Page 84

The two walked out, and Hannah locked the door with a groan.

“I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay.” The buzzer for the washer went off, and Hannah beat him to it, transferring his clothes to the dryer.

“No, it’s not, but I love them. We’re just really close, and there’s never been a reason to tell them they couldn’t stop by—”

“Really, Hannah, I get it. I’ve got to say, your dad is pretty intimidating.”

“Oh God.” She spun around and looked at him with wide-eyed panic. “Did he ask you one question after another, as if he was a CIA interrogator?”

“Yes, pretty much.”

“Damn it.” She leaned over the back of the couch, her hair falling down over her face.

Blake took a few steps closer, lifting her hair with a grin. “Hey, it’s not exactly the first date I had planned, but we’re both still here. Wanna finish the movie?”

Hannah stood up and came around to flop on the couch. “I would love that.”

This time he didn’t have to say anything, she just snuggled into his side.

WHEN THE MOVIE finished, Hannah went to pull Blake’s shirt out of the dryer while he used the bathroom. She laid the shirt and jacket over the back of the couch and went into the kitchen to chew on a leftover candy cane can she had from Christmas, trying to freshen her breath after the pizza.

She heard him come out of the bathroom and chewed faster.

“Hey, thanks for washing these for me.” She turned to find him pulling his collared shirt into place. “I love warm clothes right from the dryer.”

“Me, too. I actually heat my blanket up every night before bed just so it’s warm when I snuggle into it.”

“That’s pretty smart,” he said.

As he drew closer, her heart kicked into high gear. He brushed her hair back behind her ear and asked, “So, should we call it a night? Or can I take you out for ice cream?”

“Ice cream sounds amazing.”

“Good. I think for my shirt’s sake, though, you should put your dog in the crate.”

She laughed. “Let me take him out to go potty first.”

Getting Milo’s harness and leash, she took him out front to do his business and brought him back inside, locking him in his cage.

“I’ll be home soon, love.”

Milo whimpered, and Hannah waved Blake out the door quickly, flipping off the light before she shut it behind her.

“I’m hoping he isn’t making too much noise when I leave him for short periods of time. He stays with my parents when I’m at work, but sometimes I have to run an errand. My landlord is okay with dogs as long as they aren’t noisy.”

“I’m hoping this house goes through, so I can have a hundred-and-eighty-pound hound,” Blake said, holding the door open for her.

“I didn’t know you had a dog.”

He came around the front of the car and slid into the driver’s side. “I didn’t until Best sprung him on me. If I want to stay at Alpha Dog, I have to train Charge.”

“The dog’s name is Charge?”

“Yeah, ’cause he likes to Charge everywhere.” Blake started the car and backed up.

Hannah laughed. “That is funny. I would love to own a house someday, but even if I get a full-time teaching job, all the places I’d want to live are pretty expensive. I want to live comfortably without paying out the nose.”