by Devney Perry
“Hunter!” Coby sprinted toward my legs. “Are you coming to my game?”
I bent and caught him before he could crash into my knees. Then I picked him up and tossed him high. “You bet I am! I’ve got to be there to cheer when you hit a home run.”
Coby’s smile was infectious. As much as I loved Maisy, I was in just as deep with this boy.
I settled him on my hip and let him wrap his arms around my neck. “I missed you these past few days, buddy.”
“I missed you too.” He hugged me tighter. “Mommy said you were taking care of other people because you’re a doctor. She said you’re like Captain America.”
Maisy was bragging me up? Now that felt amazing.
I looked over to her at the door and winked. “Thanks, Blondie.”
She smiled and made my world a little brighter.
I squeezed Coby again, then set him down, smoothing out his Prescott Café T-Ball shirt. “Where’s your glove?”
“My room.”
“Go get it.”
As Coby ran off, I bent down to pick up Pickle, who was attacking my feet. This was a good day. Even the dog had missed me. I set Pickle back down and I stepped over to Maisy, pulling her into my side.
“No more nights apart. Even if we fight, we’ve got to work it out. I can’t be gone from you guys for this long.”
Her head fell into my chest and her hand slipped into my back jeans pocket. “No more nights apart.”
I kissed her temple and let her go just as Coby came barreling back down the hall. “Ready!”
After depositing Pickle in his crate, I took the keys to Maisy’s car and loaded up my girl and my boy to drive them to the T-ball game.
“Uncle Beau!” Coby shouted the minute I lifted him out of his car seat.
“Coby, remember you have to call him Coach Holt tonight,” Maisy said, stepping out of the 4Runner.
“Oops.” He giggled. “Coach Holt!”
“Wait, wait, wait.” Maisy grabbed Coby’s hand before he could go running off. “You’re in a parking lot.”
He smacked his palm to his forehead. “Whoops. I forgot.”
“Goofball,” Maisy teased. “Come on. Look both ways, then we can go.”
She slipped her hand in mine and we crossed the gravel parking lot.
I scanned the people standing in huddles on the green grass and recognized a few faces. I spotted Beau and Jess, the team’s co-coaches, talking to a group of guys leaning against the chain-link fence that bordered the field. Gigi and her girls were sitting on a wooden bench while Ben was lapping the bases with a couple of other kids.
“This is a nice complex,” I told Maisy as we walked.
“I think so too. Prescott might not have a lot of kids, but the community is great about supporting the teams we have.”
It was one of the things I loved about this town. It was one of the many things I loved about Maisy. The pride she had in her town. The pride she had in The Bitterroot Inn. She’d worked hard to create a place that the citizens of Prescott cherished.
And they didn’t just love her motel. They loved her.
Over the last few days, word that Maisy and I were together had spread like wildfire. Oblivious to our fight, all of the patients I’d seen in the last four days had done nothing but sing her praises.
“You know, you’re a part of that,” I told her. “People take a lot of pride in what you’ve done at the motel.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” she told her flip-flops. “I think people are still waiting for me to fail.”
I shook my head, wishing she knew just how special she was. “They’re proud of what you’ve built.”
She shrugged and waved to her parents, who were setting up camp chairs in the grassy rise behind home plate.
I dropped the motel conversation but silently vowed to make her see just how remarkable she was. Just like I’d been telling her over the last month how lucky Coby was to have her as his mom.
In time, I’d make her see it all.
“Hi, guys!” Marissa said as we reached their spot. She finished laying out a huge denim blanket on the grass, then came over to Coby for a kiss on his cheek. She hugged Maisy, then turned to me. “I’m so glad you’re here, Hunter.”
“Me too.”
Marissa gave me a hug, then looked over her shoulder to summon Maisy’s dad. “Brock! Get over here and meet Hunter.”
A large man, Beau’s size but with an unhealthy belly, came walking over with Michael at his side.
I held out my hand as he did the same. “Mr. Holt. Nice to meet you. I’m Hunter Faraday.”
He grabbed my hand and shook it back with two hard pumps. “Brock Holt. Glad you could make it.”
He let me go and I held out my hand to Michael. “Good to see you again.”
“You too. Glad you could make it.”
Both of the Holt men gave Maisy a hug, then doted on Coby.
“Remember,” Michael told his nephew, “you’ve got to hustle to first as soon as you hit the ball. Don’t stop. Run through the bag.”
Coby nodded. “I practiced with Un—Coach Holt.”
“And don’t forget, Grandson,” Brock said. “They might not be keeping score, but I am.”
“Dad,” Maisy scolded at the same time my eyes snapped to Brock.
“What?” I asked. “They’re not keeping score? Then who wins?”
“Exactly!” Brock boomed, throwing up his hands. “Who the hell knows? Why wouldn’t you keep score? Teach these kids about winning and losing. Nope, everyone here is a winner.”
“Now, Brock. Don’t get all worked up,” Marissa said.
“Too late,” Michael muttered as Brock completely ignored his wife and started telling me all about the problems with children’s sports in today’s society.
“Shoot,” Maisy muttered, standing as the teams on the field got ready to start the game. “I forgot the waters in the car. Keys?”
I dug them out of my pocket and dropped them in her outstretched hand.
“Be right back.”
When she was out of earshot, Michael looked over his shoulder from his seat below me. “Beau will give you the full lecture, but I’ll just say this: if you hurt my sister, I’ll help him hide your body.”
Gigi hadn’t been far off on her warning today.
“I won’t hurt your sister.” I didn’t care that her brother was threatening me. I was glad Maisy had such a loyal family. I looked to my right at Brock, expecting the same type of warning, but he just shook his head.
“You won’t get a warning from me. My boys will take care of their sister, but I will say this.” He leaned closer to speak softly. “My girl, she needs to know it’s safe to fall in love. She needs to see that she can trust a man. Be that man for her, Hunter. Protect her from the shit in this world. God knows, she’s seen enough. It’s time for her to get some peace.”
I nodded and turned back to the T-ball game, where Coby and his team were practicing on the field while the opposing team was huddled by their dugout.
When he looked over, Coby waved the ball and shouted, “Watch this, Hunter!” He wound up and threw from second plate to first with all his might. It made it about three-quarters of the way there before hitting the dirt and rolling to a stop.
I clapped and cheered, “Good job, buddy! Nice toss!”
He beamed and I waved again.
That kid. He was amazing.
When my eyes met Brock’s, his thoughts were transparent.
He didn’t just want a man for his daughter. He wanted a father for his grandson.
I nodded.
That man would be me.
Maisy
Two days after the T-ball game, Coby and I were standing in the middle of Hunter’s empty living room.
“What do you think?” Hunter’s voice echoed in the open space.
I spun around and took it all in. Dark hardwood floors. Exposed beams in the vaulted ceiling. Rough-cut stone surrounding the fireplace.
“It’s beautiful.” The crew at Jamison Valley Construction had outdone themselves. “I know it took longer than you’d hoped, but I’d say if this is the end product, it was well worth the wait.”
Hunter smiled. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Hunter, watch this!” Coby shouted before whizzing one of his Hot Wheels across the bare floor. Because there was no furniture to block its path, the car zoomed all the way from the kitchen, through the space where a dining room table belonged and over to us in the living room.
“Nice!” Hunter knelt on the floor and caught the car, revved it up and sent it speeding back.
“Are you sure you want me to decorate?” I asked. “Furniture would ruin your racetrack.”
Hunter grinned and stood. “Nah. We’ll just race around it. Huh, bud?”
Coby nodded as he backed up to the farthest wall in the kitchen and sent the car flying again.
While Hunter raced the car a few more times, I explored the rest of the main room. I loved the open floor plan. I loved the enormous island that separated the kitchen space from the dining area and the light-gray cabinets. I loved how much natural light flooded in from the abundance of windows.
I loved this house.
Except for the plain white walls—something I’d happily fix—this was a dream house.
“Should we finish the walk-through?” Hunter asked.
“Yes, please.” I ran my fingers across the cool granite countertops before following Hunter toward the stairs.
“Do you want to stay and play or come upstairs?” I asked Coby.
“Upstairs.” He pushed off the floor and sprinted past me to catch up with Hunter, sticking close to his side while we toured the spacious second floor.
With each room Hunter showed us, I fell more and more in love with his empty house. The spare bedrooms were large and airy. The Jack and Jill bathroom that separated two of them was lit with a bright skylight. The bonus room above Hunter’s four-car garage was enormous, perfect for a home theater and gaming room.
If I hadn’t already been falling, the master suite would have won my love. “This is . . .” I didn’t have the right word.
The far back wall was filled with windows overlooking the trees behind Hunter’s house. The ceilings had been vaulted and an iron chandelier hung down from the center. Hunter’s only piece of furniture, a California-king-sized bed, looked nearly too small for the expansive space.
“It’s a big house,” Hunter said, looking out a window. “Do you think it’s ostentatious?”
I shook my head. “It’s just right.” While his neighbors had homes that screamed “money,” Hunter’s home was the perfect blend of lavish and comfort. All of the finishes were top-of-the-line—it was clear he had invested money here—but they were tasteful. And it wasn’t too big.
“Bathroom?” I pointed to the door in the far corner of the room, then let my feet follow my finger. My jaw fell open as I took in the space. “This is nicer than a spa.”
Hunter chuckled from the doorway behind me as I inspected the floor-to-ceiling marble tile. Then I opened the door to the adjoining walk-in closet.
“Okay. This is just not fair. Your closet is barely smaller than my entire bedroom.”
“Let me see.” Coby pushed his way past my hip and into the closet. He drove his car along the custom-built shelves, then came right back out. “Is it time for dinner yet? When can we get my cheeseburger?”
I shook my head and muttered, “No appreciation.”
“Huh?” he asked.
“Nothing, little man. Let’s go to dinner.”
“Let’s race! I’m gonna win!” he yelled as he raced out of the room and disappeared down the hall.
“Now that you’ve seen it all, are you going to help me make this livable?” Hunter asked as we slowly followed Coby.
“Totally.” I smiled. “I’m super excited to spend all your money.”
He chuckled and took hold of my hand. “What would you think about making one of these rooms up for Coby?” He pointed into a spare bedroom as we walked by its door.
My ankle rolled and I crashed into his side. Had he just asked us to move in here? Did he think we were ready for that big of a step? Because I wasn’t. Not yet.
“For sleepovers,” Hunter clarified as he helped me regain my balance.
“Oh, gotcha. Then yes.” I nodded. “I’m sure he’d like to have his own spot.”
“I don’t want to rush things.”
“Me neither.”
“But . . . I’d like you to think about living here one day. When you’re decorating, pick things you’d like in your own home. We need some time, but in the future, I want you and Coby with me.”
I laced my fingers with his. “I can do that.”
We did need time and I was glad Hunter recognized that too. While I had no intention of ending our relationship, living together would be rushing too fast. Yes, Hunter was practically living in the loft, but we still had separate homes. I wasn’t quite ready to share an address.
Having sleepovers here, on the other hand? Those were starting as soon as the bare essential furnishings arrived. I couldn’t wait to spend a night out here, then cook a big breakfast in his fancy kitchen.
“Can you live out here?” Hunter asked as I followed him down the stairs.
“What do you mean?”
“I guess I didn’t think about the inn. Do you need to live in town?”
“Huh,” I hummed. “I haven’t really ever thought that far ahead. I figured I’d be in the loft until Coby was off to college and it was just me.”
Hunter stopped on a step and turned. “It’s not just you anymore, baby.”
No. No, it wasn’t.
Since he was at eye level, I leaned forward and set a soft kiss on his lips.
“Mommy! Hunter!” Coby yelled from downstairs. “Is it time for cheeseburgers?”
I kissed Hunter once more before he continued down the stairs.
“I don’t think I have to be in town, but I do think it would be nice to have someone around the motel,” I said. “Just in case. Someone I could trust in case of an emergency.”
“As a manager?”
“I can’t afford a manager,” I sighed. “At least not until my mortgage is paid off. But maybe I could get someone to live in the loft and discount their rent if they kept an eye on things and called me if there was a problem.”
That could totally work. How much could I charge for rent? Who could I ask to live there? As numbers and potential rental candidates started racing through my mind, I smiled wider.
Maybe I’d be ready to live at Hunter’s sooner than I’d thought. The idea seemed less shocking than it had a minute ago. Now it just seemed like the right next step.
“Coby!” I called when we walked into the kitchen. He didn’t answer, just giggled from behind the island where he was hiding. “Coby! Oh, no, Hunter. We’ve lost Coby. I guess I’ll have to drink his Oreo milkshake myself since he can’t go to dinner.”
“Here I am!” Coby shot out from behind the island and ran over to the front door.
I followed my son outside to get him into his car seat while Hunter locked the door behind us. As we slowly drove out of the long drive that met up with the main road, I watched through the side-view mirror as Hunter’s house disappeared into the trees.
The cedar siding was stained brown, the perfect exterior for a home in the trees. The gables above the covered porch added a touch of soft elegance to the otherwise rustic exterior. The stone columns bracketing the entryway would look beautiful with barrels of flowers at their bases.
Yeah, I want to live here someday.
Not just for the house, but because with the house came the man.
I looked over at Hunter in the driver’s seat and smiled as my phone rang in a center cupholder. Glad it wasn’t Unknown—who had been as persistent as ever—I answered. “Hi, Mom.”
“Maisy.”
I sat up as straight a
s my seat belt would let me. “What? What’s wrong?”
“You need to come to the hospital right now.” Her voice was shaking. “Your dad . . .” She trailed off as she started crying.
“Mom?” My heart thundered. “What’s wrong with Dad?”
“He . . . he had a heart attack,” Mom whispered.
My hand flew to my mouth as I gasped.
“He’s in with Dr. Peterson right now,” Mom said. “They’re doing some tests.”
“But he’s okay? He’s alive?” I choked out the words as my eyes flooded.
“Yes,” Mom whispered and started crying again.
Thank god. “Okay. We’re on our way. I love you.” I hung up and looked over at Hunter through blurry eyes. “We need to go to the hospital.”
He nodded and hit the gas. “What happened?”
“Dad had a heart attack.” Tears fell down my cheeks even though I was trying to hold them in for Coby’s sake. But the idea of losing my dad was too much and my breath hitched with a loud sob.
My hand came back to my mouth to muffle my cries.
“Take a breath,” Hunter said.
I nodded and sucked one in but it didn’t help.
I couldn’t imagine my life without Dad. I needed him. I needed him to help me raise Coby to be a good man. I needed him to walk me down the aisle if I ever got married. I needed his cuddles when I was feeling blue.
“Mommy?” Coby’s panicked voice had me swiping furiously at my face as I took another slow breath.
“It’s okay, buddy.” I unbuckled my belt so I could turn around and rub my son’s knee. “It’s going to be okay.”
He nodded but tears formed on his lower lashes.
“What did your mom say?” Hunter asked.
I turned back around and rebuckled. “Just that they’re doing some tests.”
“Peterson is on call. He’s good.” He reached for my hand and held it tight.
“Okay.” Hunter was right. Dr. Peterson had worked at the hospital for as long as I could remember and he’d seen it all. Other than Hunter, I trusted him more than any other doctor.
“We can’t take Coby,” I whispered.
Hunter’s answer was to reach for the phone in my lap and pull up a name. “Gigi, it’s Hunter. We’ve got an emergency with Maisy’s dad and need to go to the hospital. Can you watch Coby?” He listened to her for a second, then said, “Okay. We’ll be there in a few.” He hung up the phone and handed it back. “Where do I go?”