Bree shot me a dirty look.
“So someone did hurt you. Who was he? I’ll kill him!” Willa nearly shouted.
“Calm down, Calamity Jane. No one’s killing anyone.”
Ciara started to cry, and Bree flashed a smirk. “Saved by the crying baby.”
Willa stood and pointed at Bree. “Oh, this is far from over, Brighton Rogers.”
Hunter
James and Sharon stared at me and Bella, wrapping their heads around the bomb we’d just dropped.
“Moving in together? So soon?” Sharon asked.
“Mom, it’s not like we just started dating,” Bella said with a nervous laugh.
James cleared his throat. “No, but you’ve been through an awful lot in the last few days, Arabella. Are you sure this is something you want to do? Maybe you’re acting on…emotion.”
Bella reached for my hand while James pierced me with a stare that said he was not happy.
“I am acting on an emotion. It’s called love. Dad, I’ve pushed Hunter away long enough. I want to move on with my life, and that means moving on with Hunter by my side.”
“I understand that, sweetheart, but moving in is such a big…well…thing,” Sharon stated.
Bella let out a soft breath and closed her eyes. My heart started to pound in my chest. Was she going to agree with her folks and decide not to move in with me?
After what felt like a million years, Bella opened her eyes and smiled at her folks. “Mom, Dad, I love that you’ve been there for me the last ten years and that you’ve never pushed. If it wasn’t for you and the apiary, I’m not sure where I would be right now. But what I need, more than anything, is Hunter. I need the life we planned together years ago. And I want to start that life now. I still plan on going to therapy, because I’m not naïve enough to think that everything is suddenly okay. But with Hunter by my side, things are already so much better. I…well…I need to do this.”
“What about the store? The café?” James asked.
Drawing in another breath, Bella peeked at me. I squeezed her hand. “I know how much you and Mom have been talking about retiring lately. You can’t deny you’re both burned out, and let’s be honest, I’ve pretty much been running the business side of things for the past five years anyway.”
They both nodded. I wasn’t even been aware I had been holding my breath until I was forced to take one.
“It’s winter, and Hunter bought the old Wickerman farm. There’s about one-hundred acres and plenty of room to move the bees over there.”
Sharon frowned. “Move the bees?”
I looked over at James and saw him nod his head ever so slightly. He must have already been thinking seriously about retirement. Whereas Sharon had always had the apiary right here, where she’d grew up her whole life.
“I was talking to Greer at lunch, and she said there’s a little storefront on Main Street that would be a perfect place to move the store and maybe open up a bigger café.”
“Oh goodness, Arabella Adams,” Sharon said. “You do not have time to run the apiary, a store, and a café!”
Bella laughed. “I know, especially if we want to start a family right away.”
“What?!” Sharon’s concerned expression was suddenly replaced with a wide grin. “A family?”
“Have you both talked about this already?” James asked. “What about marriage?”
Bella and I both nodded. “I’d marry Bella today if she’d let me,” I said.
Sharon put her hand to her forehead. “Oh, James! I think I might pass out. Give me a moment, kids.” She stood and took a few deep breaths and James stood as well.
Leaning over, I whispered against Bella’s ear, “Maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned the family thing just yet.”
She smiled and placed her hand over her stomach, causing me to look down and then back up at her. My heart did a little somersault in my chest at the idea that Bella could already be pregnant. With as much sex as we’d had last night and earlier this morning, it wouldn’t be a surprise. The idea that she wanted to start a family right away had me over the damn moon.
“I think she can handle it,” Bella whispered back.
Sharon turned and walked back over with James at her side. They both sat on the sofa again. “I’m sorry, the idea of grandkids just got me a little excited,” she said.
James laughed. “Not gonna lie, me too.”
“As I was saying,” Bella said, “I’d move the bees to the farm. And I’ve already spoken to Candace, and she’s totally on board with running the café while I help out with the storefront. She’s actually really excited, since this is a dream of hers.”
Sharon’s smile grew even wider. “I knew that girl had a passion for all things baking and cooking. I could just tell by the way she moved around in that little kitchen up at the store.”
Bella and I both laughed.
“I’d also like to look into expanding the picnic baskets I’ve been making,” Bella said. “With Candace running the café, it means I won’t have to be at the store all the time, and I think it could be something I’d really like to do.”
“What about the apiary tours?” her mom asked. “Would you still do them? You know how much your grandmother and grandfather loved to teach folks about bees.”
“Yes, of course, I still would. The bees will always be my top priority. My dream is to teach our kids about the bees.”
I could see that the idea of grandkids had James and Sharon about to bounce out of their seats. I felt the same way.
Her parents exchanged a look, then turned back to us. “Well then, it looks like we’ve got some bees to move and a wedding to plan,” Sharon said.
Bella jumped up and ran over to her parents. She hugged them both, and then she and Sharon started to laugh and cry at the same time.
James walked over to me and hit me on the back. “It’s about damn time.”
I stood and looked out the window of our new house, watching as Bella, Willa, and Ben all walked down the freshly shoveled pathway to check on the apiary. It was mid-March and we had been in the house now for almost a week. Clearing a spot for all the hives and moving them had been a hell of a lot more work than any of us had anticipated, but seeing how happy Bella was made it all worthwhile.
Moving our little friends hadn’t been the only thing occupying our time. Bella and I drove into Boston last weekend and picked out an engagement ring, deciding on the way back to Boggy Creek that we wanted to get married on the farm, in the gazebo. That meant we needed to wait a few more months for warmer weather. If it made Bella happy, then I was all for it. But a small part of me just wanted to make her my wife immediately.
Bella and Candace both signed the rental agreement for the storefront on Main Street, and the contractor would start working on it next week. They needed to add a kitchen, and the contractor was optimistic it would only take a month since things were slow and he could get a double crew on it. There was so much going on—and I fucking loved seeing Bella thrive.
“How’s the therapy going?” Aiden asked as he walked up and handed me the beer I’d set down in the kitchen.
“Good. Bella goes once a week by herself, and I join her for a second session.”
Aiden looked out the window and gently rubbed Ciara’s back where she slept in some weird sack thing that was strapped onto the front of him. It was like a backpack for babies. “Everything been good?”
I could hear the concern in Aiden’s voice. “She’s woken up maybe twice from nightmares. Will she ever stop having them?”
He nodded. “I think so. I still have them occasionally. Not sure what triggers them. The best thing you can do is simply be there for her.”
“Yeah. I know. I just hate that she’d dealt with this on her own for so long. She told me the other day she felt like she was alive again. That she could finally breathe. Every time I think about it, I want to kill that motherfucker.”
Aiden placed his hand on my shoulder and gave it a
slight squeeze. “I know, dude. I know. Tell me how the wedding plans are coming.”
I smiled. That was clearly Aiden’s way of deflecting my anger into something he knew would make me happy.
“They’re good. We’re hoping for a late April or early May wedding.”
“I like that you guys are doing it in the gazebo.”
I took a drink of my beer. “Me too. It just feels like a dream sometimes, Aiden. I’d wanted Bella back in my life for so long and sometimes I have to pinch myself. I know it looks like we’re moving fast, but—”
“Dude, you don’t have to explain shit to me. You and Bella know how fast or slow you want to go. It’s not like you just met each other. You love her, she loves you, and you want to marry each other. Why wait?”
“Exactly,” I said, lifting my beer to tap his. The sound caused Ciara to jump a little, then let out a little sigh.
“This kid could sleep through a gun battle,” Aiden said, kissing the top of his daughter’s head. “How soon do you guys want to start a family?”
When I didn’t answer right away, I felt Aiden’s eyes on me. “Holy shit. Hunter?”
Turning, I looked at him and smiled.
“Bella’s pregnant?”
“She was supposed to start her period but hasn’t yet. Honestly, I’m not surprised. Every chance we get, we’re all over each other.”
Aiden grinned.
“We haven’t taken a test or anything. I’m not sure why. I think deep down, Bella’s a little scared.”
His grin turned to a frown. “Scared of what?”
I shrugged. “Maybe having what happened to Abby and Bishop happen to us? I think she’s just so happy that she’s waiting for the rug to be pulled out from under her. Like maybe deep down, she can’t believe we finally found our way back to each other.”
Rubbing the back of his neck, Aiden said, “I’m not going to lie to you, I was a nervous wreck those first few months. Every time Willa made a face, I asked what was wrong. I think by the time she finally had the baby, Willa was ready to rip my balls off and shove them down my throat.”
I laughed. “We have an appointment in a couple of weeks.”
“Well, I don’t want to jump the gun, but I’m happy for you, Hunter.”
Our eyes met, and I felt tears prick the back of mine. “Thanks, Aiden. To be honest, deep inside, I never gave up hope…but there were times I wanted to. I wanted to forget and move on. I never could, though.”
“A love like that doesn’t fade away easily. Trust me, I know. I was in love with Willa for as long as I can remember.” He smiled and glanced at his baby before looking back up. “Now we just have to get Kyle settled.”
“And Adam.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “He’s in Boston and married to his damn job.”
Laughing, I turned and saw Bella and Willa heading back in. Ben was in Bella’s arms, and I felt the strangest warmth spread across my chest as I watched her talking to him while they walked. Ben was bundled up in his winter coat, laughing at something Bella said.
“Wait until it’s your own child in her arms. It does something weird to you. Like a fire racing through your entire body while your heart feels like it’s about to combust in your chest.”
I rubbed at my heart and simply nodded.
My phone rang and I pulled it out of my pocket. “His ears must have been burning. It’s Kyle,” I said as I swiped across the phone. “Hey, what’s up?”
“He’s back from Europe.”
My heart felt like it paused in my chest. “When?”
“Last night. The PI said he got home around eleven, then went out to some night club and came home with a woman who left early this morning.”
As Aiden walked toward the front door to meet Bella, Willa, and Ben, I started for my new office upstairs.
Ever since I’d found out where Colby Wilkins lived, I’d had someone watching his every move. He’d left for a business trip to Europe almost two weeks ago, and I’d been waiting for him to return.
Shutting the door to my office, I heard Jack bark on the other side. He’d gone out with Bella and Willa, and must have come back inside when they did. I opened the door and let him in.
“I’m going up there,” I said to Kyle, trying to keep my voice calm. I sat behind the desk and swiveled my chair around, staring out the window at nothing.
Kyle sighed. “Hunter, are you sure you want to do this? Bella seems to be doing well, she’s moving on. Maybe you need to let this go.”
I let out a cold laugh. “Let it go? Let me ask you something. If this was Greer we were talking about, would you let it go? The fucker is walking around free, and God knows if he’s done this to someone else.”
Kyle remained quiet for a few moments, then said, “I’ll check the weather, make sure it’s clear all the way up to Maine. What’s our reason for leaving?”
“We can say we’re going ice fishing.”
He sighed. “Fuck, I hate ice fishing.”
Rolling my eyes, I said, “We’re not really fishing, you dipshit. Besides, when we come back empty-handed, it won’t be a surprise since we’ve never had any luck with ice fishing.”
Kyle snorted. “When do you want to leave?”
“We’re off the next two days, so first thing tomorrow morning. Just in case we need to stay the night.”
“You bringing Jack?”
“Fuck yeah, I’m bringing Jack,” I said, reaching down and giving Jack a good scratch behind the ears.
“I’ll pick you up at six a.m.”
Nodding, I replied, “Sounds good. I want to get to Maine as soon as possible. But…you know you don’t have to go, Kyle.”
This time, he let out a humorless laugh. “And let you kill the motherfucker? Bella just got you back; I don’t think she wants to see you behind bars.”
“I have no intention of killing him. I just want to make him feel a little of the pain Bella’s had to feel over the last decade.”
“And I’ll be there to make sure you don’t go too far. See you tomorrow.”
“I’ll see you then.”
I hit End and let out a long breath. I was finally going to see this fucker face to face.
“What excuse are you giving Arabella?”
I nearly let out a girly scream at the sound of Aiden’s voice. I turned around and stared at him. Ciara was no longer strapped to his chest, and I assumed Willa had her now. “How the fuck did you get in here without Jack alerting me?”
Aiden’s eyes went to the now-sleeping dog at my feet. “I don’t think I’m a threat to Jack, and he knows I’m not one to you. Now—what excuse are you giving Arabella about leaving to go track down Colby?”
I continued to stare at Aiden in shock for a moment.
“You’re not the only one who knows his name. I also know you have a tail on him.”
I slowly shook my head. “Are you still secretly working for the Navy? How did you know that’s what we were talking about?”
Aiden smirked. “Only needed to hear a few bits of the conversation with Kyle to know what you were up to. I’m going. So, what’s our plan?”
I opened and closed my mouth at least three times before I said, “What do you mean, you’re going?”
“Just what I said. There’s no fucking way I’m letting you confront that asshole with just Kyle. You need all of us there with you, Hunter.”
Swallowing hard, I asked, “All of us?”
“Bishop’s going to want to come, so we need to come up with a believable story, because we all have women in our lives who can smell bullshit from a mile away.”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
“Except Kyle,” Aiden and I both said at the same time. Clearing my throat, I added, “Ice fishing.”
He nodded. “That’ll work. We can tell the girls we just planned it.”
“Aiden, I…” My voice cracked, and I tried to keep talking, but he walked up to me and placed his hand on my shoulder.
“You
’d do it for any of us, and you wouldn’t think twice. I’m always going to be here for you, brother. Always.”
I pulled him in and hugged him. “I love you, man.”
He gave me a good smack on the back. “I love you, too, bro.”
Arabella
I stared at the stick in my hand and tried to focus through my tears. Two pink lines were in the small window—and every time I looked at them, I cried harder.
Hunter had left early this morning to go on a last-minute fishing trip with the guys. For some reason, I found myself staring at the home pregnancy test I’d bought the other day, the one I hadn’t mentioned to him. After sitting in the bathroom for what felt like forever, I finally peed on the damn thing.
The sound of the front door closing had me calling out, “Bree! I’m in the bedroom.”
Loud thuds grew closer before she burst into the room. “Okay, I got every kind of test I could find.”
I nodded and set the test down on the side table. I had taken it over two hours ago, shortly after Hunter left. I wasn’t sure why I’d waited for him to leave. No—I did know. I wanted this baby so badly, and I knew Hunter did as well. If it had been negative, the last thing I wanted to see was sadness in his eyes.
When I saw the double lines—meaning I was pregnant—I needed confirmation. So I called the one person I could count on to not freak out. Brighton. I also knew she wouldn’t call everyone else to tell them.
She started to dig through the bags. “We’ve got Clearblue, First Response, Stix, Modern Fertility, Equate, CVS Brand, and then I found these strips. Grabbed some of those too.”
I stared at all the boxes on my bed. “I don’t even remember seeing all these brands.”
Bree let out a laugh that almost sounded hysterical. “Oh, I went to four different stores. I’m pretty sure word will spread around Boggy Creek that I’m knocked up and needing extra confirmation.”
I brought my hand up to my mouth and tried not to laugh. “I’m so sorry, Bree.”
She waved me off and picked up the First Response. “Let’s do this one first.” I held out my hand, and she put the box in it. “Then let’s do these strips. They look cool!”
Surrender to Me (Boggy Creek Valley Book 4) Page 20