Jake's Biggest Risk (Those Hollister Boys) by Julianna Morris

Author:Julianna Morris [Morris, Julianna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2014-10-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

HANNAH TURNED THE pages of her novel, trying to focus on the plot rather than Jake Hollister. It was difficult to keep up with new releases and she was years behind.

On the other hand, she could recite almost everything from Dr. Seuss and Where the Wild Things Are, courtesy of bedtime reading with Danny. It was doubtful that Jake knew anything about the silly, fun Seuss rhymes with their clever bits of wisdom for children and adults alike.

Sighing, she looked up.

Jake was some distance away, shooting pictures of Mount St. Helens, but it wasn’t with the same intensity he’d taken the photos of the dogwood blossoms. It didn’t surprise her. People either understood what was special about the volcano, or they took a snapshot and hurried on to visit the Seattle Space Needle or see the majesty of Mount Rainier...or in some cases, to visit the Gap.

Not that Hannah didn’t love Mount Rainier. It was the king of the Cascades, so beautiful it was almost unearthly, surrounded by flowered meadows and ancient forests. She’d picked huckleberries on its lower slopes, taken the rigorous trek to its summit as a teenager and explored miles and miles of its trails.

Each peak in the mountain range had its own beauty, even the ravaged form of Mount St. Helens. And it was a reminder of the volcanic roots of the mountains, a stark reminder of nature’s power.

Usually the vast grandeur made her problems seem less significant, but today Hannah couldn’t get Brendan out of her mind for more than a few minutes.

Sighing, she put her book down and took out her cell phone. She couldn’t delay talking to Brendan forever, and unpleasant tasks just got harder the longer they were put off.

“Townsend Law Office,” the secretary answered.

“Hi, Renee, it’s Hannah Nolan. Is Brendan available?”

“Sure, his appointment just left.”

“Hannah,” Brendan exclaimed a moment later. “I’m glad you called. I feel terrible about Sunday—I don’t know what came over me. And then you were still so nice to have Barbi come over to help when I was sick.”

“Uh, yeah. Are you available for lunch tomorrow? We should talk.”

A short silence followed. “That sounds ominous. Why don’t you go ahead and say what you want to say right now?”

Hannah squirmed. “If that’s what you prefer. The thing is, the more we get to know each other, the fewer things we seem to have in common.”

“If this is about hiking and wild berries and such, I can learn.”

“But you’re not interested in it. And it’s not only that. You’re a great guy, you just aren’t the right one for me, and I would hate for you to develop expectations that aren’t going anywhere.”

There was a second silence, much longer this time.

“Are you sure?” he asked finally.

“Yes. I’d like to stay friends, but I’ll understand if you don’t feel the same.”

“Of course I want to be friends. But...uh, I’d better go now. I have another client coming in. Goodbye,” Brendan said quickly, then disconnected.

As Hannah dropped her phone in her backpack, she wished he’d gotten angry.

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