29. Hunter
Hunter
Iwas finally discharged from the hospital with detailed wound care instructions, an appointment for ortho, and reminders to keep my burns clean and dry.
The good news? My break didn’t require surgery. The bad? I’m stuck in a cast for six weeks.
It’s been three weeks since the accident at the warehouse. Three weeks of pure torture not being able to do much of anything except rest. Even Thanksgiving, normally a big deal, came and went quietly this year, Sutton insisting I stay planted on the couch while everyone cooked.
Chief’s got me on light duty until January, so I’m allowed to do almost nothing, which means I’m chained to a desk like some kind of intern, typing reports one-handed, reviewing case files, and pretending not to notice the way everyone hovers too long when they pass my office.
I know they mean well. Doesn’t make it any less irritating.
The only good thing about recovery is Sutton.
Most days, she brings me lunch. Not because I need it but because she wants to check on me.
She’ll deny it if I say it out loud. But the way she watches me, fusses over my bandages, adjusts pillows, and even helps with wound care?
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love every second of it.
Today, though, it’s not Sutton who steps into my office.
It’s Navy.
She leans against the doorframe with a to-go cup and takeout in hand, eyebrows raised. “You look like a sad golden retriever forced into a kennel.”
“Hello to you too.”
“Sutton sent me with your lunch.” She places the food on my desk and stares at me like she can see right through my cast and my fatigue. “You doing okay?”
I groan. “I’ll be happy when everyone stops asking me that.”
She laughs. “Fat chance. You’re the wounded hero. People are gonna hover.” She plops down into a chair, leaning forward in that way that guarantees she won’t leave until I truly answer.
“I’m as okay as a guy stuck doing paperwork can be.”
She hums, unconvinced. “Sutton said you’d say something like that.”
Of course she did. “Tell my wonderful girlfriend I’m fine.” I sip the coffee Navy brought me, sweetened to perfection with gingerbread syrup. It’s like Christmas in a cup, and I’m man enough to admit it improves my mood by at least 10 percent.
My phone buzzes on my desk.
Chris: It’s about to go down. Will text when it’s over.
I run my hand across my jaw, releasing a breath.
Shortly after the fire, traffic-cam footage showed the drug crew fleeing east toward Eagle Falls. When Jack and Bill Daley caught wind of the fire, they became a lot more forthcoming with the information they had. Jack even confessed to using a burner cell to text me that night.
With their help, we figured out where the crew had gone—an abandoned rail yard near the old highway outside Eagle Falls. Chris and I have been in frequent contact with Logan and his SWAT team to make sure these guys can’t get away again.
The shitty thing is I can’t even be there today for the raid itself because of my damn arm.
Navy nods toward my phone. “Was that some kind of secret police message?”
“No,” I laugh, “it’s not a secret police message.” I lean back in my chair, rubbing the bridge of my nose. “Where’s Sutton today?”
“Deep cleaning your place for the open house.”
“I keep forgetting about that.” I blow out a breath. “I told her we could hire professional cleaners.”
“That’s Sutton for you.” Navy’s jaw tightens as she stands. She leans against the doorframe, shifting her weight, then crossing her arms.
“I feel like you didn’t just come here to bring me lunch.”
Navy studies me for a long time. When she speaks, her voice is quieter. “I just want to make sure you understand what you’re signing up for.”
I frown. “What exactly does that mean?”
Navy doesn’t flinch. “Sutton’s been through more than most people know how to carry. Losing her dad. Her relationship. The baby. Everything that came after.” She pauses. “And she’s never really dealt with it.”
I sit up straighter.
“She’s learning,” Navy says. “She’s trying. But healing like that doesn’t happen overnight. And I can’t help worrying that your accident might have . . .”
Her eyes meet mine.
“If you’re in this with her,” Navy says, “and I know you are—just make sure you go in with your eyes open. You’ve always been her anchor when things spiral. But she’s got to learn how to weather storms without burying the hard stuff.”
I nod slowly. Navy is right. Since the accident, Sutton has become hypervigilant with everything and everyone. With all my doctor appointments and my own work, we haven’t really talked about the accident and how it affected me or her.
Like so many other things, they’re left unsaid in the space between us.
“I know,” I say.
Navy studies my face like she’s searching for cracks.
Whatever she sees seems to satisfy her, because her shoulders drop a fraction.
“Good,” she says. “Because this Sutton? The one we’ve seen lately?
That’s the real Sutton, and I’d hate for her to disappear again.
Plus, she kinda loves you a lot, and it would suck if you broke up, because I’d already planned on baking y’all’s wedding cake someday. ”
My chest tightens at the quiet certainty of her voice. Is Navy coming around to me? “You’re a good friend, Navy.”
“Psh, tell me something I don’t already know.” Without missing a beat, she lifts a hand over her shoulder and gives me a curt wave as she disappears into the hall.
My laptop dings, followed by a second buzz from my phone.
Chris: These guys are intense.
Me: I’m sure. They’re 3 times the size of SVPD.
Another ding—this time from Chief.
Chief: My office.
When I step inside Chief’s office, he’s got the scanners up and bodycam footage streaming from the raid in Eagle Falls. I drag a chair over and study the live feed with him.
“This is your case,” Chief says. “Sit down and finish it.”
I lean closer to the monitor. The bodycam footage bounces as the SWAT teams breach the door.
On the screen, a tangle of metal pipes runs along the ceiling inside the doorway. “Those vent lines.” I point with my good hand. “Same setup we saw at the lumber mill. That lab’s going to be bigger than it looks from the outside.”
I key the radio. “Eagle Falls, be advised of possible secondary lab space past the entry. Watch your left wall.”
The SWAT team breaches the door with quick efficiency. I lean forward despite the ache in my arm, my heart thudding as the team clears the first room.
When they enter the secondary area, the officers freeze mid-step. There is enough equipment and chemicals to pump meth across the entire state.
Men wearing breathing masks look up at the intrusion and put their hands in the air. The team moves in and apprehends the suspects in a matter of seconds. I swallow past the lump in my throat.
“Thank God. At least this step of the case went the way we wanted it to,” Chief says. “You sad you missed out, Detective?”
“Maybe a little,” I admit. “We all like to be the hero occasionally, right?”
“Nah, my hero days are behind me.” He gathers up a stack of papers, eyes still on the screen. “All I want to do is ensure my officers are home safe each night and our city is taken care of.”
“Exactly,” I say. “It’s why they call it a police force. Takes a whole team.”
Chief’s mouth quirks into a rare smile. “I knew I promoted the right guy to detective. You’ll be ready to take my job in no time at all.” He pushes from his desk and steps into the hallway, leaving me staring after him.
I’m stunned. I’ve been a good officer, a decent detective, but hearing that Chief thinks I can fill his shoes one day? My chest swells with pride.
Back at my desk, I text a quick Good work to Chris and shut the computers and scanners down. My wrist aches from doing too much typing one-handed, and I’m ready to go home.
Sutton meets me at the door before I even have a chance to set down my keys. Her hair’s pulled up, her sweater’s wrinkled from work, and her eyes scan over every inch of me, checking for something out of place. “Everything okay?”
This instinct we have to know what the other is thinking or feeling is one of the things I love most about us.
How even when we try to hide our feelings, the other person still catches them in our eyes or a breath or a gesture.
But ever since the accident, Sutton’s become even more aware.
She watches me differently now. Like if she blinks, something terrible might happen to me.
And I get it. With everything she’s lost, it’s her way of coping and dealing with her past fears. Still, a part of me longs for the day she’ll look at me and not subtly brace for impact.
“Yeah,” I say, stepping into her warmth.
“And? How did it go? Please tell me you got ’em.”
“We got them.” I drop my keys and wallet into the basket.
She’s still studying my profile, brows pinched. “Then why do you seem disappointed?”
I turn and rest my hands on her arms. “I’m not disappointed.
Today I got to see what it’s like as a detective when you actually get the bad guy.
That doesn’t happen often. I also wish that I could have been there in person, you know?
I guess I’m feeling sorry for myself and sick of being on desk duty. ”
“Well,” she scoffs, rolling her eyes, “it could be worse than desk duty. You could have died.”
“Sutton.” I release a slow breath. “I was never in danger of dying.”
“What if the beam—”
“No what-ifs.” My tone is firmer than I intend. “Some bad men started a fire. Some good men put it out. I went looking for answers and got hurt. That’s all.” I lean forward and press a kiss to her lips. “Please, babe, you don’t need to worry this much.”
Her shoulders drop. She kisses me quickly and takes my casted arm gently. “You hungry?”
“For you? Always.”
She laughs under her breath and leads me to the couch, where she’s already set up blankets and pillows. I ease down. She fusses with the pillows behind me until I’m comfortable.
“I can sit by myself, you know,” I tease.
“Yeah, yeah,” she says, adjusting one more pillow. “You’re fragile.”
“I am not—”
The door opens before I can finish.
Luke’s voice carries first. “Where’s the invalid?”
Greer smacks him in the arm as they enter the living room. “Don’t listen to him, Hunter.”
Navy strides in last, holding a six-pack. “I brought beer. Sutton said you can only have one, but I’m not your mom, so have however many you want.”
“I’m not his mom either.” Sutton crosses her arms. “But you’re not supposed to drink while taking pain medicine.”
“I’m not taking pain meds anymore, remember?”
Navy widens her eyes in my direction. Our conversation from lunch replays in my mind as I watch Sutton flit around the kitchen, getting drinks for everyone, smiling and laughing when minutes ago, she was spiraling into what-if territory.
Navy hands me a bottle and sits on the coffee table, studying my cast, my face. “Saw Chris at the store,” she says. “He said you got the drug guys?”
“Yeah. Logan and his team wrapped it up clean.”
She nods once, slow. “Good.” A beat passes. “And for the record? You did good too.”
Luke grins. “Well, damn. You got the Navy stamp of approval.”
She flips him off. “Shut up, Luke.”
We spend the next hour eating dinner and catching up on life. Afterward, they clean up while I stand around because no one will let me do anything.
Eventually, we settle onto the couch, and I cue up a movie.
As soon as the music begins, Sutton sits straight up. “Is this what I think it is?” Excitement sparkles in her eyes.
“Since I screwed up the Holiday Whoolabalooey party—”
Navy glares at me. “Holiday Cheermeister, you loser.”
“My bad.” I lift my hands in surrender. “Since I ruined the Holiday Cheermeister party, I figured I could try to make up for it a little now.”
Sutton leans over the couch and kisses my cheek.
“Why do you two have to be so perfect?” Navy groans. “I’ve been on, like, twenty-five dates and still haven’t met a man who even comes anywhere close to being as thoughtful as you two.” She gestures to Luke and me.
“We do set a high bar,” Luke says.
Greer wraps her arm around Luke’s. “You sure do.”
“Yeah, well,” Navy says, “I’m giving up on the whole dating thing for a while.”
“Your guy’s out there,” I tell Navy. “Sometimes it just takes longer than you expect.”
Navy gives me a knowing look—like she knows I’m not just talking about her.
“Who knows,” I add, “maybe you’ve already met him, and you didn’t even know it.”
Greer curls into Luke’s side. Navy steals Sutton’s blankets, and Sutton snaps at her to get her own. The atmosphere is loud, chaotic, and somehow perfect.
Sutton drops down beside me, her thigh brushing mine, her hand settling on my knee. She leans into my shoulder like it’s the most natural thing in the world.
Something tight in my chest eases. For weeks, I’ve wondered if I’m enough for her, enough to hold steady when the world tilts under her feet.
Tonight, sitting here with her curled against me, I think maybe I already have my answer.
I wrap my arm around her and press a kiss into her hair.
Whatever storms are coming, I’m not going anywhere.