In all her life, she’d never experienced anything like it. The deep connections, the stories that never ran out, and the way they teased and picked on each other. If nothing else, at the end of the evening, she found herself wanting to find a way to return each Christmas.
Hunter’s dad leaned forward with his arms on the counter. “Caroline told me a few things about you. I’ve got plenty of time, and I’d love to hear it from you.” He smiled.
Now Reagan understood where Hunter got his charm. “Well, I grew up on Tybee Island.” While the coffee started brewing, she crossed her arms over her chest and leaned her hip against the edge of the counter.
It was hard not to compare her parents to Hunter’s, but they’d led such different lives. Her parents weren’t bad parents; they were busy parents. And now that she was running the bed and breakfast, it was easier to put herself in their shoes.
Before she knew it, she was drinking hot coffee and giving King an entire memoir’s worth of her life story. The neatest and best thing was that not once did he seem hurried or bored. Honestly, that was one of the things she liked about Hunter.
Cripes. Oh, she was done for. She wasn’t in love with Hunter; she was over-the-moon, hold-me-forever in love with him. It was the foot-pop moment in The Princess Diaries. He was her…cowboy prince who made her feel whole.
“So, I guess my grands are gonna be all the way in Georgia, huh?”
Good thing she didn’t have coffee in her mouth or he’d have a face full. She was not prepared for that little gem of a question. “Uh.” Vocabulary gone. Hunter had infected her.
King chuckled. “I did the same thing to Israel. At least you managed to form some kind of a word.”
She shook her head. “Yep. Hunter doesn’t fall far from the tree.” And she was glad because when she was old and gray, she wanted her husband to look at her the way King had looked at Caroline.
Again, she caught herself wanting Hunter to fill all the niches of her life. Good grief, she needed to stop.
“There’s a rumor that my son roped you into pretending to be engaged to him.” He sat back and smiled. “My gut tells me my source is right, but I also see the way my boy looks at you. If that’s not smitten, I don’t know what is.” He waggled a finger at her. “And you, young lady, are just the kind of woman to keep him on his toes. So, I won’t dwell on the rumor.” He leaned forward. “I just hope the engagement is true someday.” He leaned back.
Suddenly, Reagan had a deep understanding of being blindsided. The kind where the car drives off with half the bumper and the victim is left holding their latte, wondering what just happened. Her mouth was dry and her mind devoid of any comeback that could be believed.
“Okay, I’m ready for some coffee. Sorry that took so long, but once I got in, I didn’t want to get out. Good thing Bear installed those tankless water heaters. I’d have had a mob after me,” Caroline said as she walked into the kitchen.
King gave Reagan a quick wink and kissed Caroline on the cheek as he stood. “Let me get that cream and sugar, darlin’. Time got away from me.” He placed his hand on her shoulder, and she smiled up at him.
“Thank you, sweetheart.” Caroline looked straight at Reagan. “That coffee smells delicious. I caught wind of it upstairs. I don’t think we’ll be alone down here for long.”
“Let me get you some coffee,” Reagan said, her voice a little on the squeaky side.
King knew they weren’t engaged, and if he knew, Caroline knew. When had Caroline figured it out? They’d been kissy, affectionate. Sure, they’d had a disagreement—a big one—but all couples had those. Should Reagan acknowledge that they knew? This was a playbook she was wholly unfamiliar with.
Had they told Hunter that they knew? No, he’d have said something for sure. Or would he have? She had been really upset with him, and it wasn’t like she had anywhere to go until the island was open for residents to return. Which, if he’d told her, she would have wanted to go home, even if she didn’t have a roof over her head. Staying at the ranch would have made her feel awkward.
For now, she’d keep the information to herself. They’d spend Christmas enjoying her family and maybe trying to figure out what this thing between them was. All she knew was that she loved him. That’s where negotiations could start.
Chapter 19
By noon, most of Hunter’s family was ready to open gifts. They’d huddled around in the kitchen talking for a while, long enough to require several pots of Reagan’s coffee. She’d given Bandit some tips, but it just wasn’t the same.
Currently, they were in the middle of unwrapping gifts. What they typically did was hand them all out, and then they’d each take turns opening them so everyone could see what they got. Hunter couldn’t remember when that tradition had started, which meant it was much older than him.
They’d gone several rounds and were stopped at him again. This last pass would be the final gift to unwrap. He picked up the one from Reagan which he’d saved until now. He wondered what she could have possibly gotten him. At least she’d gone shopping before she was mad at him. There would’ve been no telling what it was otherwise.
“Are you going to stare at it or open it?” asked Bear.
“Shut up,” Hunter grumbled.
He pulled the wrapping off and opened the little box. A smile spread on his lips. “Dog training lessons?”
Reagan shrugged. “I thought they might come in handy one day.”
Yeah, and maybe their dog would be the ring bearer at their wedding. His heart skipped a beat at the thought. It was as clear a picture as he’d ever had. Hunter walking down the aisle toward Reagan, and the beginning of a life with someone he respected and loved.
Hunter put his arm around her and kissed her forehead. “Thank you.” He’d unwrapped two gifts, and the one he loved most was her.
“You’re welcome.”
Gabby was next and the last person to open the final gift. She picked up what looked to be a t-shirt-sized gift box.
“Gabby?” Wyatt asked. “No to or from?”
Shrugging, she grinned and unwrapped it, pulled the top off the box, and then began unfolding what looked like a poster. She held it up, and the room fell silent. On the poster, there was a pink and blue onesie with a due date.
Wyatt turned to her. “Really?”
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Pregnant?” A range of emotion played on Wyatt’s face, from shock to awe to joy.
Their mom’s breath caught, and her hand went to her mouth. She looked from Gabby to Pauline, Gabby’s mother. “Did you know?”
Pauline shook her head as tears began streaming down her cheeks. “No.”
“They got us a baby for Christmas,” his mom said, choking out the words.
As Wyatt kissed his wife, the entire family broke into a ruckus of everything from congratulations to flat-out bawling from the soon-to-be grandmas.
Hunter looked at Reagan, and their eyes locked. He was going to be an uncle, and he never wanted anything more than for her to be an aunt. He loved her and wanted her and a life with her. Hopefully, she was thinking the same thing.
Chapter 20
Since Christmas, things between Reagan and Hunter had been different. Good, but not what they’d been before their date and better than it was Christmas Eve. They seemed to have an unspoken agreement on what direction they were headed. Of course, they’d only spent a little time together.
Residents were now being allowed back onto the island to see how their homes had fared through the hurricane. Hunter’s partner, Stone, had somehow managed to be one of the first to return. He’d called and used Facetime to let her see it. Her home had sustained some damage, but thankfully, not as much as she’d feared.
Hunter had convinced her to stay in Caprock Canyon while he got a crew working on it. That way she’d have a place to stay once they got back. Depending on how his hotel fared, maybe he’d have a place too.
A situation had come up with one of the f
lip houses, and with the way Hunter had secluded himself, it must have been bad. He hadn’t seemed overly stressed, but she’d also given him space to deal with the problem.
It worked out well since the women of the family decided Gabby needed some girl time and they’d gone to Amarillo on New Year’s Eve. Reagan was pretty sure it was an excuse for Caroline, Pauline, and Carrie Anne to buy baby clothes. This first grandchild was going to be set for life based on the number of onesies they’d purchased. Reagan had to admit part of her envied Gabby. This family, the way they went whole-hog loving each other…Reagan couldn’t see anyone not wanting to be part of it.
Only a few hours ago they had returned, and now they were getting ready to watch some fireworks. Apparently, the year before there had been a wedding and an engagement. Instead of taking a chance something would catch fire, they’d held off on them.
Now dressed, Reagan wanted to find Hunter. A phone call here and there wasn’t the same thing as being held in his arms. As she reached the study, she could hear him talking to someone. Just as she’d decided to turn around, she heard him say something about The Sandy Pelican.
Her heart rate double as she crept closer, trying to hear what was being said. Part of her wanted to trust him, but the other part, the one still trying to figure out where the bed and breakfast fit in her life, wanted to know what was being said.
She peeked through the crack in the door and found Hunter with his back to her and the phone to his ear.
“Yeah, go ahead and gut the last two bedrooms. There’s no point in updating one room and not the others,” Hunter said.
Reagan smiled. Not long ago, she would have been furious, but things had changed. Hunter helping her wasn’t him saying she wasn’t good enough. It was saying he cared about her and the things that mattered to her.
“I know, Stone…Well, I’m going to have it fixed up and then see about buying it…No, she has no idea…I guess I charmed it out of her.” He laughed.
Reagan’s pulse raced faster as she leaned her back against the wall. She had to be hearing things wrong. Hunter wouldn’t do that to her. But then again, he’d wanted the bed and breakfast. Badly. Enough that he’d said he’d wait her out because he knew it would fail.
He also knew she didn’t have the funds to keep it going for more than a year. With the damage from the hurricane affecting tourism, it would take well over a year to bounce back.
She put her hand over her heart and felt the shatter as it happened. His parents knew they were faking it. All this time, what if this was his plan? To get her defenses down and make her think he cared about her, only to fix the place up under the guise of helping? That way, when she ran out of money, all he’d have to do is buy and move in.
Pushing off the wall, Reagan made her way back to her room, a numbness spreading from her heart and encompassing her. He’d used her, lied to her, and she’d fallen for all of it. Fallen in love with him. How could someone with a family so incredible be so ruthless and cruel?
Was that why he wanted to stay in Georgia? So they wouldn’t know what kind of person they’d raised? That seemed to be the only way she could explain it.
After locking the door to her room, she curled up on her bed, wondering how she was going to survive the next two days. They’d planned to leave the day after tomorrow. A whole forty-eight hours with a man who made her physically ill. How was she going to do it?
A knock came from her door. “Hey, Reagan, the fireworks are about to start,” Carrie Anne called through the door.
Reagan sat up and took a deep breath, and as the numbness subsided, anger took its place. If Hunter could keep up pretenses, she could too. Plus, she loved his family. They were good people, and she had no doubts they had no idea who Hunter truly was.
She stood, squared her shoulders, and walked to the door. As she unlocked it, she plastered a smile on her face and opened it. “Hey, I’m ready.”
“I’m ready for some sweet iced tea, some Texas chocolate sheet cake, and a sky filled with colors. How about you?” His sister’s smile was wide and bright.
“I’m absolutely ready for it, especially that cake. It sounds delicious. I may have to put it on the menu at The Sandy Pelican.” She grinned.
Two days. She could do anything for two days. When they got back to Tybee, she’d be ready for war. He’d never see it coming.
Chapter 21
The fireworks display going on was incredible, and the night sky was lit with an array of colors. Not only had Bear set it all up, but he’d even gone so far as to get outdoor seating. Hunter suspected there’d be a movie screen at some point. With the ranch being so far away from a major city, entertainment was a little sparse.
The past week when Hunter wasn’t working on selling his share of the business, he was helping his brother herd the cattle away from the house. A couple of nights, they’d even camped out in the pasture so they could get done in time for New Year’s Eve. No one wanted to take a chance on them getting spooked and hurting themselves because of the noise. Plus, it was just good stewardship to take care of the animals the right way.
Hunter leaned over to Reagan who was sitting to his left. “This is pretty good, huh?”
“It’s beautiful.” Her tone seemed laced with iciness.
“Have I done something wrong?” he asked.
She shook her head, but her body language screamed in disagreement.
Hunter studied her a second. What could he have done? They hadn’t even seen much of each other. As soon as he’d had the chance, he’d called Stone to discuss Hunter’s desire to retire from flipping. It had never crossed his mind that Stone didn’t want to be full owner, but once Hunter knew that, they came up with a different plan.
Together, they’d approached Ryan with the idea that he could purchase Hunter’s half. Since the man had been with West Stone Renovations for three years, he knew the business well enough that he could help Stone. What he didn’t know, Stone could teach him. It had been the best solution for all of them.
Once that was taken care of, Hunter had contacted the bank about the bed and breakfast. His plan was to have the house completely done before they returned to the island. He’d wanted to surprise her and then tell her he loved her. To his thinking, it would show he wanted her more than he wanted anything. Once he did that, he would offer to take care of the note as well.
“Reagan, is this about the money issue again? I’m sorry I hurt you when you admitted to knowing about the lottery. I should’ve…I should have handled it better. I know you well enough to know you’d never have been that kind of person.” More than anything, he wished he could walk back in time and do things so much different. She’d said she’d forgiven him, but maybe it hadn’t been as easy as she’d thought.
She turned to him, shot him a smile, and kissed his cheek. “I appreciate the apology, but nothing’s wrong.”
It all felt off. Reagan was warm and gentle and caring, and what he saw was an imitation of the woman he knew she was. “Really? Because if I’ve done something else, just tell me. Whatever it is, we can work it out.”
Her body softened against him. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just worried about returning to the island. I know I have a lot of work to do to get the word out that The Sandy Pelican is ready for reservations.”
Yeah, he could see that being something to plague her mind. He started to speak, but she touched his lips with her fingers. “It’s okay. Everything is fine. Let’s just watch the fireworks. I think I need another piece of cake, though. Want me to get you one while I’m up?”
“No, I’m okay for now.”
She stood, bent down, and gave him a small kiss on the lips. “I’ll be right back.”
Hunter watched her walk away, and in his gut, he knew something was wrong. But maybe he was just reading into it. The last couple of months had been a roller coaster. Being gone so long would be a little nerve-wracking.
For a second, he wondered if he should just tell her what he’d pl
anned, but he really wanted it to be something between the two of them. He’d always been taught that talk was cheap, and he wanted her to see that he had action to back up what he was saying.
He loved her. He loved the things that mattered to her. More than anything, he wanted her to feel like she had a choice in whether she kept The Sandy Pelican or not. With it paid off, she’d be given the chance to do that. A choice she should have had from the very beginning.
To him, loving her was standing beside her, holding her hand, and, hopefully, deciding together where they wanted to be. He just needed to relax. When they got back to Tybee, everything would be okay.
Chapter 22
Numbness had turned to anger, and anger had turned to fury. The return trip to Tybee Island was almost more than Reagan could handle. Being in the same airspace with Hunter was making her physically ill. He’d yet to break character, though, and she was just waiting for him to show his true colors.
Cutting the engine to the truck when they finally reached the bed and breakfast, he turned to her and smiled. “I’d missed my family, but I have to admit, it’s good to be back. I never thought I’d think of a little island in Georgia as home.”
She nodded as she looked her home over. It looked nearly brand new. It was gorgeous, and had she not overheard him saying he wanted to buy the place, she’d have thought he’d done it for her. “Yep. It’s good to be back.”
“I know you keep saying nothing is wrong, but I’m getting the distinct feeling I’ve done something, and I don’t know what it is. But—”
Still going. She’d have thought the act would be old by now. She opened the door and hopped out. He could keep playing, but she’d run out of patience at this point. Pulling open the back door, she grabbed her luggage. Before she could shut it, he was out of the truck and rounding the back.
“Reagan, what is going on? What have I done to make you so mad?”
The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 2) Page 12