Can't Help Falling in Love

by Samantha Chase

  But time was ticking fast on their relationship and he wanted to squeeze every minute out of it that he could. There was going to come a time when she was gone and all he was going to have were the memories–and he’d only get to enjoy them in between working way too much and making sure Eli was taken care of by his lone parent.

  His sigh was out when there was still silence and everyone piled on at that point.

  “So, it’s serious?”

  “Why didn’t you invite her to dinner?”

  “Call her now and invite her for dessert!”

  “When did she decide to stay in Magnolia?”

  Rubbing his temples, Hunter finally shouted, “Enough!” And remarkably, everyone stopped talking. “Everybody needs to just calm down.”

  “Geez, way to ruin the fun, Hunter,” Kyle murmured.

  “Yeah, we’re just happy for you,” Scarlett added.

  “I’m not trying to ruin anyone’s fun,” he reasoned, “but you’re all a little off-base here and need to reel it in a bit, okay?”

  “What’s going on?” his father asked. “I must have missed something.”

  Hunter had shared with his father that he was casually dating someone, but he hadn’t given him any specifics–mainly because it wasn’t the kind of thing he and his father usually talked about. “This isn’t anything serious because she’s not staying. Once the baby’s born and Brian is home, she’s going back to Nashville and already has her next big travel trip planned. So…” He let out a long breath. “I just thought it would be okay to ask her to come to the wedding as my date. I didn’t want to be the only one there going stag.”

  “Um…I don’t have a date,” his father said, and Hunter both loved him for it and wanted to explain how that statement wasn’t helping anything.

  “Yeah, I’m not bringing anyone either,” Kyle said. “Because, let’s face it, Courtney’s got some hot single friends and who knows? I may get lucky.”

  Everyone groaned.

  “Kyle, please try to not be that guy,” Courtney groaned.

  “What guy?”

  “The smarmy guy who hits on the bridesmaids or single women at a wedding. It’s sad,” she explained.

  “But…”

  “No buts,” Dean interjected. “Just…don’t.”

  Frowning, Kyle looked around the table before blurting out, “Weren’t we focusing on Hunter and his secret girlfriend?”

  “She’s not secret,” Hunter countered. “We’re just…this is temporary. If it’s that big of a deal, I don’t have to bring her. I just thought…”

  “No one said you couldn’t bring her,” Courtney corrected. “I think she’s amazing, and I’m a little bummed she’s not staying because she’d be really cool to hang out with.”

  “Really?” Scarlett cried. “Like someone we can take to lunch and get mani-pedis with?”

  “Exactly!” Courtney agreed. “I mean, you and I will always be BFF’s, but I think Violet would be an awesome addition to our little group.”

  “As long as she doesn’t try to steal you away…”

  Things were spiraling, and he had no idea how to stop it.

  Fortunately, his brother Dean had his back. “No one’s stealing your BFF, Scar. Violet’s just really nice, and trust me, you’ll like her too.” Then he looked at Kyle, sternly. “And you? Keep it in your pants at the wedding or I will have to kick your ass.” Next, he turned to Hunter. “We’re thrilled you invited Violet to the wedding, and for what it’s worth, we all think it’s great you’re so happy. And hopefully, she’ll stick around after Katie and Brian’s baby arrives.”

  Yeah, so did he, but he wasn’t going to say that here with this crowd.

  “So…everything set for the wedding?” he asked in hopes of the topic turning toward something other than him.

  Luckily, it worked.

  For the remainder of the dinner, conversation flowed, and no one brought up Violet–or his dating life–again.

  Until he was getting ready to leave and his father walked out to the car with him and Eli.

  “Everything okay, Hunter?”

  “Uh, yeah. Why?”

  “You just got a little defensive in there over dinner. You know no one meant any harm.”

  He nodded. “I know, Dad. It’s just…I don’t know, after everything that happened with Melissa–how everyone warned me I was making a mistake–the last thing I want is anyone offering any opinions on my relationships. And I certainly don’t want anyone pointing out how they think I’m making another mistake.”

  “Do you think you’re making a mistake?”

  Do I?

  “Honestly, Dad? I don’t know. It doesn’t feel like a mistake, but…” he let out a long breath. “Other people have casual relationships with no regrets and don’t call it a mistake, so…why can’t I?”

  “Because you’re not like most people, Hunter. You give 100% of yourself–you lead with your heart–and that’s not a bad thing. So for you to be involved with this girl, you must have feelings for her.”

  “I do, but…”

  “She’s not staying.”

  “Exactly.”

  “And yet you knew that from the get-go and you still got involved.”

  All he could do was nod.

  Reaching out, Dominic Jones placed a reassuring hand on his son’s shoulder. “You know it’s going to hurt when she leaves.”

  “I know,” he replied lowly.

  “And know we’re all here for you. Your brothers and sister may like to poke fun at you, but they love you and just want to see you happy.”

  “I know that too.”

  “Well, it wouldn’t hurt you to laugh at yourself a little.” Then he gave him a small clap on the back. “How about you let Eli spend the night again next weekend? Which night do you have off?”

  “Unfortunately, I’m working all weekend and I’m doing my twenty-four on Saturday, so if you don’t mind taking him Saturday night, it would be a big help.”

  “You can count on me, Hunter. You know I love having Eli over. We watch cartoons and work in the yard, and he even likes my cooking.”

  “I’m glad the two of you have fun. And really, thanks, Dad. I appreciate you.”

  After a round of hugs and making sure Eli was secured in his car seat, Hunter headed home.

  For the next few hours, he bathed Eli, did some laundry, and played a game of Chutes and Ladders with him before putting him to bed. Sitting on the sofa in his living room, Hunter took a few minutes to just enjoy the quiet.

  Until…he wasn’t.

  He usually didn’t mind sitting alone at the end of the day. It gave him time to clear his mind and relax before he had to think about what he needed to do the next day. But right now, he didn’t want to be in his head; he wanted to talk to someone.

  Violet.

  It wasn’t unusual for them to talk on the phone at night, but this was the first time he felt desperate to talk to her.

  Liar.

  Okay, he was feeling it more and more, and the smart thing to do would be to fight the urge. Maybe it would make things easier in the long-run, but he knew no matter what, he was going to be devastated when she left.

  Sometimes he tried to tell himself how this was all for the better. Violet was so different from him and clearly wanted things that he didn’t and vice versa. You would think he would have learned his lesson already with his ex, but it was apparent he hadn’t.

  Resting his head back against the sofa cushions, he sighed.

  “This is stupid,” he murmured, reminding himself how Violet loved to travel–it was her livelihood–and it wasn’t something he was interested in at all. She saw small town living as being quaint for a short time, but the way she talked about her life in Nashville, he knew she would never want to live in Magnolia full time.

  So why was he setting himself up for another failure?

  But he already knew the answer–because he couldn’t help himself. She made him happy. And he’d rath
er be happy for a short time than not at all.

  Before he over-thought himself to death, he pulled out his phone and called her.

  “Hey, you,” she said softly. “How was your day?”

  “It was good. Had dinner with my family–as in everyone–over at my dad’s–and just got Eli to bed a little while ago. How about you? How was the rest of your weekend?”

  “Kind of uneventful. We did our Mexican night last night with Rose and it was all very yummy. There was so much food that we ate all the leftovers today. Not to brag, but…I can probably eat my weight in nachos.”

  He laughed with her. “Well, who couldn’t? They’re addictive!”

  “Definitely! I’ll have to work out for an extra hour or seven, but still worth it.”

  “Nothing wrong with that.”

  “Oh, and Rose is definitely bringing her car to your dad’s place tomorrow. I’m following her over so she can drop the car off and leave it with him. Do you mind if I introduce myself to him?”

  “Mind? Why would I mind?”

  “Well, I wasn’t sure if you told him about me.” She paused. “And just so we’re clear, I didn’t plan on walking up to him and introducing myself as the woman who’s sleeping with his son.”

  He knew she was joking, but it still bothered him to even think like that.

  “You know that’s not all we’re doing, Violet,” he gently chided her.

  A soft sigh was her first response. “I know, but…if I let myself think too much about it…”

  “Yeah,” he quickly interrupted. “I know.”

  They were going to have to talk about it, eventually.

  Just not right now.

  “I’m off on Wednesday,” he said, changing the subject as he was doing more and more lately. “I was wondering if maybe I could still bring Eli to Katie’s for a few hours so you and I could go to lunch. What do you think?”

  “Well, I don’t want to answer for Katie, so that part you’ll have to ask her yourself, but if she’s good with it, then I’m in. Although, she’s moving a little slow this weekend so…we may have to play it by ear.”

  “Is she okay? Has she mentioned if anything’s out of the ordinary?”

  “Like what?”

  “Sometimes signs of labor aren’t obvious. Does her back hurt?”

  “No more than usual. She just said she isn’t sleeping well, so I’m sure that’s just messing with her. But I’ll definitely ask about the back. Anything else?”

  “The back, an upset stomach, and of course, the mucous plug.”

  “Ugh…I don’t even want to think about what exactly that is, but…I’ll mention it.”

  Hunter couldn’t help but laugh. “You don’t have to know it or see it, but maybe just casually ask Katie about it. If any of those things are going on, she should put all of her parents on alert.”

  “There’s only you and one other family now. One decided to put their daughter in full-time pre-pre-school, and the other got the option to work from home. I didn’t even know pre-pre-school was a thing, but apparently it’s a private school so…yeah. But I will talk to her about it once we’re off the phone.”

  “Should I let you go?” he asked and secretly wished she’d reply with “never.”

  “No, we’re good. She’s putting Kira to bed, and we have a habit of sitting out on the back deck at night and end our day looking up at the stars while drinking tea.” She laughed softly. “I would kind of prefer to end it with a glass of wine, but it just seems mean to drink it in front of her. I mean, I sometimes do, but when we’re out there relaxing, I drink tea.”

  “You’re a good friend, Violet.”

  “Thank you. I really do try.”

  “I don’t think you need to try so hard. You’re just a good person.” She got quiet and Hunter had a feeling he’d embarrassed her. Not that it mattered because it was true. No doubt Violet wasn’t used to being praised by people who genuinely cared about her, but he wanted to make sure she knew how special and amazing she was.

  After a moment, she cleared her throat. “Um…I should go. I just heard Katie say goodnight to Kira, so…”

  “I’ll see you in the morning when I drop Eli off.”

  “Have a good night, Hunter. Sweet dreams.”

  “They’ll be filled with you, so of course they’ll be sweet.” And before she could argue or give him a sassy comeback, he whispered, “Good night, Violet,” and hung up.

  Ten

  “Dominic Jones was so polite and so patient with me,” Rose was saying the following afternoon. “I’m really good about taking care of the regular maintenance on the car, but he took the time to explain all the options to me.”

  “Wasn’t it just an oil change?” Katie asked, sounding confused. “How many options can there be?”

  “Well, he explained about the different kinds of oil and which would be best for my car. No one’s ever done that for me before. I thought it was very sweet of him.”

  Katie and Violet shared a look.

  It appeared that Rose was a little smitten with Mr. Jones.

  Actually, Violet realized it when she tried to introduce herself, but Rose simply kept asking Dominic questions and wouldn’t let her get a word in edge-wise. So she’d simply waved and waited out in the car.

  And then she didn’t even try when she brought Rose back to pick up her car. Violet figured she’d get a chance to meet him at the wedding.

  “He did a tire rotation for me for free and I’m going to bring the car back next week for a tune-up.” She sighed happily. “And he even offered to drive me home if I didn’t have anyone to help me. Isn’t that sweet?”

  “Sure is,” Katie said, grinning. “It must run in the family.” She looked like she was about to say more when her face scrunched up and her hand went to her belly.

  “Kate? You okay?” Violet asked, immediately on alert.

  “Um…I think it’s another of those Braxton Hicks things.” She let out a long breath. “I’m sure I’m fine.”

  But Violet wasn’t taking any chances. She pulled out her phone and decided to start timing things without drawing attention to herself. The best thing to do was to distract Katie.

  “So, Rose,” she began while keeping one eye on her friend, “did you know Dominic is single?”

  “Oh…really?” she asked, smiling. “I didn’t. But then again, I don’t suppose it would have come up in a conversation about the best oil to use in a 2014 Ford Escape, right?”

  “I don’t suppose it would,” Violet said and watched as Katie seemed to be relaxing. A quick glance at her watch showed the contraction lasted a minute. Now to see how soon another one hit. “Still, if you like him–and it seems like you do–maybe you could invite him for coffee or something. Especially if he drives you home next week.”

  “Do you think that would be all right?” Rose asked nervously. “Is that appropriate to do with your mechanic?”

  Katie stood and slowly joined them by the kitchen island. “I think coffee is completely harmless. And who knows? Maybe it will lead to him asking you to dinner sometime.”

  The idea seemed to please Rose, and she started talking about all the possibilities a date with Dominic could lead to. It was a good distraction, but Violet was watching Katie like a hawk.

  “Ooo…Violet, do you think we could double date? You know, you and Hunter and me and Dominic?”

  Oh, good lord…

  “Yeah, Vi,” Katie chimed in with a mischievous grin. “Do you think that could happen?”

  Now wasn’t the time to argue, so she just went with it.

  “Sure! I bet that would be a lot of fun,” she replied enthusiastically. “We could go to Michael’s or maybe one of the fancier places and do it up right!”

  Rose was beaming, Katie was trying not to laugh, and Violet tried to push images of double dating with the older couple out of her mind.

  “Or maybe I can make dinner at my place for the four of us!” Rose suggested. “My fried chicken
recipe has won awards over the years. I’ll bet we could work together on a menu, Violet! I’ll make the main course, you can make the appetizers, and we’ll ask the boys to bring dessert! Won’t that be fun?”

  How did we get from the two of them having coffee to me making appetizers for a dinner party?

  “Uh…sure. But why don’t you see how coffee goes first?”

  Nodding, Rose agreed. “You’re right. You’re right. For all we know, Dominic might be dating someone.” She sighed. “I hope he’s not dating anyone. I’d really like a chance to get to know him.”

  “And you feel this way just because he talked motor oil to you?” Katie asked, her hand going to her belly again.

  “Kate?”

  “Um…maybe start timing these,” she said, and it was obvious she was tense.

  For the next hour, the contractions were growing more intense and consistent, and Violet tried so hard to be calm and levelheaded, but she was starting to freak out. There was a knock at the door and she ran for it and practically sagged with relief when she saw it was Hunter. He took one look at her and knew something was wrong.

  “Katie?” he asked quietly, and when she nodded, he kissed her quickly on the cheek and made his way over to where the action was at.

  Violet watched in awe as he calmly talked to her friend and got all the information on what was going on. After a minute, he turned to Rose.

  “Rose, would you be able to stay with Kira and Eli for a little while? I’ll call one of my brothers or my dad to come and pick him up, but I’m going to go with Katie and Violet to the hospital if that’s okay with you.”

  “Of course! Of course! Oh, this is so exciting! I can’t believe the day is finally here, and I’m so glad I took a chance and moved close by so I can help with Kira!”

  Okay, that was one hurdle crossed, she thought, before realizing it was only the beginning.

  “Vi, can you get Katie’s bag while I make my calls?” Hunter asked, and she nodded even as she couldn’t understand how he could be so calm.

  Ten minutes later, they were all in Violet’s car and on their way to the hospital. “Is there anyone you want me to call, Katie? I mean, I know Rose is making some but…anyone else I’m supposed to reach out to? A friend who did Lamaze with you or something?”