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“She’ll be ecstatic, like Addy was with Knox. At some point, Knox pulled back, thinking his family came before his relationship with Sarah and Addy, until he realized it was a huge mistake,” Heath reminded me.
“Don’t do the same thing he did,” Emmett said, his voice gruff.
I was surprised that my brothers were so invested in my relationship with Hanna that they wanted it to work out. “You know how I like to think about things before I jump in.”
“It seems to me that you’ve had years to consider the consequences, and once you made your move last night, you should have made peace with it,” Emmett said, sounding mature.
“That’s not how I am.” I thought about every other important decision I’d made in my life; it required thinking, and lots of it. I needed to analyze every angle, and I wasn’t done in this case. I had a long way to go.
Emmett let his head fall back. “You’re fucking this up.”
Irritation shot through me. “I’m doing the right thing.”
Heath leaned in close. “Your right thing is going to push away the best thing to ever happen to you.”
“I don’t—” The disgruntled looks on Emmett’s and Heath’s faces had me pausing mid-sentence.
“Keep telling yourself that, and you’re going to live a nice, long life alone. Even your daughter is going to feel sorry for you,” Emmett said, his tone full of disgust.
Was I being too cautious? This was who I was, and if Hanna couldn’t understand it, then she wasn’t the woman for me.
Heath touched my shoulder, blocking Emmett from view. “Don’t be so careful that you lose the one person who’s always been by your side.”
The thought of Hanna leaving me, moving out, and dating someone else sent a slice of pain through my heart. “That’s not going to happen.”
“Hanna’s a nice girl, understanding and sweet, but even she has her limits. I wouldn’t blame her if she walked away at some point.”
“She said she’d give me time.”
Heath shook his head. “Just don’t take too much. She was close to walking away with the auction and her New Year’s resolution.”
He walked away and Emmett followed him. I rubbed the ache over my heart.
The girls were back on the ice, laughing and giggling like they didn’t have a care in the world. And why would they? They had a few more days until the holiday break, and then it would be Christmas. The only thing they had to worry about was whether they’d get what they wanted under the tree on Christmas morning.
They weren’t worried about bringing a new person into their kids’ lives that could change everything. A part of me was hopeful about the future, but the logical side was worried about Brandy and how she’d react if I was dating someone when she visited. How would Ember feel about me moving another person into our family?
Would she grow to resent Hanna? Would she feel like I was replacing her? I needed to talk to her, but every time I thought about it, the knot in my stomach grew tighter.
I sipped my hot chocolate, trying not to act like the world was spinning around me.
Hanna looked over, her gaze catching mine. When her brow furrowed with concern, she stood and made her way toward me. I wanted to reach for her and pull her into my arms. I wanted to kiss her. But we’d agreed to keep things hands-off in front of my daughter.
Hanna respected my wishes and stood a foot away from me. “Is everything okay?”
I nodded, my throat tight with emotion.
“Do you want me to leave?”
I reached a hand out to her; the urge to reassure her was strong. I realized too late what I was doing, and my hand fell back to my side. “Of course not.”
The words came out harsher than I intended.
“I understand that you need some time, but I don’t know if this is the right situation for me. Maybe I should find my own place.”
That was the last thing I wanted. “Don’t go. I want you here.”
“I said I’d give you time, but I don’t feel good about this.” Her gaze drifted over my family.
