw Hannah pull onto the street. He eased out of his spot, baffled and a lot disappointed.
No excited pronouncements of You found me. I’ve missed you for so long. Finally, we can be together. I never stopped loving you.
Instead he got, I never sent you anything.
Then how did that explain the stone delivered to his office? Her return address on the envelope? She was truly shocked to see him. Not surprising since it had been seventeen years since they’d known each other. Still, what had he expected? Angelic music from above and scattered rose petals leading a path to his one true love? That she’d run into his arms as if no time had passed at all? Not happening, apparently, but he’d hoped she’d at least be as excited as he was by the reunion.
The nagging feeling that she hadn’t wanted him to find her struck again. Why? What had she been doing all these years? Despite her reluctance to speak with him, he wasn’t going anywhere until he had answers.
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