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Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight…
    The jeans hugged her shapely hips, and the pink fitted t-shirt she wore accentuated the swell of her breasts. A C cup, he mused as he recalled her size. 34C to be exact. The perfect size as far as he was concerned. A generous handful.
    His gaze roamed over her body for far too long, but he didn’t care if she noticed. They were close to crossing a barrier, and even though she was young and innocent, he suspected she was smart enough to realize it.
    “Your hair looks nice like that.” He pointed to her head.
    She touched the ponytail. “Thank you.”
    His heart lurched. Instead of shying away from a compliment like usual, she’d accepted it with thanks. It was a small step, but it was still a step forward. As she stood with one hand perched on the back of a chair, gazing out the open window, she didn’t even realize what she’d done.
    He smiled and dug through a bottom cabinet for a small cooler. “I thought we could have a picnic by the stream today. Why don’t you grab an old blanket from the hallway closet?”
    “I can make lunch.” Alarm touched her voice.
    Ben chuckled. “I’m going to make lunch for you for a change, Hanna. Go get the blanket.”
    “Yes, Daddy.”
    Daddy . He could get used to being called that. When he turned with the packed cooler in hand, Hanna had already returned with a red blanket neatly tucked over her arm. She looked at him expectantly while twisting her fingers together.
    “Ready to go. The fishing poles are out in the shed. Worms too.”
    Lady greeted them outside, tail wagging and tongue lolling from her mouth.
    “Wanna catch some fish, Lady?”
    The dog’s ears moved into perfect points and she barked, running circles around them as they approached one of the storage sheds. Hanna laughed and knelt down with her hand outstretched while Ben slipped inside the shed. When he returned with their fishing gear, Lady was sprawled out in the grass getting her tummy scratched by Hanna.
    “Get up, Lady, there’s fish to catch!” As Ben expected, the dog shot to her feet and began to bark again. The word ‘fish’ always did the trick. Lady benefited from a fishing trip as much as Ben did. She liked her fish fried in butter with a dash of lemon juice.
    “I take it Lady’s been fishing before?” Hanna asked with a bright smile. The wind picked up her hair, blowing her ponytail this way and that.
    “Lady’s an expert. Aren’t you, girl?”
    The German Shepherd barreled around the cabin to the beginning of a path they’d worn down over the years. Ben explained to Hanna that it led to a clearing that bloomed with wildflowers every spring. “The creek is right beyond the clearing.” A few times since her arrival, he’d gone fishing in the mornings and brought home trout for dinner. The first time he’d instructed her to fry up a fish just for Lady, the look on her face had been priceless.
    “How long have you lived out here?” Hanna shifted the blanket to her other arm.
    “Eight years.” He focused on the path, not wishing to encourage her to ask another question that might lead to more questions about his past. Ben had his reasons for living in Bum Fuck, Pennsylvania.
    “Why?”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Why do you live out here all alone?”
    He squinted as a shaft of sunlight pierced through the trees. “Same reason you left your home. I didn’t belong anymore.”
    A vague answer. But it was the only answer he could give her. If she knew about his past, she might see him differently. Whether she’d feel sorry for him or simply be appalled by his history, he wasn’t certain.
    It was a risk he wasn’t willing to take. At least not yet.

Chapter Four
     
     
    The smell of frying fish spread through the kitchen. Lady sat impatiently at Hanna’s feet, tail wagging in anticipation of dinner. Ben had been in his office since they arrived back at the cabin with a fine catch of five medium-sized trout. Hanna had enjoyed their morning and afternoon