18. Emma
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
emma
I managed to avoid Hunter for a few days, but Saturday came around, and we had to go back to being the world’s worst actors.
I knocked on his door, pushing my sunglasses up as I waited. I decided to leave Donnie at home and take the initiative to show up on Hunter’s doorstep, knowing that otherwise he’d claim he was busy. And truth be told, he probably was. But we needed to talk at some point, right?
He was the one that suggested this triple date to begin with. Now that it was a small party, we needed a good, solid game plan. One that was good enough for our closest friends and family to believe we were engaged.
Why am I doing this again? And why can’t it be real?
I tapped my foot nervously. There’d be food on the grill, drinks, games, and hanging out like usual at Cam and Haley’s tonight. This time, the focus would be on us and how we interacted, scrutinizing our engagement.
Basically a nightmare.
“Hunter!” I yelled, knocking again.
His truck was here. What the hell was he doing? It was almost noon.
I knocked rapidly until I heard his curse. The door flew open and he stood there, dripping wet, a towel around his waist. My gaze traced the hair on his muscled chest, the tan lines from being out in the sun. The V of his hips and the bulging outline under the towel.
Fuck. Why was I here again?
“For christ’s sake, sparks,” he growled, immediately slamming the door.
“Wait!” I yelled, my cheeks now the color of a fire engine. This is fake, this is fake, I don’t like him, he’s not the sexy plumber, he’s just Hunter. “We need to talk!”
“Why the fuck didn’t you call?!”
I opened the door and stuck my head in. He turned around, the towel at his feet.
He had the most perfect ass.
My mouth fell open.
He was staring at me over his shoulder, his jaw stiff, vein ticking in his forehead. “Did you want to see the front too?”
“Um,” I squeaked. “Um…”
“Love of my life, creature spawned from hell to torture me, woman who literally tased me the first time we met—either come inside and sit on the couch like a good girl, or leave.”
My brain short-circuited as he left the towel on the floor and continued down the hall, shaking his head and muttering under his breath. He slammed his bedroom door behind him.
Well.
I wasn’t leaving.
I stepped inside and shut the door, looking around his house. I don’t know what I’d expected, but it definitely wasn’t so many plants. All of them were thriving, blooming, soaking up the sunshine that poured in through the windows. The whole cabin smelled like citrus cleaner and whatever soap he used.
My stomach did a slow flip.
We could do this. We could make it through tonight.
We had no choice.
Hunter parked his truck behind Cam’s. It looked like everyone was already here. Sammy’s car was parked in the grass, Katie’s big-ass truck and Alice’s Jeep parked next to it.
My heart raced as Hunter looked over at me. “Are you sure we have to do this?” he asked.
“This was your idea!” I hissed. “Why did you make this suggestion if you didn’t want to do it?”
“I thought Josh would be gone and this would be done by now,” he said. He blew out a breath and raked his fingers through his hair. “I may have forgotten to mention something about Josh.”
Oh god. “What do you mean?”
“I may have punched him at the store.”
“Hunter,” I hissed. “ What ?”
He shrugged his shoulders. “He confronted me. Said some nasty things. I punched him. He was knocked clean out. Bud saw it all and was gonna just let everything go, then Josh got up and called his wife a hag.”
“Dammit,” I sighed. “He hasn’t talked to me again.”
“Well, good. Okay. Alright. Glad I told you.”
I shook my head at him and fought a smile. I shouldn’t be laughing at the idea of Josh getting knocked out, and yet... “One punch really put him down?”
“Yep.”
“Kind of wish you took a picture of that.”
“I know the manager at the store if you want…”
I stifled a laugh and took a deep breath, holding his gaze. “We’ve got this,” I said softly.
He nodded. “We’ve got this. We’re good actors.”
“Are you going to kiss me again?”
“I’m gonna have to, aren’t I?”
“Oh come on,” I hissed. “It’s not a chore.”
The momentary charm went up in smoke. I glared at him as he got out of the truck, waiting for him to come around and open the door. I squeaked in surprise as he reached in the truck and grabbed me, lifting me out of the front seat with an ease that made my stomach flip.
Thunder rumbled in the distance. Both our gazes turned to the dark clouds gathering before I realized his hands were still on me, and mine were on him.
“Damn spring storms,” he muttered. “Remind me to check the radar. If it’s a bad one, I might need to run to the farm to check on things.”
“Okay,” I said. “Let me know if you need help or anything…”
He raised a brow slowly. “You’re offering to help me on the farm?”
“I mean… no. Of course not.” Why in the hell had I just offered exactly that?
“You’d look good covered in mud,” he teased.
I swatted his chest. “Stop that.”
“Stop what?”
“Flirting,” I hissed.
“You were flirting with me.”
“I was not,” I growled.
I definitely was.
Hunter tightened his grip as he looked down at me. The dark stubble along his jawline had been neatly shaved, and he smelled like the best kind of aftershave. His brown eyes softened. “We can do this, sparks,” he whispered.
“Yeah,” I said. “We can. I’m sorry.”
He shook his head. “No, no need for that. I don’t need you to apologize. I just need to know you’re safe. And until Josh leaves and this is over, I just don’t think you will be.”
“We could tell them tonight,” I said softly. “We could walk in there and tell them now.”
“No,” he said. “I agreed to do this with you. I made you a promise. We’re going to see it through.”
“Are you sure?”
He nodded. “Surer than anything.”
“Okay. I trust you.”
Hunter flashed his dimples. “Big mistake, sparks.”
I rolled my eyes. “I need a nickname for you. Like…”
“Cowboy? Sir? Daddy ?”
None of those worked, but then it hit me. A wide grin spread across my face as I looked up at him.
“Dimples.”
His lips tugged as he tried to maintain his manly demeanor. “You cannot call me dimples.”
“I sure can.”
“I am a tough man who farms and fixes things. You cannot call me dimples .”
“Please?”
He let out a deliberate sigh. “Fine. Come on.”
He released me and held out his hand. Our palms slid against each other as I took it, his callouses making my pulse spike. He gave me a gentle, reassuring squeeze and we made our way to the front door.
We paused. “We’ve got this,” I whispered.
“It’s fake,” he reminded us.
“Yes. So fake. Nothing we do means anything.”
“So… might as well kiss a lot.”
“Right,” My heart was pounding. “I’ll make sure to eat a lot of garlic.”
Hunter squeezed my hand again and then opened the door, his body language shifting. “We’re here,” he called.
Everyone’s voices merged together as we were greeted. He led me to the kitchen, a kitchen I’d been in countless times with people I loved so fucking much it hurt. Sarah was leaning against Sammy with a gooey smile on her face. Colt was on the other side of her, his brow slowly raising.
“Well, well, well,” Colt said as he crossed his arms. “They don’t have knives at each other’s throats.”
Katie had a beer in one hand, her wife, Anna, standing next to her. “They’re even holding hands,” she teased.
“Ha ha, very funny,” I said.
Alice and Haley came into the kitchen, their attention turning to me.
“Well, well,” Alice chimed. “The happy couple is here.”
“And still no ring,” Cam pointed out.
“Oh my god,” I said dramatically. “There will be a ring. You’re all being way too hard on Hunter.” I meant that, actually. While I’d done my fair share of convincing, it seemed like everyone was tougher on him about the situation. It was starting to piss me off.
Hunter tugged me close, kissing the top of my head. “See? We’re more than cordial.”
Haley crossed her arms. “Wow, a head kiss.”
I sighed and turned to face Hunter. I leaned up on my tip toes, grabbed his head, and pulled him down into a kiss.
Heat flashed in those dark brown eyes as he brushed his mouth against mine, and then yanked me completely against him, kissing me hard enough to steal my breath. I felt dizzy as he released me, smiling like an idiot as everyone clapped.
“Y’all are assholes,” Hunter snorted. “What are we doing?”
“We’ve got all the food and alcohol possible, good music, and each other,” Cam said. “Dig in.”
Hunter gave my hand another squeeze before releasing me to the wolves. I winked at him before grabbing a cider off the bar and going to hug Alice. I spotted a gorgeous red-haired stranger and raised a brow.
“Who’s that?” I asked.
Alice lowered her voice to a whisper. “That’s who they tried to set me up with.”
Oh yes. I’d forgotten about my little side quest from Haley to find someone to introduce Alice to. “Is she your type?”
Alice wrinkled her nose. “Maybe. My type varies depending on the day.”
“So… who is she?”
She shifted with some discomfort, which made me frown. “A well-known singer-songwriter who Sammy invited. Jenna Hart.”
My mouth dropped. I knew that name. I wasn’t too familiar with country music, but I still knew who she was. There’d been a song that went viral a couple years ago I could have sworn was hers. “Didn’t she write that one song…?”
“About her ex-girlfriend? Yep.”
I frowned at the bitterness in Alice’s voice. “Do you know her or something?”
“Of course not.”
“Oh.” It was just like a Harlow to know someone famous. “She’s gorgeous,” I said.
Alice stared across the room and swallowed hard. “Yes, she is.”
Jenna chatted away with Anna and Katie. She was tall with curves for days, vibrant red hair that fell in soft waves, and tattoos inking her arms, chest, and I assumed back. She wore a short black skirt with flats and a red top that showed off her sleeve of rose tattoos.
“Damn,” I mumbled. “I’m no better than a man right now.”
Alice snorted. “You and me, both. You’re with Hunter though, remember?”
“Yeah, but I have eyes, ma’am.”
Alice snickered at me and pushed her bouncy curls over her shoulder. Her gaze swept over to Jenna again before giving me a flat expression. “So was it Haley’s idea to set me up with someone or yours? Trying to distract us from the main course, huh.”
Dammit. Everyone knew me too well. “I may have contributed to the idea,” I admitted. “I mean, I just suggested we find someone sexy to introduce you to, and they succeeded.”
“You know I’m not dating right now,” she hissed. “I have a cafe to run. And after… I just can’t do anything casual.”
I winced. I only knew bits and pieces, but the last person Alice had been with broke her heart. Whoever that bitch was, she’d lost out. Alice was the best of the best and was now one of my closest friends. “I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t do casual. At least she’s good eye candy. But noted, Miss Too-Busy-to-Date.”
Alice swatted me. “I forgive you. And yes, she’s beautiful and famous. Haley nearly had a heart attack when Sammy told her who was showing up. She even dusted the shoe cabinet.”
I was surprised she hadn’t texted me about it. A flicker of worry was interrupted when Haley appeared in front of us, eyes ablaze with curiosity.
“What are you two conspiring about?” she asked.
“We’re talking about your failed attempt to set me up,” Alice chided.
Haley’s expression hardened with the challenge. “We’ll see about that. Come on. Let me introduce you both.”
“You didn’t tell me about a hot songwriter attending,” I said.
Haley grinned as she dragged Alice and me over to Jenna, Katie, and Anna. Katie winked at me, her arm sliding around Anna. They were always so cute together.
“Jenna, this is Alice Belrose,” Haley said. “And Emma Madden.”
Jenna’s smile lit up the entire room. “Hi Alice.” She held out her hand to Alice’s and they shook, her mossy green eyes sweeping over her. She then glanced at me, holding out her hand. “Emma Madden …” she said slowly, humming.
Needles prickled on the back of my neck and I glanced back, seeing Hunter watching us. He narrowed his eyes before I turned my attention back to Jenna.
She tilted her head. “Your last name sounds so familiar.”
“Oh,” I said. “I mean it’s… sort of well-known, I suppose.”
“Wait, are you related to the Madden family?”
Heat crept up the back of my neck. “I am.”
Her brows drew together in sympathy. “I’m sorry for your loss then. One of my cousins works for Madden in Sacramento. He said it’s been awful since Michael Madden passed.”
The blood drained out of my body. Haley looked over at me, frowning. “Wait? Isn’t Michael your dad’s name?”
“No,” I said, my voice pitching.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. I looked over at Hunter again and his gaze locked with mine. Mayday, mayday, fucking rescue me, please. He frowned and immediately left Cam and Colt for me.
Alice gave me a long WTF is going on look, but then she and Jenna started to chat with Katie and Anna again, their conversation smoothing over the awkwardness I’d caused.
Haley didn’t take her eyes off me as she grabbed my arm, pulling me to the side. “Emma,” Haley whispered. “What is going on?”
“Nothing.” I blinked rapidly, on the verge of tears.
This wasn’t how I wanted Haley to find out about my dad’s death. I didn’t want to talk about any of this, not here. Not now.
Dammit. Panic started to freeze me, but then a broad, warm hand settled on my lower back. Hunter’s scent hit me and I inhaled it like oxygen.
Hunter pulled me close. “Hey, sparks,” he said gently. “Hungry?”
“Did you know about this?” Haley demanded, looking up at Hunter.
“Drop it,” I growled.
“No, I’m not dropping this,” Haley said firmly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Hunter said smoothly. “But I could hear Emma’s stomach growling from all the way over there, so I think I’ll steal her for a bit.”
Haley glared at us. She opened her mouth to speak, clamped it shut, and then spun on her heel, leaving the living room. I watched her go upstairs and wrung my hands together.
Hunter steered me towards the back door. We stepped out into the muggy night, the scent of rain heavy in the air as storms crept closer.
“What the hell was that?” he whispered.
“Jenna has a cousin who works for my father’s company,” I whispered back. “She offered condolences for my loss. And Haley remembered my dad’s name.”
“Fuck.”
“I need to talk to her. Oh god, I’m panicking.”
“Breathe,” he whispered. “I’m here with you. It’s going to be okay.”
“I need a shot,” I said. “We both need shots. Let’s go get shots.”
“Emma, you should talk to Haley,” he said. “Haley is your best friend. I’m sure she’s already hurt because she thinks we were dating behind her back.”
“I can’t do this today,” I said. “I can’t.”
“I’ve never seen you back down from a confrontation.”
“Then you’ve never seen how I act when I love someone,” I said, my voice shaking. “I don’t want to disappoint her. I don’t want to hurt her. I…”
“Emma, sometimes we hurt the people we love. Sometimes we fuck up. Sometimes we say shit we don’t mean and we do things we shouldn’t. But running from it? Avoiding it? I promise that it doesn’t help anything.”
I stared up at him, wondering where the hell this man had been my whole life. Now, more than ever, I wished this was real. I wished that Hunter didn’t actually despise me. I wished that…
“Shots,” I croaked. “I want to do shots.”
He studied me, but then nodded. “Alright, sparks. Let’s go do shots.”