Chapter 24
Chapter Twenty-Four
SERENITY
The past week and a half had been some of the best days of my life.
I’d finally been able to go back to work a few days ago and was relieved to know that Fletcher was still in the dark about everything that had happened.
He thought I’d been out with a nasty stomach flu, and when I finally got back, he’d actually been happy to see me.
Sure, he hadn’t been overly emotional about it, but he had said he was glad to see me, and the look on his face told me he meant it.
I was still crashing at Hunter’s place but gone were the nights of him sleeping on the couch. Now he slept in bed next to me every night, holding me close, almost as though he was scared I’d slip away in his sleep.
Things between us were going better than I could have expected, and with each passing day, I fell harder and harder for him.
On the evenings I wasn’t at the bar, I made him dinner, and he made sure to let me know with his actions and words just how much he appreciated my effort. It was nice having someone to cook for, and he was always so complimentary of everything I made, eating so much there were never any leftovers.
On the nights I worked, he came into the bar and took up residence on a barstool, drinking a couple beers or simply hanging out and chatting with me whenever I had a free moment. Then he’d take me home and rub my tired feet.
He was the perfect man. Or at least the perfect man for me.
We made love every single night, and some mornings he woke me up, needing me in a way that felt almost desperate. I had to say, that feeling was a high I’d never experienced before.
When we weren’t together, we texted constantly, and with every day that passed, I was falling deeper and deeper for the man.
It was finally the weekend of the wedding, and while I was excited, looking forward to a big party and getting to spend some time with Bryce and Tessa, Hunter had been tenser than usual.
I chocked it up to it being the widow of a close friend he’d lost, but he’d been pretty tight-lipped about the whole thing. In an attempt to get him in the spirit of the weekend, I’d downloaded a ton of awesome songs for the road trip to Charlotte and bought key road-trip snacks for us to munch on.
The weather was perfect, so I’d rolled down my window, cranked the radio up, and belted out the lyrics to some of my favorite songs until I finally got him to smile. He’d refused to sing along with me but seemed more than happy to listen to me.
The hotel where the wedding and reception were being held had taken my breath away when we’d first pulled up the day before the big event.
I’d wanted to go exploring but one second after the door to our room clicked shut behind us, Hunter was on me like a man stranded in the middle of the desert, and I was a glass of water.
We’d torn at each other’s clothes and fucked so hard and hungrily that I was sure the people in the room beside us had been able to hear. When I woke up in the morning, I could still feel the twinge between my thighs.
As much as I loved spending time with him, I’d been grateful for the reprieve that morning when he left to have breakfast with Vera’s sons.
With time to kill, I’d called Tessa, and together, we’d headed for the hotel spa for a little pampering.
We were sitting side by side in massage chairs with our feet soaking in warm water full of essential oils while nail techs gave us luxurious manicures when Tessa asked, “So how are things going with you and Hunter?”
I peeled my eyes open, ultimate relaxation plus a night of energetic sex making me feel a little drowsy. “Depends. Are you asking out of curiosity, or because you’ve got money in the pool?”
She let out a sweet giggle and shook her head, her shiny light brown hair swishing across her shoulders.
She was a serious stunner, no doubt about it, and sweet as hell.
I was really glad we’d had this time to get to know each other better.
“No, I decided not to bet on this one since I kept losing money. But I’m pretty sure Bryce put a hundred in. ”
I dropped my head back on a groan.
“But don’t worry about it,” she insisted. “If he loses, that’s his own damn fault. I’m not going to ask you to sway things his way.”
I smiled and relaxed back into the massage chair, letting the rolling wheels work my muscles. I’d been getting a hell of a workout lately, and my poor body was starting to pay for it.
“Things are going good,” I admitted giddily. “Really good. We’re taking things a day at a time right now, but I’m happy.”
“Ah, I love that. You deserve it. And so does he.”
“You’ve known him for a long time, right? Like, from before . . .”
She smiled, but there was a sadness behind her eyes. “Not well. Bryce and I met during a whirlwind weekend in Vegas. He was there with Hunter, and two more members of their team.”
“Moss and Danielson?”
Her eyes widened in surprise. “He told you about them?”
“A little. I know he and Bryce lost them both in the same bombing Hunter lost his leg in. It was obvious he cared deeply about both of them and he’s still hurting over their loss.”
She nodded, her eyes going glassy with tears she was desperately trying to fight back.
“Losing them changed both Bryce and Hunter. They have so much guilt for being the ones to come back when their brothers weren’t as lucky.
That’s why Bryce and I were apart for so long.
He was punishing himself, carrying the blame because he was the lead on that mission.
He convinced himself he didn’t deserve happiness, so when they got back, he disappeared and it broke my heart. ”
I reached across the distance between us and took the hand that wasn’t currently being buffed and polished. “I’m sorry,” I said gently, hating that a woman as kindhearted and good as Tessa had suffered so much while she and Bryce had been apart.
It had been sheer coincidence that brought her to Hope Valley.
She’d come for a job interview as the director of Hope House, and the rest, as they say, was history.
Their romance had been rekindled instantly, at least on Bryce’s part.
He’d pulled out all the stops in order to win her back, and luckily he’d succeeded.
Now they were living their happily ever after, and had their first baby a few months ago.
“It was hard,” she admitted, “but looking back on it now, I can’t say I would change anything.
Bryce needed to work through what happened in that desert on his own.
If he’d come back to me right away, I’m not sure we would have made it.
When we ran into each other again, he was finally ready to battle his demons. ”
I felt that down to my bones. Hunter had more demons than I would wish on my worst enemy, and he was still battling them to this day.
I wanted to help him through, to take his hand and lead him from that darkness, but I wasn’t sure it was my place.
As quickly as I was falling for him, I still felt like there was a wall between us, and the only person who could scale it was Hunter.
“He’s been anxious the past few days,” I confessed, feeling a bit of the weight I’d been carrying fall away at having someone to talk to about everything.
Someone who understood everything I was up against. “There’s like, this restless energy building in him, ready to explode.
Maybe because it’s Moss’s widow, it’s dredging up a lot of things from his past, but he won’t talk about it. ”
“That might very well be the case. All I know for sure is, he’s been happier lately than I’ve seen him in years.
Whatever you’re doing, keep doing it, because he deserves someone as amazing as you.
Just be patient with him. If there’s anything I’ve learned, it’s that these guys have to fall down a bunch of times before they finally get things right. ”
I could do that, I could hang in there because I already knew Hunter was worth it.
By the time I got back to the room, Hunter was already back. He was stretched out across the bed, his back resting against the headboard, ankles crossed as he flipped through the channels on the television.
“Hey, how was your breakfast?” I asked as I tossed my room key onto the dresser and moved across the room to him.
He tossed the remote aside as soon as I was close enough and reached out to tag my arm and yanked me down into his lap.
“It was great,” he said with a genuine grin, the tension that had been locking his muscles up for days now drifting away as the thought of those two boys. “I told them all about you. They’re really excited to meet you.”
“Aw,” I leaned in to press my lips against his. “You told them about me? Swoon!” I might have been teasing, but it made me feel like a million bucks to hear I warranted mention to the boys he thought of as sons.
“Of course, I did,” he stated simply.
I traced his smile, feeling my own lips tip upward. “I’m glad you had a good time. You really care about them, huh?”
He dragged his hand up and down my spine, his touch so tender it made me misty-eyed. “Love them like they’re mine. Miss them every damn day too. But Luke talked about looking at colleges in Virginia when the time comes.”
I could tell by the tone of his voice that he loved the idea of one of his boys being closer, and that warmed something deep inside of me. If it made him happy, I wanted it for him. “That’s exciting. I hope that works out so you can have him closer.”
A smirk curled the corners of his mouth upward. “Speaking of getting closer,” he rasped as he tightened his grip on my waist, making me laugh.
“Not a chance, stud. I need to hop in the shower or we’re going to be late.”
A delectable hum rattled up his throat. “It just so happens I do some of my best work in the shower.”
My head tipped back on a deep belly laugh. I loved this playful side of him. “Believe me, I’m well aware, but I’m going to have to pass. We start that up, we’ll never make it downstairs.”
“Works for me,” he grunted, and I had the distinct impression that he meant it.
“Yeah, well, you promised me a party, so I’m going to hold you to it.” As hard as it was, I climbed off his lap and out of the bed. “But I promise I’ll make it up to you later tonight,” I said, bending forward to place a kiss against his lips before starting for the bathroom.
“I’m gonna hold you to that,” he called after me, making me smile.
I’d just pulled my dress out of the closet and laid it across the bed when a knock sounded on the door.
Cinching the hotel robe I was wearing tighter, I padded across the room and threw the door open. A woman I’d never seen before stood on the other side, her mouth poised to speak, but the moment her eye landed on me, they widened, like I was a shock to her.
Her hair was twisted and curled into an intricate updo, and her makeup was obviously professionally done, a juxtaposition to the yoga pants and T-shirt she was wearing.
“Hi,” I greeted, tilting my head to the side. “Can I help you?”
“Oh, uh—no. I don’t—” Her gaze darted around like she was searching for something. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you. I think I might have the wrong room.”
“Oh, okay. Well, who are you looking for? I’m not sure I’ll be much help, but you’re welcome to come in and use our phone to call the front desk.”
“I was looking for Hunter McCann,” she said. “My son gave me this room number.”
“You’re in the right place,” I announced, a strange sensation crawling over my skin at her answer. “But he’s in the shower right now.”
“Oh.” She blinked, her eyes going wide. “Oh. You—you’re his date. He brought a date,” she said, like the thought shocked the living hell out of her.
“Yeah. I’m Serenity.” I offered my hand to her. “It’s nice to meet you . . .” I left the end of my sentence hanging, giving her a chance to provide her name.
“Vera,” she replied, taking my hand and giving it a weak shake.
“The bride!” I chirped, the puzzle pieces of her appearance at our door suddenly falling into place. “Of course! It’s so nice to meet you. Hunter’s told me all about you.”
She was still holding my hand, slowly lifting it up and down. “He has?” she asked in bewilderment.
I didn’t understand the question, and if I were being honest, this whole exchange seemed weird.
Her hair and makeup made sense now that I knew who she was, but I was surprised she’d taken the time to come up to our room when she should have been getting ready for her wedding.
It didn’t make sense to me. “Of course. Would you like to come in? He should be out soon. We’re just getting ready for—well, your wedding,” I finished with an awkward laugh.
“No, no. That’s okay. I just thought I’d swing by and say hello.
It’s been a while since we’ve seen each other.
” She gave her head a shake. “I’m sorry.
I didn’t know he brought a date, or I wouldn’t have—you know what?
Never mind. It doesn’t matter. I should get back downstairs. I’ll see you guys at the wedding.”
Before I could get another word in, she whipped around on her flip-flops and darted down the hall toward the elevator leaving me with a strange, unexplainable feeling in the pit of my stomach.