He released a swearword and reached for his pants, urgently jerking them up his long legs. He couldn't let her traipse down the street alone. Hell, she hadn't even taken a sweater with her. In her condition, she might harm herself and the baby if she were to catch a chill.
Riley grabbed a jacket on his way out the door, jogging after her, furious with her and outraged at himself for letting her leave the house.
It amazed him how far she'd gotten by the time he reached her. She didn't slow her pace until his steps matched hers, and even then she continued walking, ignoring him.
"Hannah?" He spoke her name softly when he noticed the moist trail of tears that streaked her face. "Would it help any if I told you I was sorry?" He didn't know what he was apologizing for, but it was apparent he'd hurt her, and knowing that didn't sit right.
She stopped and looked up at him through narrowed, suspicious eyes.
"Whatever I said, I didn't mean it," he tried once more.
"You don't remember?" She sounded incredulous.
"No," he admitted, reaching for her hand. "Come back to the house and we'll talk about it. All right?"
She seemed to be trapped with indecision. He raised his hands to her face and gently rubbed the tears from her cheeks. Each one was an accusation against him. His heart constricted at how pale her features were, how fragile she looked. It demanded every ounce of control he possessed not to take her in his arms and beg her forgiveness. He was a reckless bastard to inflict his drunkenness on so delicate a soul, and he silently vowed never to do it again.
"Come on," he urged, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and steering her back toward the house. She resisted momentarily.
"You aren't wearing socks," she apparently felt obliged to point out.
"I didn't have time to slip them on. My wife took off on me," he said as a means of making a small joke. "I had no idea where she was headed."
"Church," she admitted in a tight whisper.
"Church," he repeated wryly as the fear evaporated within him. From the determined way in which she was running away from him, Riley had been convinced she was walking out of his life. He'd rushed after her, nearly paralyzed with the fear that she was going to disappear again. He couldn't allow that – not if it was within his power to stop her.
"Come back with me?" he asked, looking down the street to their house.
"I'll…I suppose I could attend the second service," she answered softly.