Chapter 16
“That was quite the day,” Gramps said, lifting a cup of coffee toward Mia.
Mia grinned, stretching her arm to clank her glass of ice water against his mug. How he could do coffee before going to bed was beyond her, but it’d proven to be part of his bedtime ritual.
“It sure was,” she said. “I’m still taking it all in, actually.” At once she was back in Hunter’s truck, contemplating the kiss the reporter suggested. As long and eventful as the day had been, that moment stood out to her most. Even still, she could practically feel the hurt in his eyes when she’d refused to kiss him in front of the camera. Surely he understood why; had Mia been able to trade the crowd and the camera crews for an evening alone with Hunter, she’d have done it in a heartbeat.
“Hunter didn’t seem too happy with my suggestion to get you out of Stoke’s,” Gramps said.
She looked up. “Sneaking me out the back door after the bull ride?”
Gramps nodded. “I said, ‘Look, Hunter, my buddy’s son, Officer Conway, is going to escort us all the way home. You’ve got nothing to worry about.’” Gramps shook his head. “Still wasn’t happy. He wanted to be there himself.” He chuckled that deep, hearty laugh of his. “Only way he calmed down is by talking to the officer himself. Which reminds me: you did text Hunter that you’re home, right?”
Mia nodded and looked down at her phone. “Right.” A quick touch of the screen revealed his reply.
Glad you’re home. You were great tonight. You always are. Wish I was there to kiss you goodnight.
She wished so too. Perhaps that’s why he’d wanted to bring her home himself; he was hoping Mia would make it up to him, like she’d promised.
“Well, I’m glad Karen got you on board with calling the press.” Gramps circled the rim of his mug with his index finger, the steam caressing his palm. “I think it was the perfect way to end filming for the week. Go out with a bang, right?”
She smiled. “Right.”
Boy, did he look proud. And content. In fact, this was the best Gramps had looked since she’d come. Had he looked like this when she’d first arrived, Mia might not have thought he’d changed so much after all.
“You still planning to stay the extra week?”
The fact that he asked the question said either Gramps was more perceptive than she’d thought, or that Mia was more transparent than she’d like. Her head— feeling heavy with the dilemma—sank back until the chairback caught it with a thump. “I’m ninety-nine percent sure that I am. Well, maybe ninety-eight and a half.”
“You worried about running things without Karen?”
“Yep.” She tugged her head off the chairback and gulped down some iced water.
“There’s not a right or wrong here. You know that, don’t you?”
“What do you mean?”
Gramps set his steaming mug down. “I mean, so often in life we get all caught up in decision making. Now, I ain’t suggesting there’s not an actual right and wrong where behavior’s concerned and how to treat folks. But things like staying an extra week or leaving in the morning—you’ll be fine either way.”
Mia wasn’t sure she believed that. Clearly she was making a mistake one way or the other. “I feel like I’m choosing between the people I love and my career.”
Gramps lifted a brow. “People? That’s a plural word last time I checked. I assume I’m in that category. Can I assume Hunter’s in there too?”
How had she worked her way into that trap? “Love’s a pretty strong word.”
“Yes, but I’m not the one who said it.”
That was true.
“Listen,” Gramps said. “I was hoping you two would hit it off, truth be told.”
Mia’s eyes widened. “Hoping? Since when?”
“Since before I got you to come out here, doll.”
“Gramps!” she cried. “I can’t believe you.”
The man chuckled once more. “I ain’t no dummy. I love you both, and if you were a couple, it’d make me mighty happy. And just think of how cute those grandbabies would be.” He winked over his mug.
Now Mia was the one laughing. “Well, none of this really solves the problem, though. I don’t know what to do.”
“Stay an extra week or go in the morning, either’s fine. If you miss a beat on your business, you’ll get back on track. If you miss a beat with Hunter, you’ll get back on track there, too.” He brought the mug back to his lips and paused. “If he’s the right one for you, that is.”
Gramps’ words sank in, his laid-back approach lifting some of the weight from her. If either choice was fine, she’d just as soon extend her stay like she’d planned. They had two weeks’ worth of shows ready to post. Plus Try My Life had received more publicity than they’d had in a very long time.
“Thanks, Gramps,” she said.
“You bet, doll.”
She gave him a tight squeeze before heading down the quiet hall. Once in bed, Mia grabbed her polka dot binder and pen. She made a list of the things she needed to take care of. Calling her sponsors went at the top of the list. Mia didn’t want them to hear about Karen’s pending exit through the grapevine and get nervous. She’d need to assure them that the transition would be seamless.
Next, she’d need to contact those at her scheduled job sites. Make them aware that she’d be working with a new videographer at their upcoming shoot. Once she’d informed them, she could advertise her need for a replacement without causing concern among those who supported her, not to mention her viewers. She’d have to let them know, too, after securing everything else.
But what if she couldn’t find a good replacement for Karen in time? Karen was a personality on the show. With her love for comic book heroes and funky clothing, the audience loved her. She was Mia’s perfect sidekick; how do you replace that?
And she couldn’t forget about the whole roommate dilemma. Just how was she supposed to go about finding someone—put a roomie wanted ad in the paper? She could get some serial killer moving in with her. And she should probably talk to her local sponsors face-to-face. Things were always better face-to-face.
Mia forced herself to put the notepad away, flick her lamp off, and lay back in bed. She needed to clear her head and revisit all of this in the morning. For now, she could settle on wonderful, happy thoughts of Hunter. And of the week they’d be spending together.
With the lights out, breaths coming deeper, slower, and evenly paced at last, she drifted off to sleep.
“What are you guys watching?” Mia came up behind a group of people huddled around one of the large theatre screens at the fairgrounds.
“That’s too bad,” someone mumbled.
“I called it,” came another voice. “Her career is shot.”
Mia broke through the crowd, recognizing her brother’s voice. “Kyle? What are you talking about?”
Daniel stepped in front and turned to face her. “He’s talking about the fact that your show totally bombed last night. It’s over.”
Horror gripped hold of her as she looked at the faces around the crowd. “Dad? Mom? How could that happen? My subscribers have been growing like crazy.”
“I’m sorry, sweetie,” her mom said. “You lost all your subscribers last night, so they’ve closed your account. The show’s over, dear.”
Her dad gave her a pat on the back. “It was inevitable, hon.”
Daniel’s face was smug. She tipped to see past him, anxious to hear what the news reporter had to say.
Vanessa McKlainy was an actor, not a reporter, but there she was, postured behind a news desk, looking as stone-faced as her co-anchor. “The hit show Try My Life, featuring fun-loving Mia Reynolds, took an abrupt swan dive when the host decided to go on hiatus in a remote country getaway with cowboy hunk Hunter Coleman.”
Vanessa shuffled the papers in her hand without looking down and continued. “Sadly, upon finding that she lost the show, the cowboy saddled on up and moseyed on to greener pastures.�
� She glanced over at her co-anchor, an older man with a mustache. “Back to you, Phil.”
The man shook his head and let out a chuckle. “Try My Life, huh? Never heard of it. But I’ll tell you one thing—I sure wouldn’t want to try her life right now, that’s for sure.”
“Definitely not,” Vanessa agreed.
Mia took a step back, feeling the eyes of everyone she’d ever known or loved or maybe even despised—all looking at her in the wretched moment. She was a failure, and everyone knew it. Forget about the fact that it was nearly impossible to make them see she’d actually had an ounce of success with the vlog she’d built from nothing.
All they knew was that she had tried, and now she had failed.
The outdoor screen grew taller and wider as the news reporters laughed, the thing finally taking up the entire sky.
It felt as if Mia’s insides were caving in, causing her body to wilt and shrink. Her limbs folded in on themselves like shriveling petals, smothering her until everything went silent and black.
Mia shot up from bed, sitting in the darkness as she worked to catch her breath. And her bearings too. She wasn’t shriveling away while everyone laughed about her inevitable failure.
Her show—it was still going. It had only been a dream.
She nodded, pulling in a deep and shaky breath, and told herself again. It was just a dream, Mia. Just a dumb dream.
But her body refused to listen. Her muscles still clenched, flinching as the hammer of doom threatened to drop.
There was no way she could stay in Montana. That dream had been a wake-up call. Mia could not let what she’d worked for crumble. She had way too much to prove to the people who’d been staring down on her in those moments.
Her family, her friends, and Daniel too. She resented her ex-boyfriend for having a place there, but that didn’t mean she could dismiss him.
Mia wasn’t a failure, and she had to prove it.
For three restless hours she stayed in bed, waiting. She stared at the ceiling, willing the first sign of daylight to appear. Once the pale blue haze of dawn crept through the cracks in her blinds, Mia popped out of bed, changed into her riding clothes, and made for the barn.
She’d never seen a dawn more lovely. Along the horizon, she spotted a small, yellow glow. A promise. The sheer sight was a promise of the full and unfettered appearance of the sun with all its heat and light. Birds chirped in celebration. Chicks peeped as a rooster crowed. Such beauty. Such reverence. This is why Gramps loved ranch life. This is what lured Hunter from a stuffy office desk.
Her eyes stung as she weaved through the tall grass, savoring the feel of the soft breeze on her skin. Brimming tears caused her vision to blur as she saddled Cherry for riding, but it wasn’t until she’d guided her out of the corral that the tears made their way down her face.
She pictured Hunter’s wry smile, the one he pulled nearly every time they filmed. Namely, when she teased him about something. And that slight arch in his brow when he flirted with her. The warm feel of his breath on her lips a second before they kissed. As blissful as those images were, they were agony now that she had to leave. Worse yet, Mia hadn’t even told him.
You’ll come back. You’ve just got to get everything in place.
She sniffed, wiped her tears, and reminded herself of what Gramps said—that no matter the choice, all would be fine. If she and Hunter were right for each other, and she desperately hoped they were, their relationship would survive the bump, no matter how much she’d miss him.
Mia nodded, pulling in a breath of hope while encouraging Cherry to pick up speed. She just needed to secure matters back home. Then she could think about coming back to Montana.
Still, there was something nagging at her from a dark corner of her mind. It was easy enough to identify, and simple enough that she could name it in just one word. As premature as it might be to feel it, already Mia felt regret.
Hunter climbed the porch steps, his tightly wound nerves halting the pace of his breath. Last night had been a scare if he’d ever had one. Not only had he feared for Mia’s physical well-being with all the gawking guys grabbing for her attention, but he’d feared losing her in an entirely different way, too.
I’ll make it up to you. The irony had been too much. Despite the repeat of Vanessa’s half-hearted vow, Hunter had worked to give Mia the benefit of the doubt. It hadn’t been easy. The one thing that had kept him going was that Mia planned to stay an extra week. No cameras, no media. Just time on the ranch. With him. He could hardly wait.
With that, Hunter reached out and knocked on the door. Anticipation bustled through him as footsteps approached. He lifted his hat, combed his hair with his fingers, and set it back on his head.
The wood door creaked open. The screen door too. And there stood Mia. A tote bag strapped around her shoulder. Her eyes went wide. “You’re early. I was going to call you.”
Hunter tilted his head. “You were?” He dropped his gaze to the bag. Was it Karen’s? It had to be. She was the only one leaving.
“Yeah,” Mia said, motioning to the porch. “Can we talk for a minute?” She slid the bag off her shoulder and set it next to a suitcase just off to the side. She closed the door behind her and stepped onto the welcome mat.
Hunter backed up, telling himself that the suitcase by the door was not Mia’s. The bag she’d had around her arm belonged to Karen. He followed her to the patio swing, was about to sit down beside her when a recollection came to mind: a green ribbon. Mia’s luggage had been marked with a bright green ribbon. Karen’s hadn’t. And Karen—her suitcase was smooth and shiny and red. Not navy. Not the one he’d seen by the door.
He gulped. Turned to face her where she sat in the chair, and took three backward steps toward the banister. The nook by the door reminded him of the time he’d first tasted Mia’s kiss. The banister at his back—of the moment afterward when he’d hopped off the porch. If manners weren’t an issue, Hunter might do that very thing now—spin around, climb over the railing, and jump off the deck completely, possibly save himself before the gnawing pain in his chest sank any deeper.
Mia tilted her head, her lips parting the slightest bit. “Hunter—”
“You’re leaving,” he said.
She gasped, shock wearing plain on her face. “Did Grandpa call you?”
And there it was. That heart-crushing confirmation—he’d done it again. Fallen for Vanessa #2.
“I didn’t want to go back home yet. I still don’t. But with Karen leaving, I just have too much to take care of. I can’t let everything I’ve worked for fall apart. I need to get back to Portland, hire someone to replace Karen, and …” She kept going, her cheeks growing redder with each addition to her list. But all Hunter could see was Vanessa explaining why she’d been seeing the famous producer who’d promised to further her career. Why she needed to cut ties with Hunter and the rest of the folks in Texas to become who she’d always wanted to be.
“You know what?” he said, turning his back to her. “You don’t owe me an explanation.”
“Yes,” she assured, stepping around to face him and cupping a hand around his arm. “I do. I want to stay. And I plan to come back soon. I just need to get things together first.”
Hunter knew he shouldn’t have gotten involved with Mia. He’d known it right from the beginning.
Years of resentment rushed in like a violent tempest, roaring and raging until it formed the words on his tongue. He pulled his arm from her. “I don’t want you to come back.” He hoped voicing the words would quiet a small part of the chaos, but it didn’t. Not even close. In fact, the storm only bloated and swelled.
The expression on Mia’s face didn’t help. She took a step back. And then another. “What do you mean?”
For a moment, he wanted to take it all back. Hit rewind and start over. But he kept on instead. He’d already unleashed the wounded monster within him, and there was no taming it now. “This whole thing was a big mistake for the both of us. It�
��s best that we just end it now. If you want to come back and visit your grandfather, then do it. But don’t plan on coming to see me.”
There.
He’d done it.
“Hunter, wait,” she pled as he hurried down the stairs. “You’re way off base.”
The walk back to his truck was no more than a blur as he sped from the broken sound of her voice.
A voice he heard again and again during the short trip home. Please, Hunter! Just listen to what I’m saying.
No thanks. He’d heard it all before.
Hunter waited—as he labored on the land in the scorching sun—for regret to sound its trumpet. For the dreaded what-have-I-done moment to grip hold of him. But as the hours passed, the sun moving from the east to the west, his conviction never wavered.
Good. He’d done what he had to do and not a minute too soon.
By the time he hit the sack, Hunter had confirmed that fact at least ten dozen times. And as he drifted off to sleep, a great feeling of relief washed over him. Thank heavens he’d stopped things before they went too far. Never again would he suffer the way he had with Vanessa.
Chapter 17
Every light in the small apartment glowed bright against the dark, rain-streaked windows. A full wall of windows that Mia never had bothered to cover. At 1 a.m., fingers tapping frantically on her keyboard, she’d created the perfect help wanted ad for the job.
She hadn’t let herself think about what had happened the week before. She’d been too busy for that. She’d met up with her sponsors (either physically or online) and let them know that Karen had given her notice and would be replaced, which Mia was already working on. None of them so much as blinked. Same with the jobs she had lined up. It seemed people—strangers in a way—had more confidence in Mia than she had in herself.
Perhaps she hadn’t needed to come back at all.
No. Mia rejected that idea. She would not give in to second thoughts or regrets. She needed to keep moving forward. Post the ad for a replacement, research the historical information on her next location, and … and get some sleep.
Once Hitched Twice Shy Page 12