Chapter 13
Paige
By the time I pulled into the driveway, my hands were still shaking.
I sat in the car for a solid five minutes, staring at the porch light and trying to decide if I’d just made the best decision of my life—or set a match to everything I’d worked so hard to keep safe.
I kissed Hunter Cassidy.
Twice.
And not soft little maybe-this-means-nothing kisses.
No, I kissed him like I meant it.
Because I did.
And that scared the absolute shit out of me.
But what scared me even more was how incredible it was - how completely, irreversibly right it felt. Like the kind of kiss that rearranges something in you. Like after that moment, nothing could go back to the way it was before.
And that scared the absolute shit out of me.
Inside, the house was still. The living room was dim except for the glow of the lamp by the couch. I dropped my keys into the end table, kicked off my boots, and padded into the kitchen like someone might stop me and demand an explanation for my actions.
The house was quiet as I grabbed a glass and turned on the tap for some water. My throat tightened as I tried to swallow.
Hunter was everything I never let myself want. Kind. Loyal. Safe. And worse, he’d never once used any of that against me. Never manipulated me by making me think he’d be there for me, then disappear.
I braced my hands on the counter and stared at the tile floor, trying to make sense of what had just happened.
His lips. The way he’d kissed me like he couldn’t help himself. The way he’d waited—calm, silent, letting me be the one to choose.
And I had. I chose him. I kissed him. It was all me.
I let out a breath and opened the fridge, looking for nothing, really. Just movement. Something to do with my hands while my head tried to unscramble itself.
You’re not falling in love with him.
You’re just overwhelmed. You’re tired. You’re touch-starved. You’re emotionally fried and probably a little bit feral.
That’s what this was. It wasn’t love. It couldn’t be. Not yet. Except it felt like falling in love. Even better, it felt like coming home.
I pressed a hand to my mouth, remembering the way he’d said, I’ll catch you if you fall, like it wasn’t even a question. Like the idea of not catching me had never crossed his mind.
Who says things like that?
Who means things like that?
Along with Noah and my grandpa, Hunter was one of the best men I’d ever known. He meant every word he’d ever said to me. I had no doubts when it came to him. No, all the doubts were about me.
My chest squeezed, and I turned off the kitchen light before I could think about it too much more. I went to the bathroom to wash my face, then climbed into bed in my leggings and hoodie, and curled up around one of the throw pillows like it could keep me from unraveling.
I stared at the ceiling. At the shadows. At the old water stain in the corner that looked a little bit like a sea turtle. And whispered, “Shit.”
Because I wasn’t spiraling anymore, I was falling. And I didn’t know if I could stop. I didn’t know if I even wanted to.
I woke up to the smell of burnt toast and the sound of teenage bickering echoing down the hallway.
So, basically, normal.
I squinted against the morning light slanting through the curtains and reached for my phone out of habit. One new text. From him.
Hunter: Morning. Hope you slept okay. You don’t have to say anything. I was just thinking about you.
Me: I’ve been thinking about you, too. But the kids are up. I’ll talk to you later.
I didn’t even realize I was smiling until Briar yelled from the kitchen, “Lark, stop leaving your weird science experiments in the fridge! I swear it blinked at me.”
I threw back the covers and rolled out of bed. My body ached in that deep, exhausted way that wasn’t physical—just the kind of fatigue that comes from feeling too much, from knowing something big was coming.
In the kitchen, Lark was drinking out of a mason jar with a sprig of mint and what looked suspiciously like a cucumber floating in it. She gave me a sleepy smile.
“Morning, Mom,” she greeted me with a smile. “I started the coffee for you.”
“Thank you, sweetheart. You put vegetables in your water now?”
“It’s self-care.”
Briar rolled her eyes. “It’s annoying.”
“Everything’s annoying when you’re thirteen,” Lark snapped back. “Grow up.”
I raised both hands before the bickering could escalate. “No fighting before coffee. House rule.” I muttered as I made my way to the coffee maker.
Noah, home again for the night, padded in behind me, rubbing his eyes and reaching immediately for the mug I handed him. “Thanks,” he mumbled, already drinking.
I loved these kids so much it hurt. Even on mornings like this. Especially on mornings like this. When you were free to be yourself, warts and all, that’s when you knew you were truly at home.
We fell into our routine without speaking much—toast, cereal, coffee, repeat. Lark left early for a study group, Noah was packing up to go back to Portland, and Briar stomped back to her room to find her other ballet shoe for dance.
I poured myself another cup of coffee and sank into a kitchen chair just as a knock rattled the front door.
I cracked it open to find Piper standing on my porch with a bag of muffins and a raised eyebrow.
“You look like you’ve seen some things,” she said, brushing past me to head into the kitchen. “Good things. Suspiciously good things.”
I closed the door behind her. “Do you have some kind of sixth sense for romantic chaos?”
“No,” she said sweetly. “I have Eliza. She said you were weird at the Coffee Cabin drive-thru on Hunter’s birthday. I had no idea about the weirdness. Why didn’t you tell me? I figured I’d check in. Again. And there’s more. You were seen.”
I groaned and flopped back down in my chair at the table, trying to avoid her eyes. Someone saw us? How? “Seen?” I wanted to play it off just in case no one actually saw me kiss Hunter. “What do you mean, seen?”
She studied my face. “Parking lot. Last night. Jasper forgot his hat. He went back to grab it, but turned around when he saw you and Hunter—”
“Shhh!”
“Kissing,” she whispered. “Don’t worry, I won’t say anything.”
“Twice,” I whispered into the table. “Last night in the parking lot. And it was amazing and terrifying, and I’m probably going to ruin everything.”
“Twice? Huh?” She patted my back. “You’re not. Unless you start overthinking it. Which you are. Because that’s what you do.”
I shot her a look. And snagged a muffin from the bag.
“Not judging you. I do it too, don’t feel bad. It’s a Darlington Sister trait. As long as we call each other out on it, everything will be okay.”
I lifted my head and narrowed my eyes. “How are you so smug this early?”
“I slept. And I didn’t emotionally implode in a parking lot last night after kissing my best friend.” She shrugged lightly. “Yet. There’s always time to implode, I just need a reason.”
I gave her the abbreviated version of what had been going on between me and Hunter. The pie. The repair work. The kiss. Then the part where I said I didn’t want to pretend it didn’t happen, and then ran inside like I was about to burst into flame.
She nodded sagely. “Okay. So now what?”
“I don’t know. I told him I didn’t want to stop, but I needed to slow down, and he said he’d catch me if I fell.”
“Oh my god.” Her hand hit the table as a smile lit up her face.
“I know.”
“That’s the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard. Are we sure he’s not fictional? I mean, I’ve known him forever, and I had no idea he was capable of that. I love this. You deserve this.”
I pressed the heels of my hands to my eyes. “Piper, I kissed my best friend. My safe place. What if I screw it up and lose him?”
She pulled my hand away from my face and held it. “Then you get brave, and you fight for him. Because if this is real, and we both know it is, then you owe it to yourself to try.”
Before I could spiral any further, my phone buzzed again.
Ren: Heads up. Eli’s lawyer reached out. They’re not backing down. You might consider telling the kids.
My stomach dropped.
I read the message twice, then slid the phone across the table like it burned.
Piper saw my face and went still. “What is it?”
“Eli,” I said. “He’s still trying to take the kids. He’d shut up for a while. How stupid of me to hope for the best.”
Piper stood up so fast her chair squeaked. “Over my dead body.”
I stared at the muffin in front of me, suddenly nauseous. “He’s escalating. I never thought he would do something like this.”
“Well, you never thought he’d cheat on you either.”
“Yeah, well, messing with the kids is something else entirely. I can let some things go to keep the peace when it’s just me, but I will not let this slide.
He’s in for a surprise. I’m lucky I had Ren to fight for me, to encourage me to go after what’s fair and not let too much go during the divorce. ”
“And we’re going to shut it down. I promise I’m here for you. And you already know Ren will take care of you.”
“He’s going to use everything, Piper. Me running the bar alone, the late nights. He’ll probably try to blame Briar sneaking out on me somehow. And maybe even the fact that Hunter was here all night that night. Shit! And the kiss in the parking lot, damn it. If word of that gets around—”
Piper waved a hand. “Please. You think Honeybrook Hollow won’t find out about you and Hunter? And your suspiciously glowing skin?”
“Huh?” I blinked. “Excuse me?”
“You looked happy when I walked in, Paige. You’re glowing.
The whole town will figure it out by lunch.
Once they see how radiant you are, it’ll be on.
” She shrugged. “But look, it’s Hunter. He’s beloved in Honeybrook Hollow.
Between him and his family, they keep every car, truck, and motorcycle running from Sweetbriar to Honeybrook Hollow and all the way up to Willowmist Falls.
So hello? Any Hunter and Paige gossip that pops up will only help you. You have nothing to worry about.”