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“I’ll hold you to that when you drag me to twelve stores and I’m begging you to stop.”

“Oh, you so get me.”

The funny thing was, he felt like he did get the basic core of Hannah. She liked to make people happy and would never intentionally hurt someone. Hannah’s openness brought out a protectiveness in him he’d never experienced with anyone.

Not even Jenny.

The thought was like a sock in the gut, and suddenly, all he wanted was to be alone.

“Well, I should probably get you home.”

He turned away, but she caught his arm. “Hey, what happened? Where did you go just now?”

He tried to shake her off and grumbled irritably, “Nowhere. You said you were tired, so I’m taking you home where you can get some rest.”

Hannah’s lips pinched together. “Fine.”

Hannah let him go and headed for the door, and for some reason, the sight of her walking away from him sent a cold shot through him.

He caught her at the door, his arms going around her from behind and his mouth pressing against her ear. “I just thought of something that upset me. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Yet you have no problem letting it affect the way you treat me.”

Blake sighed. “I know.” He let her go, shaking his head. “I’m really trying, Han. I just get these bad thoughts and feelings, and I don’t want to talk about them. Not yet, at least.”

His admission seemed to soften him, and she turned around, slipping her arms around his waist and kissing his chest.

“Just know that when you are, I’m here, okay?”

Blake held her tight, the fear that he’d never get there forming a lump in his throat.

“I will.”

Chapter Twenty-Six

SATURDAY BLAKE ARRANGED for his squad to do some charity work. Which meant he had them hauling his shit from the moving truck to inside his new house.

Sparks and Violet were helping out with the unpacking, since Sparks had agreed to accompany them on their charity field trip today. They had been out to the truck three or four times, hauling in box after box. Meanwhile, Blake hated to admit it, but he was slacking. He couldn’t wait for Hannah to get there and was looking forward to having the whole day with her.

Her little car pulled up along the curb, and she got out, leading Milo by his leash. He watched her bend over to pull a pink pastry box and a plastic bag from the backseat.

“Damn, Sarge, who is that hot mama?” Pedro Gonzales asked next to him.

“Hey, watch it or I’ll bury you in the backyard, Gonzales.”

Pedro’s eyes widened, and then he was shouting. “Yo, yo, check it out! Sarge has got a girlfriend. And she’s smoking hot!”

Eight clomping teenaged feet rushed to the window, and comments started flying around. Several of them bordered on obscene, and Blake had to count down from ten to keep from telling them to run to the backyard and do burpees till they puked.

“If one of you says anything disrespectful to Miss York, I will make sure you run laps until you blow chunks. You got me?”

“Yes, Sarge,” they chorused.

Shooting them one last warning look, Blake opened the door with a smile, taking in Hannah’s funky leggings, long T-shirt, and sweatshirt. “You dressed for the occasion.”

She gave him a mock scowl over the top of her glasses, which had slid down her nose. “I wasn’t going to get any clothes I like dusty and gross.”

“You calling my stuff gross?”