Total pages in book: 107
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95311 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 477(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Almost as if on cue, Elliott stepped into the doorway, looking shocked at the scene in front of him. There was a box clutched in one of his hands, the top flaps half open.
"Well then," Moira said, standing and gesturing toward the others. "We are all going to go grab a coffee downstairs."
Tad kissed her on the cheek on his way out, promising to bring a portable DVD player and chick flicks for them to watch the next day.
Xander winked at her as he passed, slow, cocky. "Catch you around, sweetheart."
Her mother blew her a kiss and promised to be back in twenty. Her father offered her a tight-lip smile, eyeing Elliott as he passed like he was some scientific specimen.
Then just like that, they were alone. The silence hung heavy. Hannah noticed the uncharacteristic slouch in Elliott's shoulders. "Hey baby," he said, his voice sounding sad. "I got something for you." There was a sheepish smile on his face as he came up to the bed, setting a hip on it and placing the box on her lap.
She went for it with her bandaged hands but Elliott's hands were there first, pulling the flaps open. Hannah's face lit up with a surprised gasp. There nestled in the cardboard box was little Ricky. Alive and well.
Elliott reached into the box, taking the rodent gently between his hands. Ricky let out a few quick, happy squeaks as Elliott held him up for Hannah to see. "Tad mentioned that she took him. I asked Xander to have his cop friend bring me back so I could get him for you."
Tears welled up and spilled over. "Thank you," she said, sounding strange and raspy.
"Don't thank me. This was all my fault..."
"No," Hannah said firmly. Her bandaged hand reached out and landed on Elliott's leg. "It wasn't. She was crazy, Elliott."
Elliott looked down, his eyebrows pulled together. Struggling with some emotion. Ricky squirmed in his hands and he placed him back in the box. "James is going to come pick him up and take care of him until you're better. He had all sorts of these weird things growing up." Hannah was about to speak when Elliott's head turned toward her, his eyes falling on hers. "Hannah... I... I love you." he said, the words full of all their heavy ramifications.
Hannah's mouth fell open, her heart swelling in her chest. She put her hand up to the side of his face, the white gauze making him look even paler. "I love you too," she admitted, sure of nothing else in the world.
Elliott smiled, a weak but hopeful smile. He leaned forward, holding her face between his hands and kissed her lips as if she were glass.
"Hey, I have some good news," he said, his smile warm and his eyes bright.
"What?"
"Well, I find myself with an opening for an office manager position..."
Hannah's laugh was instant and contagious.
Maybe he wasn't so impossible after all.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Hannah sat on the edge of their bed pulling her shoes on, trying not to seem overly suspicious. Elliott was dressed, his hair still damp from the shower.
It had been three months since crazy Sally kidnapped her. Elliott had stayed by her bedside day and night for a week until she was released and then informed her that he had already moved all of her possessions into his house.
They had settled into an odd domestic ease. Hannah walked downstairs the first morning to find that his fridge was actually fully stocked and she had taken up cooking seeing as he wouldn't allow her to return to work.
"I don't see why we have to do this," Elliott said, grabbing his wallet and stuffing it into his pocket.
"Well, because you need an assistant to run your errands."
"But you..."
"Will kill you if I have to pick up your dry cleaning without a thank you anymore," she cut in, smiling at him. She knew he was trying to keep her under his thumb, worried unnecessarily about her safety. "I love you, but I'm not fetching your coffee anymore."
"Fine," Elliott conceded, a ghost of a smile on his lips, "but why do I have to interview them too? Because I know you already have the one you want picked out," he said and laughed at the fake innocence in her eyes. "What's his name?"