Free Never Let Me Go (Welcome To Redemption) by Donna Marie Rogers

he’d had a look in his eyes she’d never seen before. Then he’d crushed her in his arms as if he’d never let her go.
    At first, she’d thought that maybe she imagined the raw emotion in the way he’d held her, spoke to her. But when they’d kissed… wow . There hadn’t been a shred of doubt that Chase wanted her as much as she wanted him. And of course, that was when Drew called and screwed everything up.
    Could it really be as simple as that? The reason Chase did a complete one-eighty after their passionate kiss and pronounced them just friends? Her heart swelled with hope—which annoyed the crap out of her. Dammit, she didn’t want to keep getting her hopes up over that fickle man!
    “Hey, I meant to ask you, did you know Jimmy’s back in town?”
    Hannah glanced up in shock, all other thoughts blown from her head. A slight pounding started at the base of her skull as she digested that bit of news. She had so hoped to never see that man’s face again. And if he was, in fact, back in Redemption, he’d probably show up at her place, sooner or later.
    “Are you sure? I mean, did you see him? Or just hear he was back?”
    “Sorry, but I saw the sleazy little bastard with my own eyes. Dillon’s had him to the house a couple of times now.” Shar rolled her eyes. “Figures those two losers would reconnect, hey?”
    Hannah gave an absent nod.   Jimmy back in town…Could his timing be any worse? “Hopefully he’ll get bored soon, like he always does, and skip town again before I run into him.”
    Shar shrugged as she took a long pull off her water bottle. “One can only hope. Last time he was here, Dillon bragged they were on their way to Green Bay to visit a few strip clubs.” A look of disgust curled her lips.
    “Wish I could say I was surprised. Jimmy’s hand spent more time down stripper’s G-strings than down his own pants. And that’s saying something.”
    Not that she personally gave a shit. Any genuine feelings she might have had for the handsome bad boy died for good the last time she caught him cheating on her. And truthfully, by that point, she’d felt more relief than anything else. She’d only put up with his last couple of attempts to win her back because she knew he’d make a scene—and usually while she was working. So it just became easier to humor him than get pulled into a public argument. She’d known he’d become bored again soon or later and leave town for a while, which he’d done right after Lindy’s Valentine party. She’d just really hoped this last time he wouldn’t return.
    But as the saying goes: Wish in one hand, shit in the other.
    “Yoohoo, Porter? You in there?” Shar teased as she slowly waved her hands in front of Hannah’s face.
      “Sorry…I was just thinking about the diner.”
    Shar gave her head a playful tilt. “Now, why am I not surprised? I suppose if Hutch is still in the hospital, you’ll have to open for him?”
    “Just for a few days, give him some time to rest.”
    “That man is lucky to have you.”
    Hannah shrugged. “He’s like family to me. He and dad have been friends for as long as I can remember.”
    The distinctive rumble of a truck engine could be heard coming down the road, and Shar hurried over to look out the window. She chuckled, then turned and pinned Hannah with a slow, ‘let the fireworks begin’ smile.
    “Guess who’s here?”

 
    Chapter 7
     
    Chase turned onto Brookstone Avenue and relaxed a little when he saw Hannah’s Chevy Impala sitting in the Russo’s driveway. Torn between wanting to kiss her, and handcuff her stubborn ass to his side, Chase parked on the street and sat there for a minute to get his emotions under check. The combination of fear and frustration was pretty damn lethal.
    When he’d arrived at Hannah’s house and realized her vehicle was nowhere to be seen, he had raced inside and checked the garage. Not that he’d truly expected it to be in there. No doubt still pissed at him for the