by Amy Lamont
“Oh, really? The kind of hectic morning that might win a bet?”
“Emma.” I couldn’t help the screech. “You’re starting to sound like Paige. I don’t know if all this bet stuff is good for you.”
“I don’t think it’s the bet. I think Nate’s been rubbing off on me,” she said with a giggle.
“Sounds like things are going well between you two.” I couldn’t help my silly grin. At New Year’s I’d been worried Emma was about to get her heart broken. Hearing her giggling over spending time with Nate came as a relief.
“Well, I’m still not sure exactly where we stand. But he got back into town a few days ago, and we’ve spent every night together since.”
Her soft tone said more about her feelings for Nate than any words ever could. All I could do was hope that the man had the same soft feelings about my friend.
“But enough about me,” Emma said, breaking into my thoughts. “I want to know where you’ve been since yesterday afternoon.”
My eyes flew up to find Hunter standing by the window, his shoulder to the wall. He had the curtain lifted so he could see outside, but his gaze was trained on me. Seeing him standing there in nothing but his jeans, sent a surge of an emotion so powerful through me, I couldn’t catch my breath. Being here with him…I still felt like I would wake up any second and the dream would end.
“Katelyn,” Emma called, impatience lacing her voice.
“Sorry.” I couldn’t take my eyes off Hunter as I continued to speak. “My mom called me at the office yesterday to tell me she was leaving my dad.”
“What?” Emma shrieked in my ear.
I winced. “Believe me. I know. But I talked to my dad this morning. I’m hoping it’s all just a misunderstanding and once he starts actually communicating with my mom, things will work out.”
“Oh, sweetie, I hope so. I can’t even imagine your parents apart from each other.”
“I know. I don’t even think it’s all sunk in yet. Hopefully by the time I actually have a chance to process it all, they’ll have patched things up.”
“Okay. But all that still doesn’t explain where you disappeared to for the last day.”
“Well, my morning had already been bad. My boss was being more of a dick than usual and my mom’s call sort of pushed me over the edge.” I shook my head remembering yesterday morning. “Let’s just say I decided to take a mental health day.”
“I don’t blame you. But that still doesn’t tell me where you went.”
I bit my lip and debated how much to tell her. My friends knew how I felt about Hunter. And Emma, of all of them, would be beside herself with happiness if I even hinted that I spent the night with him.
But part of me wanted to hug it to me and keep it just for myself for a little while. If more than just a one-night stand came of this, then I’d tell my friends and let them share my excitement. And if it turned out Hunter didn’t have any intention of seeing me after today…
My heart squeezed painfully at the thought and my eyes followed him as he moved over to our makeshift bed in front of the fireplace. I’d be beyond heartbroken if things didn’t go any farther than this with Hunter. And I’d need my friends to help me heal and move on.
But for right now, this moment, I decided I wanted to keep it to myself.
“I ran into an old school friend after I left work yesterday. We had a drink and when the snow started, I decided to stay at his place.”
Not a total lie. Hunter had been a senior our freshman year of high school. So he was technically a friend from school. And we’d had beer with dinner last night.
“His place?” Emma asked, her voice going up several octaves.
I rolled my eyes. And as I did I caught sight of Hunter, standing near the fireplace, his eyes once again on me. But this time they were steely, an odd look in them. As I watched, he bent and continued to fold up the bedding, his movements quick and no nonsense. A feeling of unease washed through me.
“So any chance you’re now in the running to win our bet?”
I shook off the weird feeling I got about Hunter, and decided to give Emma a crumb. “Oh, I think you can safely say I’m going to give Jade and Paige a run for their money when it comes to winning our little bet.”
Emma squealed, and Hunter stood abruptly and stomped into the bathroom. There was no shaking off the sense of dread descending on me this time. Something had pissed him off.
I made a quick excuse to end the call with Emma.
“Okay,” she said, “I’ll let you go. But when you get home, I want details.”
“I promise,” I said, and we disconnected.
I wanted to go after Hunter, but I realized it was already past time for me to be at work and I’d never called in.
I thumbed through my contacts and dialed our human resources department. I gave the same excuse I had for leaving early yesterday, telling them a family emergency would keep me from work.
As I ended the call, a pile of clothing hit me.
“Get dressed, Katelyn.”
I stared at Hunter’s cold expression for a long moment. His face was granite. Something hard and hot and leaden sunk to the bottom of my stomach.
“What’s wrong?”
His eyes shifted over me, giving away not one flicker of emotion. “Just get your clothes on.”
I’d spent the last twelve hours with this man completely naked or covered only by his shirt. Not for more than a few tiny seconds had I felt self-conscious. But standing in front of him now, I felt more naked than I’d ever been. Something had changed between us, and I had no idea if he was going to let me in on it.
Tears pricked my eyes, and I bent my head to the task of gathering up my pants and sweater to keep him from seeing them. I hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me and then leaning back against it, hugging my clothes as I fought off tears. What if this was it? What if he just took me back to the train station and dropped me off without ever explaining his change in mood?
No. I straightened up and walked over to the vanity. I stared at myself and decided he didn’t get to choose to do that. I squared my shoulders and pushed my hair off my face. I wasn’t sweet, kind Katelyn anymore. Leaving her behind meant I got to finally, finally spend a night with Hunter.
A nice girl might just meekly go along with his demands. But I’d be damned if I would go along with his bad attitude without demanding any kind of explanation. I might end up with a broken heart, but it wouldn’t be because I didn’t fight for what I wanted.
I’d get dressed, but then I was also going to go out there and demand some answers. And if I didn’t like what he had to say, I’d insist he see things my way.
No more Miss Nice Girl.
Chapter Nine
I took my time in the bathroom. If I was going to face down Hunter Lawson, I didn’t want to do it with sleep wrinkles in my cheek and my hair a tangled mess. There wasn’t much to work with in there, but with a quick shower and the hairbrush and makeup case in my bag, I felt a little more presentable.
I grabbed his t-shirt and hugged it to my chest for just a second. If he had anything else to wear, I would have tried to slip it into my coat pocket and smuggle it home with me.
With a deep breath, I straightened and tried to mentally prepare myself for going toe-to-toe with Hunter.
I snatched open the door and took two steps out before I came to an abrupt halt. Hunter stood in the now straightened up living room, the only remnants of our visit were the ashes in the fireplace and our coats over the back of the chair. But what caught my attention was the fact that Hunter wasn’t alone in the living room.
Beside him stood the same man I’d seen in the bar yesterday. The Grizzly Adams looking guy who had given Hunter the keys to the cabin. My gaze traveled between the two, as I tried to find something to say.
Hunter’s friend finally came to my rescue. “Hey. I’m Daryl.”
My innate good mann
ers rose to the surface and I stepped forward to offer him my hand. “Nice meeting you, Daryl. I guess I have you to thank for having a warm place to sleep last night.”
As soon as the words left my mouth, I could feel heat flooding my cheeks. If I was warm overnight, it was because the electricity and the heat between Hunter and I could probably have kept an entire village warm for a month. And if I were being really honest, not much of the night was spent in sleep.
Daryl’s smirking grin told me he knew exactly the turn my thoughts had taken. But he was polite enough not to say it out loud. He just shook my hand, never losing the grin.
“No problem,” he said. “I’m just happy I didn’t head out of town like I planned or you guys might have been stuck up here longer.”
Is it wrong that I wished Daryl had driven far, far out of town before the snow hit?
“Katelyn.”
Hunter’s voice demanded my attention. I turned to find him looking pointedly at my hand. The hand that clasped his shirt like a life preserver. And I couldn’t help but notice that his eyes held no more warmth now than they did when I walked into the bathroom. What on earth could have made him change so abruptly?
I wanted to demand answers, but even with my new take-no-prisoners attitude, I couldn’t quite work up the courage to have it out with Hunter in front of his friend. I sank my teeth into my bottom lip and reluctantly handed Hunter his shirt.
A soft sigh escaped me as he tugged it over his head and smoothed it down over his chest and abs. That seemed like such a shame.
I shifted my gaze only to have it land on Daryl. And more to the point, Daryl’s knowing smirk. I rolled my eyes at him, refusing to allow any more embarrassment to creep in. A woman would have to be dead not to want to keep Hunter’s chest bared to her view for as long as possible.
His smirk turned into an outright grin.
I shook my head and turned my attention back to Hunter. His eyes narrowed on me, and his gaze shifted quickly between Daryl and I.
I shook my head. “If Daryl made it up here, does that mean the roads are clear?”
“Yeah, no problem getting up here. There’s probably a few patches of ice, but the temperature rose high enough they should be melted by this afternoon,” Daryl informed us.
“Great. So we should be able to take the bike back down the mountain later, right?” I asked, fixing my gaze on Hunter.
“Daryl agreed to take you back down to the train station now. He’s got his truck. I’ll double-check the electric and head out after the roads have a chance to warm up a little more.”
My heart clenched almost painfully. He didn’t spell it out for me, but he made it pretty damn clear he was done with me. I wanted to sputter and protest and scream.
But what could I do? Humiliate myself in front of Daryl? I’d already all but come right out and declared my undying love for Hunter. If he didn’t feel the same way, what good would it do to drag this out?
“Okay.” I turned to Daryl while I fought with all my might to hold onto my composure and my dignity. “When do we leave?”
Daryl shrugged, tucking his hands in the front pocket of his jeans. “Whenever you’re ready.”
I glanced quickly at Hunter, hoping against hope that he’d show some sign of regret that I’d be going soon. Or maybe even change his mind and tell me to stay with him until we could both ride back together.
But he remained stoic, his arms crossed and his eyes giving me nothing. I nodded at Daryl and was grateful for the numbness that suddenly flooded my system. All I needed to do was hold onto that for a little while longer.
“I just need a few minutes, and I’ll be ready to go.”
“Take your time.” Daryl’s smirk had dropped and his voice was gentle.
I clenched my teeth together wishing I could beg him not to be so nice. Having the wild looking biker show me kindness might be just the thing to push me over the edge. And if that happened, I couldn’t guarantee I wouldn’t be a blubbering mess or worse, throw myself at Hunter and beg for one more chance.
Somehow I managed to hold on. I straightened my spine and went into the bedroom to find my boots.
A few minutes later, I stood in the living room, my own coat on and the one Hunter loaned me still lying over the chair.
“Take the jacket, Katelyn. It might be cold while you wait for the train.”
I busied myself with pulling on my gloves so I didn’t have to look up at Hunter. “I’ll be fine.”
And I would, I decided. I’d lived with my feelings for Hunter for over a decade. At least now I’d have a memory to hold onto. And maybe this would work as closure. Maybe after this I’d be able to move on.
And that was it. No long, protracted good-byes. No private moment with Hunter. After the night we spent together, all I got was a cold-eyed nod from him as Daryl bundled me out the door and helped me up into his pick-up truck.
“You sure you don’t want to throw your bike in the back of the truck?” Daryl called out just before slamming my door.
I looked over to where Hunter stood on the porch. His only answer was a shake of his head. His jaw remained tight, his face blank.
I stared sightlessly out the passenger window. I just didn’t get it. Even if Hunter didn’t want more than a one-night stand, as his best friend’s little sister, didn’t I deserve something more than him acting like a complete asshole?
My sympathies went out to all the girls I’d been jealous of during high school who I’d thought so lucky for getting to ride off on the back of Hunter’s beat up old Harley. If this is the treatment they got, it’s a wonder they didn’t band together and beat the crap out of him.
“It’s not you, Katelyn,” Daryl said after we’d been on the road for a little while.
I twisted to look at him. He glanced at me and offered a sympathetic smile before training his eyes back on the road.
“What do you mean, it’s not me?” As much as I wanted to sulk and think bad thoughts about Hunter, I’d been crazy about him way too long not to want to hear any tiny morsel of information this man might want to feed me.
He sighed. “One night, Hunter and his buddy Logan and I had a few too many, and Hunter might have let it slip there was a woman in his past he had a thing for. Someone he never had a shot with. And no matter how much he wanted to shake her loose, he couldn’t seem to let go.”
My heart twisted in my chest. The pain of Daryl’s words seared through me so hard, it was almost physical. I twisted my hands in my lap and fought harder than I’d ever fought before to keep from reacting to his words. I barely managed to keep it together.
I tried to focus on something else. Anything else. And finally, the beginning of what Daryl said hit me. “You know Logan?”
Daryl shot a look of surprise over at me. “Sure. He’s Hunter’s partner in Rooster’s. How do you know Logan?”
Shock pushed back all the other emotions that wanted to drag me down. “Are you kidding me? Logan is Hunter’s partner? Why the heck didn’t I know that?”
Hunter’s words from last night came back to me. He’d been annoyed when I assumed he was just a bartender. I didn’t think it was any big deal, but I knew from what he said that he assumed I’d always thought the worst of him. But why wouldn’t Logan have mentioned his partnership?
“Not sure why you would know it. But from what they’ve said, Logan and Hunter are business partners. They’ve slowly been buying businesses that are in rough shape and rehabbing them. I’m not sure how many they own now, but I know there’s a bike shop and at least one other bar.”
“Why wouldn’t Logan tell me all this?”
Daryl shrugged. “Best I can tell, Logan’s pretty much a silent partner, letting Hunter handle most stuff until he finishes out his tour.”
I shook my head. How weird that a complete stranger knew more about what my brother was up to than I did?
“I just don’t get why Logan wouldn’t tell us all t
his. Maybe he didn’t want to get our hopes up?”
Daryl gave me a look out of the side of his eyes. “Darlin’, I might have more answers for you if I knew how Logan’s business was any of yours.”
“He’s my brother.”
“What? Are you fucking kidding me?”
“Um…no?” Considering his harsh tone, I wanted to make sure the answer I was giving him was one he wanted to hear.
I began to get more than a little worried I’d been way off base when the truck lurched to a stop in the middle of the road.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
Daryl just stared at me.
“Does Logan owe you money or something?” An uneasy feeling slithered through my belly as Daryl continued to gape at me. But Hunter wouldn’t have sent me off with a guy he couldn’t trust. Would he?
“You’re telling me you’re Logan’s sister?”
I nodded, my mouth too dry to form words.
“Well,” he said and slouched back in his seat like all the air went out of him, “shit. I just don’t get it.”
“Get what exactly?”
His eyes shifted to me and then a big grin lit his entire grizzly face. “You’re Logan’s sister.”
I shrugged, nodding. I thought we’d established that.
Before I could form a question or think of a way to extract myself from a suddenly super weird situation, Daryl stomped down and threw the truck in reverse, executing the fastest three-point turn in the history of the motor vehicle.
I leaned forward and gripped the dashboard, thankful to feel the tension in the seatbelt trying to pin me back.
“What-what…?” I didn’t even know what to ask.
Daryl just grinned at me and stomped on the gas, sending gravel flying out from underneath the truck. He flew us back up the mountain at breakneck speed.
“Daryl, could you please slow down?” The weather had warmed considerably, but I didn’t trust there wasn’t a patch of black ice here or there that hadn’t quite melted away. “Please.”
“Sorry.” He eased off the gas, bringing us down to a more comfortable, less bone-jarring speed. “Got a little excited there for a minute.”