by Marie Force
“That’d be me,” Isabella said with a friendly smile. She had curly auburn hair that fell past her shoulders and bright green eyes.
“Thank you so much for coming on short notice, honey,” Molly said, hugging her niece. “It’s such a rare thing these days to have everyone in the same place at the same time.”
“No problem, Aunt Molly. Anything for you.”
“Everyone outside,” Molly said.
Mumbling and grumbling, pushing and shoving, the Abbotts made their way through the kitchen and mudroom into bright September sunshine.
Isabella took a look around the yard and pointed to a spot near trees that were just beginning to show fall color. “The lighting will be perfect there.”
“You’re in charge,” Molly told her niece. “And best of luck to you. You know what they say about herding cats.”
Isabella grinned. “I got this.”
Megan watched in amazement as people and dogs were arranged with military precision.
“Hunter, come on,” Isabella said, pointing to the spot in the back row she’d reserved for him.
“Be right back,” he said, kissing Megan’s temple.
“Megan.” Molly produced a denim button-down that she handed to Megan. “You, too, honey.”
“What?” Megan glanced at Hunter and saw the warm, appreciative smile he directed at his mother.
Hunter took the shirt from her and held it out to Megan.
“You’re part of our family now,” Molly said. “We’d be honored to have you in the picture.”
Megan blinked frantically as she moved robotically to put her arms in the sleeves of the shirt Hunter held for her. “I don’t feel right about this,” she said for his ears only.
Hunter buttoned the shirt over her dress and then kissed her cheek. “My mom wouldn’t have invited you if she didn’t want you in the picture. I want you in the picture. Okay?”
She nodded, unable to find the words to convey to either of them how much it meant to her to be considered a member of this incredible family. They had taken her in, surrounded her with love and affection and made her feel like she belonged even if they all knew she didn’t. Not really.
Isabella put them on the far left side, Hunter behind her with his arms hooked loosely around her waist. Next to them, Will and Cameron stood in a similar position. Then came Colton and Lucy, Nolan and Hannah, who held her puppy, Homer Junior, in her arms, and then Max and Chloe.
Mimicking their siblings, Lucas and Landon wrapped their arms around each other, making kissing noises until their mother told them to shut up and stand still.
“She ruins all our fun,” Landon said.
“That’s my job,” Molly replied. She was in the front row with Lincoln, Elmer, George and Ringo, Colton’s dogs Sarah and Elmer, and Will’s dogs Trevor and Tanner. Standing next to their parents and grandfather with the pets in front of them were Wade, Charley and Ella.
“Everyone shut up and look at me,” Isabella said as she took a few practice shots, studying each of them with a critical eye.
Megan focused on breathing through the wide array of emotions that swirled around inside her as she was welcomed as an honorary member of a family she’d admired her whole life. She loved the way they bickered and laughed and made fun of each other and stood by each other, and being a part of that, even as a guest, was an amazing experience.
As if he knew how much his mother’s gesture had meant to her, Hunter tightened his arms around her and nuzzled her neck between takes. “You’re right where you belong, sweetheart. So smile and relax.”
Did she belong here with him? It was starting to feel that way, and she couldn’t deny that it felt good to be held by him, to be surrounded by his large and loving family. But what if she bought into it all and he lost interest in her? It’d happened before. It could happen again.
“Stop,” he whispered in her ear. “Whatever you’re thinking that’s making your entire body go rigid, just stop.”
Megan wanted to turn around so she could see his face, but she didn’t want to ruin the photo Molly had so graciously invited her into, so she held her position. She was acutely aware of him behind her, of the heat of his hands on her belly, the press of his erection against her bottom and the scent she’d recognize anywhere as his.
Then he leaned forward and whispered in her ear. “I love you. I want you. I love that you’re here, that I can hold you and touch you and tell you I love you rather than having to keep it to myself.”
Megan’s knees went weak, forcing him to tighten his hold on her to keep her standing.
“Come on, Izzy,” Landon said. “I can’t smile anymore. My face is gonna break.”
“Your face is already ruining the picture,” Colton said.
“Since I have the misfortune to bear the same face, I take issue with that,” Lucas said.
“Couple more,” Isabella said to groans from her cousins. The minute she said, “Okay, I think we’ve got it,” Hunter took hold of Megan’s hand and began walking toward his truck.
“Thanks for dinner, Mom,” Hunter said.
“Wait.” Megan tugged at his hand. “I need to say goodbye and thank you. And I need to give her the shirt back.”
He released her. “Hurry.”
One quick glance at his intense gaze told her what was on his mind. Removing the shirt as she went, Megan found Molly in the crowd and handed it to her. “Thank you, Mrs. Abbott, for dinner and for including me in the photo. That was very nice of you.”
Molly hugged her. “I know this is going to be a tough week for you,” she said softly so only Megan could hear her. “Please remember you’re not alone in this world, Megan. Don’t ever think you are.” She drew back and kissed Megan on the cheek. “And call me Molly. Everyone does.”
Contending with the huge lump in her throat, Megan managed to say, “Thank you.” She received hugs and kisses on the cheek from Lincoln and Elmer before she turned to rejoin Hunter.
As she started to walk away, Homer Junior darted past her. Behind her, Hannah let out a cry. Megan turned in time to see Homer Junior trip Hannah, who was about to topple over. Megan reacted quickly, wrapping her arms around Hannah to break the fall with her own body.
The two women landed hard, Hannah coming down on top of Megan, who absorbed the full impact of the crash. Nolan let out an unholy cry as he dropped to his knees next to them. “Hannah! What happened?”
“I’m fine,” she said. “Got my feet tangled up with Homer. Get me off poor Megan before I kill her.”
“Are you sure you’re okay to move?”
“Yes!” Hannah said. “Hurry up. I’m crushing her.”
Nolan lifted Hannah, and then Hunter was there, hovering over Megan with concern etched into his handsome face.
“Are you okay, sweetheart?”
Megan drew in a deep breath and nodded.
He helped her up, brushing grass and dirt off her dress.
“Megan!” Molly rushed over to them. “Oh my goodness! Are you all right, honey?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’m taking you to the ER,” Nolan said to Hannah.
“No, you’re not. I fell, Megan caught me and I’m perfectly fine. I’m far more worried about her. She took one for the team.”
“I’m okay,” Megan assured her.
“You were amazing.” Hannah hugged her tightly. “I don’t want to think about what might’ve happened if you hadn’t done what you did. Thank you.”
“I … um, sure. I just reacted. It was nothing.”
“It was everything to us,” Nolan said quietly.
“Come on, sweetheart.” Hunter put his arm around Megan. “Let’s go.”
“Thank you again, Molly.”
Molly stood with her arm around Hannah. “Thank you.”
Megan left them with a smile and let Hunter walk her to the car. Now that she was moving, everything hurt.
“Tell me the truth, do you need a doctor?”
“N
o. Maybe a hot bath though.”
“That I can do.” He settled her in the SUV and belted her in. “You scared the hell of out me, but thank you so much for what you did for Hannah. I can’t even think about the possibility of her losing that baby.”
“I didn’t really think about it. I just reacted.”
He kissed her softly. “You were amazing, and you have to be hurting.”
“Little bit.”
“I’ll take care of you.” He kissed her again before he closed her door and went around to the driver’s side. “What did my mom say to you?” he asked when they were driving away from the red barn.
“That she knows this’ll be a tough week for me and I’m not alone. Far from it.”
“It’s true, you know. Nina might be leaving, but there’re plenty of people who care about you who aren’t going anywhere.”
“It’s good to know.” She didn’t trust herself to say anything more. They hadn’t made plans for after dinner, but she wasn’t surprised when he took her to his house rather than taking her home to hers.
She was surprised, however, to find another woman sitting in one of the chairs on his front porch. Apparently, so was he.
“Lauren? What’re you doing here?”
The attractive dark-haired woman took in the sight of Hunter holding hands with Megan, her eyes narrowing with displeasure. “So she’s my replacement? Kinda young for you, Hunter.”
“Don’t do this, Lauren. Please don’t pretend we were more than what we were.”
Megan tried to release his hand, but he didn’t let her get away.
“Did I really mean so little to you that the minute something better came along, you forgot all about me?”
“Lauren—”
“It could happen to you, too,” she said to Megan. “He could lose interest in you when a new flavor of the month comes along.”
“I’ll never lose interest in her,” Hunter said sharply. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I’m in love with her. I was never in love with you. I’m sorry if that hurts your feelings, but I was always honest with you.”
“Were you? Or were you stringing me along until you got a better offer? It might not matter to you, but I fell in love.” She was crying openly now, and despite the theatrics, Megan felt for her. Losing Hunter would hurt, and she’d only spent a week with him.
“I’m sorry,” he said, tension rolling off him in waves. “I don’t know what you want me to say.”
“Forget it.” Lauren came down off the porch, pushing past him in her haste to get away.
Hunter released Megan’s hand to go after the other woman. “Lauren, wait. You shouldn’t drive when you’re upset.”
“Leave me alone. I came here for answers, and I got them.”
“Lauren!”
She got in her car and tore off down the street, leaving a cloud of dust in her wake.
Hunter stood at the end of the sidewalk, shoulders rigid, hands on hips.
Megan had no idea what she should do. Go to him and offer comfort or wait for him to say something? Though her inclination was to take a step back and give him space, she discovered a greater need to offer comfort, so she went to him, laying her hands on his back.
“I’m so sorry about that,” he said. “I swear to you there was never anything serious between us, and she knew it.” He turned then, his eyes imploring her to believe him. “I’m supposed to be taking care of you, not the other way around.”
“Is it okay if we take care of each other?”
He nodded, but she could see and feel his continuing distress as he took her into the house and straight upstairs to the master bathroom, where he drew a bath for her. Then he helped her out of her dress and held her hand while she stepped into the warm water.
Kneeling on the floor next to the tub, Hunter winced at the sight of a bruise already turning purple on her hip. “That’s going to hurt tomorrow.”
“I’ll be fine. All that matters is that Hannah and the baby are okay.”
“That’s not all that matters. You matter, too, and I’m so sorry you had to see that just now and to hear the awful things she said. I’m not going to lose interest in you. I was never interested in her the way I am in you. She knows that.”
“It’s not easy to lose the affection of someone like you.”
“You’ll never have to find out what that’s like. I promise.”
“You were with her for a while?”
“A couple of years. Usually one weekend a month when her kids were with their dad. We were friends more than anything. Or at least I thought we were.”
“You slept with her.”
“Yes. We had fun. We had laughs. We never talked about anything past the current weekend. We didn’t talk between weekends. It was nothing like this, Megan. I can’t stand an hour without you in it, let alone weeks on end without seeing or talking to you. After only a few nights with you, I already know I want to spend every night with you.”
“How can you already know that?”
“I knew it before I ever even kissed you. I knew you were going to change my life forever.”
She cupped his cheek, running her thumb over the light stubble on his jaw.
He turned his face into her hand, kissing her palm. “Everything about this is different. I’ve never told a woman I love her before you. I’ve never been in love, truly in love, the way I am with you.”
“That wasn’t supposed to happen.”
“So you keep telling me.”
“Hunter …”
“What, sweetheart?”
“There’s something wrong with me.”
“What? No, there isn’t.”
Her eyes filled and she closed them, trying to keep from crying. “There is. Why can’t I say it back to you? You’ve been so amazing and wonderful and … You deserve someone who can say it back to you.”
“Megan, sweetheart, I know you feel it. I don’t care if you ever say it back to me. I can see it in the way you look at me, in the way you touch me, the way you make love with me. I see it. I feel it. I don’t need the words.”
“Lauren could give you the words.”
“I don’t want her. I only want you.”
“What if …”
“Whatever it is, just say it so I can tell you how foolish you’re being.”
“What if you meet someone else—”
“I’ve already told you that’s not gonna happen. I’m so blinded by love for you I can’t see anyone else.”
Smiling, she shook her head at his silliness even as her eyes filled again. “I told you it wasn’t a good idea to fall for me. I tried to warn you.”
His face lifted into a crazy sexy half grin. “Yeah, you did, and I decided you were worth the risk. So relax and go with it. Don’t stress out about all the ways you think you’re failing me. I’ve never been happier than I am with you.”
“Don’t you want more? Don’t you want a wife and a family and all the things everyone wants?”
“I’d rather live in sin with you for the rest of my life than marry someone I don’t love. I want you. I don’t care how I get you as long as you’re here with me.”
“What would your family say if they knew you were so willing to settle for so much less than what you deserve?”
“I’m not doing that.”
Her stomach ached from the sincerity she felt coming from him. What the hell was wrong with her that she couldn’t give him everything he wanted and needed? Why did she have to be such a remote, untouchable mess?
“Whatever you’re thinking, stop it.” He ran his finger over the furrow between her brows. “You’re going to get wrinkles.”
“What if I can’t ever say it?”
“Stop trying to think up ways to drive me away. It’s not going to work.”
“You’re a glutton for punishment.”
“If being with you is punishment, punish me, baby.” And then he was leaning over the tub kissing her passionately and making her
forget all about the many ways she was flawed. He didn’t seem to care about any of that.
CHAPTER 31
Hunter hated seeing her so upset about her self-imagined inadequacies. To him she was perfect, exactly what he’d always wanted and so much more than he’d ever dared to dream. He’d meant it when he told her he didn’t need the words. Maybe he was being a fool. Maybe he was on the path to disaster, but at least he’d go happy.
Watching her sleep, he let her silky hair slide through his fingers. He thought about the ring he’d bought for her and wondered if he’d ever get the chance to give it to her. If he worked up the nerve to ask her, would she turn him down? If he asked her and she said no, would that ruin everything between them?
He couldn’t bear to think of that possibility. Did he wait until she was more secure in the relationship before he asked, or would a proposal tell her everything she needed to know about how serious he was? He wasn’t sure, and he was never unsure. He always knew what to do in any given situation. Or he had until now, until he fell in love with Megan.
Even with all her foibles and fears, he wouldn’t trade one minute with her for a lifetime with someone else. Somehow he had to find a way to convince her he was in it for keeps.
He should go to sleep. Tomorrow, he was going climbing with his brothers—a long-planned day trip that he wished now he hadn’t committed to. Tomorrow was also Nina’s last day at the diner—they were opening to give Nina one last chance to see everyone before she left—and he wanted to be there to support Megan. He was truly torn between the plans with his brothers and his desire to be with her.
Will had just gotten engaged, and he was still going. They’d be back by sunset, and he could lend his shoulder to Megan then. Blowing off his brothers wasn’t an option when they’d had these plans for weeks, unless he wanted to hear how pussy-whipped he was for the rest of his natural life. But oh how he wanted to blow them off.
For once, he was up before Megan to shower and grab some coffee that he took up to her when he woke her with kisses to her bare shoulder.
She came to with a groan. “Am I dead? Please tell me the truth because I feel like total death.”