The Fake Fiance's Billionaire Adversary (Caprock Canyon Romance Book 2)

by Bree Livingston

  She slammed the back door closed and stared up at him, mystified that he could still be acting like nothing was wrong. The only thing she could figure was that he’d planned to whammy her good after they got back.

  Grabbing the handle of her luggage, she began walking away from him, but he hurried and stepped in front of her. “What did I do?”

  She let go of the handle and crossed her arms over her chest. “I’m just some stupid, easily fooled…” She stopped as tears blurred her vision. She loved this man, and no matter what he’d done to her, her heart just couldn’t believe he’d betray her like he was. “I heard you talking to someone. You were getting The Sandy Pelican all jazzed up…so you could buy it.”

  “That’s not—”

  “It’s exactly in line with what you said the last time you offered to buy the place. ‘I’ll just wait you out and let the bank foreclose on you.’ Then you’d just slide on in and take it.”

  He raked his hand through his hair, set his hands on his hips, and cast his gaze to the ground. Like he had a reason to be frustrated and upset. She wasn’t trying to rip his business away from him.

  Lifting his gaze to hers, he asked, “Do you really believe that? After everything, you think I’m like that?”

  “I heard you, Hunter, and it’s not exactly a secret that you wanted to buy the place. That hurricane just gave you the excuse to fix it up and ‘charm me out of it.’ I know I can’t last until the tourism starts back up. We both know it’ll take a while for the island bounce back.”

  His eyebrows knitted together, and he nodded. “Well, I guess you have me all figured out, then.”

  Man, he was good. For a split-second, she caught herself doubting what she’d heard, but there was no misunderstanding it. He’d said he was buying the place. Those were his words. He’d charmed her out of it.

  “I guess I do. Unless you have a different explanation.”

  “No,” he said softly. “I don’t. Let me get the rest of what I owe you.”

  “Oh, no. I don’t want anything else from you. I don’t care if I have to bus tables until I’m eighty—I’m paying you back.” How could he act like he was the one hurting when it was he who had betrayed her?

  He swallowed hard and stepped aside. “Okay. I guess…well, I guess…” He let the sentence trail off and strode back to his pickup, leaving her watching him pull away.

  The tears slid down her cheeks, and part of her wanted to go chasing after him. She wasn’t desperate, though. He’d offered no explanation for what she’d heard. If there had been one, he would have said something.

  When the truck pulled out of the driveway, she caught the handle of her luggage and slowly trudged inside. At one time, it would have felt wonderful to come home. Now, it felt more like a noose. Maybe she just needed to let him have it, pull up stakes, and find another place to call home. This one sure didn’t feel like it anymore.

  Chapter 23

  After dropping Reagan off at the bed and breakfast, Hunter had returned to Caprock Canyon, unsure he’d ever be able to step foot on that island again. The whole way there, he’d practiced telling her he loved her and then showing her that the house was hers, free and clear.

  Instead, she’d accused him of trying to swipe it from under her. If she could think that way about him now, after all the time they’d spent together, then it never would have worked between them anyway. With zero trust, a relationship was doomed to fail from the beginning.

  Sure, she could have questioned him at the beginning, but things had been good between them. He’d apologized for being stupid that night, had opened up to her more than he had with anyone, and yet, she still expected him to be so low as to try to steal her home from her.

  Sleeping had become near impossible. So much so that the last week, he’d found himself on the front porch before the sun rose. It was cold, but as empty as he felt, it didn’t really bother him.

  The door opened, and his mom stepped out with a cup in each hand. As she passed him, she handed him one. He looked at it.

  “No, I didn’t make it,” she grumbled.

  A grunt of a laugh came from his throat. “Okay.”

  For a while, they sat in silence. So far, no one had really gone beyond asking what happened. His replies had been short on detail and long on snappy. He didn’t want to talk about it, especially not at length.

  “Hunter, you’ve been home over a week now. I’ve given you space, watched you grow sullen, and now, I’m asking you to tell me what happened,” she said as she finished her coffee and set the mug next to her rocker. “If you snap at me like you did the first day you got here, I’m going to go get your daddy and prove that a thirty-four-year-old man can, in fact, get his rear end paddled for sassing his momma.”

  His heart hurt to the core even thinking about it. Talking about it…

  “Come on, sweetheart. Talk to me.”

  “She thought I was trying to steal the bed and breakfast from her. She overheard me talking to Stone about paying it off so I could give it to her.” He paused a moment to push down the emotion evident in his voice. “That she could think that about me after…she didn’t trust me. A relationship can’t be built on distrust.”

  His mom nodded. “Did you tell her what you’d done?”

  “What did it matter? She believed I was capable of hurting her like that.” He set his half-empty cup down. “That she would jump to that conclusion without even asking me about it…there was no fixing that.”

  “Did she even ask if you had an explanation?” His mom tilted her head. “It just seems out of character for her to not give you a chance.”

  She had, but his mom hadn’t seen the look of total disgust in Reagan’s eyes or heard it in her voice. The accusation had hit so hard, he’d been left winded. “She did, but, Mom, she wouldn’t have believed me. Not after that.”

  “Honey, hadn’t you been wanting to buy her home?”

  “Well, yeah, at first. But not anymore. I wanted it fixed up and paid off. I wanted her to know I didn’t want the bed and breakfast. I wanted her.” And he’d ached for her every second since he’d left. She’d put a hole through his chest and hadn’t seemed the least bit concerned.

  “What exactly did you say to Stone?”

  Shrugging, Hunter said, “I was telling Stone to gut two of the bedrooms. He asked me what I was doing, and I said I was fixing it up and then…” He squeezed his eyes shut and rubbed his face with his hands. “And then I said I was going to buy it. That I’d charmed it out of her.” Now that he’d said it aloud, no wonder she’d been so angry, and now he understood her angry comment on her porch about charming it out of her.

  His mom exhaled sharply. “Oh, Hunter, it sounds like based on what she heard and your history, she had good reason to think something was going on, especially when you didn’t explain when she asked. Go back to Tybee and tell her. That girl loves you.”

  “Yeah, but one little misunderstanding and she walks out? How’s that going to work for a marriage?”

  His mom chuckled. “This is a hiccup. You think anything in marriage will be easy? I’ve got news for you, bucko: it’s not. The arguments and disagreements will be worse because then you’re living with the person you’re upset with.”

  “I doubt she’d even give me that opportunity.” In fact, he was sure of it.

  “Then you need to decide if she’s worth the risk. There’s a chance she won’t, but if you never try, you’ll always wonder if she would have.” His mom picked up her cup and stood. “You’re going to have to put yourself out there, baby. Is she worth it or not? You’re the only one who can make that call.” Without another word, she left him on the porch.

  He sat forward, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. What if he took his mom’s advice? What if he put himself out there and she trampled on him like she had before? He could still feel the boots on his back as she’d walked over him.

  He supposed he deserved it to a degree after the way he’d
treated her about the money issue. She had put herself out there when she’d admitted to knowing, and he’d run her over just as badly. Would they ever be able to make it work after hurting each other like they had?

  The one thing he couldn’t deny was that he loved her and was miserable without her. Each day the misery seemed to pile higher, and it was getting harder to breathe the longer he was away from her.

  Slowly, a plan formed. He’d take the chance. The other option, the life that didn’t include her, wasn’t a life he wanted.

  He wanted her more than he wanted to keep his heart safe. He wanted her more than anything.

  Chapter 24

  Naomi dropped another dress on the bed. “You could wear this one.”

  Reagan shook her head. “No, it’s dingy-looking.”

  “You should wear one of the dresses Carrie Anne gave you,” Kaylee said as she continued to dig through Reagan’s closet. The closet that had new doors and handles.

  She had no idea the man-hours that went into it, but somehow Hunter had managed to take her beaten-up bed and breakfast and turn it into a showpiece. From the freshly painted ceiling to the newly sanded floors to the porch railing that promised not to dump someone over the side. Not only had he fixed up the home, but he’d had new appliances installed.

  At first, she’d been so angry that all it did was make her even more furious, but as the days passed, the anger subsided. In truth, he’d pulled a miracle, and it was wonderful. He’d even told them to make sure they kept the wall drawings. Now there were little frames here and there showing the drawings that were once hidden.

  Along with the sweaters and shirts, Hunter’s sister had given her a couple of dresses too. Boy, had she loved his family and loved being part of it. She picked up the soft green knee-length dress. When she’d tried it on in Caprock Canyon, it had fit so perfectly. Now it just made her heart hurt. “I don’t know.” She tossed it back on the bed.

  “Reagan, you should talk to him. Maybe you heard him wrong, or maybe they were talking about it but it wasn’t what you thought,” Naomi said, taking her by the arms. “You claim to love him, but you didn’t give him any opportunity to tell you what happened.”

  Reagan huffed. “Yes, I did. He said nothing.” But she’d seen a world of hurt in his eyes. At the time, she’d been so angry she’d ignored it, but in the days following her accusations, the scene had played over and over in her mind. She pulled away from her friend.

  Naomi crossed her arms. “Yeah, after accusing him. Even if he had defended himself, would you have believed him? Be honest, Reagan.”

  Reagan cast her gaze to the bed, staring at the dress. No, she wouldn’t have. The fury she’d felt held no room for mercy or understanding. If he’d said anything at that moment, she’d have found a way to throw it back in his face. “No,” she whispered.

  Kaylee hugged her. “I know you’ve been dealt a bad hand lately, but maybe…maybe just give him a real chance to explain. You love him. Both of us can see it.”

  Shrugging, Reagan sighed. “Maybe. For now, I need to get dressed for the mayor’s whatever-it-is.”

  In an effort to get tourism back in swing, the mayor was having all the businesses affected by the hurricane meet on the beach. He was bringing in marketing experts, and since she had absolutely no funds for that, she’d decided to go. Even if she was on the fence as to whether she wanted to keep the bed and breakfast or not, if it was showing signs of being successful, maybe it would sell for a better price if she decided to sell.

  Once she was dressed, she slipped on one of the sweaters that matched the dress Carrie Anne had given her. Part of her wore it because it fit; the other part because the smell of Caprock Canyon clung to it.

  Hugging herself, she set out for the meeting, contemplating what she needed to do about Hunter. She missed him. Missed his smile. His blue eyes. His calloused hands. All of him.

  As she reached the area designated for the gathering, she slowed. There was a single table with seating for two and a lone candle flickering in the breeze. Movement from the side caught her attention, and Hunter walked into view. Blood rushed in her ears, and her lips parted as she gasped.

  “Hunter?”

  With his hands in his slack pockets, he approached and stopped a foot or so away. “I wanted it fixed up because I wanted you to be free to choose whether you stayed or not.”

  “Free to choose?” Her voice was barely audible above the crash of the waves.

  He nodded, continuing. “What you overheard me talking about was surprising you with the house being fixed and then offering to pay off the mortgage. I wanted to pay off the loan for you. Not take it from you.”

  Stunned silence was all she had as she tried to process what he was saying. “For me?”

  “Yeah. I tried to get the bank to let me pay off the note, but I had to have your permission. I wanted to give it to you before I told you I loved you because I wanted you to know that you are all I wanted.”

  Tears pooled in her eyes. “Hunter—”

  Holding up his hand, he stopped her. “I’d been trying to buy it. From your perspective, I can see why you would have thought—”

  “No.” She stepped closer to him. “I should have trusted you. I should have come to you, told you what I heard, and listened. Instead, I immediately jumped to a conclusion I knew, deep in my heart, you weren’t capable of. You are kind, gentle, and warm. I’ve been freezing to death since you left.”

  He took a deep breath. “You think we could communicate better in the future?”

  “I know so.” She rushed forward and threw her arms around him. “I love you, Hunter. I love you with all my heart.”

  Wrapping his arms around her, he buried his face in her neck. “I love you, Reagan.”

  The tiny yip of a puppy made her lean back. The little bark got closer and closer. She looked up at Hunter. “You didn’t.”

  His smile was almost as bright as the sliver of moon in the sky. “I kinda had help with all of this.”

  A brown Great Dane puppy stopped at her feet, and its little tail wagged so hard it was a whip. She scooped him into her arms, and her smile faded as she saw the collar…and the ring.

  When she looked at Hunter, he dropped to one knee. “I love you. You’re the only one I want. Captain and I would be incredibly honored if you’d marry us.”

  A tiny half-laugh, half-cry popped out. “Captain?”

  “It’s a great name, and because I’m totally in love with you, we’ll go with that.”

  Through a haze of tears, she nodded. “Captain’s the name, and I’d love to marry you.”

  Hunter stood, unclipped Captain’s collar, and took the ring off. He slipped it on her finger and refastened the collar. “You’ve made the two of us very happy.”

  Captain whined, and Reagan hugged him. The puppy licked her face fast and furiously. She giggled as Hunter slipped his arm around her waist and kissed her. A wiggly puppy didn’t make for the longest engagement kiss, but it did make it the best.

  “I love you, sweetheart. Home is wherever you are.”

  She cupped his cheek. “I love you too, and I feel the same way.”

  Epilogue

  Eight months later…

  Josiah laid his hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “Relax, bud. It’s going to be okay.”

  It had been a hard decision when it came time to pick a best man. He loved all his brothers equally, and he didn’t want any of them to feel slighted. He also had Bandit, Israel, Stone, and Ryan to consider as well. Then there was his dad.

  In the end, he’d picked his brother Josiah. It had been a foolproof method. A game of cornhole, and Josiah had won.

  “I’m fine,” Hunter whispered back.

  “Tell that to your sweaty forehead.” Hunter’s brother chuckled.

  “Shut up. It’s hot.”

  Josiah grunted a laugh and clasped his hands in front of him. “If you say so.”

  It wasn’t nerves that had Hunter anxious. The W
edding March would play any second, and the wind had picked up. Reagan had wanted a beach wedding, and Hunter had made it happen. Now, he just needed the weather to cooperate long enough for him to kiss the bride.

  Naomi stopped at the opposite end of the runner and gave two thumbs up. Perfect, she mouthed.

  The disc jockey took his cue and started the track. First came Carlin, Reagan’s sister, and then followed Naomi, Kaylee, Gabby, and Carrie Anne, one by one escorted by the groomsmen. Of course, Captain was next with the rings safely hooked to his collar. His ears flopped as he trotted to the front and stopped at Hunter’s feet.

  It had taken some intense training to get him ring-bearer ready, but it was worth it. Hunter and Reagan had taken the class together, and they’d learned a lot about dogs and each other.

  Finally, Reagan was at the end of the runner, arm hooked in her dad’s. Hunter liked Reagan’s parents. They were definitely different from his, but they were good people.

  Her dad handed him Reagan’s hand, and Hunter smiled at her. How he’d managed to snag the most beautiful woman in the world was still a mystery to him. There still wasn’t a day when she wasn’t more beautiful than the last.

  This was it, and he’d never felt more peace in his life.

  When she reached him, her dad paused before stepping back. “This is my little girl. Take care of her.”

  “I will.”

  The rest of the ceremony was a blur. They’d decided to stick with traditional vows. Not that they didn’t have the ability to write something different, but they both liked traditions.

  As soon as the minister said Hunter could kiss the bride, he pulled her close and kissed her. With the introduction of them as Mr. and Mrs. West, their families cheered as Captain barked and wagged his tail.

  Hunter leaned in, set his lips to her ear, and whispered, “I love you.”

  She kissed him and palmed the side of his face. “I love you too.”

  Life with her was going to be an adventure. One he’d been aching for. Not only did he have the home by the ocean he’d dreamed of, but he had the woman he wanted too. Now that he had it, he was going to cherish it for as long as he lived.