Free I Want to Hold Your Hand by Marie Force Page A

who knows you that you’re crazy about my little girl?” Lincoln asked.
    “You do know your ‘little girl’ is thirty-five years old, right?”
    “What the heck does that have to do with anything?”
    Realizing they were talking in circles, Nolan decided it was time to cut the two matchmakers a break. “Listen, boys, you know me. You’ve known me all my life.”
    “Why do you think you’re here?” Elmer asked. “Why do you think we messed with her battery rather than letting Myles know that Homer wasn’t doing all that great and could do with an extra house call or two?”
    “What’s Myles got to do with anything?” Nolan asked, utterly confused.
    “Ah,” Lincoln said smugly, “our young friend here has no earthly idea that he’s had some competition for Hannah’s affections.”
    “Hannah and Myles ?” The thought of the good-looking vet being interested in Hannah struck a note of fear in Nolan’s heart. “Since when?”
    “Since he asked her out,” Lincoln said.
    “She didn’t actually go out with him though.” If Hannah had gone out with Myles, Nolan would’ve heard about it—and the news would’ve killed him.
    “She hasn’t gone out with him yet ,” Elmer said. “I wouldn’t count him out. He’s tall, blond, buff . . . The ladies seem to like him.”
    While he tried to wrap his head around Elmer’s use of the word buff , Nolan wished he had the nerve to tell them that Hannah never would’ve kissed him the way she had the night before if she were interested in someone else. However, he couldn’t play that card and protect their privacy, too, so he decided to meet smug with smug. “I’m not worried about Myles.”
    “A wise man doesn’t underestimate his rivals,” Elmer said.
    “Duly noted, but I don’t see him as a rival. If Hannah wanted to go out with him, she would have.” He glanced at Lincoln and was surprised to find steel in his normally amiable eyes. “What?”
    “It sounds to me like you might have reason to be a bit overconfident where my daughter is concerned. Is that possible?”
    “Now wait just a minute—”
    “Hey, Gramps? Where are you?” Hannah’s melodic voice drifted through the house, and the three men froze.
    The expressions on the faces of Hannah’s father and grandfather gave all-new meaning to the term deer in headlights and Nolan held back the overpowering urge to laugh at their discomfort.
    Hannah came into the kitchen and stopped short, her sharp gaze taking in the scene at the table, and her mouth tightening with displeasure that seemed directed primarily at him. Great. That was just what he needed right as they were moving forward toward . . . something . . .
    “What’s going on?” Hannah asked suspiciously.
    “Nothing, honey.” Lincoln jumped up to kiss his daughter. “We’re just having lunch.”
    “The three of you randomly decided to get together for lunch for the first time ever? And it just happens to be today?”
    “It was the funniest thing,” Elmer said. “We ran into Nolan and happened to have an extra sandwich . . .”
    Her gaze landed on Nolan, seeking an explanation. It wouldn’t do him any good to toss Lincoln and Elmer under the bus, but the vague sense of hurt and confusion coming from her made him want to spill the entire story to her. He would when he could, he decided. “They invited me. Can you join us?” Nolan held out a hand to her and tried not to panic when she gave his hand a long look, ignored it and slid into the fourth chair at the table.
    “Have my other half,” Elmer said. “I’ll never be able to eat all this.” He pushed the sandwich across the table to her. “Nolan, get Hannah a 7-Up from the fridge. She knows I’ve always got a cold one for her.”
    “Thanks, Gramps,” Hannah said with a warm smile for her grandfather. Apparently he’d been granted immunity.
    Nolan got the soda, opened it and put it on the table in front of her.
    “Thanks,” she said without looking at