by Kennedy Fox
His chest vibrates as he chuckles. “Remember that when we’re squeezing onto a twin-size bed later tonight.”
My heart rapidly pounds just thinking about it. The things he’s had to go through just to make this plan work are nothing short of amazing.
We meet my parents at the car, and my mom’s smile is so wide, it hits her eyes. “Did you kids have fun and enjoy the fireworks?”
She’s so happy. And by the way she looks at Hunter and me, I know it’s because of us.
Gah, fuck me.
“It was amazing,” Hunter replies when I don’t. He opens the door open for me, and before I slide in, he grabs my arms and places a soft kiss on my cheek. “A day I’ll never forget.” He gives me a wink even though his words are meant for my mother.
“Everyone is so smitten by you,” Mom says as we settle in the back seat. Then she looks over her shoulder, and continues, “Can’t say I blame them.” She smirks, then buckles.
I can’t stop the smile that covers my face as I look down and try to hide it. Hunter is definitely a parent-charmer. Leaning over, I grab his hand and let it settle on his lap as if it’s been our routine for years.
The next morning and day seem to pass by in a blink. We eat breakfast with my parents, and then Mom and I go shopping for the baby. It takes us nearly all day because she wanted to drive to Salt Lake so we could hit up more shops. By the time we head home, I’m buzzing with happiness even though I’m exhausted. Regardless of the less than ideal circumstances, this trip has gone exactly the way I wished it would—full of acceptance and love.
When we walk through the front door carrying several bags in our hands, I can hear my father’s laughter followed by Hunter’s. The sound of their chatter echoes throughout the house, causing me to suck in a ragged breath.
“Honey, I don’t know if you’re gonna have room to pack all this in your suitcases. Maybe I’ll ship everything to you instead,” she tells me, looking at how much stuff she bought. Considering I’m already packed to the max, it’s a great idea.
I laugh in agreement. “Yeah, maybe we went slightly overboard, especially since we don’t know if I’m having a boy or a girl,” I tell her.
“I’m almost positive it’s going to be a girl. You seem to be carrying the same way I did.” Mom shoots me a sweet smile.
I walk into the kitchen where Hunter and my father are. Even though they stop talking when I enter, the wide grins on their faces remain. Dad sips a cup of coffee, and it smells so good, I’m half-tempted to steal it from him.
“Your dad was telling me about the time you thought you could do tricks on your bike,” Hunter says as he walks toward me, then places a chaste kiss on my lips.
“Dad! You’re not supposed to tell anyone about that,” I playfully scold.
He chuckles. “You thought you could jump a puddle and fell in it instead. Just giving Hunter a warning because I’m sure your kid is going to be just as adventurous as you were.”
Hunter rests his arm around me, and I can’t help but soak in his touch. I look up at him and smile. “No telling what else he said.”
With a laugh, Dad shakes his head and pretends to zip his lips.
“Did you have fun today?” Hunter asks.
“Tons, but now I’m tired,” I admit with a sheepish grin.
Mom enters and pours herself a cup of coffee. As she’s stirring in the sugar and cream, she looks over her shoulder at me. “Don’t forget we have dinner with the Andersons tonight. We’ll need to leave in two hours.”
Dammit, I forgot, but I smile and nod. “Of course.”
“You’ll need to dress up a bit. We’re going to Sebastian’s Steakhouse,” Dad tells me, then glances over at Hunter.
“Great. Sweetheart, do you want to take a nap before going? I know you’ve had a long day,” Hunter quietly asks, and I nod, thankful he can read my mind. We make our way out of the kitchen, and as soon as we’re in the bedroom, Hunter takes a few steps toward me, then tucks loose strands of hair behind my ear.
“Was today really okay?” he asks, searching my face.
“It was. My mother and I bonded on a completely different level. It was as if I got an invisible adult card as soon as I told them I was married and pregnant. She didn’t treat me like a child but more of an equal.” I keep my voice low. “They’re so happy. Does this make me a horrible daughter?”
“No,” he says matter-of-factly. His warm breath brushes against my cheek, and when I look up into his brown eyes, I feel as if I’m falling… The urge to kiss him nearly overtakes me, and I bite my bottom lip to hold myself back, but I’m pretty sure he notices. I watch his tongue swipe across his bottom lip, and I force myself away because, behind closed doors, there’s no one to pretend for. At that point, what we’re doing is real.
And this can’t be real because my heart can’t take another heartbreak.
I walk to the bed and take off my shoes, trying to get ahold of my emotions. Hunter turns and watches me, and I laugh. “I wasn’t kidding about a nap.”
“Oh, I didn’t think you were,” he says. “Shopping wears me the fuck out. So I can only imagine how it made you feel, considering all the bags I saw in the living room.”
“She wouldn’t stop buying stuff.” I slide under the blankets, set the alarm on my phone, then let out a sigh.
Hunter sits on the bed, and I roll from side to side, unable to get comfortable, though exhaustion is settling in. Noticing, because he notices everything, Hunter lies down and wraps his arm around me. With his body warmth blanketing me, I fall asleep almost instantly.
The sound of the alarm on my phone forces me awake. Opening my eyes, I look around and see I’m still in my old bedroom, but I’m alone. I slept so damn hard, I wasn’t really sure where I was. Knowing we’re going to eat dinner with the associate pastor and his wife tonight makes me nervous. Mrs. Anderson isn’t one to keep her comments to herself and talks in a condescending tone when she’s trying to hide what she really wants to say. My mother only tolerates her because of her husband’s position at the church.
I slip on the dress I packed along with some flats. When I walk down the stairs, Hunter is in the living room with my parents. I stop before making my presence known and listen to their conversation.
“I’ve never felt this way about anyone before. Lennon is my everything, and I can’t imagine my life without her,” he tells them. My chest aches at his words.
“You two are adorably in love.” My mother practically swoons.
“Madly in love,” Hunter adds. Trying to save him from my parents’ interrogation, I walk down the stairs and enter the living room, hoping they can’t see how hard my heart is beating.
When Hunter sees me, he stands and walks over. “Sleep okay?”
I can’t help but study him from top to bottom with a smile on my face. Damn, he’s even wearing a tie. “Like a baby,” I tell him. He dips down and kisses my cheek, and when he pulls away, I feel guilty for desperately wanting more of him.
My parents stand, and Dad grabs his keys. “Guess we should get going. Don’t want to be late.”
“I need to go upstairs and grab my wallet real quick,” Hunter says, and my parents tell us they’ll meet us in the car.
Before I walk out the front door, Hunter grabs my elbow and swings me around to face him. Without a word, he cups my face, then slants his mouth over mine, and our tongues twist and dance together. Warmth rushes through me as he pours himself into me, and I’m so fucking greedy, I don’t want him to stop. I don’t know what it is about his kisses, but they’re more addictive than caffeine or chocolate. When he pulls away, I’m breathless and confused. Shocked, actually.
“What the hell was that for?” Blinking, I search his face. That wasn’t just for the sake of my parents’, considering they’re not even in the house. That was real.
Do I want it to be real?
“It was a good luck kiss.” He flashes a boyish smirk.
I narrow my eyes at him as he walks toward the d
oor. “Wait. Don’t you have to get your wallet?”
He pulls it from his back pocket and flashes it, popping an eyebrow up. “Nah, I had it after all.”
My mouth falls open, and he grabs me by the hand to pull me outside, not giving me time to question him or my racing heart. The smile on my face as we slide into the back seat is genuine. We buckle, then Hunter interlocks his fingers with mine and kisses my knuckles—something that’s become my new favorite gesture of his—as the car travels down the street.
Mom and Dad sing gospel music during the ride to the steakhouse. By the time we pull into the parking lot, even I’m singing along with them as Hunter taps his leg. He’s such a good sport about all of this.
We’re laughing as we enter the restaurant, but my smile fades as soon as I see Mr. and Mrs. Anderson. She’s already judging everything about me, and I feel my nerves teetering on edge. As Hunter introduces himself, he keeps me close by, and I plaster a fake smile on my face. Soon we’re seated, and it doesn’t take long before we give our drink and food orders.
It feels awkward as hell as my mother tries to make small talk about the 4th of July celebration. Eventually, the conversation moves on, and I feel like I’m under Mrs. Anderson’s microscope as she begins hounding me with questions.
“So, Lennon. What was the rush to get married so early? I didn’t get the full story yesterday.” Her gaze pierces through me over her glass as she sips her water.
“Well…” I hesitate before continuing and repeating our rehearsed story.
Hunter naturally picks up the conversation as I grow quiet, adding all of his charm. “—and we knew then, that we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.”
After he eloquently finishes, Hunter leans over and places a chaste kiss on my lips. Mom and Dad watch us, eating up the whole thing.
Mr. Anderson couldn’t care less, but his wife, she’s not giving up. “So how far along did you say you were?”
“Twelve weeks,” I tell her, and she lets out a sarcastic laugh. “Honey, you seem way farther along than that. You’re pretty big for only three months,” she says, causing my mother to butt in. My cheeks heat, and I’m sure the entire restaurant can hear my rapidly beating heart.
“You know, Theresa, everyone said the same thing to me when I was carrying Sophie. Many assumed I was carrying twins.” Mom throws her a forced grin, but I notice how tense she is. The last thing Mrs. Anderson wants to do is bring out Mama Bear because that side of her is scary.
Hunter leans back and chuckles at something my father mutters, interrupting our conversation, and I’m so damn thankful he’s the buffer. “Did you hear what your dad said?”
I shake my head.
Hunter leans over and whispers in my ear. “He said he just prayed his water would turn into wine.”
Dad must be just as annoyed with Mrs. Anderson as the rest of us are.
Our food arrives, and though Mom keeps the small talk going while we’re eating, the attention shifts from my pregnancy to our relationship.
“It’s so cute how they met,” my mother continues. “You have to share it again.”
I don’t remember discussing this previously. Hunter glances over at me and shoots me a wink.
“Most people think Lennon and I met through Brandon, but that’s actually not true,” he starts.
Blood pumps harder through my system, and I feel like the pulse in my neck is throbbing in overdrive.
“I was at work, and Lennon ordered a drink from me. I knew how amazing Lennon was after just one sentence. Sometimes, when you meet someone—and you share a special moment—it’s like you just know. When she dated my best friend, I sat on the sidelines, happy for them. But after the accident, no one understood the loss and pain I was feeling better than Lennon. We were there for each other when we both needed someone the most. She was my saving grace. She’s my everything.” He turns to me with a sincere look on his face before going back to the story. “The day we met, I had no idea Lennon would be my wife, or we’d be starting a family, but I’m so grateful. I can’t imagine a day without her now.” He gives me his infamous smile, and I practically melt. The only thing that pulls me away from staring at Hunter in awe is my father’s voice.
“It was almost as if God brought you together to heal and grieve,” my father says. I give him a grin, but I officially feel like an asshole for lying. Though Hunter edited some of the details, it isn’t a completely fabricated story.
“It’s almost as if your guardian angels were looking out for you guys, knowing you two needed each other in desperate times. I’d like to think adding you to that prayer list after the accident helped,” Mom says.
I grab Hunter’s hand and squeeze because he has protected me and made sure I was safe. I was supposed to be on the back of that bike that night, and it hits me like a freight train that I was pregnant at that point. I sink into a black hole as I think about Brandon and that night. Hunter leans over and kisses my forehead, causing my eyes to flutter closed and bring me back to our temporary reality.
Eventually, the server comes to the table and picks up our empty plates, and Dad pays the bill. The Andersons give us all hugs and congratulations before saying goodbye, believing every word of our story. When we walk to the car, I let out a relieved sigh. Hunter pulls me to his body and whispers in my ear, “Everything went fine. Stop overanalyzing it all.”
“How do you always know what to say?”
His fingers graze across my arm. “Because I know you, Lennon.”
We climb into the back seat and make our way to my parents’ house with soft music playing in the background. I’m lost in my head, staying silent, replaying every question that was asked and every answer Hunter gave. The lines are so damn blurred I’m not sure what’s pretend and what isn’t. When we get back to California, hopefully we’ll be able to figure it out because what I feel is so damn wrong that it almost paralyzes me.
Once we’re back at the house, Hunter tells my parents good night, and before I can follow, I turn around. I move toward my mom and dad, fighting back my emotions.
“Good night. I love you both so much.” I smile, happy tears stream down my cheeks.
Mom opens her arms, and I fall into them. “We love you too.” She pulls back to study my face. “What’s wrong, honey?”
“I’m just so happy, that’s all,” I tell her, and it’s the truth.
“Love does that to a person,” Dad says with a smile. “We’re thrilled, Lennon. I can’t imagine a better man for you.”
My heart sinks.
“I can feel the love you two share, and it’s beautiful,” Mom tells me, and my mind goes in overdrive.
I wipe the rogue tears determined to fall. “Thank you.”
“We love you. Good night,” my father says.
“Good night.” I walk away with my mind in overdrive, wishing my parents would’ve had the opportunity to meet Brandon. I like to think they would’ve liked him just as much. With a heavy heart, I climb the stairs.
It took all of forty-eight hours for my parents to fall in love with Hunter. They officially believe our relationship is real, and after these past two days, I almost believe it too.
Chapter Seven
Hunter
I wake up with Lennon in my arms. The curve of her body presses against me, and I want to stay here all day and hold her because once we get on that plane and head back to California, everything will go back to normal. Or at least that’s what I keep telling myself. I’m not sure we can go back to normal after this, but I’ll try my damnedest, for her sake.
Lennon shifts, and she lets out a hum.
“You awake?” I whisper, and she shakes her head, which makes me chuckle. “Better get up, so we don’t miss our flight.”
She lets out a sigh, then I slide out of bed and go to the bathroom. When I come back, she’s sprawled out, looking beautiful as always. Her shirt slides up her body and reveals her belly, and I can’t help but smile. That baby has no id
ea how lucky it is.
“Lennon…”
“I know, I know,” she tells me in her cute sleepy voice as she pushes herself up. After tucking her messy hair behind her ears, she then stretches before standing. She walks out, and by the time she comes back into the room, I’m dressed and ready for breakfast. When she passes me by, her eyes slide up and down my body. She doesn’t say a word, though I have an inkling of what she’s thinking.
Lennon may be able to suppress her feelings, but she can’t hide her physical reactions from me—never has—even when she hated me.
She swallows hard, then forces her eyes away. “I’ll meet you downstairs,” she says, digging through her suitcase.
I give her a side grin and a nod, wishing I could read her mind. As I walk out of the bedroom, I hear her parents’ laughter in the distance. The house smells like bacon, and my stomach growls, thinking about it. Lennon’s parents greet me with a cheery good morning when I enter the kitchen.
“I was just finishing up breakfast. Will Lennon be down soon?” Mrs. Corrigan asks as she begins plating the food.
“Yes, ma’am,” I tell her as she sets a large spread in front of me. She even made homemade waffles. “Wow, Mrs. Corrigan. This looks amazing. You’re spoiling me.”
She smiles and pours me a cup of coffee. “I’m really going to miss you two being here.”
“I am too,” her dad adds. “It’s been great having kids in the house again.”
This causes me to laugh just as Lennon enters. She’s thrown her hair into a sloppy ponytail, and when our eyes meet, the electricity streaming between us seems to pull her closer. She places a sweet kiss on my lips, then sits down next to me where her mother put a plate piled full. I don’t miss the fact that she initiated a kiss this time. Fake or not, the way she looks at me is genuine.
“Ready to go back to California?” her dad asks.
A smile barely touches Lennon’s lips. She looks at me, then at her father. “I guess, but I’m really going to miss being here. It’s been perfect.”