Folk Around and Find Out (Good Folk: Modern Folktales #2)(103)

I held my breath and willed the gathering tears behind my eyes to cease and desist. God, what would it be like to have Hank’s type of help every day? I loved the idea so much, it felt dangerous.

He wasn’t finished. “Unless you don’t want me here, then the way I see it is that the only thing keeping us apart—day in, day out—is my reputation and how folks will react to us being together. That hasn’t changed.”

Shifting beneath me, he sat up and rolled me back until he hovered above, our eyes meeting for the first time since he’d taken my temperature in the middle of the night. I loved his intelligent, mischievous, serious, complicated, hazel eyes.

Hank’s gaze traced the lines of my face, and looking a little lost in me, he said on an exhale, “I know you said you didn’t want to change one hair on my head. But I do. I’ve already changed. Being that person I was before, who relished shocking people, getting under their skin, who”—his hand slid down my arm and he entwined our fingers—“let folks down, who let you down, that’s not me anymore.”

“Let me down?” I shook my head, confused. “How did you let me down?” I stared at the contrite line of his mouth, his apologetic eyes.

His expression grew bracing and his hand squeezed mine. “Prom. Your junior year.”

Caught, I smiled (sort of), shy all over again. “Oh.”

“I saw Roscoe a few weeks back. He told me—reminded me—what I did. That’s why you always avoided me in town,” he guessed.

It wasn’t a question, but I nodded anyway, successfully fighting the urge to roll my eyes at myself. “It was a long time ago.”

Hank made a short, dismissive, grunting noise in the back of his throat. “It doesn’t matter how long ago it happened. I am so, so sorry. I can’t tell you—”

“Really, it was—”

“No, listen. I need to say this. I was a selfish, thoughtless piece of shit, and you deserved so much better than who I used to be. But I am not that person anymore.” He brought our joined hands up and pressed my knuckles into the mattress next to my head, his gaze sober and serious, yet also somehow cherishing as he said, “Nor do I ever wish to be him again.”

Recognizing how important it was to Hank that I hear him out, I relaxed against the bed, watching his handsome features twist with remorse and then intensify with pained sincerity.

“I want to go to the ice cream parlor and not receive dirty looks. Heck, I don’t want to get any looks. I want to be invisible, just another local guy out with his girlfriend’s kids, spoiling them with too much rocky road.”

I laughed, then bit my lip to stem my smile.

My reflexive response seemed to cheer him, his eyes tired but also clear and focused. “I want to deserve you. I will earn my place in your life. But I can’t do that, I can’t be here, if it causes you or the kids problems. I would never forgive myself if any of you were hurt or slighted because of who I used to be.” Bringing my hand to his chest, he pressed my palm over his heart. “I’m determined to overhaul my reputation in this town, starting with selling the club to Hannah. I spoke to her, and I’m—”

He wouldn’t! “Hank—”

Holding my fingers fast, he wouldn’t let me go. “No, no. It’s not for you. It’s for me. It’s what I want.”

“You’re honestly telling me that you’d be selling the club if it weren’t for gossipy people in this town, judging you for your job?”

“That’s what I’m telling you.”

Now I did roll my eyes. “I call bull-malarkey.”

He grinned, his gaze heating, and lowered his lips to my neck. “Charlotte, my angel, my goddess—”

“Don’t think you can seduce your way out of this conversation.” Even though I was still a tad under the weather, he probably could seduce his way out of this conversation.

But I’d put up a fight. A little fight. A very little fight.

“It’s already happening.” Hank placed a nipping kiss beneath my ear and I felt it in my toes.

“What’s already happening? The seduction?”

“No. Me selling the club. It’s already in motion, no stopping it now.” He finally released my hand only to settle his big palm over my breast, whispering a curse. “You’re so fucking sexy.”

Ignoring the flare of heat beneath my ribs, I asked, “And then what?” Despite my desire to argue this point, I angled my head to the side, offering him greater access. “What will you do next to reform your image? How many hoops are you planning to jump through in order to appease—Hank!” I caught his fingers just before they slipped beneath the waistband of my shorts.

My door was unlocked, one of the kids could walk in at any moment. Doing more than light kissing and touching right now wasn’t an option.

“That’s exactly what I mean,” he said, his voice husky and irresistible. “Until my image is spotless, we’ll—”

Abruptly, Hank tensed. A moment later, he lifted his head and turned it toward the bedroom door, gaze distracted. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

Sitting up fully, he swung his legs over the side of the bed. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”