Chapter 6 Hunter
Monday December 3, 2:50 p.m.
For the tenth time that day, Tate stood at the register and gave Hunter a look. Narrowed eyes, a focused gaze, an almost mischievous grin, but somehow also patient. Tate was somehow encouraging but unnerving at the same time.
“Quit it, Tater.” Hunter kept straightening boots along the side wall.
“You good?” Tate tilted his head.
“Yeah, good.” Hunter sighed and rolled his eyes. He loved his friend, but he felt more comfortable keeping his life at a standstill. And he knew what Tate was thinking.
“You sure?” Tate tilted his head to the opposite side and smirked.
He clenched his jaw and closed his eyes. “Quit asking. Please.” Hunter couldn't keep the annoyance out of his voice. “Yes, I’m fine. I just needed a good cry yesterday. And no, I don’t have Rosa’s number. Even if I did, I wouldn’t call her.”
“Why? You clearly like her,” Tate said.
What were they, in middle school? “I’m not ready for that kind of thing, you know that.” Rather than think more on the subject, he shoved his feelings down and focused on restocking spots with empty merchandise. This was a busy time of year and he wanted to make sure he made the most of it.
“Yeah, but when will you be ready?” Tate picked up a clipboard and checked off a few items with a pen.
Hunter sighed, then picked up empty boot boxes from the floor. Rosa had just been here yesterday, which felt surreal. And they had only met the day before that. Truthfully? Part of him regretted not asking for her number both times. But it was probably for the best.
After his outburst yesterday, Hunter went home, made dinner for himself and his daughter, and they watched old home videos and scrolled through old family photos together. He’d be surprised if he ever saw Rosa again.
Hunter’s phone rang. It was the school.
“Hi, Mr. Parks? It’s Taylor from Leavenworth Elementary. Emily has been having a hard day. Do you think when you pick her up today, you could stay and talk to her teacher?”
“Yes, I’ll be there. Thank you.” Hunter took a deep breath . Of course she had a tough day. All of Hunter’s emotions, then reminiscing about her mom last night made her just as much of a mess as Hunter had been. Maybe they both should have stayed home today.
But he couldn’t not talk about Megan with Emily. Even though they had probably been more prepared than most that she would pass, it didn’t make it any easier. But at least they could talk about how Hunter and Emily could go on without her. Megan had been insistent that they move on and live life to the fullest. But how do you do that when grief is holding you back?
“Everything okay?” Tate asked, clacking away at a calculator.
Hunter nodded. “Yeah, it’s just Emily. I need to go talk to her teacher. Emily’’s had a rough day.” He rubbed the back of his neck.
“Well, you go do that, and later tonight you and Emily come over for dinner. Jess is making her famous minestrone soup, and she hasn’t seen Emily since she got back from her work trip. Come by after the store closes?”
Hunter smiled. “Actually that would be really nice. Thanks.”
Right before 3:30 p.m., Hunter walked the quick half mile to the school, where students were already loading onto the bus or being picked up. He waved at some of the parents he knew, people he’d known practically his whole life–some who were in his class at Leavenworth Elementary back when he was a student here.
Hunter opened the front door. Taylor sat at the front desk, showing Emily the school’s phone.
“These are like how house phones used to be, except this one has way more buttons. Like if there’s a message for your teacher, I can press this button and talk to her without even dialing her number.”
The door clicked behind Hunter and Emily looked up. “Daddy!”
She ran around the desk toward him as he crouched down. They hugged tight and Hunter kissed her on the cheek.
“Guess what? Mrs. Davis had her baby. I have a sub-sa-toot teacher,” Emily proclaimed, purposely mispronouncing the word.
“Oh, really.” Hunter stood. A substitute teacher after a night reminiscing about her mom? That was a recipe for disaster. Plus, Christmas was coming. And all the feelings of the final days of Megan’s life that came with it, which totally overshadowed the holidays two years ago.
Mrs. Davis did a pretty good job of handling Emily, who liked to be dramatic at times. Hunter had met with the teacher as school started to set some goals and classroom rules that Emily needed to work on. But a substitute? This could be challenging.
Taylor stood behind her desk. “Why don’t you head to the classroom? Miss Flores is going to be the sub from now until winter break. So we thought it would be best if you two talked alone for a minute. I’ll bring Emily after a bit. Hey Emily, want to see how the loudspeaker works?”
Emily’s eyes went wide and she quickly disappeared behind the desk.
Hunter snickered. “Not sure that’s a good idea. She may try to use it when you’re not looking.”
He headed down the hall, passing the gym where he had so many lunches and P.E. classes and assemblies. A smile spread across his face and warmth spread through him. He felt lucky to be raising Emily in the same small school he attended.
Next he passed the fourth grade classroom, where Mr. Straus was getting up from his desk. How old was he now? Hunter had had him back in fourth grade.
He rounded the corner and saw the third grade door was propped open. He stepped up to it and went to knock as he stepped into the room.
The figure of a woman stood in front of the white board writing. Something about her looked familiar. The dark hair. The pink shirt. Wait. Could it be? No, it couldn’t.
“Hello? Miss…” he finally knocked.
The woman turned.
“Rosa.”
His mouth dropped. She was Emily’s substitute? Wasn’t she a tourist from Seattle?
Rosa looked different. Not in a jacket and boots. Not wearing a winter hat. Now, as a teacher, she donned a pink professional top and gray pants, which hugged her hips and showed curves totally hidden by her winter gear. She was stunning . Hunter tingled from head to toe.
Her eyes opened wide like deer in headlights. “Hunter…Parks? You’re Emily’s dad?”
Hunter nodded and cleared his throat. Rosa’s voice was like a song in his ears. How had this woman he’d only met twice before made him melt like a snowman in the sun? Feelings he was not ready to feel?
He blinked. Stop staring, buddy. Be cool. All day he was trying to forget her, but now here she was. “Rosa.” He shook his head. “I mean, Miss Flores.” He fumbled over his words. “I’m confused. Do you live here now?”
Her eyebrows furrowed as if trying to figure out any hidden meanings, then she smiled. “No. Just visiting. Taking a break from the big city life. But I always wanted to try teaching, so here I am.”
Shoving his hands in his pockets, he glanced around the room, mostly to avoid staring at her any longer than he already had. “Oh. I see. So this was your first day?” He finally looked at her.
Rosa nodded, pursing her lips.
He wandered over to the bulletin board with students’ art pinned up, his eyes going straight toward Emily’s masterpiece of her holding hands with Hunter. “And how’d that go?” he asked.
A slight laugh escaped her red lips as she peered at the ceiling and put her hands on her hips. “It went okay. Better than expected. But still kind of a disaster. But I sorta loved it.”
Hunter sauntered toward her, as if a magnet pulled him. For so long he avoided any contact with women. But right now, it was like he couldn’t stay away from her.
Rosa continued. “There was laughing. There was crying. But we all made it out alive.” Her eyes followed Hunter as he came closer and stopped a few feet away. Just like on the mountain, she faced an obstacle and somehow was fine. Feisty, strong, and beautiful.
His heart beat faster. “Kinda crazy how we keep bumping into each other, isn’t it?” Hunter rubbed the right side of his beard , and locked eyes with her.
She nodded. “Yeah.”
“Daddddyyyy. Hey, hey it’s me!” Emily’s voice boomed over the loudspe aker.
Hunter jumped. The muffled voice of Taylor telling Emily to put it down and the loudspeaker suddenly cut out.
Rosa smirked at Hunter. “Speaking of Emily.” She tapped her foot, like an annoyed teacher would, except the way she raised her eyebrows indicated a hint of sassiness.
“Yes, speaking of Emily. My delightful daughter. What did she do this time?” He smiled and raised his eyebrows.
“Maybe we should sit.” Rosa walked over to a table in the corner and pulled out a chair for Hunter, then sat in the chair opposite.
“That bad, huh?” Hunter said as he sat. Were they sort of flirting right now, or was this all business? He couldn’t tell with anyone, but with Rosa it was extra hard. She seemed to just be flirty by nature. The way she carried herself was just sexy.
“Emily is a sweet kid. But is there something going on that might be causing her to be…I don’t know. ” She pressed her lips together.
“Dramatic?”
Rosa lifted her finger. “That’s it.”
“Yeah, actually.” And now he had to tell Rosa the reasons behind her outbursts. He hated telling people about the big thing that made them feel sorry for him and Emily. “ Her mom–my wife–died two years ago . During Christmas.” Hunter internally cringed in anticipation for the reaction that usually followed.
But the doe-y eyes Hunter anticipated, the eyes of pity most people displayed, didn’t come to Rosa’s face. Instead, her eyes were strong yet loving. As if she understood his pain.
“That must have been awful.”
She could have said more. Most people talked about how great Megan was, or said that Hunter was lucky to still have Emily. Or that it would get easier. Except it didn’t get easier. Not one bit. Maybe it was just something to say so they wouldn’t have to hear about any of the actual grief he felt.
Rosa leaned in, as if waiting for Hunter to say more. Besides his own family and Tate, everyone else seemed too scared to talk about this type of thing with him. Rosa was surprising.
He cleared his throat. “It was beautiful, actually. We had a chance to say goodbye. But it’s still hard.”
Rosa nodded. “It doesn’t get easier, does it?”
He was taken aback. “No.” He swallowed. “And no one else wants to talk about her, except Emily and I don’t want to forget her. So last night, we went through old videos and photos and talked about the fun times. But then of course you can’t talk about the fun times without thinking about the–”
“Hard times,” Rosa said.
“Exactly.” Hunter and Rosa locked eye s again.
Back on the mountain, when he rescued her, and then at the store yesterday, he had felt physically attracted to her. But right now, a different emotion was emerging. An understanding and respect he hadn’t felt before.
“I’m sorry I ran off at the store yesterday,” Hunter said. “Something reminded me of my wife and a wave of grief suddenly hit me. I…I …” Tears threatened again, but he held them back.
She rested a hand on his knee, a jolt of electricity running through him. “It’s okay. I still have cry fests when I think about my parents. They died in a car accident a few years ago. It’s hard to explain grief unless you’ve gone through it yourself.”
Hunter slowly shook his head. “I’m so sorry.” He rested his hand on top of Rosa’s. “Both of them? At the same time?”
Her eyes glistened as she nodded. She wiped away a small tear. “Yeah.” She paused. “Wow, look at us. Totally all grown up. And we totally have it all together.”
Hunter let out a soft laugh. “Seriously. I think I’m a mess most of the time, I just hide it really well.” He shrugged.
Rosa looked down at his hand on hers, her cheeks reddening. “You totally don’t though. You may be a mountain man, but you’re a big softy on the inside.” She winked.
He leaned in, their faces inches away. Rosa smelled like a field of roses. His body warmed from head to toe. He liked being close to her. He felt safe. He felt understood.
“Hunter Parks, is that you?” A raspy voice from his childhood sounded from the doorway.
Sitting up straight, Hunter let go of Rosa’s hand, and she pulled her hand away. “Mr. Straus.” Hunter’s insides stiffened and he gulped. “Are you still here?”
“You know I can’t retire until I have Emily in my class. Is she going to be as big of a class clown as you were?”
Rosa held her hand over her mouth to cover a giggle.
“Hopefully,” was all Hunter could think to say.
“Have a good evening. And good luck to you, Miss Flores.” The old man walked away, and Hunter glanced at Rosa, whose giddy stare caused him to roll his eyes.
“Yes, okay, I was a class clown, but only in elementary school. Eventually I grew up.”
Rosa kept smiling. She was such a tease.
“Whaaaat?” Hunter asked.
She let out a cute cough. “Oh, nothing. Just hard to imagine you as a class clown. You seem so put together as an adult . You’re such a tough guy and all.”
He folded his arms. “Yeah, right. Well, my mother helped me channel my energy into hiking, and I became the mountain man you see today.”
“Beard and all,” Rosa said, her eyes lingering on his face.
He could flirt with her all day. But was that wise? Hunter narrowed his eyes. “So, are we going to k eep, uh, teasing each other, or should we maybe talk about Emily at some point?”
She shook her head and fluttered her eyelashes. “Uh, yes. Yes, of course. I’m sorry. I get carried away sometimes.”
He smirked. “I don’t usually. But you make it easy.” Dang it. Why did he say that out loud?
She raised her eyebrows and smiled, the playful banter melting into a more businessy, teachery side of Rosa.
“Anyway.” She sighed. “Emily is a sweet girl. She does act out randomly, and other kids don’t seem to know how to react. She is clearly going through a lot of emotions right now, and it’s only going to increase as Christmas gets closer. What if, well, I had this idea that I wanted to talk to you about.”
The phone on the teacher’s desk rang, and Rosa got up and answered it. “Oh, sure. Yes, please send Emily in. Thanks, Taylor.”
Hunter stood and faced her. “So, you’re going to keep subbing til the holiday break? Will you stay in the area after that?”
Rosa nodded, her hands on her hips. “That’s the plan. Though I’m j ust going to take it one step at a time.”
There was that phrase again. “One step at a time,” he repeated flatly. “The phrase yesterday that reminded me of, you know, my wife’s death. It’s something my parents and everyone told me to do.”
Rosa mouthed an “oh” and nodded. She walked back towards Hunter. “Does it work?”
Hunter shrugged. “Not really. Because each day past a death gets you further away from the days they were alive. The days you wanted to last forever.”
Taking a deep breath, Rosa fanned her eyes. “Sheesh. Trying not to cry. Thanks a lot, Hunter.” She smiled, then placed a hand on his arm.
He looked down at her hand. Instinctively, he reached his other hand around and rested it on hers, offering a subtle, hopeful smile. His heart warmed, knowing they understood each other’s grief. While at the same time, a jolt of electricity coursed through him as they touched.
Was it okay to feel romantic feelings while talking about death? Somehow, it was happening.
Emily skipped through the door, Taylor not far behind. “Miss Taylor showed me the copy machine. Did you know it can make 2,000 copies in one hour? I wanted to test it, but she said it wasn’t a good time and they didn’t have that much paper anywa y.”
Quickly, Hunter dropped his hand and Rosa dropped hers.
“Oh, that’s great, honey.” Hunter cleared his throat. They had been caught holding hands–again. He hid a tiny smirk and clenched his hand in excitement. It had been years since he had been caught doing anything he wasn’t supposed to.
But really, was it wrong to have feelings for Rosa? Aside from not feeling ready to date yet, he wondered if a relationship between a parent and his daughter’s teacher was okay. It certainly felt okay. More than okay. Not that they had a relationship yet. Why was he thinking like this? Feeling…giddy ?
Just earlier at the store, he was annoyed at Tate trying to get him to admit he had feelings for Rosa. That he should pursue her. But something inside him had changed. Hunter could at least get to know Rosa better and see what happened.
Yeah. He could do that. Like friends or something.
“Miss Flores, can I talk to you out in the hall for a minute?” Taylor asked.
Rosa disappeared with Taylor, and Hunter went up to Emily, who was headed toward the reading nook. “You want to pick something out to read to Daddy?” He plopped down onto one of the bean bag chairs dramatically. Emily giggled, then searched for a book.
A minute later, Rosa came back into the room. “Unfortunately, we need to head out the door. Taylor and the other staff have to lock up for some meeting or something.”
Hunter got up, and Emily grabbed his hand.
“So maybe we could talk about that, uh, idea I had to, you know,” Rosa’s eyes circled over to Emily, “help a certain someone with that thing we were talking about, later. Tomorrow?”
“She’s talking about me, isn’t she Daddy?” Emily looked up and grabbed onto his arm. “Miss Flores is nice. She let me sit at her desk today.”
Hunter glanced up at Rosa, his heart melting in an entirely new way. This woman was doing a number on him. He didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to talk to her. To know her better.
“What about tonight? At dinner?” The words came out of his own mouth, but the words still surprised him.
“Uh,” Rosa said. “Suuure.” She smiled.
Score. She said yes. Well, a long sort of yes. He’d take it. It had been years since he had asked someone out. “Oh shoot.” Hunter hit his forehead with his hand. “I promised Tate we’d head to his house tonight.”
“Tate and Jess’s house! Yay!” Emily jumped up and down.
If Tate found out that Hunter had asked Rosa out and backed out due to their dinner plans, Tate would never let him live it down. He’d text him. Tate would understand. Hunter sighed, thinking. Maybe he could do both things–hang out with Rosa and go to Tate’s house.
“Have you been downtown yet? Long-term tourist?”
“Not yet,” Rosa answered.
“Meet me at 6:00 pm in front of Bavarian Boots. I’ll give you a private tour of our little Christmas village.”