Almost Midnight by Teresa McCarthy

passed.
    Tanner frowned, recalling the flash of pain he’d seen in Hannah’s eyes back at the house. For some reason he wanted to erase that, make amends after the stupid way he’d acted, not just at home, but especially for the way he’d acted at the library with that big gorilla. He would have to ignore his attraction for her. He had to. That was the only way he could live with himself and take care of his little boy.
    The library door swung open and Tanner looked up. Hannah stood beneath the parking lot lights, her fingers clutching a flimsy sweater to her breast. A blanket of moths fluttered about her golden head while she seemed to be deciding which way to go.
    Almost ready to scold her for even thinking of walking home alone or even to that darn bus stop, Tanner jerked open his car door and strode toward her. “Miss Elliot?”
     
    Hannah didn’t have a chance to ask Candy for a ride, so she decided to walk to the bus stop. Her friend was long gone, and although Hannah thought about calling Candy from the library, she knew her friend had to be at the hospital early in the morning and was probably already in bed.
    But as soon as Hannah exited the library, she heard her name called from across the parking lot.
    Alarmed, she looked up at the tall shadow approaching her.
    “Mr. Clearbrook?”
    “Tanner,” he said. “I said to call me Tanner.”
    Her pulse leapt, from fear or excitement she didn’t know which. His long legs ate up the blacktop, and in no time he stood beside her.
    “Tanner,” she said, smiling. Maybe he wasn’t going to fire her after all. His actions in the library certainly seemed to support her hope in keeping her job. And the possibility of his kiss had been her imagination, that was all.
    “I thought you could use a drive home since your car’s in the shop.” The warmth of his smile shot straight to her heart. “I happened to notice that it was Will’s Auto Service towing it away. He’ll steal you blind if you let him.”
    “I’ve got nothing else to steal. So it would be his loss.”
    A mischievous look came into his eyes as he batted away an annoying moth, but to Hannah it was impossible not to notice the appreciative glance he sent her way.
    “I wouldn’t say it would be a total loss,” he explained. “Old Will might ask you for a date like he does the other women in this town.”
    She was not about to tell him that old Will had already asked for a date that very night when he had given her a ride home. She had barely managed to scrape up the money to pay the sleazy old man for the tow.
    “What about the ride?” he asked. “My dad already gave me directions to your apartment.”
    She shivered, then sneezed as a chilly breeze whipped through her sweater. She wondered what he wanted. Was he afraid that as his employee, she would sue him?
    He seemed pretty cold to her back at his house, but at the library, things seemed to have changed. Or was this when he was going to fire her?
    She was a bit confused, but she wasn’t going to turn down his offer to drive her home. “I could use a ride. Thanks.”
    “My car’s over there.” He gently took hold of her elbow and led her across the parking lot. “You shouldn’t even been thinking about walking.”     
    She stiffened beneath his grip. “Excuse me?”
    “You shouldn’t be walking anywhere by yourself. Never know what kind of creatures you may meet at night.” 
    Obviously, he was referring to the night on the mountain. But the amusement in his voice did nothing to calm her anger. Though she was still in this man’s employ, he had no right to tell her what to do. No man would tell her what to do again.
    “What I do after work is none of your business.” 
    “I beg to differ. However, at this point, I won’t go into a lengthy explanation, so let’s just get into my car before you die of a chill.”
    Before she had a chance to retort, she sneezed again, then swatted a moth flitting about her face.
    “Bless