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“I hope so. I need all the help I can get.”
“I’m proud of you. You’re finally going after what you want.”
“It feels right.” Instead of feeling scared, I was hopeful. I was finally doing something about this crazy attraction to Hanna. I planned to go all out and leave nothing on the table.
“What if you don’t win?” Knox asked.
“I was hoping you could help with that. You have any pull with Marley? You think she can help a bit?”
Knox chuckled. “I think she wants it to look real. If she altered the results, how would that look? I think you have to come prepared to spend some money.”
“I’ll do whatever it takes to get her. No matter what it costs.”
“The other guys won’t stand a chance, especially since I suspect she likes you, too.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “Hanna said she wants to start dating again. She’s ready to get married and start a family.” The panic flowed through me, making me feel sick.
Knox chuckled. “I think she’s tired of waiting for you to make a move.”
I stood and paced the porch. “I’m going to tell her how I feel. How I’ve always felt. I just hope she feels the same way and hasn’t moved on from whatever feelings she’s had for me.” If she ever had any at all.
* * *
I woke to a bouncing bed and high-pitched squeals. “Daddy, Daddy, it snowed. It snowed. You have to come see.”
I opened my eyes, blinded by the white shining through the curtains.
Ember jumped off the bed, and I was too tired to remind her not to jump on or off beds. Then she opened the curtains, and I used my arm to block the glare. “See? It’s snowing.”
“I can see that,” I said, my voice hoarse. The clock read seven. I could have used a few more minutes of sleep, but Ember’s excitement was easy to get caught up in. “Do you think we should eat some pancakes and then go outside?”
“Snow, snow, snow,” she cheered, ignoring my questions as she ran down the hallway to her room, presumably to get dressed.
I swung my foot over the side of the bed and sighed. Sometimes I wished I had someone to share parenthood with, but I wouldn’t want to be with Ember’s mother. I still had a chance with Hanna, though.
I got up, washed my face, brushed my teeth, and threw on long johns under my jeans and hoodie.
When I was ready, Ember came skidding down the hallway. “Let’s go!”
I held up my hands, hoping she’d listen to reason. “Let’s eat first. We need energy to build a snowman.”
Ember sighed. “All right.”
“What do you think about pumpkin pancakes?” I asked as I followed her down the hall.
Ember shot me a disgusted look over her shoulder. “Ew, Daddy. Gross.”
“Maybe Hanna likes them,” I mused.
“No one likes those,” she mumbled as she made her way down the steps.
The door to Hanna’s room opened, and she leaned out the door. “What’s going on?”
“I’m sorry. We didn’t mean to wake you,” I said as I took her in, one cheek red with a crease, her hair sticking up, and her nipples clearly visible through the white, silky top.
“It snowed.” Ember reversed course and ran up the stairs to tug on her hand. “We’re going to play after we eat.”
“Let Hanna get ready for the day. She probably wants to get dressed.” She needed to get dressed or I wouldn’t survive breakfast.
