Jules whispered in my ear, “What the fuck was that?”
“I’m not sure. It was like he was looking at me and really seeing me.”
She pulled back to look up at me. “You know he’s two, right?”
I rolled my eyes. “I’m aware. I can’t explain it.”
“Whatever you say.”
“Ew.”
We both looked over to see Calum holding a worm up and examining it.
“We’re going to use those for the fish. You want to watch me put one on the hook?”
“Yeah.” He stood and shoved the worm at me.
Laughing, I grabbed the worm and the small rod I’d bought him and showed him how to put the worm on the hook before helping him cast out. I baited my own and cast it. It looked like Jules remembered how to do it on her own as she casted her own.
We all sat there for a while on the edge of the dock quietly.
“I’m going to grab my phone to take a few pics.” Jules got up and headed for the trailer. A few minutes later, she was back and looking a little pale.
“Are you all right?”
She was looking at her phone, not paying attention to anything I said.
“Earth to Jules! Anyone home?” I snapped my fingers and waved my hands around, trying to get her attention.
She snapped out of it. “Sorry. What?”
I got up and stood right in front of her. “I swear every time you look at your phone, you have a panic attack. Are you all right?”
I wasn’t going to lie. I was a little concerned. Maybe she needed to shut off the phone.
“Yeah, sorry. Taylor, again. She’s just driving me a little crazy.” She rolled her eyes, but something seemed off.
Ah, now I got it. Taylor’s text that I’d seen. “What’s she saying? Is she all right?”
“Yeah, she’s just kidding, but it’s getting a little irritating.”
Irritating? Shit. Maybe I was reading into this all wrong. I decided to try again. “What’s she saying?”
She sighed. “She’s making a big deal out of our weekend.”
I scrunched my brows, pretending not to have a clue about what she was talking about.
She sighed again. “Every time she sees a pic we’ve posted online, she basically sees it as an opportunity to text me.”
“Okay. I still don’t get it.” I honestly didn’t get what the big deal was.
“Her last text was ‘Looking like a cozy family on IG.’” Her tone sounded irritated.
“Oh.” I didn’t know what to say. I mean, I liked that idea, but clearly, she didn’t. “Well, we can stop posting. Wouldn’t want you getting upset or anyone thinking we’re a family.” I emphasized the word family and sat down with Calum. I tried to shake off my own annoyance.
“Hunter.” She took a deep breath. “That’s not at all what this is about.”
Just then, Calum’s bobber dipped, and he almost dropped the rod. I moved to sit behind him and wrapped my arms around him, helping him hold the line steady.
“Don’t let go, buddy. That means there’s a fish eating your worm. You ready to reel him in?”
He nodded enthusiastically, and we started reeling in. My hand over his as we brought in the fish. From the feel of it, it was a small one which would be perfect for him. We reeled him in slowly, trying to make sure he stayed hooked. A few minutes later, he jumped at the surface. Calum screamed a little.
“It’s okay, buddy. We got him now. You ready to bring him in?”
“Yay, fishy.”
“Let’s stand up and reel him home. Can you hold on tight to the rod?”
He nodded. I stood up, bringing him up with me and taking hold of the rod again. We reeled quickly and brought it up.
“Look, Mama,” Calum said, swinging the rod toward her.
She jumped back, narrowly missing being hit by the fish. She laughed with the phone held up. She must be taking a video. “That’s awesome. You did such a good job, buddy.”
Calum turned to me and dropped the rod, hugging my legs. “More fish, pease,” he said while looking up at me with his chubby little face.
“Let’s get this guy back in the water first. Do you want to touch him?”
He shook his head vigorously. I looked up at Jules laughing, still holding up her phone. Man, she’s beautiful. She stopped laughing as I stared at her. Calum broke the moment, tugging on me and nearly pulling my shorts down.
“Sorry. I got distracted, buddy. Let’s do some more fishing.” I got the fish off the hook and showed Calum. “You sure you don’t want to touch him?”
“No. Yucky.” He scrunched up his little nose.
“Okay. Say bye-bye, fishy.”
He waved. “Bye-bye, fishy.”
I let the fish go and got the rod ready for Calum again, setting him on the edge of the dock. I sat down beside him, and before I could grab my rod, Calum got up and sat between my legs. I scooted back a bit, making room for him on the dock and wrapped my arms around him protectively.
Jules snapped a few more pics from different angles. “Thank you,” she said as she came to sit beside us.
“For what?”
“For just being you. I watch you with my son, and it seems completely effortless like it just comes to you naturally. You never look irritated or put out by anything he does or asks of you. So, thank you.” She smiled and shrugged like it was no big deal.
I looked over to study her. She was casually sitting beside me, looking out over the water like she didn’t just say that.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Was she serious? I was stunned and completely speechless. I didn’t even know how to respond. Part of me wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and see that I was real, and I was here. Hell, I’d never left. Another part of me wanted to pull her in close and tell her everything she needed to hear and hoped she listened. But honestly, right now wasn’t the time for either one. So instead, I decided to play it cool.
“It’s no big deal.” I shrugged and left it at that.
It was so hard for me to bite my tongue, but I couldn’t do this right now.
15
Jules
Watching these two sitting on the dock together was crazy. They got along way better than I could’ve dreamed. Calum had warmed up to Hunter to the point I’d think that he’d been around since day one. I just hoped that we weren’t living in a bubble that would burst the moment we got back home. We needed to talk. Hunter needed to understand what I meant about Taylor’s texts. I didn’t want him to get the wrong impression, but I also didn’t want others to think I was using him, either.
I mean, I took off and left him behind all those years ago, and then suddenly, I was back with my two-year-old son and Hunter was playing daddy. I didn’t want anyone to think I was using him because I would never do that to anyone, let alone Hunter. We just needed to talk. It was nearly lunchtime, and then Calum would be down for a nap. That would give us time.
“Sandwiches okay for lunch? At least I can’t burn that.” I grinned.
He chuckled but didn’t look my way. “I’ll stay here with Calum if you want to make something. I could eat.” He looked down at Calum. “What about you, buddy; you want a sandwich?”
“Mhm. Yes, pease.”
Hunter sounded so distant. I needed to talk to him as soon as possible. The sooner I got lunch ready and Calum down for a nap, the sooner we could sort this out. I didn’t like feeling this space between us. With my plan in place, I jumped up to get lunch over with.
I whipped up a few sandwiches as fast as I could before setting the picnic table and calling them to eat. I decided to leave my phone off and in the trailer. I was going to need it for pictures, but I needed a break from all that nonsense.
The sound of Calum’s giggle caught my attention. I looked up to find Hunter jogging toward me with Calum on his shoulders, gripping his hair. It looked painful, but Hunter had a huge smile on his face. Calum had to be loving th
is vacation, all this time outdoors and running around. Poor kid. We’d spent so much time cooped up since Mama passed away. I was so glad we were able to do this.
“Looks good,” Hunter said as he lifted Calum off his shoulders. “What do you think, Calum. You ready to eat?”
“Yes, pease.” My kid had to be the cutest.
I made our plates before pouring drinks for everyone. “Calum, after lunch, you need a little nap, and then we can swim a little.”
“No nap. Me no tired, Mama,” he whined.
“Sorry, buddy. You know that naps are important to help you grow big and strong, right?”
“Like Hunter?”
Hunter smirked but held in his laugh.
“Yes, just like Hunter.” I smiled at my little man.
“Okay.” Simple as that. If it involved Hunter, Calum was all in.
Lunch was fairly uneventful; the conversation consisted mostly of Calum talking all about his fish. They weren’t able to catch anymore, but I didn’t think he cared. He had so much fun.
“Nap time,” I announced a little too loudly.
Calum’s face fell, but he yawned.
I picked him up and adjusted him on my hip. Man, he was getting heavy. “I’ll tidy up when he’s down. I should only be a few minutes.”
“I got it. You made lunch, so I’ll clean up.”
I smiled and took Calum in to put him to sleep. A few minutes of back rubs and he was down for the count. Before heading back outside, I took a few deep breaths. I was horrible at talking about my feelings, so this was going to be like pulling teeth. Grabbing the monitor after stepping outside, I silently closed the door behind me.
I didn’t see Hunter at first glance. I looked around until I spotted him sitting on the water’s edge. I approached him quietly, not sure what to say to start the conversation.
“Mind if I join you?”
He didn’t look up but patted the ground beside him. I sat down but didn’t say a word. I didn’t know what to say. I breathed a sigh of relief when Hunter broke the silence, saving me from starting the conversation.
“What’s going on, Jules?” His voice matched his posture. Defeated.
I groaned inwardly. That didn’t help me much, so I played dumb. “What do you mean?”
Finally looking up at me, he gave me a don’t fuck with me look.
“All right. I just don’t’ know how to start this conversation.”
“Fair enough. I will. Let’s start with Taylor’s text. What’s that all about? Why is it bothering you so much to be told we look like a family? I mean, is that really such a bad thing?” He sounded annoyed and a little hurt, and I hated that he was feeling this way.
I shook my head. I knew this would be hard, but I didn’t know how to put this into words. “It’s not like that, Hunter. I just—” I took a minute to collect my thoughts. “I don’t want people thinking that I’m using you.” I looked down at my hands, wringing them together in my lap nervously.
“Seriously? Who gives a fuck what anyone thinks? Let alone people online. Anyone that’s going to judge us based on a few photos isn’t worthy of our time. I’m having an amazing time, and I thought you were, too. I like spending time with you and Calum.” His voice broke a little at the end. He dropped his head down and ran his fingers through his hair before looking back up at me with a serious expression.
“Listen. I don’t know what you’re feeling or what’s going through your head unless you tell me, Jules. I know you’re going through a lot right now. Shit, you expected to be back in California any day now, so I need some guidance here. If you want me to back off and give you space I will. It’ll kill me. I’m not going to lie, but if that’s what you need. I’ll do it.”
“Hunter, you’ve got it all wrong. I love watching you with Calum, and we both really enjoy having you in our lives. It’s just that I know in that small town everyone is talking, and it’s probably all shit talk about me—the bitch who left you—and now I’m back, and we’re playing house.” I sighed, throwing my hands up in annoyance.
“Whoa. Wait a second. Who’s playing? This isn’t a fucking game to me, and I sure hope it’s not to you. I saw your posts on Instagram, and I’m sure you’ve seen mine. I don’t give a shit what anyone says, but if you did read the comments, most of them are supportive of us spending time together. Anyone who doesn’t understand our dynamic can fuck right off.”
“It’s not a game to me, either. Honestly?”
He nodded, encouraging me to continue.
I took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I secretly liked what Taylor was saying. It excites me.” I looked away and stared out over the calm waters. “But it scares me.” I whispered the last part.
He opened his mouth to interrupt me, but I continued before he could. “On one hand, it terrifies me to have you back in my life because I’m already to the point where I can’t imagine our lives without you. Calum’s clearly taken with you, and that scares me too because if you leave that would crush him. On the other hand, her saying those things make me worry that if you thought people were thinking that way, you’d run and run fast. I mean, I have a kid, Hunter, and he’s not yours. That’s a huge issue for most guys, and I wouldn’t blame you if you left and never look back. I—”
He halted my rushed speech, not allowing me to continue. “I can’t listen to any more of this shit. Do you know me at all? Have you seen me with Calum? Shit. I can’t believe I’m going to have to spell this out for you. Listen closely because we shouldn’t ever have to have this conversation again.” He sounded pissed.
He turned his body completely in my direction and took my hands in his. “I’m not going anywhere as long as you both want me around. I know I haven’t been in that boy’s life long, and I’m well aware he’s not my son, but I already love him as if he were. What’s not to love? He’s a pretty cool kid. As for the two of us, well, that conversation can wait because I’m not sure you’re quite ready to hear everything I want to say to you.”
A tear slipped down my cheek, and Hunter wiped it away with his thumb. “You love my son?” I pressed a hand to my heart, truly touched by his words.
He nodded.
“That has to be the sexiest thing a man has ever said to me.”
“Please don’t cry.” He wiped my tears away. “I want the rest of our time up here to be filled with happy times, okay?”
“Who said I wasn’t happy? I am.” I sniffed, trying to rein in the tears.
“Good, let’s make a deal. We put our phones on airplane mode for the rest of this vacation. I’ll text Mike, and you text whoever you need to, and then we can shut out the rest of the world.”
“That’s a great idea. I shut off my phone but knew I would need it to take pictures, so airplane mode works even better.”
He smiled before leaning in for a kiss then pulled back, resting his forehead on mine. “I—” He closed his eyes and let out a breath before opening his eyes. His hazel eyes shined with something I hadn’t seen in a long time.
The fortress I’d built around my heart crumbled. God, I’d missed him. How did I ever survive without him in my life? Climbing into his lap, I kissed him softly. Nothing more needed to be said. We were good with things just as they were, and I was not going to let anyone mess that up.
“I’m glad we talked. It’s really hard for me to express my emotions, Hunter. That hasn’t changed. but I didn’t want anything between us.” I leaned into him.
“Me, too.”
A rustling sound came through the monitor. I sat still, waiting to see if he was going to wake, hoping that I could have a little more time alone with Hunter, but no such luck. Calum started to call for me. He had barely been down for an hour.
“Shit, he’s awake already? Guess he doesn’t want to miss any fun.” I groaned before climbing off Hunter’s lap and standing up.
He slapped me on the ass before following suit. My cheeks flushed. Damn, I liked it when he did that. He leaned down and kissed
me behind the ear before whispering, “Tonight.” There was so much promise in that one word that shivers racked my body.
“Can’t wait.” I winked.
He smiled and grabbed my hand, leading me up to the trailer. Calum was sitting in his bed and looked upset.
“What’s wrong, buddy?”
“I pee,” he said as he looked down.
“That’s all right, sweetie. Let Mama clean you up.”
I was really glad the dining room bed was leather. It’d be much easier to clean up. I looked up at Hunter apologetically. He smiled and mouthed, it’s fine.
“Why don’t we go for a swim?” Hunter said.
I looked up at him, surprised this situation hadn’t thrown him, but really, I wasn’t sure why. He seemed to be taking all of this in stride.
“Okay.” Calum still looked really sad. The poor kid was embarrassed.
Hunter hurried to the back and came out wearing his suit and holding Calum’s.
“Thank you. I’ll clean this up and be right behind you.”
Leaning down, he kissed me on the forehead before scooping up my little man and standing him on the ground. He stripped off his wet clothes without batting an eye and helped him put on his suit. Hunter picked him up like he didn’t have piss all over him and carried him out the door.
I stared after them in complete shock. I was a mom and have dealt with some nasty shit in the past couple years, but if that were someone else’s kid, I wouldn’t have been as easygoing as Hunter just was. I shook my head and went back to cleaning. A few minutes later, I snuck onto the dock and did a cannonball right beside them.
Calum laughed hysterically. I was so glad he’d gotten over the bed wetting. It’d been a while for him, but he was still only two, so accidents happened.
“Mama, plash.” He started to splash me back while he continued to laugh in Hunter’s arms.
“Let’s get her.” Hunter joined in, splashing me as well.
“I give up. I give up. You win.” I continued wiping the water from my face until they finally let up.
We spent a little time swimming and then headed in. Hunter took out steak for dinner, so he wanted to get started on everything.
Saved by Him Page 11