Reagan inhaled a ragged breath and braced her hands on her knees. She’d never even considered that there could be another option. It was a multiple-choice question, and all she’d seen was one answer. Before she knew it, tears were gushing.
Carrie Anne wrapped her arms around Reagan. “I’m so sorry. I wasn’t trying to upset you. Oh, I feel awful.”
Her insides were so tangled it was making her stomach hurt. What was she going to do now? Her answer to running the bed and breakfast was always the same: she loved it. But did she? “It’s not your fault.”
“You’re not that bed and breakfast, though. You can love something, feel immensely attached to it, but it’s not you.” Carrie Anne leaned back. “Can I ask what made you think you were?”
Shrugging, Reagan struggled to find the answer to the question. “I honestly don’t know.”
Nodding, Carrie Anne said, “I’m not saying you need to give up or anything, but maybe you should stop putting it first and yourself second.”
Reagan blinked. How would she even do that? The concept was completely foreign. Hunter’s sister was right, though. That bed and breakfast was always front and center, and she was the participation trophy no one wanted. That wasn’t how it was supposed to be.
“Thank you,” Reagan said. “What’s funny is my two friends back home, Naomi and Kaylee, tried to get me to see that when I first mentioned I was going to take over for Mom and Dad. I’ve been so attached to that place. When someone was talking about it, they were talking about me. But I’m just me and nothing else.”
Carrie Anne hugged her. “I think you’re pretty awesome. Running a bed and breakfast has to be a lot of work.” She pulled back. “I know I couldn’t do it.”
“I couldn’t teach, so I think we’re even.” Reagan smiled, glad Carrie Anne was off for Christmas break. It hadn’t occurred to Reagan how much she needed someone to talk to. Of course, she could have called Naomi or Kaylee, but to tell the truth, until this moment, she didn’t know how she felt. Not really.
“You know, I’m gonna like having you as a sister.” Carrie Anne dropped her arms. “I know you and Hunter have been frosty the last couple of weeks, but couples argue. I’m sure he did something moronic. Anyone tell you about Wyatt and how he and Gabby got together?”
“No.” Reagan shook her head.
Hunter’s sister hooked her arm in Reagan’s, and they began walking again as she told the story. She’d been missing out on things like this. Everything revolved around the business, and at some point, she’d taken a back seat. She didn’t even know when it had happened. Maybe that first day in the kitchen cooking? Could it have been before that?
All this time, she’d called herself a failure. Allowed all the negative things said to etch themselves onto her. She wasn’t The Sandy Pelican. She was Reagan Loveless, and she was worth more than a beachfront bed and breakfast.
In a way, Hunter had been telling her the same thing. If nothing else, she’d thank him for that. That didn’t mean she wasn’t still upset with him, but he deserved thanks where it was due. The fate of the business was on shaky ground, but for the first time in her life, she was standing on solid rock.
Chapter 17
Normally, Christmas Eve would be relaxing for Hunter. The scent of spiced cider and fresh pine floating in the air along with the smell of Bandit’s cinnamon rolls baking, fire flickering in the fireplace, everyone sitting around the tree, and the hum of conversation. That’s what made it Christmas Eve.
A couple of years ago, the occasional beverage dumped in a lap would have been par for the course too, but now that Bear had the ranch house, there was elbow room for everyone.
Just before the festivities started, he leaned against the wall next to the stairs, waiting for Reagan to come down. She’d gone for a walk with his sister, and whatever they’d talked about had helped her, which made him especially grateful to Carrie Anne.
A deep breath caught his attention, and he looked up. Reagan stood on the second landing, staring at him. Whatever she was thinking was a mystery because her face was masked.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
She slowly descended the steps and stopped before reaching the bottom landing. “I love your sister.”
He smiled. “She has her moments.”
“I guess it’s time to be engaged again?” The way her mouth turned down was an arrow to his heart.
He’d struggled with whether to tell her his mom knew. In the end, he’d decided not just yet. He was afraid she’d get on the next plane headed to Tybee, and he was desperate to right things between them. If he was wrong, he’d deal with the consequences.
Hunter held his hand out to her. His mom said he needed to show Reagan he was with her, and he’d taken that to heart. With that in mind, he was approaching the evening with a different attitude. “I guess it is.”
She walked down the last two steps and slipped her hand into his. For a second, her entire demeanor was rigid and guarded.
“Reagan,—”
Holding her hand up, she stopped him. “I’m agreeing to a truce.” She softened, and her gaze went to the floor. “I’m also big enough to offer thanks when and where it’s warranted. I’m not The Sandy Pelican. We are two entirely different entities, and Carrie Anne helped me see that earlier.”
“Good.”
“But you started it. For that, I’m grateful.” She lifted her gaze to his. “I’m not necessarily giving up at this point, but I know there’s more than one way now. I have a right to choose which direction I go.”
The light in her eyes was worth everything. “I don’t think I had anything to do with that revelation, but I’m happy for the truce.”
“And I want to say thank you for the roof, and all the other little things you managed to sneak in.” She pointed a finger at him. “You thought I wouldn’t get wind, but you were wrong. I’ll be paying those back too.”
Hunter rubbed his knuckles along his jaw as fire raced up his neck. “Uh.”
“You need to work on your vocabulary when you’re under stress. You’ve got a lot of uh’s and not much else.” She smiled. “On a serious note, despite how this may have started, I’ve enjoyed meeting your family.”
“Is it against the rules to hug you?” he asked, hoping for the best and preparing for the worst.
Shaking her head, she stepped into him, tucking her hands in against his chest. He was pretty sure this was what his mom meant by needing him and not his money. He kissed the top of her head and rested his cheek against it.
“You keep stopping me from apologizing—”
She pulled back. “Hunter,” she said, shaking her head.
He covered her mouth with his hand. “I’m sorry for overreacting about the money. It wasn’t right to do that. I guess…I guess you weren’t the only one in need of a revelation.”
Holding his gaze, Reagan sighed and waited a few beats before taking his hand from her mouth. “Okay.” As she leaned into him again, he wrapped his arms around her.
He’d enjoyed kissing her, but this, just being together, was more precious than the kissing. Not that he didn’t want more of the kissing, but he liked this just as much.
Wyatt stepped out of the living room. “Come on, lovebirds. You’re holding everything up.” He grinned.
Reagan stepped back and looked at him. “I smell cinnamon rolls. If all this hugging has made me late and they’re cold, the next time I make coffee…” Her lips turned up, and her eyes glinted with mischief. “Well, we’ll just leave it there. That way, I can feign innocence.”
Shaking his head, Hunter laughed. “Come on. Let’s go find a seat.”
Her fingers tangled in his without him even asking, and he could have fist-pumped the air. First a hug and now holding hands? They weren’t huge victories, but he’d take them.
On their way to the living room, they stopped in the kitchen. Most of his family had already taken their share of the goodies, a cinnamon roll, and
their choice of hot chocolate, cider, or milk. Once they were loaded up, they walked to the living room and took a spot out of the line of traffic near the back of the tree, setting their drinks on the floor.
When they got seated, Reagan eyed him. “Anxious for presents?”
“No, this is self-preservation.” He smiled. “I learned the hard way to stay away from the traffic after one too many hot drinks were dumped on me.”
Reagan covered her mouth with her hand and giggled.
He scoffed. “That’s not funny.”
That only made her laugh harder.
Balancing his plate with one hand, Hunter slipped his arm around her and pulled her closer. “It’s not nice to laugh at someone.”
“If you make me drop my cinnamon roll, I’m taking yours.” She wrinkled her nose as she teased him.
He set his lips next to her ear. “You may not believe me, but I love hearing you laugh.”
Her laugh died, and she straightened and looked into his eyes. It seemed as if she were debating how to respond. Leaning in, she said, “I don’t think I’ve ever loved a smile as much as I love yours. It makes your eyes a lighter color.”
The root of hope grew a little deeper, and the uncertainty he’d had before lessened. “Can we negotiate terms to move past the white flag?”
“Let’s…let’s take things as they come.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead. “You’re the boss.”
A wide smile quirked on her lips, reaching all the way to her eyes. “That definitely gets me to the table.”
Mr. Fredericks put his hands to his mouth. “Okay, it’s time to start gifts. This year we’re drawing names out of a hat. Remember, the smallest gift. No secret alliances are allowed,” he said and eyed Josiah.
Hunter busted out laughing and looked at Reagan. “He was caught two Christmases ago talking to Wyatt.”
Josiah grumbled. “I was not.”
Carrie Anne leveled her eyes at him. “I heard you with my own ears, you dork.”
“No, you didn’t. I told you we were talking about something else.”
Caroline gave a time-out signal. “Okay, you two, stop it.” She shook her head. “Oil and water work better together than these two sometimes.”
“See why I’m glad you came?” Hunter asked Reagan just above a whisper.
“I love it. I wish I’d had this when I was growing up.” The corners of her mouth were lifted slightly as her gaze met his. “This is the best Christmas Eve I’ve ever had.”
In an instant, he was seeing Christmas futures with her snuggled next to him. That laughter that made his heart beat to its rhythm. There was no one else he could ever see filling that spot. He wanted her to know how he felt, but first she needed to finally hear him out about how wrong he’d been to not trust her. That discussion was long overdue but not something he wanted to have in front of his entire family.
The gifts were barely finished being opened when Hunter took Reagan’s hand and stood, pulling her up with him. Without saying a word, he led her through the house to the study. When they stepped inside, he shut the door and turned to her.
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I owe you an apology that’s more than a few sentences long.”
She opened her mouth like she was going to stop him and then closed it, nodding. “Okay.”
Holding her gaze, he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. This was it. What they had currently was a start, but he wanted the solid ground back that they’d had before he’d been so stupid. “I had a conversation with my mom. She told me she was the one who told you.”
Crossing her arms over her chest, Reagan said, “I told you she did.”
“I know, and I should have believed you the second you said it.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He’d been chewing on that since his conversation with his mom. It was more than just using the money as a shield. “Having so much money has been a curse in some ways. It’s made me suspicious of everyone since so many people see me differently because of it.” If they were going to have a relationship, he needed to be completely honest with her. “For a second, I was afraid you had known all along and were using it against me as far as the bed and breakfast went, but I knew in my heart that wasn’t true.”
He stepped closer and took her hands. “I’m sorry I doubted you. You’ve never once given me reason to believe you’re like that.” He sighed. “All my life I’ve wanted to be successful and loved for who I am, and some may see winning that money as a success, but I wanted to achieve it in an honorable, self-made way. I—”
“And you have.”
“I hope so, but when I heard you knew about the money, it…I don’t know, those fears just sank their hooks in me. I didn’t want you to see me in that way. I don’t even touch the lottery money if I can help it; my business pays the bills. Your opinion is the only one that matters anymore, and I hated that it might be swayed when you heard about the money.”
She blinked. “My opinion?”
“Yes, your opinion. I care about you.” It was so much more than care, but with them just starting to get along, he didn’t want to push things. “I could be the most successful person in the world, and if you didn’t think so, none of it would matter. The idea that you could see all the work I’ve done summed up in dollar bills bothered me.”
Until that moment, he’d felt the words, but hearing them cemented the reason why it had bothered him so much. Reagan having faith in him meant the world to him, and he wanted that faith attached to him as a person and not money.
She took his face in her hands. “Hunter, you’re more than a bank account. At least, to me you are. You’re funny and kind and caring.” She hugged him around the neck.
Wrapping his arms around her, he touched his forehead to hers. “Will you forgive me?”
She squeezed tighter. “Yes. Thank you for giving me the space I needed in the meantime.”
Immediately, a heavy weight fell from his shoulders. He could handle years and years of just this: holding on to each other, facing their fears and doubts together. A partner in life and love and home. For the first time that he could remember, he felt at peace with himself.
Chapter 18
The sun wasn’t even up yet on Christmas morning, and Reagan was positive she’d be the only person in the kitchen. She’d had a fitful night of sleep, and instead of just lying there, she’d decided to make herself some coffee. As she reached the kitchen, she stopped short, finding King and Caroline sitting at the bar, talking.
“Good morning, Reagan,” King said. “Not to be selfish, but I’m relieved you’re here. Caroline threatened me by offering to make me coffee.”
Caroline swatted him on the arm with the back of her hand. “I’ve already admitted it tasted like dirt, didn’t I? I wasn’t trying to poison you, you old codger.”
King snickered and shushed her. “People are still sleeping.”
They were so cute. Reagan had never caught her parents being like that. Then again, her parents were always working, and now that she had a better look at the finances, they were probably always under stress from fear of the next big disaster.
Reagan rolled her lips in, trying not to laugh. Suddenly, she had a goal added to her list: to find herself sitting in the kitchen, enjoying the person she considered her best friend. What really kicked her in the stomach was that Hunter was the only person she could see filling that empty spot anymore.
She’d fallen in love with him. As ticked as she’d been, it was the absolute truest thing she’d ever felt. The realization was a lightning bolt hitting her heart so hard it nearly stopped. It made perfect sense, though. That’s why it had hurt her so badly that he didn’t trust her. Why she’d lashed out at him too. It was all an effort to protect herself.
“Do you mind making coffee, Reagan? You are absolutely not obligated if you don’t want to,” King said.
Lifting her gaze to his, she smiled. “No, I don’
t mind. That’s what I came down for anyway.” Then a little thought danced through her head. What would it be like to call Hunter’s family hers? She shook the thought away. Good grief, talk about jumping the gun.
Caroline stood and stretched. “I think I’m going to run upstairs and shower really quick. I’m feeling sticky from last night.” She pushed on King’s back with her hand. “All that room, and you just had to spill cold hot chocolate on me. I cleaned it off, but I’m still feeling gross.”
King shrugged. “I didn’t anticipate you standing the very moment I decided to take our stuff to the sink. You headbutted me.”
“I should have made you coffee and made ya drink it.” She winked and kissed him on the cheek.
“Go take your shower, my love. I’ll have the cream and sugar on the counter for you when you get back.” He blew her a kiss as she sauntered out of the kitchen.
He turned to Reagan. “I give her grief, but, man, I love her. Just so happens, she’s one hot chick too. I’m pretty sure I’m the luckiest guy on the planet.”
Reagan loved the way they loved each other. It wasn’t stuffy or toned down when someone else was around. Plus, to her, it was the sweetest thing a man could say about his wife. Was it possible this was a glimpse for her future?
Inwardly, she groaned. Her brain had to give it a rest. While she got the coffee going, she said, “Last night was more fun than I’ve ever had on a Christmas Eve. I love your traditions.”
It had been the most fun and a challenge to find the smallest gift they could find to go under the tree. They’d told her about it on their trip to Amarillo on Black Friday, but she hadn’t truly understood they meant business.
She’d loved everything about the evening. The cinnamon rolls were soft and gooey and glazy. Hers were pretty good, but Bandit was a master. Everything added up to memories that lasted.
The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 2) Page 11