4. Hunter
Chapter Four
HUNTER
“Black Bear Creek, final answer,” Lindsay declares. Her eyes sparkle with competitive fire as she smirks at her fiancé.
Jace grins and flips his card. “Black Bear Creek.”
The crowd erupts in cheers and applause.
I lean against the bar as I nurse my beer and watch as Jace pulls Lindsay in for a celebratory kiss. The guests eat it up, whistling and clapping louder.
“Get a room, you two!” Luke calls out, and everyone laughs.
Jace and Linsday’s couple’s shower is in full swing, the ranch transformed into exactly the magical setting Lindsay envisioned. The chandeliers we installed cast a warm glow over the tables laden with food. Strings of lights wind through trees and along fences, creating a fairytale atmosphere. All the hard work of the past few days has paid off beautifully.
I take another sip and enjoy the perfect vantage point I’ve claimed near the drink station.
“Alright, next question,” Savannah announces as she waves a card with theatrical flair. “Jace, where did you first realize you were in love with Lindsay?”
Jace writes his answer without hesitation. When Lindsay reveals hers, they match perfectly again.
“High school,” they say in unison.
Their friends whoop and holler. I know the story well. Best friends since high school until they got trapped together during a blizzard last winter. After years of dancing around their feelings, Jace finally manned up and told her what everyone else already knew. The man had been in love with her for a decade.
My eyes drift inevitably to Abby across the yard, where she stands chatting with an older couple I don’t recognize.
Even from here, I can see the professional smile on her face, the attentive nod as she listens. But all I can think about is how that composed exterior broke apart in my arms yesterday. The soft sounds she made when my fingers found their target. The way she came undone, trembling and gasping my name.
I’ve relived that moment a hundred times since yesterday. And it’s taking all my self-control to maintain this distance when every cell in my body wants to cross the yard, pull her away from these guests, and finish what we started.
Tonight, I find myself cataloging every glance she throws my way, every subtle adjustment of her dress when our eyes meet across the room. She feels it too, this constant awareness. This hunger.
“Impressive setup,” Wyatt says, appearing at my side with two beers in hand. He offers me one, which I accept with a nod of thanks.
“Glad it all came together.” I take a sip. “Your brother looks happy.”
Wyatt watches Jace pull Lindsay in for a kiss after correctly guessing her childhood pet’s name. “Never thought I’d see the day. That boy was determined to break every heart in Wyoming.”
“People change.” My eyes drift toward where Abby stands with Melody and Savannah as they all laugh at something.
“That they do.” Wyatt follows my gaze before returning to watch his brother. “You know, having all my brothers settled has me thinking about legacy. Dad would be proud seeing the family grow like this.”
“He would.” I feel a pang of loss for the man who taught me so much. “He always said the ranch was built for generations.”
Wyatt nods thoughtfully. “Melody’s due in two months. First Clayton grandchild.” Pride radiates from him at the mention of his coming child. “Changes your perspective on everything. Suddenly, all those plans and improvements we’ve been talking about for the ranch mean something different. They’re not just for us anymore.”
I understand what he means. Working the land takes on new significance when you’re shaping it for future generations. It’s something I’ve thought about more since returning to Cooper Hills than during my entire time in Montana.
“Having kids makes you think differently about the future,” Wyatt continues. “About what matters.”
Before I can respond, Brody and Luke join us, each with a plate piled high with food.
“Man, I’m starving,” Luke says, already shoving a mini quiche into his mouth. “Setting up parties works up an appetite.”
“Everything holding up okay?” Brody asks me as he eyes the chandeliers. “No structural failures threatening to rain crystal on our guests?”
I roll my eyes. “The structures are sound. Engineering degree, remember?”
“Just checking.” He grins. “We can’t have catastrophes at the golden boy’s party.”
We all look over at Jace, who’s now standing with his arm around Lindsay as they greet an older couple who must be her parents. The resemblance between Lindsay and her mother is striking. They have the same auburn hair, the same warm smile.
“Still can’t believe Jace is settling down.” Luke shakes his head in mock disbelief. “Remember when he swore he’d be a bachelor forever? Said marriage was for ‘suckers who don’t know how good they’ve got it being free.’”
“And now look at him.” Brody chuckles. “Planning a nursery renovation before they’ve even said ‘I do.’”
The conversation shifts to ranch business—cattle prices, the new irrigation system I’ve proposed, plans for expanding the organic operation. Safe topics that don’t involve my romantic future. But their words linger in my mind as I scan the crowd again for Abby.
I spot her near the gift table with clipboard in hand as she directs two helpers on where to place Lindsay and Jace’s presents. Even in the midst of hosting duties, she maintains that cool competence that I find inexplicably sexy. The woman knows what she wants and how to make it happen.
Except when it comes to us. There, I sense her hesitation, her uncertainty about crossing lines with her brothers’ employee. A complication I’m determined to navigate.
As the afternoon progresses, I maintain my position on the periphery and step in when needed to adjust lighting or help with heavy lifting, but otherwise I stay professionally invisible. It’s a role I’ve perfected, though my eyes continually seek out Abby in the crowd.
The party begins to wind down as the afternoon stretches into early evening. Guests leave with gift bags and warm congratulations for the couple. I help direct parking as vehicles leave to ensure no one gets stuck in the field we’ve designated as overflow parking.
When I return to the barn area, the crowd has thinned considerably. Only family and close friends remain. Some help with cleanup while others linger over drinks.
Jace and Lindsay are sitting together on a hay bale, her head on his shoulder as they talk quietly. The intimacy of the moment strikes me. The way they’ve carved out this bubble of connection despite the activity around them.
That’s what I want. Not just physical desire, though lord knows I want Abby in every way a man can want a woman. But I also want that deeper connection, that sense of coming home to someone.
I spot her then, alone by the dessert table as she checks something off on her ever-present clipboard. This might be my only chance to speak with her privately all day.
“Successful event,” I say as I approach, keeping my voice casual for any listening ears. “Everything ran smoothly.”
Her smile is genuine but tired. “Thanks to your engineering skills. Not a single chandelier came crashing down on unsuspecting guests.”
“High praise, indeed.” I smile, enjoying the slight flush that colors her cheeks when our eyes meet. “I particularly enjoyed the couples game. Jace and Lindsay seem to know each other well.”
“Years of friendship before romance will do that,” she says and glances over at her brother and his fiancée. “They were best friends since high school. Everyone saw the attraction between them except them.”
“Sometimes what we’re looking for is right in front of us.” My meaning is clear in the way I hold her gaze.
She looks away first and tucks a loose curl behind her ear. “Sometimes we’re not looking at all.”
“And sometimes we find things we weren’t expecting to find,” I counter softly.
Images from yesterday flash through my mind. Her back against the storage room wall. My hands sliding up her thighs. Her head falling back as pleasure overtook her. It takes everything I have not to reach for her right now, in full view of everyone.
Her clipboard lowers slightly as she finally meets my eyes fully. “Hunter...”
I take a careful step closer but still maintain a respectable distance. “I had an idea I wanted to run by you.”
“Oh?” There’s wariness in her expression, but curiosity too.
“I’ve been working on some improvement plans for the eastern pastures,” I begin, my tone deliberately professional. “Sustainable grazing patterns, water conservation systems. Things that would benefit from a financial analyst’s perspective.”
Understanding dawns in her eyes. “And you’d like my input?”
“If you’re interested. I could show you what I’m thinking tomorrow evening. Say around seven thirty?”
She considers this, and I can practically see her mind working through the implications. “Where exactly would we be reviewing these plans?”
“My cabin. It’s on the edge of the property, near where the eastern pastures begin. I have all the surveys and proposals there.”
A slight smile plays at the corners of her mouth. “And we need to review these at your cabin rather than the ranch office because...?”
“Fewer interruptions. Better views of the land in question.”
Wyatt chooses that moment to walk by with a stack of empty platters. “What are you two conspiring about?”
“Hunter wants my financial perspective on his eastern pasture improvement plans,” Abby explains smoothly.
I hold my breath, uncertain how her oldest brother will react. To my surprise, Wyatt’s face lights up with approval.
“That’s a great idea. Abby’s got a good head for numbers. She could help you prioritize those projects. We’ve been wanting to develop that section for years.”
Part of me wonders if Wyatt knows exactly what he is doing. Is he genuinely oblivious to the electricity that crackles between his sister and me every time we are within ten feet of each other? Or is he playing matchmaker? Either way, I am not about to question this gift he has just handed me.
“So…” I turn my full attention back to Abby. My voice drops slightly, just for her ears. “What do you say? Would you be willing to give me your professional opinion?”
Her blue eyes lock with mine and search for something. I let her look, keeping my expression open but intense. I want her to see exactly what I’m offering. It’s far more than financial consultation.
“I’d be happy to help. Seven thirty is fine.”
“Perfect,” I say, unable to completely hide my satisfaction. “I’ll pick you up at the main house.”
For a moment, we just look at each other, the air between us charged with possibility.
Yesterday was impulsive, driven by years of suppressed attraction. Tomorrow will be a choice. Deliberate. And all the more powerful for it.
“I should help with the last of the cleanup,” she says, breaking the moment. “Make sure everything’s in order before we lock up.”
“Always responsible,” I comment, a hint of admiration in my voice.
“Someone has to be.” She straightens her clipboard. “I’ll see you tomorrow evening, Hunter.”
“Looking forward to it.”
She walks away, and I don’t bother hiding the fact that I’m watching her go. The sway of her hips, the confident set of her shoulders.
Tomorrow, I’ll have her in my space. Alone. With no brothers or party guests to interrupt us.
I finish my water and set the glass on a nearby table, a sense of anticipation building in my chest. I’ve wanted Abigail Clayton for longer than I care to admit. Yesterday in the storage room, I got a taste. Tomorrow at my cabin, I intend to feast.