“I doubt Carson or Faith would agree.” Brody took her hand. “You’re so used to putting on a tough act for your job, you’ve convinced yourself that it’s you. But I know it’s not. Hard people don’t cuddle babies or hug sad little boys. They don’t chase pets in the middle of the night to spare a child some distress. They don’t fly across the country to help lost teenagers. I’ve seen the real Hannah Barrett. She’s pretty spectacular.”

Heat rose into Hannah’s face.

“You are strong and dependable and courageous almost to a fault.” Brody turned to face her. He lifted her chin with a finger and kissed her. “And you’re plenty warm and fuzzy when it matters—and to whom it matters.”

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Thirty-Nine

One month later

Brody walked out onto his front porch. Sniffing the smoke-scented December air, he straightened the wreath on his door and walked two blocks to the one-story house just off First Street. Snow had been shoveled from the brick path that led from the sidewalk to the porch. He wiped his feet on the mat and went inside.

Hannah and her brother leaned over a makeshift sawhorse-and-plywood table. Grant pointed to the drawing on the table. “I’ll cut the kitchen in half and extend the hallway so clients can access your office directly from the parking area out back.”

“That works,” Hannah said. She looked up and saw Brody. Her smile lit her eyes. She crossed the room and kissed him.

Brody kissed her back. “Hey there, counselor.”

Grant shoved his pencil behind his ear. “Are you two still coming for dinner?”

Hannah shot him a duh look she must have learned from Ellie’s teenage daughter. “Ellie’s grandmother is making macaroni and cheese. Who in their right mind would miss that?”

Grant grinned and grabbed his coat off a chair. “OK, then. I’ll see you in an hour.” He went out the back door. Hannah flipped the dead bolt.

She waved a hand over a set of plans on the plywood. “What do you think? My office will be here. This is a waiting area. Storage over here.”

“What are you going to do with all this space over here?” Brody pointed to the extra rooms on the other side of the house.

“I’m saving that for Grant’s office. I’ve just about talked him into starting his own contracting business. Now I just need to talk Ellie into quitting her job and coming to work for me.”

“About time.” Brody put a finger under Hannah’s chin and turned her to look at him.

“What?”

“Nothing. You look happy.”

“I am happy.” She kissed him. “Are you ready to go home?”

“Always.” Brody took her coat off the hook in the hall and held it for her.