by Unknown
“Everything’s been great, Han,” Will said. “You and Cameron throw one hell of a party.”
“Yes, we do,” Hannah said.
“Couldn’t agree more,” Hunter said.
His sister came over to kiss his cheek, and then she did the same to Megan. “How’s our patient today?”
“Much better,” Megan said. “Full of piss and vinegar.”
“Just the way you like me,” Hunter said.
“Yeah, he’s fine,” Hannah replied. “Good job, Nurse Megan.”
She smiled at Hannah. “Thank you.”
Molly came into the kitchen. “Anyone still need a tour of what Hannah has done with the rooms upstairs?”
“I’d love to see it,” Megan said. To him, she said, “Can you live without me for a couple of minutes?”
“Only a couple.”
Megan kissed him and patted his chest. “Be right back.”
His mother watched them, her expression unreadable. Hunter wondered what that was about.
Megan followed Molly upstairs where the doors to the bedrooms were open for visitors to tour. She ducked her head into the first room, which had been decorated in shades of dark green and burgundy with an antique four-poster bed and matching vanity. “This is lovely.”
“Hannah decorated that room herself from items she kept from when Caleb’s grandmother owned the house,” Molly said.
“It’s beautiful. This is a wonderful thing she’s doing here.”
“We’re very proud of her, but then we’re proud of all our children.” Her tone was polite, as always, but Megan noted a hint of frost and couldn’t blame Hunter’s mother for being annoyed with her. She’d be annoyed with her, too.
“Mrs. Abbott—”
“Molly.”
“Molly … I want to apologize for what happened that day in the diner.” Megan clasped her hands together and forced herself to look her future mother-in-law in the eye. “Hunter’s accident … It was … I was …”
Molly put Megan out of her misery by squeezing her arm. “I know. It was for me, too. For all of us.”
“I behaved badly and gave you the impression that I didn’t care enough about him to go to him when the opposite is true.”
“I know that now. I can see how happy he is with you. We’ve all seen that.”
“I’ve been hoping for a chance to tell you how sorry I am for the way I reacted.”
“Thank you for that, and you were forgiven the moment you came to the hospital. You should know that when we told him you weren’t coming, he immediately understood.”
Megan smiled. Of course he did. “He gets me. He might be the only person who does.”
“I’ve never seen him so happy. Thank you for that, too.”
“It’s always going to be important to me that he’s happy. And safe. No more rock climbing.” Megan shuddered at the memory of that awful day.
“Good luck with that one, honey,” Molly said with a laugh. “I’ve been trying to get them all to stay off the rocks for as long as they’ve been old enough to climb them. Abbott men need to climb things. And ski down things. And rappel from things.”
“Ugh, stop. You don’t want me to change my mind about him, do you?”
“No, I certainly do not.” Molly hooked her arm through Megan’s. “Come on, let me show you the rest.”
Walking home from Hannah’s party, his arm around Megan, Hunter was as happy as he’d ever been, despite the emotional event they’d just attended.
“What an incredible thing Hannah is doing there,” Megan said. “It’s hard to believe everything she’s been through when she seems so happy and at peace now with Nolan.”
“It’s been a very long journey to get there. You can relate in many ways.”
“Yes, I guess I can. I give her tons of credit for channeling her grief into something so productive.”
“I do, too. And Caleb’s parents as well. I think it’s amazing that they’ve stepped up to run the inn for Hannah. I haven’t seen them so excited about anything since we lost Caleb. It’s good to see everyone moving on.” During the last week, while he recovered from his injuries, the rest of the family had helped Hannah move out of the home she’d shared with Caleb and into her new home with Nolan.
“Your family was really nice to me today,” Megan said.
“Why wouldn’t they be? You’re going to be an Abbott before too much longer.”
“I wasn’t sure if they’d be happy for us or worried for you.”
“They’re happy, sweetheart. They’re happy because I’m happy.”
“Are you?”
“How can you even ask me that after the best week of my life?”
“Only you would say that after suffering a concussion and a fractured elbow, not to mention stitches.”
He pulled her in tighter against him, kissing her temple. “My fiancée made me all better with her company, her excellent nursing skills and her sponge baths.”
“Ha ha, very funny. What sponge baths?”
“Maybe I just dreamed that. My dreams have been pretty vivid since my fiancée has denied me access to her delectable body this week.”
She giggled from the kisses he rained down on her neck without missing a step on their walk. “Only because you were recovering.”
“I’m all recovered now, but I’m about to have new injuries if I can’t make love to my fiancée. You wouldn’t want that, would you?”
“Definitely not. I like you healthy and available to me on a moment’s notice.”
His low growl set her on fire. “Walk faster.”
They arrived at his house a short time later, and Hunter directed her straight up the stairs to the room that had become theirs, rather than his, over the last week. “Get naked,” he said without preamble.
“Tell me what you really want.”
“I want to be inside you. Right now.”
Her face flushed with the color he’d come to expect when he spoke bluntly to her about what he wanted from her in bed. “Well, then …” She drew her dress up and over her head, leaving her only in the matching silk bra and panties he’d bought for her. “You were right about the silk, by the way.”
“Told ya.”
“You didn’t have to buy out the store to prove your point.”
“It was an excellent investment, and as beautiful as you are in red silk, that’s not naked.”
“I don’t see you getting naked.”
“I’d rather watch you, and besides, I need help.” He gestured to his arm in the sling.
“You’re milking this injury.”
“For all it’s worth.”
Still in her bra and panties, she approached him with a playful glint in her eyes and began to unbutton his shirt. Her nearness was making him crazy, as it had earlier in the day when she’d helped him shave off a week’s worth of whiskers. He hadn’t had time then to fully indulge in his desire for her. Now nothing would keep him from finally holding her and making love to her after a week of wishing he could. His head still protested when he moved too fast, but he was willing to risk it to be able to touch her.
She pulled his shirttails from his pants and helped him take it off around the cast that held his left arm immobile. Next came the T-shirt he’d worn under it. Then she was tugging at his belt and unzipping his black dress pants, which fell into a pile at his feet.
Hunter kicked off his shoes and stepped out of the pants before hooking his arm around her waist and drawing her in close to him. “Hey.”
“What’s up?”
“I am.”
She laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck, bringing her entire body into tight contact with his.
He wanted to beg for mercy. “Megan …”
“Yes, Hunter?” she asked, her voice breathy and sultry.
“Don’t play with me. Not now.”
“I thought you wanted to play.”
“That’s not what I want and you know it. Get a condom.”
&n
bsp; “No.” She backed him up until his legs connected with the edge of the bed, forcing him to sit or fall over.
The damned cast on his arm made him feel off balance all the time, but Megan decked out in red silk made him positively dizzy. Then her one-word answer penetrated his lust-addled brain. “No?”
“We don’t need a condom.”
“We most definitely do need one.”
“No, we don’t,” she said with a smug smile.
“Explain. Immediately.”
“The other day when I went to the store?”
“Uh-huh.”
“I also went to a doctor’s appointment where I received a three-month birth-control injection that’s effective immediately.”
“And you were going to tell me this when?”
“As soon as you were well enough to take full advantage of this development.”
“I’ve never had sex without a condom.”
“Never?”
“Not once. Ever.”
“Oh boy. This is going to be fun.”
“It’s probably going to be fast,” he said with a chuckle. Wrapping his arm around her, he nuzzled her belly. “I’ve never made love to my fiancée before either.”
“Mmm,” she said, her fingers sifting through his hair, “you do like saying that word.”
“It beats lover, right?”
She gave his hair a playful tug that drew a snort of laughter from him.
“Put me out of my misery, baby.”
“Let’s get you comfortable first.”
“There’s only one way that’s going to happen.”
She sat him up against a stack of pillows, placing one under his injured arm. “Good?”
“Getting there. Get these boxers off me.”
“Gladly.” She helped him out of his underwear, removed her thong and then climbed on top of him, straddling his lap, still wearing the bra. “Is this what you wanted?”
“You know it is. I feel like it’s been forever since I was able to hold you this way.” He ran his hand up her back, tangling it into her hair and bringing her down for a deep, passionate kiss. “I want you right now.”
She reached between them and guided him into her, sinking down on him slowly, going for maximum effect.
His head fell back on the pillow and his body arched into hers. “God, Megan … So hot.”
She moved slowly, trying to draw out the pleasure for both of them.
With his one free hand he released the front clasp of her bra, pushed it aside and cupped her left breast, running his thumb back and forth over her nipple. “Love you so much.”
Megan leaned forward to kiss him. “Love you, too.”
“I can’t get enough of those words from you. Say it again.” His hand moved from her breast to her ass, pulling her tightly against him as he surged into her.
“I love you, Hunter,” she said, her voice breaking on his name as his deep strokes triggered her orgasm. “I love you.”
He was right behind her, lifting his hips as he pushed down hard on her. He got a lot done with that one working arm.
She collapsed on top of his heaving chest and closed her eyes as his arm came around her, holding her close to him. “What do you think of sex without a condom?” she asked after a long period of quiet.
He immediately came back to life, hardening inside her. “Any questions?”
“None,” she said laughing. “All my questions have been answered to my extreme satisfaction.”
Hunter looked up at her, his gaze full of love. “Mine, too, sweetheart. Mine, too.”
EPILOGUE
Lincoln Abbott found an unopened bottle of champagne in Hannah’s kitchen and took it and two glasses with him onto the back porch, where family and friends had gathered after the grand-opening celebration for Guthrie House. It had been a wonderful day of friends and family and reminiscing about the incredible young man they’d loved and lost in Iraq.
He’d never been prouder of Hannah, who continued to honor her late husband’s memory even as she moved forward into a new life with Nolan. Lincoln found his father-in-law sitting by himself at the far end of the screened-in porch and took a seat next to him.
“What’s the good word, my friend?” Elmer asked.
Lincoln popped the cork on the bottle and caught the bubbly in one of the glasses, which he handed to Elmer before filling another for himself. “The good word is another engagement to our credit that needs to be celebrated.”
“Another one in my column.” Elmer touched his glass to Lincoln’s. “And I’ve got to say, our boy Hunter has never seemed happier in his life than he was today with Megan by his side. They make a beautiful couple.”
“Indeed they do. As would they.” Lincoln gestured to the yard, where Ella was sitting with her sisters, trying not to stare at Gavin Guthrie and failing miserably, as she had all day.
“Two of them have been circling the wagons for a while now,” Elmer said. “That boy worries me though. Getting into fights and getting arrested … Ella doesn’t need those headaches.”
“The guy he fought with said we wasted our time in Iraq,” Lincoln said quietly so no one would overhear him.
“Is that so? Well, then good for Gavin for beating the crap out of him.”
“Thought you’d agree.”
“He’s wounded, Linc. All you gotta do is look at him to see that.”
“If anyone is strong enough to help heal those wounds, it’s our Ella.”
“This is true.” Elmer eyed him suspiciously. “What’ve you got up your sleeve?”
“I’ve been thinking about clearing out some of the back acreage behind the barn.” Lincoln kept his gaze fixed on his gorgeous daughter. “I bet Gavin would be the perfect man for that job.”
“You’ll keep a close eye on her, won’t you?”
“Don’t I always?”
“That you do.” Elmer held up his glass. “In that case, let’s go for number five.”
Lincoln touched his glass to Elmer’s. “To number five.”
Turn the page for a bonus short story featuring Megan and Hunter,
A GREEN MOUNTAIN SHORT STORY
(Published in the USA as A Day In The Life)
CHAPTER 1
Hunter Abbott loved to sleep in on Sunday, his favorite day of the week. It was the one morning he didn’t have anywhere to be, no one looking to him to solve all their problems, no one needing him for anything until late-afternoon dinner with his family. Lately, he loved his Sundays even more because of his Saturday nights with his fiancée, Megan.
Since she’d moved in with him a couple of weeks ago, every day felt like Sunday. Hell, every day felt like Sunday and Christmas and his birthday all rolled up into one big dose of perfection. Sleeping with her in his arms every night was the best thing to ever happen to him. If only she didn’t have to be up and out so early to get to the diner.
So far she seemed to love her new role there, managing the business and making it her own. She’d even implemented one of his ideas by offering prepared takeout meals during the day rather than staying open for dinner service. That one small change had resulted in a significant boost to the bottom line, which Hunter kept a close eye on as the chief financial officer for his family’s businesses. It also got her home much earlier in the day, which suited his desire to spend every possible minute with her.
Thanks to his grandfather, the diner was now one of their family businesses, and Hunter was looking forward to watching it grow under Megan’s leadership. Fortunately, the waitresses who’d once covered the dinner shift had been willing to move to mornings, so she hadn’t had to hire new help.
It was all working out rather well so far, and she seemed happy, which was the most important thing to Hunter. He was happy if she was happy, although he’d be a lot happier if she didn’t have to get up so damned early every day.
Shifting onto her pillow, he breathed in the jasmine scent of her shampoo and thought about their night together. He was o
fficially addicted to her and couldn’t get enough of everything about her. From talking to laughing to cooking to working to sleeping to making love to driving in the car … It didn’t matter what they did as long as they did it together.
The ringing phone jarred him out of his thoughts to wonder who would be calling him so early on his day to sleep in. He reached for the extension on the bedside table. “Hello?”
“Hunter.” The frantic way Megan said his name had him sitting up in bed. “I need you.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Paige and Delia are both sick and Petey, the dishwasher, got arrested last night. I thought I could handle it on my own, but we’re getting killed with leaf peepers. Can you come?”
He was up and moving before she’d finished talking. “I’ll be right there.”
“Thank you.” The line went dead.
Tossing the phone on the unmade bed that would stay that way for once, he ran for the closet to find jeans and a T-shirt. He splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth and ran a comb through his hair and was out the door less than five minutes after she called.
He parked in the lot behind his family’s store and jogged across Elm Street, where patrons were in a line outside the door. He’d never seen that before. Since there was no way to push through the crowd at the front door, he went around to the back and in through the kitchen.
“Good of you to show up, CFO,” Butch grumbled, calling him by the nickname he’d bestowed upon Hunter after the Abbott family acquired the diner.
“What can I do?”
Butch gestured to a mountain of dishes surrounding the deep sink. “Better start there. We’re almost out of plates.”
Was it his imagination or did Butch seem to relish the idea of putting him on dish duty? Whatever. After growing up with nine younger siblings, Hunter certainly knew how to do dishes. He started with the plates and moved as fast as he could to get them clean.
Megan came in with an armload of dirty dishes. “Thank God you’re here.” She stole a quick kiss as she deposited the dishes and spun around to head back into battle.
Hunter washed dishes until his hands were sore and his back ached, but he never stopped, even when the elbow he’d fractured in a recent climbing accident began to fight back against the constant activity. The cast was long gone, his elbow was healing well according to his orthopedic doctor and he’d been undergoing physical therapy to get it working properly again. He probably shouldn’t be putting it through such a workout, but he tried not to think about what it would feel like later as he kept working.