5. Chapter 3
Chapter 3
Elena
A giant of a man opens the cabin door, and I grip the mailbox tighter to avoid slipping and falling on my ass. For what feels like an eternity, we both just stare at each other from a distance. Neither of us moves, and I hope this is just a bizarre dream I'm experiencing. Too bad I can't let go of the mailbox to pinch myself. I need to wake up ASAP.
I push myself away from the mailbox and try to stand up straight. This is it. I'm going to meet the man I'm going to marry. He's so tall. Do I like big men? He's so handsome. Will I have to fight for his attention from other women? Will he mind that I'm a virgin?
All these thoughts rush through my head when suddenly I see movement around his knees. Two little hands grab hold of my giant and hug him tight. This seems to bring him out of his stupor, and he immediately reaches for the toddler and pulls the little girl into his arms.
He stares at me, I stare at him, we're playing a silent game of chicken. I take a deep breath and brace myself. Letting go of the mailbox is my first step. I do a quick check. No more dizziness, check. Steady on my feet, check. Nausea? Maybe. Oh crap.
Tossing my mental checklist aside, I take a step forward, then another, until I'm looking up at him, the man I'm going to marry. I plaster a huge smile on my face, even though I'm shaking, and do that fake it-till-you-make-it thing people advise you to do.
"Hi, I'm your bride. Elena Peters."
"The hell you are!"
His bark is so loud that I take a small step back until I realize what I'm doing and step forward again. I won’t let him scare me that easily. I traveled all the way from the city to this small town to meet this brute. How dare he treat me like this?
"Let's start again. You're Hunter Granger, right?"
"I am, but this is a mistake."
"We were matched by the agency, Hunter. I'm here so that we can get to know one another."
He frowns. "You need to come back where you came from, missy."
He turns around and starts to head back into his house. He tries to shut the door in my face, but I put my suitcase between the door and the frame. Looking angry, he starts a tug-of-war for the suitcase. “Good luck, Bucko. I'm not letting you push me away.”
I'm tiny next to him, but I lean all my weight against the door and push as hard as I can. Then the toddler starts crying, and his attitude shifts. He releases the door so quickly that I nearly fall face-first onto the floor, but his focus is entirely on the blue-eyed toddler in his arms.
I notice that Hunter’s eyes are green, not blue. Funny the things we notice in trying times. He starts rocking the toddler as if it's a tiny baby and mumbles soft words to—him? Her? It looks like a little girl. I pull my suitcase inside the cabin and close the door behind me. Hunter is definitely a gentle giant and a good, caring father.
I'm standing in the living room, so I sit down in one of the armchairs. Hunter begins singing softly to his daughter and lowers himself into a beautifully carved wooden rocking chair. After about five minutes, the baby is completely asleep in her father's arms.
Hunter looks at me, and my whole body responds with heat. My blood begins to boil, and my heart feels like it’s beating up in my throat. I feel trapped, but in a good way. He gives his daughter a kiss and gets up with her, disappearing into one of the rooms in the back.
When he returns, he seems more composed and less angry.
"What's your name again?"
"Elena Peters."
"Elena, I didn't sign up with that agency. Someone did it for me, thinking they were doing me a favor."
His voice is low enough for me to hear him yet not wake his daughter in the other room. He's very serious right now, and a slight fear starts inside me that he's going to turn me away.
"I guess you're definitely not glad to see me, then." I blurt out.
"I told them to cancel things, but obviously, you were on your way here by the time they told me about you this morning."
"I left everything to come here, Hunter."
"I'm sorry, but no one asked you to do that. Especially not me."
"Give me a minute."
What on earth am I supposed to do now? I've got nowhere to go. I pull out my phone and start looking for the agency's info. When I find a number, I dial and get their answering machine. I leave them a message and beg for them to call me as soon as possible.
I look up to see Hunter watching me curiously. He probably thinks I'm a freak. After all what type of woman leaves everything behind for the chance at marriage to a stranger? A crazy one, that's for sure.
"There's no one answering at the agency."
"Why did you bring your luggage here?"
"I'm supposed to be staying with you."
"Yeah, that's not going to happen. You can get a room at the Hope Peak Inn."
"Do you have their number?"
"Even better, I know the owner. Let me make a call."
He goes to his room and returns to the living room, his phone on his ear. Once someone answers him, he seems to be having a lively conversation with them. His face, however, stops looking happy and starts getting serious. Then, a frown mars his forehead. This doesn't look good.
"No luck. The Inn is at capacity right now. And the last bus out of here is long gone."
"Maybe someone at the fire station knows of someone who might take me in for the night?"
"I'll ask in our group chat."
After sending what seems like a quick message, he places his phone down on the table in front of him. His eyes return to me, still having that strange effect on me. I don't know what's wrong with me. I mean, I've seen good-looking men before.
This man, though. He's something else. His reddish-brown hair is cut close, his green eyes have a sparkle in them, and his physique is absolutely phenomenal. Definitely a firefighter. He clears his throat, and I realize he's said something, and I've missed it because I'm ogling him like a piece of meat.
"What was that?" I ask.
"Do you want something to drink?"
"Oh, um. I don't want to put you out."
"Coffee, tea, hot chocolate?"
"Hot chocolate would be nice."
He gets up and heads into the kitchen. I'm not one to wait to be served, so I follow him in. He nearly bumps into me when I enter.
"Did you need anything?" He asks in a rough tone.
I look up at him. My god, he's so tall, I can't even. And those eyes. Who has lashes that thick? My throat is suddenly dry, and I can't seem to get myself to speak.
"Why don't you wait for me in the living room? I'll only be a minute."
"I just wanted to see your kitchen." I manage to say.
"Oh, do you cook?"
"No."
He frowns at me and we both realize at the same time that he's been holding onto me since I almost ran him over. Slowly, he pulls his hands away from me and turns around. Is it me, or is he actually blushing? He starts rummaging through the cabinets noisily.
I might not cook, but I can appreciate a well-stocked kitchen. Hunter's kitchen has top-notch appliances, and the room is as large as I imagined it. I watch Hunter's back as he stirs the hot chocolate. He seems tense, and I fight the urge to put my hands on his shoulders and give him a little massage.
He's not mine—yet. What am I thinking? He's probably going to turn me away. I need to find a way to stay here; otherwise, I'll never have that family I want so much. Hunter seems a bit stubborn, though, and I'm not sure how to deal with that.
When I see him put the two mugs of chocolate on a tray, I stop ogling him and go back to the living room. I sit down on the comfy armchair and wait expectantly. He puts the tray down on the coffee table and offers me one.
I take it while gazing at his strong, muscular arms. What would it be like to belong to a man like Hunter? I catch him looking at me, too. He's probably trying to figure me out. Good luck with that; I don't even know what I'm doing half the time.
The chocolate is delicious, and the temperature is just right. I let out a moan of pleasure when I take the first sip and realize Hunter is still standing there, staring at me.
"What?"
"Do you always make those sounds when you eat?"
I scrunch my nose in distaste.
"Yeah. It's a bad habit. If I like the food, I will make happy sounds while I eat it. I just can't help myself."
His lip twitches a little as if he's about to smile, but he doesn't. He just sits down on the couch and takes a few sips of his chocolate.
"It's really good. Thank you."
"It's my grandmother's recipe. She raised me and my sister."
He frowns again as if signaling that this part of his story isn’t something he meant to share. Suddenly, he reaches for his phone, and his frown deepens into a scowl.
"I can't find a place for you to stay tonight."
"Can't I just stay here? I won't be any trouble."
"I don't have anywhere for you to sleep. The guest bedroom is full of boxes, and there's no bed."
"I'll sleep here on the couch. Please, I don't want to go back out there. It's still winter, and it's cold. Plus, I need to figure out what I'm going to do tomorrow."
"Elena…"
"Look, I get it. You didn't ask for a mail-order bride. I'll get out of your hair as soon as I can. I have my pride, you know. I don't want to be where I'm not wanted."
He's silent for the longest time. So much so that I start to think he didn't hear me. Then he gets up and checks on the baby monitor. When he glances my way, he looks defeated.
"You can sleep in my room."
The gruff response takes me by surprise. I let out a weak thank you and take another sip of my beverage. My mind is racing. If I'm sleeping in his room, where is he going to sleep? He disappears into a room, and I try to calm myself. Thankfully, I have a nighttime routine that helps me get to sleep more easily.
When I finish my chocolate and Hunter still hasn't come back, I start to feel anxious. I get up and begin looking around the room. There are a few photos of him and his crew at the fire station, as well as some family ones.
I see pictures of what must be his grandmother and sister. They look happy, and I wonder where they are now. His sister looks younger than him. I don't dare ask him, though. I'd rather he volunteer the information.
The door to the bedroom opens and closes, and I see him approach me.
"I've changed the sheets for you."
"Thank you, Hunter. This means a lot."
He seems completely unaffected by my words and simply goes to get my suitcase before taking it inside the bedroom. When he comes back, he eyes me warily as if I'm going to ask for more favors.
"I was going to have a sandwich for dinner,” he says. "Is that okay with you?"
"That's fine, thanks."
I watch him go back to the kitchen, and I wonder if I were to stay here if I would get used to looking at his handsome face every day. Wow, I need to shake this mood off, so I do exactly that. I vigorously shake my body, and it actually helps me get more focused and out of my dangerous train of thought.
Hunter comes back and sets the table for us, then goes and gets the baby. It takes him a few minutes, but he comes out with her. She's rubbing her eyes as if she's fighting off sleep. I swear, with her blond hair and blue eyes, she looks nothing like her father.
He sits her in a high chair and starts feeding her. I sit down at the table across from them and watch for a bit, but the curiosity is killing me.
"What is her name?"
He looks at me for a second and says simply, "Evie."
"That's a beautiful name. How old is she?"
"She's in her terrible twos right now, and, boy, is that accurate. She's been sick the past few days, so I had to take off a few days from work."
"You're very good with her."
"I'm her father. We've only got each other."
The way he speaks makes me look up at him. He's gazing at her like she's the most beautiful thing in the world, and I suppose for him, that's just right. I've always wondered what it would be like to have children, but the scene before me is making my ovaries ache.
When he's finished feeding her, he pulls her out of the high chair and takes her in his arms. She coos at him, and his face changes completely, revealing a huge smile. OMG, he's a complete and absolute god.
He leaves the room with her and brings me my sandwich, then goes back for his food. He mumbles things in the baby's ears that I can't quite catch, and the scene is beautiful to watch. Finally, he brings two water bottles and sets them on the table. He returns to his own seat with his precious cargo in his lap.
"I've got to wait for a bit to help with the burping, otherwise, the food she ate will come back up again. You can start eating, though."
I nod and take a bite of the sandwich. Turkey with mayo and a bit of mustard. My favorite. I didn't realize how hungry I was until I took a bite. Now I'm scarfing it down like I am a starved woman.
"I guess you were really hungry."
I've just taken a huge bite, and I can't really answer him, so I just give him a thumbs up. I feel like a complete loser here with this big, beautiful man. Maybe it's best that he's sending me away. The baby did her burping thing like a champ, and now her eyes droop like she's falling asleep.
"I'm going to put her to bed."
I finish my meal in silence and wait for him to return. When he sits back down, we do our best to make conversation, but it's pointless. I don't even understand how I got matched with him. I suppose if he didn't fill out the questionnaire himself, then the answers would belong to whoever created his profile.
"Who created your profile on the agency's site?"
"There's a group of octogenarians that kept threatening to find me a wife since Evie came to live with me. I guess they finally went ahead with it. I need to talk to them so that they pull that thing down from that site."
"Don't you want a family?"
"I already have one. Me and Evie. That's all we need. Is that why you joined? To get a ready-made family?"
"Yes. They promised me a quick match and a bright future with a good man who would build a future with me."
"How can they possibly promise that?"
"I don't know, Hunter. They have good testimonials on their page."
"Don't believe everything you read on the internet, Elena."
"I put my faith in them. It's not my fault you're not really looking for a bride. I'll have you know that I'll make some man an amazing wife."
I shove the chair back so quickly that it falls to the floor, but I don't care. I rush off and enter the bedroom I've been promised. The room is completely dark except for a small lamp on the nightstand. I search for my suitcase and find it next to a cozy recliner.
Pulling the suitcase onto the bed so I can open it, I sigh in defeat. My meager belongings are all here. I left everything else behind in the city. I search inside the bag and find my nightdress, my journal, and my lavender candle. I really need to practice my relaxation technique tonight.
I light the candle and put it on the nightstand. The journal goes next to it. I leave and search for the bathroom. I poke my head out into the hall and see Hunter in the kitchen. You need to be brave, Elena. I approach him carefully.
"Where's the bathroom?"
"Second door on the left. Are you okay?"
"Thanks. Yeah."
I get changed and brush my teeth, then slink away to the bedroom again. When I open the door, I scream because there's a fire inside.
"Hunter, there's a fire!"
Before I know it, Hunter has pushed me aside and is putting out the fire with a fire extinguisher. When the fire is extinguished, he looks at me, breathing heavily.
"Are you okay?" He practically screams.
"Ye-yes."
He puts the fire extinguisher down and starts looking at the objects on the nightstand.
"Are these yours?" He points to the candle and the now-destroyed journal.
"Yes, they are part of my nighttime routine."
"You left a candle unattended in my home?" There's the threatening tone again.
"I was gone less than five minutes, Hunter."
He is not hearing anything I have to say right now.
"Unbelievable!" He walks out of the bedroom and slams the door shut. Immediately, a baby's cry sounds from the next room, and I hear him swearing.
I guess we're not off to a good start. At all.