The Dungeon Fantasy Club

by Anya Summers

  "Who owns that place?" He nodded toward it, starting to head to the front door.

  "The old hotel? There was some fancy American upstart who bought the place a few years back, but when they discovered that our little town didn't even have a Starbucks, he bailed after a few months. It's been on the market for, say, four years or so?"

  "Come on. We should go take a look." He tugged her forward.

  "Whatever for?" Veronica dug her heels in and yanked her hand out of his.

  "It's a nice house."

  "It's a money pit, that's what that is. We need to start heading back, anyway. I've got to get supper on for Colin."

  Hunter caved, but when she turned to collect Colin from the grounds, he noted the number on the sale sign and the house name.

  Hunter knew his time was running out. The moment of truth he'd been hiding from her, where he must tell Veronica that he needed to leave, was approaching at super speed on the horizon. It was for work purposes only. But after their history, it gnawed at him. He was unsure of what her reaction to it would be—would she restrict his access to Colin? It bowled him over just how much he loved the boy. He wanted to be there for him, give him the world, provide for whatever he needed, teach him how to be a man. Would she end their relationship? He wanted more with her; more time, more nights with her sighing or screaming his name as she came. Uncertainty and doubt took up residence in his head, so that instead of confronting the issues they faced head on, he avoided them entirely. That fact alone made them the most likely pair in the world. Especially since Veronica hadn't bothered to tell him what was amiss, even when he pressed her. Not wanting to rock the boat, he had conceded, instead focusing on making her come undone beneath his hand, sinking into the depths of her love.

  He wondered how long he had before his luck ended.

  Chapter 11

  Dread rose up in his chest. Hunter's time had run out. There was no way around it. He had to depart for the Globes on the morrow. They were all sitting at the kitchen table for breakfast. Roni had become a veritable chef in the intervening years. The eggs and pancakes, which normally would have gone down easily, lodged in his chest.

  Colin chattered away. "We should build a fort out in the backyard. We could make it like a treehouse, but on the ground."

  Pushing past the lead weight, Hunter said, with his gaze focused on the both of them, "I'd love to do that, and we will when I get back, Colin. I have to leave tomorrow for Los Angeles."

  "Oh, you don't want to stay with us anymore?" Colin asked. His bottom lip trembled and Hunter felt his heart crack.

  "I have a work event I have to attend. It's part of my job. See, Colin, I have to present at this awards show. It's all very boring stuff, believe me, but I made a commitment and it would be bad if I went back on my word." An idea struck Hunter, and he continued, "Have you ever been to Los Angeles?"

  "Nope. I've never been to America, but I really want to go to Disneyland, especially now, since that's where Luke Skywalker lives. That would be epic."

  All Hunter's focus shifted to his son. He wanted to shower Colin with all the attention he could, show him where he lived, and maybe one day he would call him something other than Hunter. "Well, maybe you could come with me? I could call the airline and book a ticket for you. Then, after I do my work event, we could hang out at Disneyland and you could stay at my house—"

  "Colin, go to your room please. Your father and I have some things we need to discuss." The look on Roni's face was murderous. Hunter tried to think over what he'd said wrong but couldn't think of it.

  "But Mama?" Colin protested.

  "Now, Colin. This is not up for debate." Veronica crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot against the floor. Damn, Hunter was in for a tongue lashing, and not the good kind, the moment little ears were no longer in the vicinity. Colin did as she asked, probably having seen the look on her face a time or two before.

  The moment Colin's bedroom door slammed shut; Veronica stood and grabbed her coat from its hook. Her movements jerky, she motioned for Hunter to follow her. Christ, he knew there'd be some troubled waters to navigate, but he didn't think he'd said or done anything that horrible. It must be bad, though, if she didn't even want to do this inside the house.

  Filled with trepidation, Hunter stepped out onto the back patio. The chilly air frosted his breath. Veronica rounded on him the moment he slid the patio door shut. She was not going to fight with him within hearing distance from her son. And she was spoiling mad.

  "So you're leaving, just like that?" she asked in a flabbergasted tone, crossing her arms over her chest.

  "Only for a few weeks. I have work that I—"

  She angrily shook her head and held up her hand. "Save it. This is why I didn't want to let you in, Hunter. And then to say to Colin, hey how about you tag along there, sonny, without checking it with me first?"

  "Hold up, he's my son too, you know."

  "Let's get one thing straight. You might be a big bad Dom, but I'm that boy's mother. I will box your ears until little Tweetie birds start circling your head if you ever make an offer to take my son out of the country without checking with me first."

  "I have a right—"

  "No, Hunter, you don't. Parenting is not all partying, and making pancakes together. It's hard work. It's being dog-ass tired on your feet from a double shift and still needing to make sure they are fed, bathed, and in bed at a reasonable hour. Its sleepless nights when they are ill. It's a million and one things. And until you understand that, until you've put in more than a few 'how do you do's, you will not be taking my son anywhere."

  "You're forgetting that he's our son," Hunter protested.

  "I haven't forgotten, not for one single bloody moment, because I'm the one who's going to have to pick up the pieces of my child's heart when something better comes along for you."

  Her words hit far too close to home. That was what he'd done ten years ago. Instead of fighting for her, for what he truly wanted, he had taken another, easier route. He'd blamed it on work, but it was all his avoidance of messy issues, like feelings and commitment. "Roni, I'm not going to hurt him."

  "Save your theatrics for someone who doesn't know you like I do."

  "Roni, it's work, I have to do this."

  "I don't believe you. That's the same bullshit line you used on me ten years ago, or have you conveniently forgotten? If you leave like this, please don't come back. I won't allow you to treat Colin like a yoyo, whenever it's convenient for you. Parenting isn't convenient. It's hard; you make sacrifices for things that you want for them. If you're not willing to be there when Colin needs you, then please do us both a favor and make the break now."

  "Roni, I—"

  "No excuses, Hunter. It's not about either of us. I love you. I always will. But if you leave like this, I will hate you every bit as much as I have loved you for what it will do to Colin."

  And she slammed the door as she walked inside.

  Fuck.

  He'd royally screwed everything up. His heart thudded in his chest. Had he been wrong to suggest taking Colin out of the country without speaking to Veronica first? Probably. Running a hand through his hair in frustration, he could see her point, but he was new to the whole parenting thing. Shouldn't he get a pass, or something? And that was a lousy excuse for not thinking it through more thoroughly.

  Hunter stood out in the cold, reeling, knowing his career depended on him leaving, but for the first time in a long time, he questioned his tactics and his profession. Wiping a hand over his face as he paced, he considered his options. Maybe he should cancel his appearance at the Globes; claim illness. They'd get another presenter to fill in. He owed Roni an apology for being such a blockhead. Maybe if he begged forgiveness, he could fix things between them before he left. He had a charter plane to catch in a few hours that would take him to Edinburgh for his flight stateside. It might be just enough time.

  After an hour trying to decide out in the bitter cold, his phone
rang.

  "Ira," he answered. "What can I do for you?"

  Ira's cultured, no-nonsense voice responded. "Let me know when your plane lands, my boy, and I'll have a car pick you up. We have plenty to talk about. Some of the bigwigs over at Sony have a part for you that will set you up for a long time to come."

  "Okay, I'll email you my flight info and see you at LAX."

  At least he could always depend on Ira to have his back. His decision was made—as much as he wanted to stay, he had to put in his appearance at the Globes. After that, he'd see. Hunter shut the phone off and headed inside Roni's house. The place had descended into uneasy silence, and he went in search of Colin and Roni. He had to leave, for now, but he would be back this time. He trod up the stairs to Colin's room and knocked on the closed door.

  "Come in," his little voice said.

  Hunter pushed the door open. Colin lay on his bed, curled in a tiny ball, and Hunter could tell he had been crying but was trying to act brave. It felt like an arrow piercing his chest. The last thing he ever intended to do was to hurt him.

  "Are you really going to leave?" Colin's lip quivered. He looked so young and unsure.

  Hunter approached him and sat on the bed. "I have to, sport. It's for work, but I'll be back. Promise."

  "But you said you'd come to my show and tell at school."

  Hunter felt like he was balancing on quicksand, where no matter how he answered, it would somehow be wrong. He said, "I know, and I promise that I will once I get back. I can't wait to see your classroom. Can you do me a big favor while I'm gone?"

  Colin shrugged his shoulders, in a gesture so much like Roni, and said, "Yeah, I guess so."

  "Look after your mom for me. She's upset too, even though she might not show it."

  "She said you wouldn't come back." Colin's lip trembled more, and a tear slipped out.

  It crushed Hunter's heart to hear him voice Roni's fear, and to think that he would believe it. "Colin, I love you. You're my son. I will be back. I just have to take care of some things first." He left out the part where he didn't know if Roni would let him back into their lives. But that was a fight for another day.

  Colin threw his little arms around his neck. "I love you, Da."

  Love slammed through Hunter's system at hearing Colin call him Da for the first time. He pulled his son close, overwhelmed with the ferocity of his emotions for the little dude. He held him, stroking a hand over his head, inhaling his scent until Colin pulled back.

  "I'll even bring you back something, anything you'd like."

  "I don't need anything. Just come back."

  "I will."

  Hunter turned and found Roni watching them from the doorway of her room. She had his suitcase in her hand and a shuttered expression on her face. Her composure was formidable as he rose from Colin's bed.

  Hunter left Colin's room, giving him a wink and smile as he did. As he approached Roni, he tried to think of something, anything he could say to make her believe that he would come back this time.

  She held out his luggage to him. "Remember what I said. I meant it, Hunter, every word."

  Going on instinct alone, he yanked her into his arms and kissed her with everything he felt for her. He imbued the embrace with all his love, all his passion for her, and tried to reassure her with his touch that he would be back. He wouldn't let her break the kiss, either. He held her until he felt her surrender, and tangle her tongue with his in a heated duel.

  Only then did he break the kiss.

  "I'll be back, Roni."

  She didn't speak, gazing at him with contempt and tears in her eyes. She shoved him back and stormed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

  His last view of Roni struck Hunter like a sword through the chest; tears running down her stunning face, looking like she was on the verge of shattering into a million pieces.

  Hunter left the little white house on the tiny slip of land in Scotland and headed to the States. As he did, he wondered how it could feel so wrong to leave. His life, his livelihood was in Los Angeles.

  It wasn't until he was on his second flight from New York to Los Angeles that he realized he'd never told Roni that he loved her, had never stopped loving her, nor had he mentioned that he wanted more with her than a few wild nights. He craved her touch to the point where he didn't think he could live without it again. And he realized that, as much he enjoyed living in Los Angeles, he'd left his heart behind in Scotland.

  Chapter 12

  The moment Hunter left the house, Veronica stuffed all her heartbreak down inside, under lock and key. Colin needed her now more than ever. She left her room and walked the short distance to his. The home she'd built for the two of them, which had always been their reprieve from the world, now felt tainted with memories of Hunter.

  Colin was at his little wooden desk, working on one of his robots with tears streaming down his face.

  "Oh, baby. I'm so sorry." She knelt next to his chair, running her hand over his head.

  "Why did Da have to leave? Was I not good enough for him? When he comes back, I can be better so then he won't leave again."

  Veronica didn't think her heart could shatter any more than it already had but she had been so wrong. This was her son's first heartbreak and it ripped her to shreds.

  She pulled his trembling body into her arms. Consoling him, she sat on his bed, rocking back and forth as he sobbed his heart out. "Baby, Hunter didn't leave you because he wanted to. He's a very important actor. Do you know what those are?"

  He nodded. "Like the guys on TV."

  "That's right. And well, your Da is one of the best in the whole world. And sometimes he has responsibilities that he has to take care of that are part of his job. He will come back to visit you, just like he said he would, and maybe one of these days you can visit him. But Colin, I need you to understand this: your Da lives in America. Do you understand what that means?"

  "No." He hiccupped and swiped at his tears with his fist. If only she could take his suffering away

  "It means it might be harder for him to visit frequently. You know how we go and visit cousin Declan all the time?"

  "Uh-huh."

  "Well, we do that because he lives nearby. We can drive there in a few hours, right? Well, your Da lives in Los Angeles, which is a very long way away. In fact, back before we had cars and airplanes, it took people months to travel from Scotland to the west coast of America. All I'm trying to say is, it's not your fault, Colin. Your Da loves you very much. He didn't even know about you until recently, and that's my fault, not his. So if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me."

  "Why didn't you tell him about me earlier?"

  "It's complicated. Ask me again when you're older and I will try and explain, okay? Now, for this afternoon and tonight, how about we go have a movie marathon and ice cream?"

  "But what about my bedtime? I won't get to watch the movies until the end."

  "Tonight, my lad, is your lucky night. We'll watch movies until we both pass out from exhaustion, and eat huge bowls of ice cream with loads of fudge."

  Colin whooped and charged down the stairs, his heartbreak forgotten—for now, at least. As for her own, that was another story entirely.

  Their days fell into an uneasy pattern. Colin started back at primary school, his winter holiday over. Veronica was back at work in full. In the mornings, after she dropped Colin off, she would head to the office at the newspaper and crank out another article. In the evenings, she met Colin at the pub after school. While she took orders and waited tables, she helped him with his arithmetic, social studies, and reading. Her Ma manned the bar, and made sure Colin ate his dinner. After he had finished with his homework and dinner, he'd help Veronica out on the floor. She avoided bringing Hunter up, hoping that Colin would move on from it.

  Except, every time she watched her son smile, her heart broke just a little bit more. Damn Hunter for waltzing in and completely wrecking her happy home. Her heart kept on breaking, day b
y day, piece by piece, until she wondered if there would be anything left if he did return. Did she even want him to come back? For Colin, absolutely. Now that he knew about his Da, it was hurting him not getting to spend time with him. As for herself, she wasn't sure. She'd woken up at night, reaching for him, only to encounter empty space and sob until she drifted back to sleep. Veronica couldn't go on this way. Feeling like she was stretched thin from attempting to appear as if nothing was amiss.

  Two weeks passed, where all Veronica could say was that she was still breathing. She cried at night, after Colin went to sleep, but it didn't help. Like a glutton for punishment, she'd watched him at the Golden Globes, where he smiled and preened for the camera. Her heart sank like an ill-fated ship at sea the entire time. That was where his life was, in Los Angeles, under the glimmering Hollywood lights and cameras. Not six thousand miles away on a blip of Scotland, where the locals held on to the past with a righteous fervor.

  She had to wake up. Hunter hadn't called her, didn't contact them in any way. He'd made the break already, it was time she wised up for both herself and Colin's sake. After two weeks had passed with no sign of Hunter, Veronica decided that she had had enough heartbreak in her life. It was time for her and Colin to start fresh. Her son wanted to go to Disneyland; she'd start looking in to arranging it for his summer break. They didn't need Hunter. Maybe her cousin would lend them one of his private jets to ferry them across the Atlantic.

  Veronica knew that, as hard as it might be, it was time to move on, completely. She had to have a funeral for the love she felt for Hunter. She had to bury it deeply inside her so that it no longer dominated and controlled her life.

  That evening at the pub, Veronica served old man Cameron; his white tufts of hair sticking out at odd angles, making him appear like a deranged version of Einstein. He'd ordered his normal Friday night meal, haggis. The dish was disgusting in her mind, but it was a tradition, and for pub-goers, her Da served some of the finest on the west coast of Scotland. And, if there was one thing this town was good for, it was that they didn't break with tradition. When Colin dashed out from the kitchen with tears in his eyes, she saw red.