Keeping You (Destined Love #3)

23. Hannah

CHAPTER 23

Hannah

A fter breakfast, Chloe offers to take me on a tour of town. I change into a pair of denim shorts, a tank top, and runners before meeting her out front. When we get in her car, country music blares from the speakers. She turns down the music and pulls out of the driveway. I watch the trees that line the driveway disappear as we turn onto the road. She heads in the same way Grayson took us when we went downtown for the Canada Day celebration. She pulls into a parking lot at the far end of Main Street and parks. When we get out, Lennon, Aspen, and Brinley are waiting for us.

They smile broadly, and we all exchange hugs before we start walking down the street. It’s full of the same small town charm I saw earlier in the week, but this time the shops are open and people are walking and popping in and out of different stores. We pass a store that has trinkets in the window and tourist items inside. I pull open the door and head inside. The girls follow as I make my way through the store, stopping to look at the different cheesy items.

I find myself in front of the magnet display and grab one that reads Willow Valley over an expansive open landscape. I grab a keychain as well and make my way to the checkout. The lady behind the counter is in her fifties, with her greying brunette hair pulled back.

“You visiting?” she asks as she inputs the items in her old-school cash register.

“Yeah. We’re visiting my husband’s family,” I say.

“Oh, how nice. Who are you married to?”

“Grayson Maxwell.”

She pauses for a second before she puts the items in a bag. “So, you must be Hannah. I’ve heard so much about you.”

I feel Chloe come to my side. “Yes, I am.”

“Hi, Chloe, dear. I was just telling Hannah here how much I’ve heard about her. You must be happy to have a new sister.”

Chloe links her arm with mine. “I am. We do have plans, though, Mrs. Simpson.”

“Oh yes, dear. Your total is $11.50.”

I tap my card on her machine and take my bag before Chloe leads me out of the store. When we’re outside, I look over my shoulder at the door we just left through.

“Word sure does travel fast here,” I say.

Chloe gives my arm a squeeze and says, “Don’t let them scare you off.”

Lennon falls into step beside us. “Chloe’s right. Don’t let them scare you. There’s not a lot to do in town, so people tend to gossip. You eventually get used to it.”

A small laugh escapes me. “Well, I’m not sticking around town, so I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to the gossip. It’s like high school on steroids.”

The girls laugh, and we continue our way down the street when Brinley grabs my hand and pulls me into a store. I try and turn around as soon as I see what kind of store it is, but Brinley holds on tight and pulls me further into the lingerie store. The entire store is wall-to-wall panties, bras, baby dolls, anything sexy you could imagine wearing, and more. Brinley does a quick head-to-toe of me before she starts grabbing different items off the racks. I turn to look at the rest of the girls, and they’re trying to hold in their laughs.

Help! I mouth.

“Honey, you’re just gonna have to let Brinley do her thing. She’s done this to all of us at one point.”

We follow Brinley as she sorts through items, pulling off specific pieces before moving on to the next. Her hands are full by the time she comes to me and thrusts it all in my direction.

“Ummmm,” I say.

“Go try it on.”

I stare at the large pile, things I’ve never seen before in there. She grabs me by the shoulders and shoves me in the direction of the dressing room. I start with the simplest item. It’s a red lace demi-bra with matching panties and garters. I go for the black pantyhose she wants me to wear with them, too. When I get everything on, I stare at myself in the mirror, and Goddamn, do I look fucking hot.

A knock on the door startles me.

“You’ve gotta show us,” Brinley calls.

“No,” I call back. I’m not ashamed of my body, because I know I’m fucking hot, but stepping out of this room in lingerie is not at the top of my list of things I want to do.

“We’re here to help. How can we do that without seeing it?”

I huff and open the door.

All the girls are sitting on the other side. Aspen whistles, Brinley’s jaw drops, and Chloe says, “Damn.”

I turn a little as I look at myself in the mirror again.

“Your brother is one lucky bastard,” Brinley says.

“Ain’t that the truth,” Aspen says.

“So, you’re getting that one. Next,” Chloe says.

I pick the next one, a black baby doll with a matching thong. It’s cute, but not jaw dropping the way I had hoped. I open the door, and Brinley does a spinning motion with her finger. I do as I’m told.

“Next,” she says.

I pick a more risqué piece next. It’s just an elastic-type material that goes around my breasts and nipples, with no fabric actually covering anything. The panties, if you can even call them that, are similar. The elastic material follows the outline of my ass, feeling like it’s almost giving it a lift, and the tiny scrap of fabric between my legs barely covers anything.

I pop my head out the door, not opening it fully, and say, “If you want to see this, you’re coming in here. I’m not stepping foot out there.

The four of them immediately funnel into the tiny room with me.

“Damn, girl. You look fucking hot,” Brinley says.

“I’m not sure about this,” I say.

“You have to get this,” Lennon says.

“I’ll think about it.”

They shuffle out of the room, and I make my way through the rest of the items Brinley selected. I go back out and grab a couple of the items in additional colours, and by the time we leave, I’ve spent hundreds of dollars and am leaving with ten new sets.

As we leave the shop, Aspen’s stomach growls. “Sorry, it’s been a while since I ate breakfast.”

“I could go for some lunch,” I say.

The girls agree, and we head to a restaurant just down the block. A young hostess, probably about sixteen, leads us to a table in the centre of the full dining room. As she hands me a menu, her eyes catch on my bags and widen before she scurries back to the host stand. I turn and look back at her and see her head pressed together with another hostess and them giggling.

We order and eat. As we’re getting ready to leave, my phone buzzes with a text. I check and see that it’s Grayson.

Grayson

Can’t wait to see you in those new purchases.

I look around the restaurant and don’t see him.

Hannah

Not sure what you mean?

Grayson

I’ve been informed you have some bags that contain some fun purchases.

I look at Chloe. “Have you talked to your brother?”

Her brows furrow, and she shakes her head. “No. Why?”

I look around the table, and all the girls shake their heads. “Well, he has somehow found out about my new acquisitions.”

Lennon looks over my shoulder, and I follow her gaze to the hostess. She catches us looking, and her cheeks turn pink as she tucks her hair behind her ear. The rumour mill is fucking strong in this town, but it gives me a great idea. I turn back and look at Chloe.

“You wanna fuck with your brother?”

Her eyes widen with anticipation. “Always.”

I tell her about the plan, and we gather our things and leave the restaurant. We continue exploring downtown before heading back to the cars. I hug the girls and thank them for joining us, telling them I hope to see them again. We leave in two days, and I’m not sure if or when I’ll be back.

Chloe and I drive back to the house to put our plan in motion. When we get back there, Grayson is sitting on the front porch with his phone and a bottle of water. His eyes are stuck on the bags Chloe and I are carrying. When we join him he asks, “Have fun today?”

I smile. “Tons.”

I hand the bags to Chloe, and she heads inside. “I’m going to shower before dinner,” I tell Grayson before following Chloe. I hear him get up from his chair and follow closely behind me. When I get into the bedroom, he closes the door behind him and leans against it.

I turn and face him, and his eyes are ravenous. “Why don’t you show me those new purchases before your shower?”

I play dumb. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Your text earlier was a little weird. Was I supposed to grab something while I was in town?’

“I heard you made a stop at a little boutique in town. Saw the bags when you got back.”

“Oh, those,” I say and turn around, digging in my bag to grab fresh clothes as I try to hide my face. “You mean Chloe’s new purchases? Yeah, she got some really good things.”

“What?” Grayson chokes out.

I bite my lip to hold back my laugh.

“Yeah. Whoever gets to see those is fucking lucky. She definitely has taste.” It’s getting hard to not crack, but I need to see his face. I turn around and face him. “She got some things that I’m not even sure how you get into the contraption, but she figured it out.”

Grayson throws a hand out in front of him. “Okay, you can stop. I really don’t need to know what my sister bought today.”

He steps away from the door and sits on the end of the bed, dropping his head in his hands.

I open the door and call, “Chlo.”

She comes out of her room, and I open the door a little wider as she hands me the bags.

“Was it good?” she asks.

“Worth every second.”

She smiles and heads back to her room before I close the door again. Grayson is looking at me in shock.

I drop the bags beside my suitcase and lean down and whisper in his ear, “Maybe you should learn to let a surprise be a surprise.”

I grab my clothes and head to the bathroom to shower, satisfied with the way I left Grayson sitting on the bed.