Chapter 15

 

“Wow, you guys really went all out.” Hannah gazed around in awe at the heavily laden tables full of every kind of food imaginable at a backyard barbecue. Pasta salad, potato salad, ham and cheese macaroni salad, cole slaw, taco dip, chips and dip, pickles, olives, relishes, fresh bread and buns, pies, cakes, cookies and all sorts of dessert bars. The aroma of grilled hotdogs, hamburgers, and brats wafted around the spacious yard, and Hannah’s stomach grumbled as she set her crock pot on the table. The sweet and smoky baked beans she’d made would fit in perfectly; she just hoped everyone liked them.

She gazed around, surprised by the number of people who had already arrived considering the early noon hour. Though, if there was one thing the people of Redemption loved, it was a good weekend barbecue. And Carrie and Matt were quickly becoming famous for theirs. They grilled year round thanks to the not one, but two fancy-shmancy gas grills Matt had installed at the end of last summer.

Carrie rushed over and gave Hannah a quick hug, then pulled back and studied, eyes sparkling with secret delight. “I’m so glad my brother finally got his head out of his ass and made a move. Drew must be thrilled, too.”

Hannah was a little tongue-tied, not exactly sure what to say. She and Chase hadn’t made an announcement yet about their relationship, and they hadn’t planned to until her family returned from L.A. But to those who knew them best, no announcement was necessary. “He doesn’t know yet. He and dad are still in California. And it wouldn’t feel right for anyone else to know before them, so we’ve kept things low key. Plus, this is still so new to us as well,”

As if on cue, Chase came up behind her and grasped her shoulders. “My sister giving you a hard time?”

Carrie propped her hands on her hips and fixed her brother with a mock scowl. “I never give anyone a hard time—”

“I have a feeling Matt would disagree with that.”

“—unless they deserve it.”

Chase chuckled and gave Hannah’s shoulders a playful squeeze. “She means me.”

“Uh, yeah, I got that.” She stepped forward, plucked a black olive from a bowl and popped it in her mouth. She took another, then turned and held it up to Chase’s lips, teasing him slowly before tapping it into his mouth.

Carrie playfully rolled her eyes. “Keeping it low-key, hey?”

With an unabashed smile, Hannah fed her man another olive followed by a ham and cream cheese bite. “What can I say? Your brother is irresistible.”

“Okay, really, I’m happy for you guys, but I’m starting to get a toothache. I think it’s time to go mingle. You kids have fun.” With a wink, Carrie headed off in the direction of Charlie and Dana, who were chatting with Charlie’s parents.

“Hell, as if I haven’t developed a cavity or two watching her and Matt moon over each other.” Chase smiled down at her. “I think I’m ready for a brat and some of those baked beans you made. Care to join me?”

“You bet, I’m starving.”

They filled their plates with plenty of sides and each grabbed a fresh bun before heading over to the patio where Caleb and Matt were manning the grills. Matt wore a ‘Licensed To Grill’ apron, while Caleb sported one that read ‘BBQ Naked – Show Off Your Buns’.

“Cute aprons,” Chase teased. “Did the little women coordinate those for you?”

Caleb held up a hotdog with his tongs. “Bite the weenie, Sheriff.”

Matt and Hannah both laughed. 

Chase grinned. “I’ll take a pass. Got any brats?”

“Sure do.” Matt held up one of the golden brown sausages and regarded it as if it were a rare jewel. “Drove all the way out to Maplewood Meats yesterday for the very best.”

Hannah’s mouth watered as he slipped one into each of their freshly made buns.

“Mmm, they look good.” Chase took a huge bite and nodded with pleasure as he chewed. He winked at her, seeming much more relaxed than he’d been last night.

Chase had become oddly preoccupied yesterday after Mike stopped by the diner, though he’d smiled and insisted there was nothing for her to worry about. But once they got home, he told her he had some research to do, brewed a pot of coffee, and sat at the kitchen table with his eyes glued to his laptop. A tad disappointed since she’d been hoping to snuggle with him on the couch with a good movie, Hannah eventually headed up to bed, alone. In fact, Chase had fallen asleep on the couch; she realized this in the middle of the night when she came downstairs for a bottle of water.

“Smells good, too,” Hannah added taking a whiff. “But I need mustard and ketchup on mine.”

She returned to the food tables and added a healthy squirt of both mustard and ketchup to her brat. She’d just taken her first bite when Charlie and Dana strolled up hand in hand. Hannah smiled as she chewed. She’d never seen Charlie so happy and relaxed. It was a good look on him.

“Hey, kiddo, how’ve you been?”

“I’m hanging in there.” She made a face. “But since I’m old enough to do everything except collect social security, maybe we could nix it on the ‘kiddo’ thing?”

Dana grinned.

Charlie adopted a serious expression. “Sure thing, Hannah Banana.”

With a roll of her eyes, she turned her attention to Dana. “This guy been treating you right?”

Dana smiled up at Charlie, who winked at her. “Always.”

“Good to know. I’d hate to have to kick his ass.”

“News is, you and the sheriff have become…chummy,” Dana told her. “Does Drew know?”

Hannah glanced over at Chase, who was still chatting away with Matt and Caleb. “Not yet.”

“Well, you might want to fill him in soon,” Charlie advised. “Marv has been spreading the word so fast he may well have broken his old record. He’s done everything short of making an announcement in the paper.”

“He has a record?” Dana raised a skeptical brow. “For gossiping?”

“Yep. When Marv happened to spot Alderman Peters coming out of the Ryker’s Motel with a woman who wasn’t his wife, the entire town knew by lunchtime the following day. Mrs. Peters booted his ass at out by nightfall.”

Dana glanced at Hannah before narrowing her eyes at Charlie. “You’re pulling my leg.”

Hannah couldn’t help but laugh. “Actually, he’s serious. Why do you think we call him Motormouth Marv?”

Chase strode up and gave Charlie a thump on the back. “Hey, man, what’s up? Hi, Dana.”

“Hi, Chase.”

He gestured in the direction of where the tables had been set up. “Wanna go grab a seat before they’re all taken? I can’t believe how many people are already here. Would you two like to join us?”

“We’ll catch up with you later. We were just heading over to talk to Rick and Allie when we saw Hannah and detoured to say hello.” Charlie gave her a pointed look. “Remember what I said. Give Drew a call.”

Chase led her over to an umbrella-covered picnic table where both of his sisters sat chitchatting with Lauren, Max and Emma. Emma took turns feeding both Lauren and Carrie bites of watermelon while Max’s thumbs tapped away on some sort of handheld game. Christina had her cell phone pressed to one ear and her finger jammed in the other. It appeared as if she might be arguing with whoever she was speaking to.

Hannah sat down next to Carrie, who glanced down at her plate. Her eyes lit up. “Oh, good, you’re trying the macaroni salad. It’s a new recipe I found that calls for sweetened condensed milk. I thought it would be way too sweet, but so far everyone loves it.”

Hannah forked up a bite and chewed thoughtfully. Her eyes widened with delight. “Wow, that’s delicious. A perfect combination of sweet and tangy. The chunks of ham and cheddar are a nice surprise; the celery and red pepper add a nice, fresh crunch.” She eagerly ate another bite. “And I think the Vidalia onion was a perfect choice. Not as assertive as red or yellow. Don’t suppose you’d be willing to share the recipe…?”

“Not a chance.”

They both laughed.

“Sorry, but I plan to add it to my lunch menu. Today was my trial run.”

“Well, it’ll be a hit, that’s for sure.”

“She’s right, sis,” Chase chimed in. “And Dimples, these baked beans are amazing.”

Hannah warmed over his high praise. “Thank you. Dad and Drew love them, especially with pulled pork sandwiches.”

“Lauren made the potato salad,” Caleb proudly announced as he walked up and joined them. “I’ve never tasted better. She puts bacon in it; how ingenious is that?”

A slight blush stained Lauren’s cheeks. “Actually, I got the recipe online, so I don’t know how ingenious I am. But I’m glad you like it since there’s an extra bowl of it at home in the fridge.”

Hannah glanced around as something dawned on her. “Where’s Hutch? He said he’d be here.”

“I’m going to run home to pick him up in another hour or so,” Caleb explained. “He said he wanted to watch the ball game in peace, but I think he was a little tired from working yesterday. Plus, he was limping a bit. Claims he stubbed his toe in the cooler.”

“That stinker. I thought he was walking a little funny, but he assured me I was paranoid and overprotective.”

She was about to offer to go pick him up herself when she noticed Chase stiffen. His eyes narrowed as they focused on something behind her. Hannah craned her neck, curious to know what had put such a look of unease on his face. Her question was answered when her gaze landed on the youngest Lowell sibling slowly making his way over.

Craig Lowell looked very much like his older brother, only with dark brown eyes instead of hazel, and a good twenty pounds lighter. At the moment they both sported the exact same look of wariness and uncertainty.

Carrie shot to her feet and raced over to throw her arms around their baby brother. “Oh, my God, you made it,” she cried as she pulled back to examine him. “You said you were coming, but I really didn’t think you’d show up.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

“Sorry, but your track record speaks for itself,” Carrie said with a sheepish grin.

Christina also got up to greet him, but at a more subdued pace. She gave him a quick hug and a kiss on the cheek. Then without preamble asked, “Do mom and dad know you’re here?

“No. But I’m driving over to Green Bay tonight, so please don’t ruin my surprise.”

A genuine smile chased away her hesitant frown. “Good. They’d be devastated if you didn’t stop by.”

Craig draped an arm across both his sisters’ shoulders. “Like I told Carrie, I’m thinking about hanging around for a while.”

The two sisters both went on a tangent of how happy they were, and how their parents were going to be thrilled. Hannah glanced at Chase and knew at least one member of the family wasn’t quite as happy with Craig’s announcement.

“Well, aren’t we lucky,” Chase finally said, his tone as frigid as the frozen tundra in January. “Whatever did we do to deserve the incredible honor of your presence?”

Craig dropped his arms to his sides and struck a defensive pose. “Good to see you, too, Sheriff.”

“Okay, listen up.” Carrie moved to stand between them. “This is a party, and I won’t allow the two of you to ruin it with your bickering. Ignore each other if you must, but this is a drama-free zone for the day. Got it?”

Craig gave a curt nod; Chase returned his attention to his plate, both without a word.

An awkward silence settled over them, but after a minute or so Caleb cracked a joke, Carrie mentioned another recipe she wanted to try, and normal conversation ensued.

Hannah wanted so badly to wrap her arms around Chase and offer him whatever comfort she could. She knew he held some sort of resentment over his brother, but she had no clue what happened to put such a distance between them. Well, that wasn’t entirely true. Craig had been a year ahead of Hannah in school, but even then the youngest Lowell sibling seemed to be a trouble magnet. She’d heard that fresh out of high school, he had been involved with some shady dealings, for which he’d served an eighteen month prison sentence at one of the state’s correctional centers. And though Drew would never confirm nor deny, rumor had it Chase had been the one to turn his brother in.

She’d made plenty of mistakes of her own, most of which centered around Jimmy, so it’s not like she was in any position to judge…not that what Chase may or may not have done was a mistake. He was a good man, fair and honest, so if he had been the one to turn his brother in to the police, he’d no doubt had a very good reason for doing so.

Once they finished eating, Chase and Hannah mingled a bit, but it became obvious Chase was preoccupied over his brother’s sudden return to town. Hannah filled a plate with some sweets and attempted to feed them to him. He took a bite of one of Jenny’s lemon bars, then held up his hand to signal he’d had enough.

Mike finally arrived with his mother and daughter, Maddie, who dropped her grandmother’s hand and raced over to join Emma on the swing set. After giving her son a pat on the arm, Bev Donovan handed him the tray of brownies and followed after her granddaughter, but at a much slower pace.

Mike scanned the crowd, quickly spotting them. He waved and headed over. “Sorry we’re late. I had a couple of errands to run, and mom got stuck on the phone with my sister, who’s going through a messy divorce.” He looked around and asked, “Where’s the food?”

Hannah laughed. “Turn to your left and walk due north. Caleb and Matt took a break about an hour ago, but I see they’re back, so you’re in luck.”

“Cool, I’m starving. As soon as I deliver these,” he hefted the tray, “I’m gonna grab a burger and some potato salad.” He looked at Chase. “I need to run something past you before you leave.”

Hannah smiled as the back door opened and out stepped Hutch, Caleb at his side. She turned to Chase. “Why don’t you keep Mike company while he eats so you two can talk. I’m going to go say hello to Hutch.”

Chase winked and gave her lower back a quick pat. “I’ll come join you in a few minutes.”

As soon as Hannah strode off, Mike leaned in and informed him, “Jimmy shook his tail. No idea how he spotted them so soon, but apparently he took a drive out to Green Bay and lost them after several trips back and forth over Tower Drive Bridge.”

Chase absorbed the information with a muttered curse. “Jimmy knows we wouldn’t have put a tail on him unless he was still under investigation. But he also knows we can’t disprove his alibi, so hopefully he was just having fun at Coop and Walt’s expense. The charges against him were completely dismissed; he knows my hands are tied on this one.” He led Mike over to the food-laden tables.

“He also knows there’s a clear conflict of interest on your part. Which his lawyer could use against Hannah if we’re not careful.” Mike set his tray down with the rest of the desserts before grabbing a plate and loading it with potato salad and baked beans. He opened a hamburger bun and squirted in some ketchup and mayo.

Switching topics somewhat, Chase said, “I spent a good chunk of time researching Gunther Simmons last night, and I found a connection. Turns out Jimmy’s dad worked for Simmons at the time of his arrest, though I couldn’t figure out in what capacity.”

“That’s great. Could be just the link we were looking for. Simmons’ has always had a solid business reputation, but rumors of corruption have been swirling around him for years.”

“Exactly. I’ll have Coop start digging around first thing Monday morning, see if he can come up with something substantial enough to warrant an investigation.”

“It’s definitely a start.”

Chase nodded absently. Mike had been living down in Milwaukee at the time, so he wouldn’t know this offhand, but Craig had also been on Simmons’ payroll at the time of Jimmy’s dad’s arrest.  Which meant he’d probably have to bring Craig in for questioning.

“Listen, I think we’re going to take off a little early,” he told Mike. “Enough excitement for one day and all that.”

His friend eyed him with concern. “You okay? You seem a little…off.”

“Just a lot going on. And I didn’t get much sleep last night, so I could probably use a nap.”

Mike clapped him on the shoulder. “Everything will work out. I have absolute confidence, and so should you. There’s no way in hell we’re gonna let Jimmy get away with this.”

A wave of emotion took Chase by surprise, and he had to clear his throat before he could speak. Mike was a good cop and even better friend. “Thanks, man. Listen, I’ll give you a call later tonight.”

“Tomorrow afternoon will be soon enough.” Mike winked. “Take your lady home and have a very good night.”

He gave his head a shake as a reluctant smile fought to break free. A good night was exactly what he hoped for.

Hannah stood chatting with Hutch, Lauren and Tara; Caleb, Wes and Max had joined some of the guys for a game of cornhole. When he made his way over and settled his hands on her shoulders, she tilted her head to gaze up at him, the unmistakable glow of love shining in those beautiful blue depths. After a few perfunctory words to Hutch, he leaned down and whispered, “Would you mind if we got out of here a little early?”

She studied him for a brief moment, her concern evident in the tilt of her head. “Of course not. I just need one minute.” She turned back to Hutch. “Miles and I will be fine tomorrow, but if you insist on coming in, you have to promise to take it easy. And get plenty of rest tonight.”

“Heaven help me, missy, you’re starting to make Rosalee seem like Mary Poppins.”

Lauren and Tara both attempted to hide a grin.

“Rosalee wouldn’t have let you step foot inside the diner for at least another week, and you know it.”

Hannah matched his scowl before enfolding the old guy in a gentle embrace. She hugged both Lauren and Tara as well, then she and Chase made the rounds to say their goodbyes. Both breathed a sigh of relief as soon as they were in the privacy of his truck.

“Do you know not one person mentioned the accusations against me?” Hannah revealed as she buckled her seatbelt. “I sort of expected to be bombarded with questions, but nope. Not a single one.”

“I’m sure everyone knows you’re innocent and didn’t want to ruin your day by bringing it up.”

“Maybe.”

They drove to Hannah’s house in silence. Chase escorted her inside and locked the door behind them. She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and poured herself some ice water. Leaning against the sink facing the window, she appeared lost in thought—though Chase could hazard a guess as to what was responsible for the haunted look in her eyes.

He moved up behind her and gripped her shoulders. Hannah turned into his arms with a speed that surprised him. Apparently, her need for comfort was every bit as powerful as his own. She looked up, searching his face before dropping her gaze to his lips, her desire clear. He required no further invitation.

Chase wrapped his arms around her and claimed her mouth; softly at first, unwilling to take advantage of her vulnerability no matter the depth of his own need. He shook with the effort to hold himself back, wanting nothing more than to strip her naked and bury himself so deep inside her the outside world would cease to exist.

Hannah put his doubt to rest when she broke the kiss to whisper, “Want to go upstairs?”

“You can’t imagine how much,” he whispered back. He was about to whisk her into his arms, make some big romantic gesture, when Hannah grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the staircase.

“Oh, I think I can.”

They ran up the stairs and straight into her bedroom. Chase closed the door behind him and eagerly watched as Hannah unbuttoned her blouse and shimmied it off her shoulders, then quickly wiggled out of her pants. Standing before him in nothing but her lacy black bra and panties, her eyes dark with desire and the corner of her bottom lip caught between her teeth, she was, without a doubt, the sexiest woman he’d ever laid eyes on.

“This only works if we’re both naked,” she teased in a seductive purr.

Chase grasped the hem of his shirt and whipped it over his head so fast she giggled in response. She sauntered up to him with a sexy sway of her hips and grasped him by the front of his jeans, her fingers grazing the head of his cock. She unbuttoned his fly, and then, with slow precision, drew the zipper down his throbbing erection. His eyes grew heavy as her intent became clear.

Sweet reciprocation.

She leaned in and kissed his chest, then licked it, trailing a slow path of fire around first one flat nipple, then the other. She slowly dropped to her knees, gazing up at him with sensual promise as she grasped his jeans and slowly worked them down his muscular thighs until they dropped to his feet. The entire head of his sex strained above the waistband of his boxer briefs. Chase tensed as she lightly stroked him through the fabric, her fingertips moving up to trace small circles over the bare tip.

“Hannah…” Was that dry pathetic rasp his voice?

She gazed up at him, those hypnotic blue eyes smoldering, her lids heavy with desire. “Relax, Sheriff. I’m about to fulfill one of my fantasies.”

He swallowed, struggling to hold eye contact. “One of mine, too. Just…take it easy this time. I don’t know how much I can handle at the moment.”

“Are you afraid to find out?”

“I’m afraid to embarrass myself.”

With a sultry chuckle, she tugged his boxer briefs down until they joined his jeans and wrapped her fingers around his throbbing shaft. Teasing the head first, she ran the tip of her tongue over his sensitive flesh, slowly working her way down his hard length, laving a hot wet path back up again using only her tongue. After playing with him for almost a full minute, she glanced up coyly from beneath her lashes, then drew him deeply into her sexy mouth.

A sharp breath hissed through his clenched teeth. God, how he loved her boldness—and her confidence. She cupped his balls with gentle pressure while working her way up and down the length of his cock, worshiping him with that luscious hot mouth and silky tongue.

His knees grew weak. He braced himself against the door and cupped her head, urging her on with gentle pressure. She loved him with absolute thoroughness, and no doubt would have brought him to orgasm if Chase had let her. But what he needed—what he craved—was the soul-satisfying comfort of being buried deep inside her when he came.

He somehow found the strength to pull free of her delectable mouth and haul her to her feet. Their gazes locked, and he nearly lost it as she licked the taste of him from her lips, staring at him with raw carnal hunger.

Wild with his own need, he wanted to say something, tried to say something, but words failed him. Instead, he kicked free of his jeans, clapped her against his chest, and carried her backward to the bed. He laid her down with a quick kiss, his pulse thrumming in his veins. With a come-hither smile, Hannah brought her knees up and spread her thighs in blatant invitation.

Heart pounding, he knelt between her legs and slid her panties aside. Chase stroked her glistening folds, awed by her innate sensuality as she arched against him in silent plea. He leaned across her to snatch a condom off the nightstand, quickly sheathed himself, then, without even removing her panties, he flexed his hips and sank into her welcoming heat with one hard thrust.

With a guttural moan, Hannah wrapped her arms and legs around him, hooking her calves over the backs of his thighs with lusty greed. They came together hard and fast, their hunger building as their hips surged together with desperate need. Mutual groans of satisfaction filled the room, growing louder with each loving thrust. Hannah stiffened and cried out, her nails digging into the back of his neck as she reached climax. Chase pushed up on his palms and arched his neck as he soared toward his own release.

He registered Hannah’s sudden scream of horror at the exact moment a sharp pain exploded across the back of his skull.

Then the world went black.