Hannah (The Hawthorne Sisters) Read Online Free PDF

anyway.
    “I would do no such thing,” she said, clucking her tongue as her daughter walked away. Her daughter knew her well.
    Why did she say no? She was a stubborn child, really. Bryce Callahan was a good man. Hannah was always such a strong, independent girl. She didn’t think she needed anyone, but one day she’d see . It wasn’t that she’d need a man, but a companion and lover would change her life. Family, a husband… didn’t she want that? She couldn’t be alone forever. Well, maybe she could, but is that what she truly wanted?
    Bryce went home with a smile. He wasn’t sure she’d say yes, but when she did, he knew. She felt it , too. There was something between them. Could it be more than a spark? There was only one way to find out.
    The call came later that night . Beverly was in trouble again. It grew old, chasing around after his sister. He thought that one day she’d figure it out and grow up. He’d need to put his foot down. This wasn’t the life he wanted to live, paying for her mistakes. He was tired of the late night calls, the bailing her out of trouble, and her lack of consequences. It was time for her to pay for her mistakes and take responsibility for her actions. He’d give her this last time, a get out of jail free card, but she’d need to make a choice. She could go into rehab and clean up her ways, or she’d have to get herself out of trouble from this point forward. He loved her, but he wasn’t doing either of them any favors by always saving the day. He made it too easy for her to continue the lifestyle. It was a rough conversation, but one that they had to have.
    He told Hannah he’d pick her up at eight on Saturday. He wasn’t even sure what he was doing. It had been so long since he’d gone on a date. He’d tried it a few times, but women either fell into one of two camps-- ones that wanted a family by the second date, or ones that didn’t fulfill him. Too fast, or too much, or too empty…and it turned him off on the entire dating thing.
    Only now, he thought with a smile, this weekend he’d be taking out Hannah, and he had a feeling she was different.
    On Saturday, Hannah sorted through her closet while analyzing each article of clothing. It shouldn’t be this hard. It was just a date, not like she hadn’t been on one plenty of times. It’s just that most guys weren’t her type, and the more recent dates she’d been on left her flat. She would rather be alone than go out just to go out.
    He didn’t say where they were going, and she didn’t know what to wear. Would they drive a town over, or stay in their own small town? Was he cooking? Jeans? A dress? She should have asked. She felt foolish, like a schoolgirl.
    She still hadn’t told her mother. This was probably about the time she should mention it. He’d be here soon.
    “So, Mom…” she said, standing against the wall, looking down. “I have a date.”
    “Do you?”
    “Yeah. Can you help me figure out what to wear? I don’t want to look…too young.”
    Gretta smiled and stood. This was her way of telling her who it was.
    “What about that blue dress, the one with the small white dots on it? You can wear a more casual jacket over it to dress it down, so you’re both casual and dressy.”
    “Thanks.” A soft smile spread across her face. She wanted to talk about it, delve into her thoughts and details, but she held them too close. She wasn’t even sure what she thought about it at this moment. This wasn’t like anything she’d felt before. She was drawn to a man and didn’t know why.
    Bryce pulled into the Hawthorne’s driveway and gripped the steering wheel tighter. Rubbing his palms across his slacks, he wiped at the small beads of sweat that were forming on his palms. Why was he nervous? This was ridiculous. He felt more like a schoolboy than a man in his thirties. He hadn’t been this nervous in ages.
    Getting out of his truck, he walked up the path , and knocked on the door. When Hannah