Page 37 of Leading Conviction

He let go of Hannah’s thigh before leaning around her to see her son.

“Really?”

“Sure. We’ll get you something to eat first and then we can throw it on top of the roof. What do you say?”

Tommy did a small fist pump and his eyes lit up with so much glee it was almost painful for her to see. He’d missed out on so much not having a father around.

“Is it okay if I go, Mom?”

Her instincts told her he was safe with Hawk, but her mind still worried. The same flight response she’d been relying on the past few years pushed at the edges of her thoughts. But when she glanced at Hawk to make sure he was okay with being the distraction, the eagerness softening the hard muscles in his face made her decision easy.

“Sure,mijo. Just be careful and listen to—”

“Okay, okay! I’ll be safe, I promise.” The words rushed out of him as he hopped up from his chair.

Hawk got up just as quickly and mussed Tommy’s hair.

“Come on, little man.” Hawk’s smile was wider than she’d seen it in a long time. “Race you to the roof.”

Tommy didn’t need to be told twice. He sped out of the room without even saying goodbye. Before Hawk left to follow him, he bent toward Hannah and whispered in her ear. Her hair fluttered from his warm breath, making her shiver.

“Come find me when you’re done, dove.”

She nodded and swallowed, trying to regain her composure as a flush crept up her neck. As soon as he left, she turned to face the rest of the room, only to see the four women whispering to one another. When they were finished, Callie glanced at her and looked around the room before speaking.

“I think this conversation should be just the women.”

CHAPTERFIFTEEN

Hannah expected the men to push back, but Phoenix simply nodded. “Agreed.” He pushed off the table and twirled his finger in a small circular motion to round up his teammates. “Move out.”

The rest of them listened without argument, but before Wes could leave, Nora called out to him. “Hey, do a little switcheroo with Naomi, will ya? She might be good for this.”

“Will do,” he replied as he disappeared through the door.

“Once Naomi gets here, Callie will explain everything,” Jules explained with a soft smile.

As they waited, Nora chatted away about everything and nothing. Hannah couldn’t figure out if it was anxiety or if the girl just loved to talk, but she nodded along, silently begging for someone to come clean with her already.

After an eternity, the auburn-haired mother from earlier in the meeting came into the conference room and shut the door behind her.

“I’ve been summoned?” Naomi joked before sitting down and passing out peanut butter and jelly pockets that had always reminded Hannah of pale, unfried empanadas. “What’s up? I brought some of these Uncrustables. Hawk said y’all might need some sustenance.”

“Yes! Uncrustables are a need.” Nora snatched a sandwich and unwrapped it before stuffing it in her mouth in one move.

To be nice, Hannah unwrapped the one in front of her and took a small bite of the bland, crimped dough. She slowly set it back down on its plastic wrapper, hoping her friends wouldn’t notice if she didn’t touch it again.

“Hannah deserves a few explanations,” Callie replied cryptically as she tore her sandwich apart into small pieces.

“Oh? Like…”

“Like why I’m here and why we look alike,” Callie answered and popped the food into her mouth.

“Oh.” Naomi slouched into her chair. “Shit… okay.”

Hannah huffed and crossed her arms. “Can someone please just tell me what’s going on? All this back and forth is worse than ripping off the Band-Aid.”

“More like ripping off a limb,” Nora muttered under her breath and crumpled her leftover plastic.