Hunter
I walked up the porch steps of my folks’ house and was about to knock when my father opened the door.
“Well, this is a surprise, son. To what do we owe the honor?”
Smiling, I gave him a quick hug and walked in. My mother was sitting in the oversized chair Dad had bought her for Christmas a few years ago. She loved to knit in that chair. She was so tiny, the damn thing about swallowed her whole.
“I was hoping I might be able to talk to you both.” I leaned down and kissed my mom on the cheek. “Making a blanket for Ciara?”
She smiled. “I am. Now that we know she’s a little girl, I need to get working on it.”
Nodding, I took a seat in the chair opposite her while my dad sat down on the sofa. I drew in a deep breath and let it out as I looked around my childhood home.
“How was lunch with Arabella yesterday?” Mom asked.
I snapped my head back to face her. “How did you know I had lunch with…” Then I rolled my eyes. “Never mind, don’t answer that.”
Both my parents chuckled, then Mom said, “It’s Boggy Creek, Hunter. When your son is seen standing outside The Coffee Pot kissing his ex-girlfriend, the news gets back to his mother rather quickly.”
“Gotta love a small town,” I mumbled.
“From what I could tell the other day at Willa’s house, there was something brewing between the two of you,” Dad said with a wink.
“I thought you were going to expire when you saw Arabella holding Ciara. I know how much you long for a family of your own,” my mother added with a look that said she was already making plans for a wedding.
“I’ll admit that it took me by surprise to see Bella holding the baby. And yes, I might have wished that it was our baby for a moment.”
“Our baby? So you still have feelings for her?” my father asked. Mom shot him a look as she shook her head in disbelief.
“Seriously, Jack? Did you really just ask the boy that? It’s obvious he never stopped loving her. Men can be so dense sometimes.”
My dad looked at Mom. “I’m sorry, sweetheart, I don’t have the magical powers that you seem to possess in certain areas. I cannot, nor do I want to, understand how you know these things.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
With a shake of her head, Mom focused back on me. “What’s going on, Hunter? I see it in your eyes.”
I wasn’t sure how my mother knew when one of her kids was off in some way, but she always did. Dad was right: Mom had magical powers, indeed.
“I’m not sure what to do.”
“About?” my mother asked.
“I stayed with Bella for most of the day yesterday and last night. She asked me to be patient with her, and I’m going to be. I know she wants to tell me the reason she broke up with me, but she can’t for some reason. And over the years I’ve had bad thoughts about what might have happened to her, though I’ve never admitted it to anyone, let alone myself. I’m having a hard time processing that.”
My father sat up on the sofa and looked at me. “Bad thoughts?”
I pressed my finger and thumb to the bridge of my nose in an attempt to ease the headache that was growing. I had struggled to even decide if I wanted to talk to my folks about this, but I knew they would help guide me. Honestly, I felt lost. “Every time I touch her, even if it’s just to put my arm around her, she stiffens. She doesn’t want me to do anything other than kiss her.”
Both of them exchanged a look of concern and then faced me. “Have you asked her what happened?” Mom asked.
I nodded. “Yes. Many times. I think she’s afraid to tell me.”
Dad cleared his throat before he spoke. “Then you be patient with her, son. It seems like she took a rather big step yesterday. From what you’ve told us, she’s been treating you like nothing more than a casual acquaintance over the years, or, dare I say, a stranger at times. Now you’re kissing her on Main Street. You spent nearly the entire day with her yesterday—”
“And last night,” Mom added.
The corners of Dad’s mouth curled up in a slight smile. “I’m going to guess you’re seeing her again?”
“Yes.”
He smiled wider. “Then try not to let your imagination run wild. Enjoy the time you spend with Arabella, and trust her to tell you when she’s ready.”
“I’m going to agree with your father,” his mom said. “We could sit here all day and speculate about what happened, why Arabella did what she did. I know you were hurt, but I think she was just as hurt—if not more—to have pushed you away. In the long run, you’ll only find out the answers when she’s ready to share them. I know you love her still. You’ve waited this long, Hunter. A little longer won’t hurt you.”
Standing, I walked over to my mother and kissed her on the forehead. “Thanks, Mom. I know you’re right. I won’t push her, I promise.”
She smiled up at me. “I never thought you would. We raised you better than that. Why don’t you invite her over for dinner? We’ll invite a few other people so it doesn’t seem like the focus is all on the two of you.”
“I think she’d love that. Just let me know when, and I’ll ask her.”
“Done. I’ll look at my schedule later and text you.”
Dad stood, and I turned to face him. “You know we’ve always loved Arabella, and I never once thought ill of her. I think you’re right, though, son. Something happened that scared her, and I hope it’s not what I think we all suspect.”
I thought back to Bella mentioning the nightmares but decided to keep that to myself. With a nod, I said, “Yeah, same here, Dad. Thanks for letting me stop by and talk to you guys. I just don’t want to push her in any way. The last thing I want is for her to pull away again.”
They both smiled at me as my mother said, “I don’t think she will, Hunter. Anyone can see how the two of you look at each other. You’re both still very much in love.”
“And your mother is right again,” my dad chimed in. “It’s obvious you love one another.”
“I do love her; I never stopped loving her.”
Dad hit me on the side of the arm. “Then she’ll be worth the wait. Now, where’s my namesake granddog?”
Jack bounded by as he chased a tennis ball that Kyle had just thrown across our shared office. Cat wasn’t far behind Jack, tripping up on her large paws and tumbling.
“That’s it, Cat! Keep up with him!” Kyle said with a laugh.
I looked from the two dogs over to Kyle, who was sitting at the desk across the room from me. Thanks to Kyle’s dad being the police chief, we always worked the same shift, so it made it easier when we wanted to do things together on our days off. Like go fishing.
“I still cannot believe you named your police dog…Cat,” I said.
Kyle shrugged. “Her name is Catherine, Cat for short.”
“You could at least spell it with a K.”
Kyle shot me a look. “That would take away the meaning of the name.”
I sat there for a few minutes and watched the two dogs play, racking my brain to try and figure out why in the hell Kyle would name his dog Catherine. I knew him. There was a meaning behind it, like he’d said, but what was it? I’d named Jack after my dad because he’s my hero. But Catherine? He’d never dated anyone by that name. Hell, I was pretty sure there wasn’t even anyone in school with us by that name. We went to the same college, and unless he just never told me about her, I was clueless.
Turning in the chair, I thought about the movie marathon I’d ended up having with Bella. All Jane Austen movies. Damn, Thursday had been one of the best nights I’d spent in a long time. I stared at the computer screen—then spun around and looked at Kyle as it hit me.
“Holy shit.” I laughed and shook my head as I pointed at him. “You named her after—”
Kyle threw a book at me. “Don’t even say it. You will take that to the grave, Hunter.”
I lost it laughing. “Dude, you need a fucking girlfriend.”
He rolled his eyes and started to turn toward his computer before he looked back at me. “Wait. How did lunch with Arabella go?”
“Nice change of subject.”
Kyle raised his brows. “I take it by your happy mood that things went well.”
“I think so. We had a bit of a rough start in the beginning. I got angry and wish I hadn’t, but it all worked out. Thanks for picking up her car and bringing it to her house, by the way.”
He smiled. “No problem. I’m just really glad to see you both talking and spending time together. How long did you stay at her place?”
I rubbed the back of my neck. “I left around six in the morning.”
“You stayed all night?”
When I didn’t say anything, Kyle threw Cat’s leash at me. “Don’t stop there, dude, what happened?”
I gave a nonchalant shrug. “We talked. Not about the past, but we talked and watched a few movies. I kissed her a couple times. Then she fell asleep in my arms on her sofa, and I didn’t have the heart to leave. She was sleeping so soundly, which is something she said she has a hard time doing.”
Kyle frowned slightly, then smiled. “You guys kissed?”
“Yeah.” I smiled too. “Once outside the restaurant when she was about to leave, and a few times at her place. Nothing over the top.”
Kyle slapped his hand over his chest. “Dude, I’m shook.”
I laughed. “You and me both. I’ve been questioning my own sanity and praying it wasn’t just a dream.” I met Kyle’s gaze. “She asked me to be patient with her, so that’s what I’m going to do. I just wish she’d talk to me. And tell me why she broke up with me.”
Something moved over Kyle’s face, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Leaning forward in my seat, I asked, “Kyle, if you knew, you’d tell me, right?”
He nodded. “Of course, I would, but I don’t know. I think whatever happened really fucked her up, though.”
“Yeah, I do too. She stiffened a few times when I touched her or put my arm around her. She tried to play it off, but I don’t know. What do I do to get her to talk to me? I honestly don’t think we can move on if she keeps this inside. I wish she’d trust me.”
“Give her time, Hunter. You’ve both taken a huge step, and she’s obviously been hiding something that’s big enough to make her give up her life with you. Hell, give up her entire life. She’s come a long way in the last year or so. You’ve waited this long, you can wait some more.”
“That’s exactly what my folks said.” Jack walked up to me and nudged my hand. “She fell asleep on the sofa while we were watching Pride and Prejudice.”
Kyle gasped. “Who the hell falls asleep during Pride and Prejudice? That’s blasphemy!”
Hiding my smile, I said, “Not everyone is a Janeite like you.”
He pointed a finger at me. “That’s the pot calling the kettle black.”
Ignoring him, I went on. “Anyway, I got up to go to the bathroom and while I was gone, I heard Jack growl and bark. Then Bella screamed.”
When I said his name, Jack looked up at me. I reached down and gave him a pat on the head.
“Why did he bark?”
I turned to face Kyle. “I think he sensed Bella having a nightmare, and he woke her up. When I walked into the room he was practically on top of her, licking her face. She said she had a bad dream. It sounds like she gets them often, and they keep her from sleeping.”
Kyle blew out a breath. “I wonder if she’s ever talked to anyone. I asked Greer, and she said not that she knows of. Greer says she doesn’t know what happened either…but I know for a fact Abby does.”
Sitting up straighter, I prompted him to go on. “How do you know that?”
“Remember I took them both on a hike a few months ago? When we got to the top of the trail, Abby turned to Arabella and told her to scream. To get it all out. I didn’t think anything of it until Arabella screamed once, then twice, then a third time. I got chills, Hunter. It was like she was screaming for her life. She broke down crying hysterically.”
My stomach dropped. “What?”
Kyle nodded. “Dude, her scream caused all the hair on my body to stand up. I could hear it in her voice. The anger and fear all wrapped together. Abby gave me a look that begged for privacy, so I walked away. But there’s clearly something tormenting Arabella. And whatever it is, it’s what made her push you away.”
I leaned forward and rested my arms on my legs. “I just wish she would tell me. I can’t figure out why she won’t trust me with it.”
His face wore a conflicted expression. “I don’t think it has anything to do with not trusting you, Hunter. I think…” His voice trailed off.
“What?” I asked.
Clearing his throat, he said, “I don’t think she thinks that. I don’t want to make guesses or assumptions, Hunter. The main thing is, she’s letting you back in.”
I smiled. “She told me she never stopped loving me.”
Kyle returned the expression but didn’t say anything.
The door to the office opened just then, and Chris Smith, a fellow police officer and the head of our K9 training department, walked in.
Jack sat up like the well-trained dog he was, while Cat ran so fast toward Chris, she tripped over her own feet again, tumbling and landing in a sitting position. Kyle smiled like a proud father, while Chris slowly shook his head and sighed.
“Christ. We’ve got a lot of work to do with her,” Chris mumbled as Kyle reached down and picked up Cat. Her ears were starting to stand up, and she looked adorable.
“What are you talking about?” Kyle said. “She’s already a genius. You ready to show Chris what you know, girl?”
Cat barked, and Chris laughed.
“Let’s go, officers, I’ve got everything set up,” he said.
It was training day, and Cat was going to get to see how a real police dog was supposed to act.
I gathered up my stuff and grabbed the duffle bag that held the bite suit. “Come on, Jack, let’s show Cat how it’s done.”
Jack walked alongside me while Cat took off between Chris’s legs and damn near knocked him down.
“Goddammit, Larson! Leash! Where is her leash?”
Hunter
I shook the snow off of me, and so did Jack, before we both walked into the house. It was the first week of February, and needless to say, Mr. Winter was making sure it was cold as fuck.
I sighed and tossed my keys on the table by the front door. To say I was exhausted was an understatement. It was a long day on patrol, and then Jack and I were called in to help the State Police with a drug suspect who had run from them during a home invasion. We normally didn’t get calls like that, but we were the closest K9 unit to the scene. Boggy Creek was still a small town, and crime wasn’t anything like in Boston, but we did have our fair share of it. As more people moved out of the city and into the country, crime came along with them. There was for sure an uptick of drugs in the Valley, no doubt about it.
Jack ran into the kitchen, sat at the refrigerator, and looked at the freezer drawer. Laughing, I gave him a scratch behind his ears, then spoke in a higher-pitched voice like I always did when I praised him.
“Dats a good boy-ya. Who got that bad guy today? Who is da best puppy on the force?” Even Jack most likely realized he was the only dog on the force. Well, besides Cat.
Jack barked and stood as I pulled out a Frosty Paws frozen dog treat and opened it. I set it in his dog bowl and he picked it up and headed to his bed in the living room to eat it.
I started to take my gear off when the doorbell rang. Jack looked up, then at me.
“You just keep enjoying that treat, buddy.”
When I opened the door, I grinned. Bella stood there with the sweetest smile on her beautiful face. It had been nearly a week since we’d been able to see each other. One of the guys at work had the flu, so I’d taken his shifts. “Bella, what are you doing here?”
> She looked nervous as she gave me a good once-over. “Are you and Jack okay?”
I frowned. “Yeah, why wouldn’t we be?”
Chewing on her lip, she looked toward Jack and smiled before focusing back on me. “I heard you got called out to help the State Police, and that Jack took down a robber or drug dealer or something like that.”
I lifted a brow. There was no way the town gossips had picked up on that so quickly. “And where did you hear that?” I asked, motioning for her to come in.
Her cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she walked in, looking everywhere but at me.
“Arabella Adams, are you listening to the police channel?”
Her eyes finally lifted and met mine, and her blush deepened—and shit if that didn’t turn me on.
“Maybe.”
Laughing, I shut the front door and headed back toward the kitchen. I turned to ask her if she wanted anything to drink, and caught her red-handed checking me out.
“Are you checking out my ass?” I asked with a wink.
Bella’s eyes went wide with shock. “What? No! I mean, yes—no, I was just looking at your pants and they fit… No wait.” She slammed both hands over her mouth and closed her eyes for a moment.
I laughed and started to pull off my vest. God, it felt good to just kid around with her. Talk to her. Hear her voice. Her laughter. See that stunning smile of hers.
Her eyes watched my every move as I took off all my gear. “It’s just…well…you look handsome in your uniform.”
Fucking hell.
I groaned internally and had to fight the urge to pull her into my arms and kiss the shit out of her. “Think so?” I asked with a lighthearted tone.
Bella nodded. “I’ve always thought so, I just never told you.”
I paused for a moment. “I’m glad you did.”
She smiled that sweet smile of hers, and I swore I fell even more in love with her.
Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley Book 4) Page 6