The Bachelor Boss (7 page)

* * *

He felt large and towering as he stood over Hannah. She was almost five feet five inches tall but very slim. Her wrist bones were slight and appeared fragile, her fingers long and slender. Her hazel eyes sparkled with fun. She’d pulled her rusty auburn hair back with a ribbon, but small tendrils had escaped and curled around her face in the steam.

Ty felt an odd twist in his gut, as if she was another person he needed to protect, but he shook it off. Hannah was plenty tough. After all, she’d kept Lily out of his hair all day. As he stood by her, another emotion overtook him, one he’d least expected—romantic interest. He wanted to put his arms around her and bury his nose in that red cloud of hair.

Pulling back, he stammered, “When will we eat?”

“It’s ready now. As soon as Lily and Danny finish dropping the cookies, I’ll set the table.” She turned around and her shoulder brushed against his. Ty stiffened at the light, pleasurable touch. She, however, didn’t seem to notice.

“Irene, will you join us? I made plenty of soup and baked enough bread sticks to feed an army.”

“Oh, I shouldn’t. I usually don’t...”

“Stay, Irene,” Ty said, “unless you have to cook dinner for your husband.”

“He’s not home tonight. Bowling with his buddies.”

“Good. Set a place for yourself.”

The woman smiled broadly. Ty couldn’t remember the last time Irene had really smiled. Hannah was making miracles.

* * *

Hannah felt a surge of cozy domesticity she hadn’t experienced in a very long time, not since Steve had been alive. Granted, she cooked for Danny and Trisha, but Trisha often didn’t come home until long after Danny had eaten. Hannah wasn’t quite sure when they’d begun eating in shifts rather than sitting down at the table to eat as a family. It had happened gradually, she supposed, or she might have put a stop to it. Then again, a lot of things had gone by the wayside since Steve had died. It saddened her to think of it, but she pushed it to the back of her mind. She had people to care for right now. That would have to fulfill her need for more family.

Irene put away the silver and set the table. Danny filled glasses with ice and water. Lily folded napkins. Hannah handed Ty a plate of homemade breadsticks and began dishing up bowls of soup.

When they sat down, Danny immediately put his hands together and lowered his head.

“Would you say the blessings, dear?” Lily murmured, glowing with pleasure.

“Dear God,” the child began, “thanks for my mom’s good Italian soup. And thanks for this awesome place to live. And the airplanes on my ceiling and the Lego...”

“Amen,” Hannah said, knowing that if she didn’t intercede, Danny could find things to be grateful for till bedtime.

They lingered over coffee and cookies, chatting, until Danny yawned. Irene glanced at the clock on the wall. “Mercy, me! It’s eight o’clock. I’d better go home or my hubby will beat me home from bowling.” She turned and beamed at Hannah. “I haven’t had such fun in a long time. Thank you for dinner.”

“Anytime, Irene. I like to cook. I know you usually leave a meal for Lily, but I don’t mind cooking.” She glanced hesitantly at Ty. “If you don’t mind, that is.”

“Mind?” He looked pleased. “How could I mind? But you don’t have to, Hannah. That wasn’t part of the agreement.”

“If I live here, I expect to feed Danny and myself. No use always doubling up on meals.”

“I think it’s a wonderful idea,” Lily interrupted. “And Ty will see what a good cook you are.”

What did that have to do with anything? Hannah wondered.

“The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach,” Lily added. “Ty’s grandfather always said so.”

Quickly changing the subject, Hannah said, “Danny, go upstairs and take a shower and get into your pajamas. Irene, I’ll clean up in the kitchen after I’ve gotten Lily settled upstairs. Thanks for your help.”

“How did you get down the stairs, Gram?” Tyler asked.

“With a crutch on one side and Hannah on the other. She said I didn’t need to be trapped in my room every day.”

“Well, how about I do this to get you upstairs?” Tyler leaned over his grandmother and swept her into his arms. “Hannah can carry the crutch.” In a moment, Lily was back in her room. Ty deposited her on the bed and left her with Hannah.

The elderly woman was exhausted from her day, Hannah realized. Lily, probably for the first time in years, was ready for bed by 9:00 p.m. Hannah said good-night and closed the door behind her.

In Danny’s room, Hannah kissed her son good-night and listened to his prayers. Before she could ask her son how he liked it here, Danny volunteered, “This is a great place, isn’t it? I wish we could live here all the time.”

“And leave our house and Trisha?”

“This is a way nicer house. And someday Trisha will get married and move away. You said so yourself.”

“But not anytime soon, probably.”

“Why not? She’s graduating next year.”

That set Hannah back on her heels. It was true, but she hadn’t wanted to think about it. She’d given so much of her life to her sister that the idea of Trisha moving away was almost unimaginable. Soon it would be just she and Danny, and then... A wave of loneliness washed over her. Danny would go to college and she’d be completely alone.

Steve had been the love of her life, her soul mate. She couldn’t imagine a man she could love more. And if she couldn’t have the type of affection and devotion she’d once known, she wouldn’t marry again. She’d never allowed herself a spark of attraction to another man, unless she counted today.

Back in the kitchen, Hannah was surprised to find Ty at the sink rinsing dishes. “I can do that.”

“So can I.” He began to load the dishwasher. “I would have starved long ago if I didn’t know my way around a kitchen.”

“What’s your specialty?” Hannah picked up a sponge and wiped crumbs off the table.

“Panini sandwiches. Pile everything I can find in the fridge on a piece of thick bread, squash it all together with another piece of bread, butter it and smash it in the panini maker. The Iron Chefs have nothing on me.”

They cleaned the kitchen in companionable silence. Ty poured two cups of coffee and handed one to Hannah. “I think I’ll have a couple more cookies before I go to bed.” He glanced at his watch. “Which, by the way, will be at a decent time for a change.”

“Lily was already half asleep when I left her room.”

“She obviously needs much more activity than she’s been getting.” He studied her, his dark eyes hooded and unreadable. “You’re good at what you do, aren’t you?”

“I like to think so. I have a passion for the elderly.” Hannah considered the fervor she felt to make the world a better place one aged client at a time. She believed God had created her for this task.
Honor your father and your mother—
and those of others.
Look after the widows in their distress.
Even with no living parents of her own, those words resonated in her heart.

“I think I’ll hit the sack,” Ty said with a yawn. “Lily may not go to bed this early again for a long time.”

“Lily won’t be a problem, I promise. Don’t worry, I’ll take care of you.” It surprised Hannah to realize as she looked at Ty that she meant it with all her heart.

* * *

His head hit the pillow with Hannah’s words echoing inside his skull. Lily was her charge now. He breathed a deep sigh of relief. This meant he could finally get some work done. He’d made a dent in paperwork today, but even that wasn’t the most pressing thing he had to accomplish. He’d put off visiting numerous manufacturers and customers and had several messages from his accountants and attorneys to tend to.

Before his mind could spin off in the direction of business and keep him awake despite his respite from Lily, he tried to think of something else. But the images that came to mind were almost as distracting as the import/export business. Hannah St. James, crashing into his Mercedes, enthralling Lily, cooking dinner on his stove, warming his kitchen with food and laughter. Smelling of lavender and cookies. None of it was what he’d expected.

He flipped from his side to his back and stared at the ceiling. Having Hannah around made him think about Anita. He’d imagined many scenes like tonight, but with her, not Hannah. He’d believed they were a match made in heaven, one much like that of his grandparents, which happened only once in a lifetime. When she’d died five years ago, he’d never expected to have feelings like that for another woman again. That was, after all, why he’d plunged himself so deeply into the business. There was little room for grieving over what he’d lost.

Besides, he’d created the business he’d desired and it took most of his time and his thoughts to keep it running at this fast pace. He couldn’t let anything get in the way right now. The attraction he felt for this new addition to their family would have to go on the back burner. For the time being, at least, he had to keep his nose to the grindstone no matter how appealing Hannah St. James might be.

* * *

The next morning he woke up at five-thirty feeling refreshed. It was the first time since Lily had broken her foot that he’d felt he could have a run before work. Lily never got up early. How could she when she refused to go to sleep at night? Ty pulled on his running clothes and tread softly down the stairs. He usually took a path that started by the kitchen patio and circled most of the neighborhood. It was only three miles, but at least it got his blood pumping in the morning.

Ty was surprised to find Hannah already in the kitchen in navy sweats and a lime-green jacket. She was tying her running shoes and glanced up as he entered.

“I didn’t expect anyone to be up.” Pillow wrinkles were pressed into her cheek and her hair had been pulled back carelessly. She looked like a teenager with her rusty-red hair pulled tightly away from her face and her ponytail thrust through the back of a lime-green baseball cap. Tendrils slipped out to frame her makeup-free face.

“Neither did I.” She was even more beautiful without artifice. Women wore makeup for other women, Ty had decided long ago. He loved her naturalness and lack of pretension.

“I usually try to run before I wake Danny up for school. After that the day usually gets away from me.”

“Do you want to run with me this morning so you get to know the trails?” He pulled his own jacket from the closet. The weather had been good for Denver in late March, but a jacket was still a definite necessity.

“I’d like that. If I’m too slow for you, feel free to leave me behind. I’ll find my way home. I always do.”

They started out slowly, chatting about the weather and the landscape.

“Thank you for inviting me to run with you. It’s nice. I’ve run alone for years, but I find it good to have a companion, at least on a new path,” Hannah said.

“Anytime,” Ty surprised himself by saying. He and Anita had run together often. He’d liked the feel of her by his side. It had been difficult to continue running after the funeral, but he’d forced himself. He, too, had felt alone on the trails for a long time. What’s more, Ty was supremely aware of Hannah’s small presence next to him. He was even more aware that he liked it.

Chapter Eight

T
he next few days passed quickly as she and Danny grew accustomed to the Matthews’ household. She was late today in bringing Lily her breakfast tray. Lily liked to sleep in on Saturdays. The old woman was frowning when Hannah entered the room. Her phone was next to her on the bed.

“You don’t look very happy this beautiful morning,” Hannah observed. “Are you feeling okay?”

“It’s not me—it’s my friend Clara. Something is wrong.” She barely glanced at her tray, on which Hannah had made sure to put a fresh flower in a bud vase.

“What’s the problem?” Ty asked. He’d followed Hannah upstairs with a carafe of coffee and mugs. It was his custom to have coffee with his grandmother on Saturday mornings.

It pleased Hannah to know that she was freeing him up to work, but she was glad for his presence on the weekends. Lily
was
demanding. She reminded Hannah of Danny as a toddler—always wanting to be entertained, becoming easily bored and having a short attention span.

She hadn’t heard much from Trisha, and Hannah didn’t know whether to be grateful or concerned. She seemed to be having a good deal of fun with Emily and Jane but often sounded scattered and disorganized on the phone.

The only time Hannah had been to the house, Trisha had been out. The girls weren’t pristine housekeepers, but the place was relatively neat. It was good for her sister to be on her own, Hannah told herself, and it was about time. She’d peeked in the rolltop desk for unpaid bills. It was messy, but she hadn’t found anything to suggest Trisha wasn’t on top of things. She was probably worrying unnecessarily.

Ty sat down in a recliner across from his grandmother and poured a cup of coffee. “Care to join us, Hannah?”

“Oh, I shouldn’t.”

“Of course you should!” Lily said emphatically. To do anything else, her tone implied, would be utterly impolite.

Ty smiled, she noticed, as he poured her a cup of coffee. A crease in one cheek looked suspiciously like a dimple. Hannah had always been a sucker for dimples. One more reason Ty Matthews was one of the most handsome men she’d ever met.

Hannah was developing more and more sympathy for him every day. He was a champ to have lasted this long with his imperious grandmother. Without even realizing it, Lily had had Hannah on her toes all day long every day.

When she was entertained, Lily was as charming and delightful a woman as Hannah had ever met. But when she was displeased, Hannah had feared a magazine or hairbrush might sail past her head.

Despite these fits of temper, Hannah loved Lily more every day. She was clever, funny and generous to a fault. And she adored Danny, who, as soon as he’d had his after-school snack, went directly to Lily’s room to tell her about his day.

Hannah settled on a straight-back chair next to the recliner and Ty handed her a mug. When their fingers touched she felt his warmth. Something lurched within her. That simple motion was the type of thing she’d missed most about not having a man in her life—not the showy public gesture, but the tiny, cozy moments that no one else knew about.