Page 18 of Hannah and the Hitman

“I can help this young man if you need to call back.” Dressed in khaki pants that stopped at her ankles, a pale pink blouse and white sneakers–which were as bright as her short hair, Mrs. Metcalf looked like a catalog model for an octogenarian clothing store. The way she was eyeing me had me wonder how she planned tohelpme.

Why wasn’t Hannah eyeing me like I was a piece of meat, and she was a tiger who hadn’t had a meal in a while? I’d gladly let her objectify me. Use me. Hannah, not Mrs. Metcalf.

Hannah shook her head, her gaze still on mine as iflooking away might make me disappear. “I definitely don’t want to call her back.”

I stared.

Hannah stared.

Mrs. Metcalf stared. “Aren’t you going to ask what he wants?” she prodded.

Hannah shook her head, as if coming out of a trance and cleared her throat. “How may I help you?”

“Go out with me.”

Hannah sputtered. Mrs. Metcalf grinned and clapped.

“I don’tknowyou,” Hannah said.

“I didn’t know Mr. Metcalf when he asked me on a date and we’re going on forty-eight years.”

Hannah looked to the woman as if she were crazy. Maybe she was, although she seemed to be on my side. “You want me to go off with a stranger? This is how women get murdered.”

Mrs. Metcalf waved her hand through the air. “That only happens in the Mystery section.”

Hannah couldn’t seem to help herself and laughed. “No, it doesn’t!” She thumbed my way. “He could be a murderer.”

Notcould.

Mrs. Metcalf eyed me shrewdly. “Are you a murderer?” she asked, point blank. I imagined she could shoot a weapon with wicked precision. She probably had a gun in her purse like the one tucked into the back of my pants, hidden beneath my suit jacket. Although, hers was probably pink or had a pearl handle.

I set my hand on my chest. “I would never hurt Hannahin any way. If someone so much as looked at her funny, I’d ensure they never did so again.”

Both women blinked. Then both women fanned themselves.

“Oh my,” Mrs. Metcalf murmured, then looked at Hannah. “If you don’t go out with him, I will.”

I’d have to tell Dax that Mrs. Metcalf was taking his spot as my wingman. Although if Hannah turned me down, I may have to take Mrs. Metcalf to dinner.

Hannah set her hands on her hips and looked feisty as fuck. “He might be all growly and look hot in a suit and say protective and sexy things, but I don’t know the man.”

I wasn’t sure about the growly part, but her saying I looked hot and said sexy things boded well. The fact that she didn’t know me was something I planned to change. That was why I was here.

“He seems to know you,” Mrs. Metcalf countered, then looked my way. Her gray eyes held mine. I had a feeling if she was the gatekeeper to Hannah. If she didn’t like me, this wasn’t happening. “Howdoyou know Hannah?”

“We met on an airplane.”

Hannah studied me, finally getting over her surprise of having me appear at her work. “How did you find me? I didn’t even tell you my name.” She looked to Mrs. Metcalf, tilted her head down and gave her a serious librarian stare. “That says stalker and not from any book in the Mystery section.”

“Stalker? Not in that suit,” Mrs. Metcalf said, giving me another onceover.

“I didn’t know your name until Mrs. Metcalf said it a few minutes ago. I knew you worked here because you saidyou were a librarian in Colorado and the sticker on the book you were reading was from this location.”

Her eyes widened again, probably realizing she may have drawn a dangerous person right to her with a simple library book.

“You live here in Coal Springs?” Mrs. Metcalf asked. “I would havecertainlyremembered you.”

I shook my head. “No, ma’am. Denver.”