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And the first word that came to her mind was... Sam.
Hannah swung the car into a u-turn and started off for Stars Landing. She hadn't seen Sam in ages. They had kept casually in touch since they broke up before college. Why he had popped into her head when she thought of a safe place to land was beyond her. Maybe it was just because they had history. Because he wouldn't ask too many questions if he knew she wasn't in a talking mood. Or maybe simply because he was male.
Her parents would be nosy, would pester her about her emotional state, would pry until they got answers because that's what loving, concerned parents would do. She could go stay at the inn. Emily was always working and she could desperately use some girl talk and a junk-food, chick-flick binge night. But if she stayed at the inn, everyone in town would know she was back and she would never get a moment of peace.
She had never been to Sam's house. Farm, she corrected herself. He ran his own farm. He grew food and raised goats and some other nonsense. She always knew he was never going to leave Stars Landing. His roots were too deeply planted in that small town dirt. From what she heard from her parents, who never fully understood why she had broken up with him, Sam had made quite a successful little business for himself. He had built a home and barns and employed people they had gone to school with.
Apparently he had moved onto the land butting up against Old Mam's, the eccentric town spinster who grew herbs and spices and tea. If there was a scandal in town, she was sure to be right in the center of it. Hannah had spent many a afternoon forced to help Mam weed her beds when her parents dropped her there in the summer to get a break for a few hours.
When she finally pulled onto the dirt road, the first thing she noticed was how badly Mam's land was tended. The grass and weeds in her front lawn that had always been meticulously cared for, were ankle high and growing. And there was a different green hatchback parked in the driveway. With a shrug, she continued down the road, dust pooling in clouds around her windows.
She finally saw his house come into view, nestled on a huge piece of property- more acres than she cared to guess about and a simple post and plank fence lining the edges. In the back she could see several large, new barns and paddocks full of animals moving to and fro. The house itself was breathtaking.
It was a two story colonial, in fresh white and shutter-less. The lead up to the black front door was a charming cobblestone path. He had lush green flowerbeds lining the whole front of the house. There were nine gleaming windows across the front and three additional windows peeking out of the roof tiles. It was an enormous, perfect house.
Maybe if she knew he had such exquisite taste, she would have stayed with him, she laughed to herself, putting her car in park and taking a deep breath before walking up the path.
She was suddenly nervous. What was he going to think to find her on his doorstep after so many years? Granted, they had seen each other in town when she had stopped home for holidays. But they had barely even spoken.
But what better choice did she really have?
Hannah rolled her shoulders, stiff from being in a car for so long, and slammed the silver doorknocker four times. There was silence from within and she wondered if maybe he was out on his property somewhere. Then the door pulled open suddenly and there was Sam Flynn in all of his glory, naked from the waist up.
Hannah felt a little flutter at the sight of him, memories of their four years of fumbling around with each other's bodies rushing her system. Age had certainly agreed with him. He was six feet of strong, farmer muscle. He had shaggy, though somewhat short, dark blond hair and golden brown eyes. And looking down at her, a familiar, easy lopsided grin spread across his face, making his eyes crinkle at the edges. He always had the best smile.
"Hannah," he breathed her name out, then pounced toward her, grabbing her in a bear hug and turning her around in a circle. When he planted her back on her feet, he ruffled her hair in a brotherly way. "What the hell are you doing here?"
Hannah looked down at her feet, feeling self-conscious.
"Han," Sam said, sounding serious, "what's wrong?"
Hannah shook her head, looking up and frowning at the severe look her presence had put on his face. "Can I crash for a couple days? Without you telling anyone?"
Sam's head tilted to the side, his eyes squinting in curiosity. But when he spoke, he said only, "Of course. However long you need. I have plenty of space."
He stepped back from the doorway, holding an arm out to invite her inward. Without any questions. She knew she could count on him.
Directly to their right inside the door was a spacious living room in a deep orange color with black furniture. To the left was a formal dining room painted green. She doubted he got much use out of it though, living alone. He lead her down a hallway with a few doors to the side into the back of the house. The kitchen. Which took up the entire length of the house. Sam always loved cooking. She had tried to talk him into going to culinary school, but he couldn't be swayed. The kitchen was painted white with white cabinets and stainless steel appliances. There was a set of French doors that led onto a back porch, and two sets of windows that let in an incredible amount of light.
Sam walked barefoot over to a cabinet, pulling out a mug, and turning away from her for a second. When he turned back, he handed her a steaming mug of coffee, that same lazy grin on his lips. Hannah took the mug between both hands, pulling it up to her nose, taking a deep breath and sighing.
"Some things never change," he said. "Make yourself comfortable. Roam around. I'm gonna go grab a shirt."
Hannah sipped her coffee, taking Sam at his word and peeking into the two closed doors she found in the hallway. One was a half bath with square, modern décor and blue walls. Behind the other door was a stairway down. She shrugged, walking into the living room and finding a staircase leading up. She started up the deep wood steps, looking toward the railing and almost running into the now fully clothed Sam.
He laughed, a deep amused sound she hadn't realized she missed. "Alright, well let's go pick you out a room." As they rounded the bend, he gestured toward the room at the end of the hall. From the open door she could make out an enormous bed with a blue and green flannel bedspread. Hannah smiled behind his back. "That's my room," he said, unnecessarily. "I think you'll like this one," he said, turning to a closed white door.
He pulled the door open and she grinned up at him. The walls were a pale, muted green.
Something she would call a light sage. The bedspread was a deeper sage with a pattern of pretty yellow flowers on the antique four poster bed. "Perfect," she said, stepping in and noticing the window with a view of the front of the property. There were two white dressers that matched the bed and an actual real-full sized antique vanity with three paneled, scallop topped mirrors and a small stool with a yellow cushion.
"I thought my sisters would like it and come see me more often," Sam said, leaning against the doorway.
"They're barely out of their teens," Hannah said, remembering their toothless little six-year old twin faces when she and Sam would be charged with babysitting them when they turned sixteen. "Boys are much more important."
"Bite your tongue," Sam grimaced, making Hannah smile. "Want me to go grab your stuff?" he asked, looking completely at ease while she felt anxiety creeping in again.
"No, thanks. I'll get it later. I didn't mean to take you away from your work and stuff."
