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seventeen
Aw, damn it to hell.
Hobbs dropped his hand away and grabbed his shirt from where he’d tossed it on the couch. He slipped it over his head and willed his body to relax, blood to go back to all the places it belonged. He glanced at Tabitha, whose eyes were large and questioning, but the sight of her freshly kissed lips and hot cheeks wasn’t helping, so he cleared his throat and reminded himself his sister was approaching—that did the trick—just as the kitchen light snapped on.
“Hey.”
Hobbs hadn’t wanted Hannah to go, and now that she was back he wished she’d taken a little longer to drive around those back roads. He eyed her curious, lost expression, the same look she’d had on her face the time he’d brought Kitty Banes home after a date at the movies. They’d seen a Stephen King flick, so Kitty was already scared and in need of comforting, and it being Friday night meant Pops would’ve started drinking extra early and probably been passed out by then. Mom would be out, at book club or bridge club or one of the many clubs where she escaped from her family, and Victor had already moved out. Hobbs would have the place to himself and finally score some alone time with Kitty. Which was working great until Hannah padded into the living room, wearing her Snoopy jammies and carrying that ratty old quilt Gran Gran had made her when she was born. The colors were faded to pastels and the edges ratty, but Hannah carried it at night, sometimes during the day, too, and that night was no exception. Hobbs had looked up from kissing Kitty and saw Hannah there, peeking out from behind that quilt, her confusion ceding to fear, which wouldn’t make sense in a normal house. But they didn’t live in a normal house, and anything that stole Hobbs’s attention shook Hannah’s sense of stability, so he’d taken Kitty home and that’d been the last date they’d ever had.
“Tabitha, this is Hannah.” Hobbs gave his throat another big clear as he ran his hands through his hair, hoping to brush off the tension that hung thick in the air. Hannah stared and Tabitha’s jaw looked like it was working not to drop. “My baby sister,” he added.
Tabitha mouthed,Oh. Then she said it aloud. “Oh.Oh, hi.” She straightened her shirt, ironing over the front of it. “Nice to meet you, Hannah.”
“Hi.” Hannah waved.
“I didn’t even know you had a sister.” Tabitha tried a smile. “I can see the resemblance.” She touched her hair.
“Hannah came home with me.” Hobbs felt the rest of his arousal wash away. “She’s from Omaha. Never been outside the Midwest.”
“Until now,” Hannah said, irritation gritty in her voice. Brother of the Year Award was definitely in his future. Followed closely by Coach of the Year. In the span of a few weeks he’d gone from living alone in his bachelor pad to putting up his depressed sister and kissing the one woman from his gym he’d told himself was off-limits. Both women looked like they didn’t quite know where to be or what to say.
“Oh my gosh, what a sweetie!” Hannah’s mood changed so fast it made Hobbs feel light-headed. She headed for the couch, crouching down to put herself at eye level with Trinity. “Oh, she’s a service dog.” Hannah stopped just short of petting her as she spied the vest. “Is she yours?” She turned to Tabitha.
“Yes.” Tabitha’s smile was full and genuine now. “We were just... I was just...” She motioned toward the massage chair, forgotten in the middle of the living room. “I’m in school to become a massage therapist. Hobbs agreed to be one of my guinea pigs. Trinity is my service dog. You can pet her, though. She’s not working right now.” Those last words came out of Tabitha’s mouth long and slow, like they’d given her pause or food for thought.
That was all Hannah needed. She was all up in Trinity’s face, petting her ears, her shoulders, almost nuzzling her nose. Trinity looked both confused and conciliatory:Is this human losing her mind? Okay, then, I got this.
“You lucky duck.” Hannah glanced over her shoulder and gave Hobbs a look that could only be described as accusatory. “You know a massage therapist? I’d give my right arm for one of those right now.” She arched her back and planted a hand there, keeping her other one on Trinity while she stroked her fur.
Hobbs didn’t have time to say anything before Tabitha piped in with, “I’d be happy to massage you,” like she’d known Hobbs’s master plan all along. “I’m not licensed yet, so I can’t guarantee how good it will be, but I could do your feet. Your neck. Anything, really.”
“Are you kidding?” Hannah gave Trinity a kiss on the top of her head and stood up to face her. “I’d love you forever.”
“Anything for Hobbs’s sister.” Tabitha glanced in his direction. She smoothed out her sweatshirt again.
Hannah gave him a withering look. “You make people call you by your last name, Chris? How douchey.”
Hobbs shrugged. “It started in the corps. Almost everyone calls me Hobbs.” Hobbs nodded at Tabitha. “Tabitha calls me Chris sometimes.” Though she hadn’t, not since that one time. She’d asked for his first name last spring, when they’d partnered for the charity workout at Canine Warriors.
Tabitha glanced over and smiled. “I’d better pack up.”
Hobbs helped her gather her things while she and Hannah discussed a day and time to do a massage. Hannah stayed glued to Trinity’s side, her hand never once leaving the dog’s vest, where it rested like she was drawing in strength from the little pit bull.
“So you don’t know how long you’re here,” Tabitha said, zipping up the black canvas bag around her folded chair. She murmured over the words, like she was trying to figure out the whole story of Hannah’s sudden appearance, Hobbs’s silence about it all, without actually asking direct questions. “Which means you don’t have Thanksgiving plans, either. Would you like to come over? My Auntie El makes the best food on the planet.”
Hobbs almost said no on reflex. The last thing he needed was a family holiday with Tabitha. But Hannah’s face brightened for the second time in less than half an hour, a look Hobbs had not seen since she’d met George and Gracie. Hannah turned to Hobbs, eyes big and questioning. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what she wanted him to say. One of her major sads about coming out here, despite the obvious, was that the holidays wouldn’t be the same without Mom and Victor. Hannah hadn’t even wanted to talk about it, maybe was pretending the holidays weren’t happening, that none of this was happening.
“Great,” Hobbs said, forcing the word out. “We’d love to. Thanks.”
Hannah’s face broke into a smile. She ran her hand down Trinity’s back.
Hobbs carried Tabitha’s chair out to her car, even though Tabitha insisted she could get everything herself. After he slid it into the trunk, he found her facing him, worry in her eyes. “I don’t think I can massage you again.”
“I totally agree.” Only now, with the cool air clearing his head, did Hobbs realize just how fortuitous it was that Hannah had come home when she did. How far would things have gone? Too far, probably. “I’m going to be honest. I asked you out here to massage Hannah. She threw a kink in my plans by deciding to go for a drive right before you got here. It just seemed easier, after that, to let you keep on thinking you were here for me.”
Tabitha started to say something and stopped. Her breath turned to steam in the cold air, the streetlights casting her skin in a light that made her look sleepy and warm. “I don’t know if I should be mad about that or not.” She shrugged. “But I’m not. I’ll definitely come back to massage her, like I promised.” Tabitha looked like she wanted to say more, maybe ask some questions, but she didn’t.
“Listen. Tabby.”
