Dating Daniel (Cloverleaf #4) (11 page)

“This is my dad, Pat.” The man was a younger version of Grandpa Paddy, tall and lean, his hair not quite white but a mixture of gray and black. One thing she didn’t miss was he too had those sparkling eyes.

“Nice to meet you, Hannah.” Pat’s voice was rough. She felt slightly disappointed, as though she expected to hear an accent as well.

“You remember Patrick, of course,” Daniel continued the introductions. She remembered meeting Patrick when he was helping with the job her father had hired them for. He had seemed moody before, but now he appeared happy. Patrick was devilishly handsome, and that was not a fact that was lost by her sister or anyone in town, but Hannah wasn’t quite as impressed by his dark looks. She rather enjoyed Daniel’s lighter coloring, but Patrick also bore those green gems.

“Hello, Hannah,” Patrick offered politely as he stood next to Daniel. He was noticeably taller.

“Okay, so this guy is Liam.” Daniel patted another man’s shoulder. This brother was taller as well, but looked more like Daniel. He didn’t have dark hair like Patrick. It was a sandy brown that was missing the red Daniel’s had. Again, he looked at her with the O’Brien eyes that seem to smile all on their own.

“Great to meet you.” Liam moved away from Daniel and headed toward Rachel.

“Last, but definitely not least, my favorite brother-in-law in the world,” Daniel exaggerated loudly. “Michael.”

“Thanks, Daniel.” Michael playfully smirked. The first thought that passed through Hannah’s mind was that this man was most definitely not an O’Brien. He was incredibly good-looking, but in a shiny and luxurious way. Hannah doubted he spent much time outdoors. He seemed far too polished and fancy for that. “Hannah, very lovely to meet you.” Michael walked toward her, extending his hand politely, which she accepted nervously. Then he went to Maggie, placing a soft kiss on top of her head.

Wow, the O’Briens were certainly not a small family. One thing which stood out to Hannah was the deep, obvious love these people displayed openly for one another. As Hannah took in the names and faces of the people she had just met, the sound of loud giggles and running feet echoed in the room. A little girl with red, bobbed hair came full speed at Maggie. She wrapped her small arms around Maggie’s large waist. That must be Melanie, the niece Daniel adored. Then Hannah spied two identical boys who were quite young and had springy, blonde curls. They looked at her with the most brilliant blue eyes. Hannah was confused as to who these darlings belonged to.

“Those are Patrick’s boys, Finn and Connor,” Daniel announced, almost as if he sensed her confusion.

Hannah looked over at Amber, who smiled as the boys clung to her and Patrick. A taller, older boy entered the kitchen and said, “Gosh, they are so fast.” He had brown hair which was a little too long and partially covered his gorgeous sea-colored eyes—Amber’s eyes. Hannah tried putting all the pieces together of who was whose child and spouse.

Daniel sat down next to her and took her hand. “I know. There’s a lot of us. It’s okay if you forget names. It’s probably overwhelming.”

Hannah shook her head and decided to play it off. Leaning in toward Daniel, she whispered, “Nope. That is Grandpa Paddy, your father, Pat, your lovely mother, Mary.” Carefully nodding in the direction of his parents, Hannah continued to name the rest of the family.

Daniel raised his eyebrows in surprise. “I’m impressed. Not everyone can do that.”

“Well, I must be special then,” Hannah teased.

Daniel leaned in and kissed her lightly, shocking her. As gentle and quick as the kiss was, she felt it to her core. “Yes, you are.”

***

Daniel

“Thank you again for a lovely dinner. It was really wonderful meeting you all.” Hannah waved as they started to walk out the front door.

Once outside, she felt that the evening air was still slightly warm. Daniel opened the passenger side of the truck for her.

“Gosh, I really love your family,” Hannah stated with a huge smile on her face. It was exact opposite reaction Nina had the night she met them.

“Really? It wasn’t too much?” He was still worried somehow, even though she had fit in, like a missing puzzle piece. Daniel had spent most of dinner watching her interact with his family. He saw her laugh with them, listen as they spoke, and her sweetness toward each and every one of them had shone brightly. Daniel knew she could easily become one of them, that tonight very well could have been an image from the future.

“Yes, really. Geez.” Hannah slapped his arm lightly. “I think they are the most wonderful group of people. Those kids, oh my, so stinkin’ cute.” Hannah stared out the window at the Daniel’s home. “So where to now?”

“I have a special surprise in store for us.” Daniel started his truck and slowly pulled out of the driveway. They drove through the neighborhood and out onto the highway. The sky grew darker as night took, banishing the sun.

They chatted until he turned onto a gravel road. The bumpy way dumped them out to a vast and open field. There weren’t many trees hoarding the view of the sky. They should be able to view the meteor shower easily from this spot. Being able to gaze at the stars without light pollution was a spectacular thing in eastern Washington. Late summer, usually around August and September, the skies put on the most incredible show. Daniel loved being outside and staring at meteors shooting brightly against the dark backdrop was his favorite way to cap off summer. The moon was nestled behind the mountain range to the east, making the area even darker and better to watch the show.

Hannah looked confused but then jokingly said, “Night fishing?”

“No, silly. There’s a meteor shower tonight. I thought we’d see if we can catch some.”

“So, meteor fishing? Sounds fun.”

Daniel laughed and parked his truck. “Come on,” he instructed her as he opened his door to get out.

He rolled out several blankets in the bed of his truck, creating a cushioned place for them to lay and view the sky. He helped her into the back, then climbed up himself. As they lay there under a blanket of twinkling stars, waiting to catch a glimpse of a shooting star, Hannah snuggled next to him.

“Thank you for this. It’s gorgeous out here.”

“Not as pretty as you.” Daniel ran a finger along her cheek, then lowered his mouth to meet hers. He deepened the kiss, savoring the warmth of her and her sweet taste. The softness of her lips, blended with the tender feeling of them against his, sparked a flame inside him. He pulled back, trying to create a bit of space. He needed some air to extinguish that flame before it went into a full blaze.

He rolled over and looked up. Hannah did the same. They were quiet for some time, alone in their thoughts but still very much together. The sounds of nature at night surrounded them: a cricket chirping, frogs croaking in unison, and the occasional hoot of an owl. Daniel inhaled the chilly air, which was scented with pine, and the smell of the river which flowed nearby. This was perfect.

Daniel gazed at the millions of stars and caught sight of one zooming brightly along. “I saw one,” he called out.

“Me too,” Hannah whispered, taking hold of his hand in hers. “Did you make a wish?”

“I don’t need to.” Daniel moved to face her, kissing her again. His wish was right there with him.

Chapter Eleven

“So?”

“What?” Daniel knew perfectly well what, but he would just rather not answer. He’d already been through this with Patrick.

“Why do you get all weird? I’m just curious what’s going on with you and these sisters.” Patrick and Daniel were driving out to a jobsite to give a bid on a small shed that needed to be constructed.

“I don’t get all weird,” Daniel rebutted defensively, looking out the window as Patrick steered their work truck onto the highway.

“Yes, you do.”

Daniel huffed loudly. He shouldn’t have to explain himself. What he did, or didn’t do for that matter, was his business.

“Hannah seems nice,” Patrick finally said after they drove in silence for a while.

“Yeah, I really like her.”

“You know, it’s going to be cool, someday you getting married and having kids.”

Daniel couldn’t argue that. Having children was the one thing he wanted in life more than anything, and he wanted to share that with someone equally excited about having a family and a simple and happy life. That’s all he wanted.

“You think she might be the one?” Patrick asked, turning the truck down a narrow road lined with stark white birch trees.

“Maybe. I mean, I’ve never felt like this about any girl before.”

“She probably is then. That’s really great, Daniel. You know, it’s like with Amber.” Patrick slowed the vehicle as they approached a sprawling property, enormous outbuildings sheltering a ranch-style home that could easily swallow the O’Brien home. Patrick paused. “Wow, this place is huge. Anyway, with Amber I got blindsided and sometimes it’s like that.”

“Yeah, I kind of know what you mean.” Daniel couldn’t stop thinking about Hannah. She was on his mind when he went to bed. She lived in his dreams and was there when he woke up. He didn’t mind it one bit; it somehow made him feel closer to her, like she was with him all the time. “Dumb question, but how long do you wait before asking someone to marry you?”

Patrick blinked hard and seem to choke on the air. “What?”

“Well, I mean, like if you know someone is the one you want to be with, like how long does a person wait to ask?” Daniel asked again.

“Um, I don’t know. I mean, you hardly know her. You guys just started dating.”

“Yeah, but, if you know, you know, right?”

“Daniel, I think you need to pump the brakes a bit. Get to know each other a bit more.” Patrick’s shocked face seemed to relax as he parked the truck.

“But you just said…” Daniel started to argue as Patrick raised his hand to stop him.

“No, what I’m saying is that she
might
be the one. Wait it out, see where this goes for a while before you start hearing wedding bells.”

“Liam fell in love with Rachel super quick. Then you and Amber, well, there’s that.”

“Okay, look at Liam for a moment. Now, I adore Rachel. She’s great. But consider why they got married.” Patrick gave him a knowing look.

“Well, yeah, but Liam was already in love with her, Patrick. He didn’t marry her just because she was pregnant.”

“How can we be sure? They got pregnant so soon. I think that really was a factor in them getting married. Liam wanted to do the right thing by her,” Patrick explained as they sat in the truck. Daniel was growing more agitated and annoyed with his brother as he listened. “That’s why, so please be careful. You don’t want to be forced into a marriage because of a pregnancy or something, Daniel.”

“Trust me, it’s not going to happen,” Daniel spat, feeling frustrated with Patrick. He hopped out of the truck without another word.

“Daniel…” Patrick called out, but Daniel just kept walking. This was exactly why Daniel didn’t like opening up to his oldest brother. He acted too much like their father, always having all the answers, passing judgment without a second thought, and making Daniel feel like he couldn’t make a choice on his own. If he were going to talk to anyone about wanting to marry Hannah someday, it would be Liam or maybe his mother. Heck, he’d even discuss it with Maggie. Daniel rolled his eyes. Patrick sure had a lot of nerve, especially since he was carrying around a ring for Amber, someone he had only been dating for a few months. Nothing like the pot calling the kettle black.

***

Hannah

Humming as she pulled the bed sheet from the clothes line, Hannah released the weathered clothes pin and inhaled the sunny smell of the dried sheet. They had a dryer, but sun-dried clothing just felt and smelled different, and helping her mother hang clothes on the line was one of her fondest memories. When she was a little girl, she would clip the clothespins on her fingers, pretending they were long nails. She usually got scolded for snapping the pins in half. What she enjoyed even more was the delicate scent of the laundry soap they had used. It would waft from the linens, filling her nose. These smells were the same now. Hannah inhaled deeply. They took her back to that time from so long ago.

“Hannah, what’s for lunch?” Nina called out as she was strolling across the lawn toward her.

“I was going to make some sandwiches after I finished here. What are you up to?”

Nina started to help remove clothes from the line, dropping them into the large plastic basket.

“I’m thinking of heading into town later. You want to come with me?”

Hannah was shocked that Nina wanted her to join her. It was not often the two of them got along as sisters or even friends.

“You know, that might be fun.”

Nina smiled. It wasn’t one of her usual sinister or wicked grins. This smile was more gentle and kind. “I heard there’s a new coffee place that just opened up. I think it’s called Birch Valley Brew or something. Might be good.”

“Sure, let’s check it out,” Hannah answered excitedly. Though a tingle of doubt about Nina’s intentions troubled her, Hannah tried to push it out of her mind. No use in borrowing trouble. Maybe Nina wanted to spend time with her. Granted, it was an odd request, but Hannah was happy to just go with it.

***

Nina had been quiet during lunch, and Hannah was growing more concerned as they drove into Birch Valley to visit the new coffee shop and maybe do a little window shopping. The weather was perfect for it: not too warm, but sunny without a cloud in the sky.

“Sure is pretty out today,” Hannah said, trying to break the silence as they drove. Nina was behind the wheel, focused on the pavement ahead.

Nina found an empty parking spot along Main Street, which was lined with various shops to explore. The normally crowded sidewalks were barren, the summer tourists were gone, and all that was left were the residents of this small community.

Hannah and Nina got out and started in the direction of a small secondhand store. The bay windows of the ancient-looking building were spotless, allowing them to gaze inside before stepping foot in the shop. Hannah spied a couple things that caught her eye. “Let’s go inside.”

Nina nodded and followed Hannah inside the shop. The smell of aging things, of dust and time, filled the air. Shelves were filled with old treasures; things tossed aside and forgotten. Hannah loved the feeling that she could stumble across something unique and give it a second chance at being valued. After rummaging through several rows of used wares, she picked up a few things she really didn’t need but figured she might be able to find some use for. Hannah took them to the register, the items cradled in her arms. After they paid and left with a paper sack that was quite full, Hannah suggested they return it to the car.

“You okay, Nina?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” Hannah could tell she was distracted, a faraway look in her sister’s ice-blue eyes. Something was up, and Hannah intended to find out what.

They resumed their walking. Nina kept her arms crossed over her chest.

“You sure? It seems like something’s wrong.”

Nina paused and stood looking across the street, not meeting Hannah’s eyes. “Come on, Nina, you can tell me.”

“I can’t, actually.” Hannah could see tears forming in her sister’s eyes. Something was definitely wrong.

“Why don’t we get some tea or something at that new coffee shop you were telling me about?”

***

Daniel

Daniel was sitting on the comfortable leather couch catching a Seattle Mariners baseball game, snacking on a bowl of pretzels and working on his second beer.

“So, are they winning?” Mary asked as she plopped down next to him.

Lowering the beer bottle from his mouth, he shook his head. “Sadly, no. The season is almost over too. Dang Mariners.”

“Well, look on the bright side, dear, the Seahawks will be playing soon,” Mary added cheerfully.

Daniel nibbled on a salty pretzel, staring blankly at the game. It was the eighth inning and they weren’t showing any signs of making a comeback.

“I really like Hannah, dear,” Mary started to say, helping herself to a pretzel. “I think we all do.”

“That’s good, Mom. Hannah liked everyone too.”

It seemed like Mary pretended to watch the game for a moment. “But what do you think of her?”

Daniel sighed. He had been thinking about her all day, especially after his disagreement with Patrick earlier. He couldn’t help the way he felt. Maybe Patrick couldn’t understand, but considering he was on the verge of proposing to Amber only after months of dating, Daniel thought Patrick of all people would be able to help him sort out these feelings.

“I like her a lot, actually. I think about her all day. She’s the first thought I have when I wake up and the last when I go to sleep,” Daniel explained and took a sip of his beer, savoring the bitter taste as it slid down his throat, relaxing him.

“She’s quite lovely, I have to admit. I hate to compare her to her sister, but, well, they couldn’t be more different.”

“Tell me about it.” Daniel couldn’t agree more. The Belsky sisters were like night and day. “Mom, how do you know, like, if she’s the
one
?”

“Your heart will tell you. I knew the moment I had met your father that he was my
one.
”

“But how? I mean, I don’t know about all this love at first sight stuff. Is it for real?”

Mary gave him a knowing and pleased smile. “I think you already know the answer to that.”

***

Hannah

She was wrapping plastic wrap over a dish of leftover pork chops when Nina walked into the kitchen. Hannah hadn’t figured out much from their afternoon together. She’d tried pulling information out of her sister, but to no avail. Nina insisted everything was fine, but Hannah was smart enough to realize something was up. Nina continued to be quiet and even distant during dinner. Their father hadn’t been much better, but he had asked about Daniel. It warmed Hannah, knowing her father might approve of a relationship. They had never really discussed the possibility of Hannah getting married someday or moving out. It was almost as if she were expected to just remain on the farm and take care of them. As each day passed and her feelings for Daniel grew stronger, she started to think more about what the future might hold.

“You headed to bed soon?” Hannah asked Nina, who was fetching herself a glass of water from the faucet.

“Yeah, I’m tired, but I just wanted to thank you for today. It was nice. We really should do it more often.”

“I agree. We’re sisters and we hardly ever hang out.”

Nina frowned. “Yeah, but since Mom died, you sort of became more of a mother to me than a sister.”

Hannah scowled. She didn’t quite look at it the same way. She was forced to help raise her sister, but she never thought she was mothering her. Maybe she had, and now she wished she could have bonded with her more as a sister. “I never really looked at it like that, Nina. I kind of had no choice but to step up and help out around here, but I always thought of you as my little sister.”

“You were always nagging me like a mom, telling me to bathe, to clean my room, and checking my homework. You didn’t do anything like a sister does, like get in trouble, sneak out with me, or share secrets. We just don’t have that kind of relationship.” Nina leaned against the counter, sipping the water slowly from her glass, looking away from Hannah.

“I never meant for it to be like this. I wish you would’ve said something sooner.”

“Me too.” Nina straightened herself upright and put the partially drank glass in the sink. “But the past is the past. We can only move forward.”

“Wise words. You must have picked that up from your sister,” Hannah joked. She moved to Nina and wrapped her arms around her. “I love you, Nina.”

“Love you too.” Nina’s voice cracked, and the simple break made Hannah want to cry. Her sister was going through something. Hannah had no clue what life-defining thing it was, and there was no way she could know, especially if Nina wouldn’t open up. There was only one thing Hannah could do, and that was hug her sister tighter.