by Debbie Mason
Chapter Twenty-Three
Abby spread out the blankets on the grass while a choir performed a patriotic sing-along at the bandstand. “Okay, ladies. Grab a place to sit. The fireworks are going to start any minute—” She looked around. The bachelorette party was gone.
Sadie and Mallory approached, loaded down with the iced teas, corn on the cob, and hotdogs that Blair and her friends had ordered. “Where are they?” Sadie asked as she put down the cardboard trays packed full with food. Mallory followed suit.
“I have no idea. They were right behind me a few minutes ago,” Abby said.
“I’ll text Blair,” Mallory said, looking stressed.
“I saw the soon-to-be chief of police checking out the MAMA—Mountain Area Medical Airlift—helicopter. What do you want to bet she’s over there chatting him up?” Sadie said. “I’ll go check.”
Mallory paled at the mention of Blair chatting up Gabriel. Abby didn’t blame her after what had transpired at Highland Brew, but given how Sadie felt about Blair, the last thing Abby wanted was her hunting them down. “Now that I think about it, one of the bridesmaids wanted to get closer to the bandstand for the sing-along, so they probably went with her. I’m sure they’ll be back any minute now. Let’s sit down and get comfy.”
They slid off their shoes and sat on the blanket. A few minutes later, the fireworks started, and the bachelorette party had yet to show up or respond to Mallory’s texts. Abby had talked to Eden, Josie, and Winter earlier in the evening and texted to see if they had seen Blair and her friends. They hadn’t, which she relayed to Mallory and Sadie.
Sadie handed her a hotdog and an iced tea. “Forget about them. They’re adults. Let’s just enjoy the fireworks.”
So that’s what they did. They oohed and aahed over the dazzling display of red, white, and blue fireworks lighting up the sky. And they talked and laughed and ate until their stomachs were stuffed and their sides ached.
“That was the best Fourth of July I’ve had in I don’t know how long,” Mallory said, as they stretched out on the blanket looking up at the night sky as everyone around them gathered up their chairs and blankets.
“You gals might want to pack up before the rain starts,” an older man suggested.
An hour later when it began to rain, they were still waiting for the bachelorette party. “We have to call the chief,” Sadie said.
The last thing Abby wanted to do was tell anyone they’d lost their tour group, but it couldn’t be helped. “Let’s put out a group text to the Hottest Highlanders contenders first. Maybe one of them has seen the bachelorette party.” Ten minutes later, they had their answer. Blair and her girlfriends were at the local pool hall.
Pulling blankets over their heads, they ran for the tour bus to set off for the pool hall. They missed them by five minutes.
Abby saw more of Highland Falls that night than she had in the entire time she’d been there. Just as they were about to give up and call Owen, Mallory got a text from Blair arranging a pickup. Their relief that they’d found the women ended the moment they pulled up to the farmhouse.
“I will not sleep out there,” Blair said, and her friends wholeheartedly agreed. “Take us to the hotel now.”
Abby couldn’t say she blamed them. The water paint she’d used to glam up Hunter’s tents hadn’t survived and was puddled outside. “All the hotels in this area are booked.” An out-and-out lie but she didn’t want Mallory to get stuck paying for their accommodations. “You can sleep in the farmhouse instead.”
It was almost midnight by the time they’d finished hauling the queen-sized mattresses back into the house under tarps and got the bachelorette party settled for the night. A wet wind tugged at the umbrellas Abby, Sadie, and Mallory held over their heads as they ran for the tents in the rain-soaked meadow.
Abby looked around. “You guys don’t have to sleep out here. Sadie will drive you to a hotel, Mallory. And Sadie, you can go home.”
“No way. We’re in this together,” Sadie said. “But you don’t have to stay, Mallory. You’ve already done more than—”
“I’m staying. I’m the one who got you into this mess so I’ll do whatever I can to make it up to you. Unless you want to cancel the rest of the tour. I’d completely understand if you do.”
“We can handle them. Plus, we’re getting some great video for my YouTube channel, and Sadie’s been monitoring their social media and most of them have been happy with the tour so far. It’s really only Blair who’s been complaining, but even she’s been posting some great pics of Highland Falls. But Sadie and I talked about it, Mallory, and we understand if you want to cancel.”
“I’d be lying if I said I want to subject myself to more of Blair’s abuse. But it’s been fun hanging out with you guys, and I haven’t had fun in a while. So if you’re okay to continue the tour, I’m happy to.” She glanced at them from under her lashes.
“I feel exactly the same way,” Abby said, feeling a bond with these women that she’d never felt with the Bel Air Bs. Sadie and Mallory wouldn’t care about her net worth, or what she looked like and wore, or whose party she was invited to and whose party she wasn’t. They were the kind of women who’d have your back and not abandon you when times got tough.
“The weather’s supposed to clear up early tomorrow so we’ll have a great day at Bust-Yer-Butt Falls.” Bella popped up from inside Abby’s raincoat and gave her chin a lick. “I think that’s my cue. I’ll see you guys in the morning. Sleep well.”
They managed a group hug despite the umbrellas, then Abby walked them to their respective tents, holding the flashlight as they each crawled inside. Then she crawled into the one a few yards from Sadie’s.
Abby’s efforts to glam up the interior of the tents had fared about as well as the outside. Along with the mattresses, she’d returned the throws, lamps, and side tables to the farmhouse. She’d left what she could in the other two tents, but all that remained in hers was a semi-deflated mattress, a thin blanket, and an overturned crate that served as a nightstand.
“It’s just for two nights, Boo. And they’re not calling for rain tomorrow.” She took off her boots and rain jacket and got settled on the mattress with Bella, glad she’d found a sweatshirt Hunter had left at the farmhouse to pull on over her T-shirt and leggings. She’d found a pair of thick wool socks too.
Tucking the blanket around them, she lay down. As she did, she got a hint of Hunter’s familiar scent. His sweatshirt smelled of mountain air and cedar. She buried her nose in the fabric and inhaled. She missed him.
He’d done so much for her these past couple of weeks—actually, pretty much since the day she’d arrived in Highland Falls—that she hadn’t had the heart to ask him to stay when he’d stopped by before heading out of town this morning. He’d delivered one last parting lecture on not overdoing it and then wished her luck with the bachelorette party before heading out the door. Without a goodbye kiss. She wondered if he’d been thinking of kissing her as much as she’d been thinking of kissing him.
After last night, things seemed to have changed between them. If she hadn’t fallen asleep on him, she thought they might’ve become friends with benefits, and she really would’ve liked to share some benefits with him. Still, no matter how much she wanted to kiss him before he left for his weekend away, she worried she’d misread his feelings for her last night. So the last thing she wanted to do was ruin whatever this was between them.
“It couldn’t hurt to send him a quick hi, could it, Bella Boo? I know, I’ll send a selfie of you and me saying how much you miss Wolf.” Bella gave a little yip, and Abby snuggled her close. “Aww, sorry to remind you he’s away for the weekend, Boo. But they’ll be back soon. And let’s be honest, they deserve a break from us. We’re not exactly low maintenance. Here, we’ll take the picture and maybe Hunter will call and let you talk to Wolf.”
Picturing Hunter’s face if she said that to him, Abby laughed as she held up her phone. She gave a practice smile first,
then took the picture and sent it to Hunter. Along with a text about how much Bella missed Wolf and how badly the tour was going so far. Then she told him not to worry about them and to bring home lots of fish. She added a kissy-face emoji, then erased it, added it and erased it, until finally she closed her eyes and hit Send.
She fell asleep with the phone in her hand waiting for a response, only to awaken later with a start. She didn’t know how much time had passed or what had awakened her. She glanced at her phone, checking to see if Hunter had responded. He hadn’t.
The rain had slowed to a soft pitter-patter on her tent, and beside her Bella lightly snored. So if a text from Hunter and thunder and lightning hadn’t awakened her, what—She cut off the thought with a panicked eep at the sight of the dark shadow moving outside her tent. Bella sat up and got out two barks before Abby managed to cover her mouth. “Shh, Boo,” she whispered, trying to get her own panic under control.
There was no snuffling or growling, and the animal’s movements didn’t seem bearlike. Except Abby had never had a run-in with a bear so she couldn’t be sure one wasn’t currently prowling around her tent.
She made herself smaller on the mattress. What if Granny MacLeod hadn’t been kidding about Bigfoot sightings in the woods? At the sound of the tent’s zipper being unzipped, Abby’s eyes went wide, and she clutched the covers to her chin.
What now? she silently cried.
The only thing that came to mind was what she’d heard to do when approached by a bear. She threw the covers over her and Bella and played dead. Remembering the heavy flashlight, she reached out from under the blanket and grabbed it, clutching it to her chest just as something very large and wet entered the tent.
Then she heard a human snort of amusement—a deep, manly snort that was all too familiar. She pushed back the covers to see Hunter crouching beside her with Wolf at his side. Instead of giving him grief for scaring her half to death, she threw herself at him. His hair was wet, and his jacket was rain-slicked and cold, soaking through her clothes, but she didn’t care.
“I’m so glad you’re here. I missed you so much,” she cried, hugging him tight. At that moment, she didn’t care that she’d given her feelings for him away.
He wrapped his arms around her and held her close, rubbing his cheek against her hair. “I missed you too.”
At least that’s what she thought he said but she couldn’t be sure because he’d murmured the words against her hair. She leaned back. “Did you say you missed me too?”
Before she kissed him like she’d been dying to kiss him, she had to be sure he felt the same as she did. She sensed the wariness in his gaze that held hers, felt his shoulders tense beneath her hands, and she went to pull away.
He sighed and then told her what she wanted to hear. What she needed to hear. “Yeah, I missed you.”
If he hadn’t sighed, she might’ve let it go at that. “How much did you miss me?” she asked, but even as she did, she pressed closer to him and grinned. “You’re very happy to see me.”
His lips twitched, and then he lowered his mouth to hers, and he kissed her like he had the night of Summer Solstice. Only this time he wasn’t kissing her out of anger and guilt and frustration. This time the only emotions she felt from him were desire and need. He wanted her as much as she wanted him, and she would’ve cheered if his warm, firm lips weren’t devouring hers and his tongue wasn’t tangling with hers. She nearly cried when, moments later, he broke the kiss, leaving her panting.
“I’m happy to see you. I’ll be even happier when you’re naked and in my arms,” he said, his voice a rough rasp.
“Will you be naked too?” She shivered as his heated gaze slid over her and his fingers caressed the strip of bare skin where the sweatshirt had inched up.
He lowered his head to give her a teasing kiss that got deeper and hotter when his hands moved from the strip of bare skin at her waist to tease the band of her bra, and she cursed herself for not taking it off. She’d been afraid one of the bachelorettes would need her in the night.
She pressed closer to Hunter, telling him with her body what she wanted him to do, groaning in frustration when he pulled back instead of undoing her bra. He nipped her bottom lip. “As soon as I do something about our audience, I’ll get naked with you.”
She followed his gaze to where Wolf lay on the tent’s floor while Bella jumped around him, kissing and teasing with little nips. Oh my gosh, Abby thought, briefly closing her eyes—Bella was her and Wolf was Hunter. She was head over heels for the man, and he…Well, he wanted her. She supposed for a man who hadn’t wanted or needed anyone in his life for the past couple of years but his dog, that was a pretty big deal.
But she wondered if he was as ready to take this next step as she was. Maybe he didn’t attach the same meaning to making love as she did. A lot of women didn’t attach the same meaning or emotions to making love as she did, and more power to them. But she’d never been a one-night-stand kinda girl. She didn’t have sex unless she was in a relationship, and the last thing she wanted was to be in a one-sided relationship. Been there, done that, and hated that she had the T-shirt. She wouldn’t put herself through that again.
She’d fallen in love with Hunter. She’d known it for a while now. And deep down she knew, if they made love, that would be it for her. There’d be no turning back. And if there was no turning back, that meant there was no going back to LA.
He cupped her chin with his hand, turning her face to him. “What’s up? Second thoughts?”
“No, I want you. I want this.”
“Good. You had me worried.” He kissed her, slow and deep, and then pulled away as he went to stand. But he must’ve seen something on her face because he once again crouched beside her. “I’m sensing a but. You’re not done, are you?”
She smiled. There were many things she appreciated about Hunter but his ability to read her and the way he listened, really listened, to her were the traits she appreciated most. Still, it didn’t make it less uncomfortable to leave herself vulnerable to rejection. “I need to know that you’re as into me as I’m into you. You want me, don’t you?”
“I think that’s pretty obvious, isn’t it? I’m here.”
“For more than sex, I mean. This, us, means something to me. I—”
“I wouldn’t be here if you didn’t mean something to me, Abby. I was looking forward to getting away.”
“Be honest. You were looking forward to getting away from me and Bella. You needed some peace and quiet.”
“I was looking forward to being out there with just me and Wolf. Only I kept thinking about you. I missed your laugh. I missed your smile. I even missed your hundred and one questions.” He frowned, rubbing a strand of her hair between his fingers as if the admission surprised him. Then he smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear. “Don’t let Wolf fool you. He missed Bella too.”
“So you came back because of Wolf?”
“I came back because my brother, Owen, and my aunt decided I needed updates about what was going on with you and your tour group every ten minutes. I’m guessing they weren’t into sleeping under the stars.”
“No, but I am.” She wound her arms around his neck, seeing the answer to her question in his eyes. “As long as you sleep under them with me.”
“It’s too wet to sleep under the stars tonight. We’ll do it another time. Right now, I’m just as happy to stay where we are.” He laid her down on the air mattress and then straightened to take off his boots and windbreaker.
“What about Bella and Wolf?”
He reached for the blanket and tossed it over them. “They’ll have to get used to it.” He stretched out on top of her, raising himself up on his elbows to look down at her. “Now, where were we?”
“Getting naked.”
“Right. Let me help you with that.”
Chapter Twenty-Four
The next morning, Hunter sat behind Abby on the tour bus. “Slow down. Don’t roll your eyes at me, Ab
by. I’m serious. You’re driving through the gorge, which means you’re driving on the edge of a cliff.”
He curled his fingers around the bar separating him from the woman who had their lives in her hands. He was beginning to think agreeing to join her on the tour this morning was as bad an idea as having sex with her last night had been. This wasn’t morning-after regrets. He’d experienced those before, and this was far from the same.
Up until an hour ago, he’d thought having sex with Abby had been the best idea he’d had in years. Until he overheard her telling Sadie about her plans for the future as they loaded up the tour bus for today’s trip to Bust-Yer-Butt Falls.
Abby wasn’t leaving Highland Falls. She was settling down at Honeysuckle Farm to build her future, and from the sweet smile she’d sent his way, that future included him. A future, if he wasn’t mistaken, that eventually included a ring on her finger and 2.5 kids.
She met his eyes in the rearview mirror. “Stop pretending you’re terrified.”
He wasn’t pretending. Years before, he’d planned a similar future with Sloane, and then a land mine had blown those plans sky high. He couldn’t give Abby the future he saw in her pretty green eyes. She deserved to have her dreams come true. He wished he was the man he used to be and he could give her what she wanted. But he wasn’t.
He glanced at the two women sitting across from him, laughing. “Sadie, stop filming me. If you use that on Abby’s YouTube channel, I’ll sue.” He bowed his head at the sight of an oncoming semi and muttered, “Never mind, we probably won’t make it.” He gritted his teeth as the semi sped by with an inch to spare.
“Fitbit,” Abby said, then cleared her throat. “Ijit. Idiot!”
Her jumbled words told him that, underneath the bravado, she’d been nervous too. He imagined his attempts at backseat driving hadn’t helped. So five minutes later, when they reached their destination alive, he leaned forward as the bachelorette party began to disembark.