Folk Around and Find Out (Good Folk: Modern Folktales #2)(79)

Squirming in my seat, I asked, “What did you tell her to do? Did you encourage her to turn herself in?”

Hannah crossed her legs. “I didn’t. I don’t tell folks what to do. She didn’t ask for advice, so I didn’t give her any. I listened.” We stared at each other for a bit, then she added, “I’m a real good listener. And I know how to keep a secret. And if you don’t want me to say anything to anyone about you and Hank, I won’t.”

I believed her, on all accounts. Still, my mouth remained shut.

“Charlotte.” She leaned forward. “You can barely sit still. What’s going on? I’m only asking because you have me worried. Did Hank—Are you saying he did something? Did he try to take advantage?”

“No. No, no. Not at all,” I said adamantly.

“Are you sure?”

I caught her hands, gripped them. “If anything, he wants me to take advantage of him, and I don’t—I don’t think I can do that to him. I mean, I once suggested something similar to Jackson James, believe it or not, but it was so different.” Oh geez, I tried not to cringe. Now that I was talking, I couldn’t stop. “With Jackson, it was a joke. But even if we’d done a friends-with-benefits thing, it felt like a tidy proposition where no feelings were involved, you know? Where no one would get hurt. But—but with Hank—” I didn’t finish the thought, couldn’t admit out loud that feelings were already very much involved.

At least on my side they were, and probably had been for a long, long time, given how enthusiastically I’d participated in our two sexy encounters. I’d always thought I would never be able to trust him after he’d stood me up for prom all those years ago, but I was now beginning to suspect this was not the case. I trusted him.

But should I?

Could I trust myself? I’d accepted long ago that I had terrible taste in men. After Kevin, I’d assumed it would be safest to never date anyone I was attracted to. Lord knows, I’d always been attracted to Hank.

“People change, right?” I blurted, feeling obligated to ask, searching Hannah for the answer I most wanted to hear. “I’m so much different than I was as a teenager or a young adult. I’m more focused on being content. Hank has changed too, don’t you think? Wouldn’t you say he’s trustworthy?”

“Of course he is. Why? Did he do something untrustworthy?”

“It was such a long time ago, and it’s stupid. I should let it go. I don’t even know why I still think about it.” I bit my lip, chewed on it, fretting.

“You better start at the beginning.” She squeezed my hands, facing me more completely. “Don’t worry about him being my boss. I can be objective.”

Torn, I slipped my fingers from hers and shook my head. “Still, I’m not sure I should.”

“Listen, I’ve worked with Hank for a long, long time. I know his heart, though he tries to pretend he doesn’t have one. I love the guy like a brother. Nothing you say is going to change that. Now, I might get irritated with him and set him straight if he’s acting like an ass, but I don’t want you worrying. If anything, you should know I’m biased where he’s concerned, wanting the best for him. All us dancers are.”

“That’s lovely.” I smiled, reaching out and holding her fingers again, my heart warming at the thought of Hank having so many cheerleaders.

I felt myself vacillating, wanting to talk to her. Hadn’t Hannah already proven how trustworthy and level-headed she was with her handling of the situation with my cousin? Absolutely, yes. I could trust Hannah. Furthermore, the woman was wiser than her years and I could use some wisdom right about now.

“Okay. Okay, I’ll tell you what happened. Honestly, I need some help with this. I don’t know who to talk to and I feel like I can’t trust my own judgment,” I said, surrendering.

Ultimately, this is what being with Kevin had done to me, made me distrust myself.

“Aren’t you friendly with Sienna Diaz?”

I tilted my head back and forth. “We’re getting there. With the gossip after Kevin left Green Valley, and the kids and life in general, it’s been hard to kindle friendships since I’ve been back in town. But I think Sienna and Hank used to date, right? I don’t want to talk about him to his ex-girlfriend. And as far as I know, she’s his only ex. I suppose I could call Patty Lee.”

“Uh. No. He dated Patty a few years ago. Nothing serious, but he took her out a few times.”

I stiffened at this news. “He did?!” I was shocked. Patty and I were pretty good friends and she had never said a word.

She nodded. “Yep. And then there was that lawyer in Knoxville for a while. I’m not surprised you didn’t know about them. They both probably wanted to keep it low-key.”

“What? Why?”

Hannah rolled her eyes again. “Come on, Charlotte. You’re not that na?ve. For the same reason men only want to date me in secret. He’s Hank Weller. What ‘self-respecting’ woman would want to be linked to a notorious strip club owner? Or a stripper?” She’d put air quotes around self-respecting, which reminded me of Hank’s bitterness toward folks in the valley.

“God. How awful.” Staring at my friend, I processed this information, my heart hurting. “That doesn’t sound like Patty, though. Patty isn’t a snob.”