“Haven’t you confronted him about it?”
“No. He reports to Ted. For the time being, I’m staying out of it. If he gets fired as a result of his behavior, it may do him good to realize that there are consequences.”
“Dammit, Hank, you should have told me about this. I would have talked to him.”
“A boss doesn’t go running to Mother when an employee acts up. Besides, I didn’t want to upset you.”
“Well, I am upset.”
“Exactly.” He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face him. The crowds continued to mill around them, but as far as Ann was concerned it was just the two of them—and Jason.
She sighed. What would it have been like to have met Hank at a time in her life when she was totally free of responsibilities, when she would have been free to get to know him without all the pressures they faced now? Well, she thought with a pragmatic shrug, there was no point in wondering about that. As Hank liked to remind her, this was the hand they’d been dealt. They either had to fold or play it out. Since Hank seemed unlikely to drop out, she wouldn’t, either.
“We are not going to let this spoil this vacation,” he insisted now. “We have three days up here…”
“Two.”
“Whatever. There will be plenty of time after that to decide what to do about Jason. For now we are all going to enjoy ourselves. Understand?”
“Just like that?” she said with a skeptical snap of her fingers.
His eyes twinkled with amusement. “Just like that.”
“Well, since you seem to be in charge, then I suppose we’ll just have to follow orders.” She caught the glint of satisfaction in his eyes and hastily amended, “For the moment.”
“Your submissiveness is duly noted.”
“Enjoy it while it lasts,” she said dryly as the kids caught up with them.
“Oh, I intend to,” he said, his gaze locking with hers.
After another hour of browsing, Hank declared it was time to move on to Liz and Todd’s.
“Yes, captain,” she said, giving him a jaunty salute.
He leaned down to whisper, “Watch it, lady. You can be court-martialed for that kind of disrespect to an officer.”
“And the punishment?”
He slid his hand up her side until it rested just below the curve of her breast. “I have several things in mind,” he said, his expression very serious. Ann’s heart thumped unsteadily.
“Shall I enumerate?” he asked huskily.
Caught up by the expression in his eyes and the rasp in his voice, she could only shake her head. Hank responded with another of those slow, deliberate winks, then blithely walked off, leading the family back to the van. Ann had to jerk herself out of the sensual torpor he’d left her in.
At Liz and Todd’s she was hardly aware of the food or the activity that swirled around them. She responded to Liz’s curious questions with what she hoped were rational answers, but she couldn’t seem to focus on anything other than Hank as he played touch football with the whole gang on the front lawn. Even David had been persuaded to join in and after an initial hesitation, he was now wholeheartedly engaged in the competition. Just more evidence of Hank’s magic, she thought.
“Interesting,” Liz observed, sitting down beside her on the grass.
“Hmm.” She blinked and turned to her friend. “What?”
“You seem awfully absorbed in the game.”
“Hmm.”
“Or is it one of the players you’re attracted to?”
“Hmm.”
“Ann!” Liz said in exasperation.
She dragged her attention away from the sight of Hank in jeans and T-shirt sprawled on the ground under a whole gang of giggling children. They were tickling him, which she didn’t recall as a traditional tactic in the game. Still, he seemed to be enjoying it thoroughly. She caught herself smiling.
“Ann!”
She dragged her attention back to Liz. “What?”
“What’s going on between you and Hank?”
“Nothing.”
“Oh, really. I find that difficult to believe. He’s a very attractive man. You’ve been living under the same roof for weeks now. Surely there are sparks of some kind.”
Sparks? There was a veritable forest fire. She was not ready to admit it.
“You know for a psychologist who touts the healing virtues of communication, you’re awfully quiet. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”
She turned a baleful look on Liz. “And you, my friend, are treading on thin ice.”
Liz chuckled as she got to her feet. “Gee, you seem to be in about the same state Hank was in when he was here for dinner a couple of weeks ago. I can’t tell you how glad I am that it’s all working out.”
“Working out? Nothing is working out,” she said adamantly as Liz went back inside. Ann strode purposefully after her. She had to straighten her out before she got some crazy notion in her head. “Did you hear me? Nothing is working out. Do not gloat. Do not get your hopes up. Nothing is working out.”
“Hmm,” Liz said.
The noncommittal reply set Ann’s teeth on edge. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”
Liz returned her gaze innocently. “I think you’ve just said it all.”
“Oh, go to hell,” she snapped, just in time for Hank to hear her. He pulled her into a casual hug.
“There she goes again,” he said to Liz. “Has she always had this tendency to swear when she gets upset?”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ve never seen her upset before.”
“Interesting,” he commented, never taking his eyes from hers. “Very interesting.”
“Leave me alone,” she growled.
He shook his head. “Come with me.”
“Where?” she asked suspiciously.
“Do you have to question every little thing? Just come.”
Something in his voice told her not to argue. With a last look back at Liz, who was grinning broadly, she went with Hank. Outside, he led her to the van and urged her inside.
“Hank, we can’t leave,” she protested even as a sweet tension began to build inside her.
“Oh, yes, we can.”
“The kids…”
“Will be just fine. Liz is a teacher. She’s used to handling more kids than this.”
“But they’re going to think
