by Jill Lynn
So he needed to remember why he’d started all of this and stick to that plan. No veering off course.
He had a feeling the safety of his heart depended on it.
* * *
“Okay, kids. It’s time to let Auntie Rachel go free.” Lucy Redmond, Olivia’s sister, approached the couch where her daughter Lola and Rachel’s nephews had fake tied Rachel up.
Lucy had moved to Texas years ago. She’d met and married Graham Redmond, a local doctor, and adopted his daughter, Mattie. Since then, the two of them had added two little girls to the mix. Graham was very much outnumbered, though he didn’t seem bothered by the abundance of females in his house.
Dinner had ended a while ago, and since then, a game of cops and robbers—with a cowboy flair—had been in full swing. Two-year-old Lola was dressed in a princess costume. She’d spent the evening running around the house, Ryder toddling after her, while Grayson “saved” her from Rachel, who’d agreed to be the robber.
Rachel had pretended to have her hands tied together when she actually had three-month-old baby Senna—Lucy and Graham’s newest addition—sleeping in her arms. The soft, sweet bundle had done the same for much of the evening despite the decibels of noise surrounding them. Occasionally she yawned in a perfect little O.
“Wait!” Grayson approached, hands on his hips. “The prisoner has to eat a worm to gain her freedom.”
Rachel’s nose wrinkled. She assumed the request was fake, but with Grayson’s infatuation with all things slimy, slithery and of the insect family, she didn’t know for sure.
She tossed her hair back dramatically as best as she could with her hands occupied. “I refuse to eat your detestable worm. I’d rather spend the rest of my life in captivity.”
The haughtiness in her voice caused Lola to go into a fit of giggles, but Grayson kept a straight face, as though truly contemplating her refusal.
His small chest deflated. “Okay, I’ll let you go this time, but next time...” His head shook. Rachel somehow resisted a smile. He was so stinking cute she wanted to eat him up. But she definitely had no plans to eat a worm, no matter how much she adored her nephew.
Lucy transferred Senna from Rachel’s arms to her own. With her free hand, she directed the children until they stood in front of Cash and Graham, who were still sitting at the dinner table talking. “You guys should ask your dads to take you outside.” The enthusiasm in Lucy’s voice transferred to the kids, and they were soon jumping in front of their dads, their requests loud.
The two men shared an amused look but stood without argument, as if knowing their fates were sealed.
“All cowboy cops and damsels in distress to the backyard.” At Graham’s call, Grayson and Lola raced for the back door. Ryder followed but fell behind, so Cash scooped him up on his way outside, giving him a lift.
Once the whole lot of them had exited out the back door, a strange silence descended on the house.
Being at Lucy and Graham’s was a bit like being smack-dab in the middle of a circus, but it was a homey sort of chaos.
These were Rachel’s people. Olivia and Lucy had adopted her too, in a way. Starting back when Cash first met Liv. And then Rachel had gotten to know Lucy well when the two of them had both lived in Colorado. Now, they included her in anything sisterly.
Nights like this tugged on Rachel’s heartstrings a bit too much. Maybe Lucy was right. It was time to stop being an auntie. Time to go. Rachel was afraid if she did too many more of these dinners, they’d begin to chip away at her resolve not to live in this town.
“I should probably get going.”
Lucy propped her one free hand on her hip. “Oh, no, you don’t. We haven’t even had a chance to catch up. You’ve been too busy wrangling children all night.”
Olivia had been wiping the kitchen countertops but now came over and sat next to Rachel on the couch. Lucy placed Senna in a brightly colored infant seat and buckled her in. Her eyes opened. She observed her surroundings, but didn’t make a peep. Weren’t babies usually more demanding? Connor had been so fussy that Val hadn’t sat down for months after his birth.
Lucy popped the pacifier into Senna’s mouth and then dramatically dropped into the chair across from them. The back of her hand landed on her forehead. “Raising children is not for the faint of heart.”
Rachel’s mouth curved. “Speaking of kids, where is Mattie tonight?”
“She’s at a friend’s house. She already had plans, so we didn’t want to make her cancel. So...” Lucy’s eyebrows waggled, face alight. “Tell me everything. How’s it going? Liv says Hunter’s been so helpful with the little ranch house.”
Funny that Lucy didn’t mention anyone else who’d pitched in. And so it began. “He has been. We just finished up today.” Rachel couldn’t help tacking on a clarification to address Lucy’s insinuation. “And he’s just being neighborly.”
“Neighborly.” Loose blond curls cascaded over the other woman’s shoulder as her head tilted. “Is that the new name for it?” Despite the teasing, Rachel couldn’t find it in herself to get upset. Lucy managed to do pretty much everything in life without offending. Most everyone who knew her instantly loved her.
Though Rachel should still set things straight. “Honestly, there really isn’t anything between us. We’re just attempting to get along at this point.”
And they were doing okay.
Now that they were done with the house, Rachel could relax. Take a full, deep breath again without the masculine smell and presence of Hunter interrupting her every thought.
Somehow, she’d survived working with him unscathed.
The man had a way of sneaking past her defenses, but she’d managed to spend countless hours with him in the last three days and not...what? Get hurt? Let him in too much?
All of the above.
“Hunter and I are just friends.” Sort of friends.
Lucy’s nose wrinkled. “But that’s so boring. He’s adorable.”
“I’m right here!” Graham’s voice carried from the kitchen into the living room. “I had to grab some bottles of water. Do I need to stay and police the rest of this conversation?”
“Hollywood, you know you’re the only one for me.”
Graham chuckled, looking equal parts besotted, amused and mistrusting. “Don’t let her push you, Rachel. She always has something up her sleeve.”
“What?” Lucy let out a squeak, fingertips landing against the neck of her casual electric-blue cotton sundress. “I would never.” She grinned at Rachel and Olivia as the back door shut and Graham returned to the kids. “I have always liked Hunter. He was one of the first people I met in town.” She toyed with her outrageously gorgeous wedding ring. “I found out later that it drove Graham crazy, even though Hunter was too young for me. And of course I fell for the first guy I beaned in the head when I moved here.”
Olivia and Rachel laughed. Only Lucy.
“Seriously, though,” Lucy continued. “You don’t feel a thing for Hunter?”
Rachel shook her head.
“Not even an iota?”
“Nope.” Her conscience screamed liar, but she ignored it.
Her feelings for Hunter had been buried years ago. Except for that moment today when he’d touched her arm. Every nerve in her body had sprung to life. She’d immediately shoved down her reaction, hoping Hunter wouldn’t notice. Her response to his touch had only made her more determined to stay at least one foot away from Hunter at all times. Maybe two. How was it she could know he wasn’t right for her and be attracted to him at the same time? His looks were easy to swallow, like the first sip of hot coffee on a frigid morning. And those dimples—they were overkill. Shouldn’t God have spread out some of that attractiveness instead of depositing it all in one man?
On top of that, Hunter walked through life with a laid-back vibe that instantly put people a
t ease. To Rachel, that only made him more troublesome.
The whole time they’d been working together, she’d had to remind herself to focus on the house. Keep her head down and do the work. Not let Hunter get past her defenses. Her thoughts had sounded like Olivia back in the days she’d coached Rachel in volleyball. Do this! Don’t do that! You can do it!
If only her heart took direction so easily. It had always had a soft spot for Hunter. Foolish organ. It needed to remember she was moving. That she wasn’t ready for anything more than a surface-level friendship with him.
“Well, boohoo.” Lucy’s disappointment only lasted for a few seconds before she perked up. “So, any chance you want me to set you up while you’re in town? I’m a great matchmaker.”
“She’s a horrible matchmaker,” Olivia chimed in, humor lacing her voice. “Her record is zero for three.” She patted Rachel’s capri-clad leg. “Not that I don’t want you to find someone who would tempt you to stay, Rach. Of course I do. But I also understand the need to make your own life. Sometimes starting over means finding home.”
If Rachel had learned anything while being stuck in this town, she’d confirmed that she really, really loved her sister-in-law.
Olivia asked Lucy about her plans at the dance school she owned and somehow managed to run along with mothering three children, and Lucy filled them in on who she’d found to help out with the kids once classes started back up in September.
Minutes later, their chat was interrupted by screams coming from the back door. Cash held Ryder, whose cheeks were dripping with plump tears, while the rest of the group tromped in behind him. “Injury. Nothing serious. Just bonked his head and needs his mama.” Cash deposited Ryder into Olivia’s outstretched arms. “I think he’s tired.”
“I’m sure you’re right.” Olivia swept a hand over Ryder’s forehead, and his cries turned to whimpers. “We should go.”
Despite complaints from the kids following that comment, the next few minutes were spent rounding up toys and getting everyone out the door.
Rachel followed Cash and Olivia home in her Jeep—they’d driven separately since she’d been late getting over to Lucy and Graham’s. When she reached the turn for the house, she waved and split off while they kept going.
She pulled up to her new place and got out, quiet greeting her. Contentment zipped along her spine at the knowledge that Cash and Liv had their house back and she had this little haven.
Her furnishing were sparse since she’d sold a lot before leaving Colorado. Besides the bed from Hunter, she had a comfortable chair and side table in the living room. A small kitchen table and two chairs, plus a dresser she’d found for ten dollars at a garage sale in town. Cash had donated an old microwave he’d had stored out in the barn. For how long she planned to stay, she didn’t need anything more.
Rachel popped up the steps, stopping on the porch when a strange humming noise disrupted the otherwise peaceful night. She walked back down and around the side of the house to find the source.
Her feet froze a few yards from her east window, where an air-conditioning unit now perched. She knew it hadn’t been there before, because she’d wondered more than once while they were working on the house how she was going to sleep in the stifling summer heat.
Cash had been with her tonight, so he couldn’t have installed it. And Val and Brennon didn’t have any extra money to be throwing at this hunk-of-junk house.
That left Hunter.
Pushing himself into her life. Without permission. Again. She was never going to forgive him. She stomped up the front steps, marched inside and slammed the door behind her. Her head fell back as ice-cold air washed over her.
Okay, maybe she could be persuaded to extend some grace.
Rachel changed into pajamas and made the bed, then propped her pillows against the wall, grabbed her cell and climbed in. Peace. Quiet. And air-conditioning.
Hunter was wearing her down. “What am I supposed to do with him in my life again?”
The empty house didn’t answer her. But the southern politeness ingrained in Rachel dictated that she thank him. She swiped her phone screen, and then her fingers flew across the keys. Thank you for the air-conditioning. It’s amazing.
She had almost given up on hearing back from him when her phone notified her of a text.
What’s this about an air conditioner?
I know it was you. Don’t even try to pretend.
That knowledge sank into her bones. No one noticed her quite like Hunter did. At that scary thought, she texted him again.
Just accept my gratitude. Once he did, she could put the phone down and move away from how he made her feel.
His text came back quickly.
Actually, your brother got the air conditioner. He asked me to install it as a surprise for you.
Cash. She glanced at the time. He’d be getting the boys into bed, then crashing himself. Rachel would thank him in the morning. It was sweet of him. She should have known he wouldn’t be able to not take care of her while she was home. But instead of making her irritable, like it would have when she was younger, she was thankful. She really did have the best brother in the world—it had just taken her a few years to realize it.
And Hunter... Her pulse galloped. He’d spent his Saturday night installing an air conditioner in this old house simply because her brother had asked him for a favor. It sounded exactly like something Hunter would do.
Earlier, when she and Hunter had been talking about her going to dinner at Lucy and Graham’s, Rachel had thought about asking him if he wanted to come. But something had held her back—fear, she supposed. If he was really a friend, she would have invited him, knowing full well Lucy would welcome another person. Especially Hunter. Rachel should have included him. But, instead, she’d taken the opportunity to put more space between them. And what had he done? Something for her.
She’d been keeping him at arm’s length so that he couldn’t worm back into her life. But who was she kidding? He’d already made his way in. She was simply denying it. Punishing him. Holding on to all of that old hurt.
She texted him.
You still want to be friends, huh? Even after spending the last few days with me? I would have thought you’d be running by now.
A small part of Rachel had assumed if she held out, Hunter would give up. Go away. Leave her alone. But he hadn’t. Just like the last go-round, when he’d pursued her despite her initial attempts to resist him.
Nah. I still want to bless you with the precious gift of my friendship. I can put up with you if I have to.
Humor creased her cheeks.
You mean I can put up with YOU if I have to.
His text dinged back quickly. Who is this again?
She laughed. Hunter got her in ways other people didn’t. He knew when to tease her and when to be serious. She liked that about him. She liked him. Spending time with him had reminded her of that fact.
Not that she planned to admit that to him yet.
You’re a dork.
I don’t accept abusive texts. I think you have the wrong number.
Rachel snuggled lower into the sheets, amusement threading through her.
She couldn’t believe how effortlessly he’d eased back into her life. More than one night over the last six years, she’d lain awake wondering how it had gone so wrong between them, fighting the temptation to call or text him.
But this wasn’t about the past. It was a chance for something different for the future.
In the last three days of working together, Hunter had broken down a bit of the barrier that had stood between them. Rachel didn’t have a clue how to stop him. Or if she wanted to. She only knew she couldn’t let herself go beyond friendship. But maybe, just maybe, she could allow that.
It would be safe, wouldn’t it? They both knew everything that stood between them
and how much they would lose again if they messed this up. Her fingers hovered over the keys. Had he already moved on from their conversation? She couldn’t resist checking.
Go to sleep, Hunter.
I will when you stop texting me.
Her laugh echoed off the walls that were void of decoration, reminding her just how little time she planned to spend here. But she’d deal with that thought another day. Because, at the moment, she felt content. Almost peaceful.
Ever since she’d started college, she’d been driven. Like she had something to prove. Busy chasing the next goal. But tonight she could sleep soundly without her future to-do list tightening like a vice around her chest. And while she might pretend it had nothing to do with the man on the other end of the phone, once again she’d be lying to herself.
Rachel turned her phone on silent, clicked off the lamp and burrowed beneath the blankets. If she fell asleep with a smile on her face, no one needed to know about it.
Chapter Six
“I still can’t believe the church chose this design for the float.” Rachel held up the paper that boasted a sketch of a goalpost with a large sign hanging from it that read All things through Him. Someone had drawn football players in uniform and a gaggle of cheerleaders littered across the float, faux green grass beneath their feet.
Hunter had bent to look through one of the bins next to the flatbed trailer, and she had to nudge him with her knee to get his attention. “Hello?” She shook the paper near his head.
“Huh?” He looked up. “Oh.” A half grin made his dimples sprout. “It’s Texas. Have you forgotten that football is almost a religion here?”
“No, I haven’t.” Her nose wrinkled. “But it’s a football float, not a church float.”
“Of course it’s a church float.” He pointed to the drawing. “Right here along the skirt at the bottom, the church’s name is big and bold.”
She laughed. Resisted slapping a hand against her forehead. “Okay, I get the concept of everything, even sports, as honoring to God. After all, volleyball made a huge impact on me. If I hadn’t met Olivia when I did...” She shrugged.