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Grady tried to get back up, but Molly put her hand on his shoulder and held him down. “Can either of you look me in the eye and tell me that you haven’t met before and that there’s nothing you need to talk about – to clear up?”
Hannah’s heart was still pounding. Had Grady told Molly about her? The look on his face said he was as thrown by Molly’s behavior as she was.
Molly put her hands on her hips. “I have no freaking idea what’s going on here, but it’s obvious that something is. I can’t even say that you look like you’ve seen a ghost – because the way you two reacted to each other, you look like you’d rather see a ghost. I’m not going to make you hash it out in front of me. I’ll go and get our drinks.” She gave Hannah a stern look. “But when I come back out, you both need to either tell me what’s going on or if you really don’t want to do that, you’ll have to agree on a suitable story to tell me instead.”
Hannah watched her walk away until she disappeared into the kitchen. When she had no more reason to avoid looking at Grady, she snuck a glance at him. He looked as uncomfortable as she felt.
“Did you tell her that you knew me?” she asked.
Grady shook his head rapidly. “I had no idea that she knew you until about five minutes ago when she said her friend Hannah was coming in for lunch. Even then I didn’t know for sure that it was you, but I had a feeling.”
Hannah pursed her lips. “A very bad feeling, I’m sure. Don’t worry. I won’t tell her. Is she friends with your wife?”
He closed his eyes and shook his head.
Hannah blew out a sigh. She hoped he didn’t keep the poor woman cooped up at home. Molly had said that he was one of her group of friends. How could she not know his wife? She narrowed her eyes. Was he lying?
He held up his hands as if in surrender. “I’m not married.”
She let out a short laugh. “That’s not what you said at the airport.”
“I didn’t actually say I was married.”
She stared at him, trying to remember what exactly he had said. They’d just discovered that he lived in Napa and that she was coming back here. He’d said that he doubted they ran in the same circles. She’d been about to ask if he wanted to see her again. He’d said that he didn’t socialize much – that he spent his time at work and with his family. Oh, no! Had that just been his way of putting her off before she asked?
“Hannah?”
She took a deep breath.
“I’m sorry. I … liked you. I thought we were just going to have fun and flirt a bit. You know, strangers passing an hour together and then each going on our way with a fun memory.”
She nodded. “But when you thought that I might want to see you again, you used the most solid excuse you could think of to put me off.”
He didn’t agree with her, but the look on his face and his silence spoke volumes.
She felt so stupid! “What was I then, some kind of joke?”
“No! You were a gorgeous woman who I wanted to … flirt with. Honestly, as we talked and got to know each other a little bit, you were a gorgeous woman who I wanted to see again, wanted to get to know properly – or at least, you would be. If my life were different.”
“It sounds to me like you’re bullshitting one way or another. Either you just didn’t want to see me again or you are married. Why else would you sayif your life were different?”
He gave her a sad smile, and even while she felt stupid, and still a bit angry, she could see that he wasn’t bullshitting. “I promise you I’m not married. And I’m telling you the truth that if my life were different, I’d want to ask you out.” He pursed his lips. “I …” He ran his hand over his face. “I don’t date because …”
“Uncle Grady?”
Hannah watched a little girl approach the table cautiously. She glanced at Hannah, then looked back at Grady. His face transformed when he smiled at her. “What are you doing out here, Pixie? Is everything okay?”
She nodded and came right up to the table to stand beside him. “Aunt Molly said I needed to check on you. Is everything okay?”
Hannah’s insides turned to mush when Grady wrapped his arm around the little girl and gave her a reassuring smile. “Everything’s okay, Ava.” He gave Hannah a rueful smile. “Ava, this is Hannah. Hannah, meet Ava. She’s my niece. She lives with me.”
“Oh.” Hannah didn’t know what else to say.
Ava looked nervous but gave her a timid smile. “It’s nice to meet you.”
Hannah smiled back. “It’s nice to meet you, too.”
Grady started to get up. “I should get back to work.”
