Hunter
Chapter Twenty-Two
Hunter
T he crystal glasses clinked as my restless hands adjusted them for the third time. The afternoon sun caught the facets and scattered rainbows across my temporary Evergreen apartment walls. Pine Haven rose against the mountain sky through large windows—the view that had instantly sold me on this small but cozy rental.
Mom’s fingers fluttered over the table settings like nervous birds. “The flowers need—“
“They’re perfect.” Taylor caught Mom’s hands mid-reach toward the mountain wildflower arrangement. “Stop nervous-cleaning. Amelia already loves you.”
“We haven’t had a proper conversation.” Mom’s fingers twisted the tablecloth’s edge, creating tiny peaks and valleys. “Everything’s been so chaotic with the resort and—“
“And tonight’s about family.” I captured her restless hands and breathed the perfume that had scented my childhood. Her fingers trembled slightly against mine.
The doorbell chime startled a collective jump from us. Van’s low chuckle carried from the couch, where he bounced Chad, who remained blissfully unaware of our nerves.
My heart stuttered at the sight of Amelia on the doorstep. The blue dress I loved shifted like water as she moved, her mother’s bracelet catching the evening light. The wine bottle in her grip wobbled slightly, betraying her anxiety.
The familiar vanilla scent reached me before her voice did. “Hi.” Her fingers twisted the wine bottle stem, a gesture I’d learned meant she was fighting not to reach for me first.
I couldn’t resist closing the distance, tasting mint lip balm in a quick kiss. Wine bottle and audience forgotten.
“There she is!” Mom’s voice wavered with years of longing as she stepped forward. “Come in, sweetheart. I hope you like Italian. Hunter mentioned it was your favorite.”
“Love it.” Amelia melted into Mom’s embrace, and I had to swallow hard against the years of missing this. Her eyes met mine over Mom’s shoulder, bright with understanding.
“Katherine, please. Or Mom, if you’re comfortable with that.” Mom’s wink set my ears burning as she pulled back.
“Subtle, Mother.” Taylor’s voice carried from where she helped Van settle Chad, whose happy gurgle lightened the surrounding air.
Mom’s lasagna recipe filled the apartment with garlic and herbs, the scents wrapping around us like a warm embrace as the evening flowed. Her wine glass clinked gently as she shared stories that had us laughing while Amelia’s hands painted pictures in the air as she described Pine Haven’s environmental programs. My chest tightened, watching them connect over shared memories of the valley.
“You should have seen Hunter at his first baseball game.” Mom’s wine sloshed slightly as she gestured, eyes soft with memory. “So serious, like the world’s weight sat on his tiny shoulders. Richard—his father—kept telling him to relax, but Hunter was determined to get every motion perfect.”
My collar felt suddenly tight. “Mom...”
“I’ve seen that look recently.” Amelia’s foot found mine under the table, her touch grounding. “Usually during construction meetings.”
“Speaking of construction.” Taylor adjusted Chad’s sleeping weight. “How’s the social media campaign going? Claire’s been working miracles.”
Something warmed Amelia’s voice. “She has. Michael’s been helping her a lot. He has quite an eye for photography.”
Taylor and Van’s knowing glance bounced across the candlelight.
We’d all noticed Michael and Claire’s heads bent together over marketing plans lately, their laughter needing no translation.
“They make a good team.” I watched Amelia’s reaction in the soft light.
Candlelight caught gold flecks in her eyes as she smiled. “They do. It’s nice seeing Michael smile again.”
Mom’s fingers squeezed Amelia’s across the table. “Healing takes time. But having the right person beside you... it makes all the difference.” Her pointed look sent heat crawling up my neck as the ring box pressed against my leg.
Later, voices carried soft as mountain breeze from the balcony where Mom and Amelia stood silhouetted against a sunset. Pine Haven’s peaks painted themselves rose and gold.
“Your father would have adored her.” Mom’s voice caught as I approached. “She has Margaret’s spirit.”
“And her kind of magic.” I drew Amelia close, breathing in vanilla and home.
“Someone should check on that grandson of mine.” Mom’s touch lingered on my arm as she slipped inside, leaving warmth and understanding in her wake.
The night wrapped around us while Pine Haven’s lights sparkled below like earthbound stars. Through glass doors, Taylor and Van gathered their drowsy son as Mom’s laughter mixed with theirs. My heart swelled at the sight—family, home, everything I never knew I needed, right here in my arms.
***
Morning streamed gold through Pine Haven’s restored windows as I pretended to review renovation details, though my mind kept circling tonight’s plans. Through the lobby glass, Claire directed a photoshoot with efficient grace while Michael hovered near the lighting equipment, his usual legal brief focus now trained on her every movement.
“They’ve been at it for hours.” Taylor appeared with coffee that carried Marie’s signature notes of cinnamon. “The lighting’s perfect. He just can’t bear to move away.”
“Think Amelia’s noticed?”
“Please.” Her eyes rolled, but affection softened her voice. “She’s been playing matchmaker since catching them sharing lunch in their mom’s old office.”
“Speaking of joy.” Taylor’s voice dropped to our childhood secret-sharing whisper. “That ring’s still burning a hole in your pocket, isn’t it?”
My fingers betrayed me, automatically touching the box that had become a constant companion. “That obvious?”
“Hunter, you’ve been patting that pocket like a lucky charm for weeks. Van’s about to lose the betting pool.”
“There’s a pool?”
“Focus.” Her swat landed gently against my arm as emotion brightened her eyes. “When are you finally going to ask her? Or are you planning to keep that ring warm for another month?”
Amelia’s entrance lit the lobby like a sunrise. “The Historical Society approved everything! The conservation plans, the educational center designs—“ She paused, reading our faces. “What?”
“Nothing.” Taylor’s innocence wouldn’t have fooled anyone. “Just watching Claire and Michael work.”
Understanding curved Amelia’s lips as Claire’s fingers lingered on Michael’s arm, his entire expression softening at her touch.
“They’re good together, aren’t they? She brings out his softer side.”
“Like someone I know,” Taylor muttered, earning my glare.
The ring seemed to pulse against my leg as I watched Amelia practically glow with her success. This was the moment I’d been waiting for.
“The contractors need signatures.” Plans crystallized as I spoke. “Walk with me?”
Taylor’s slight nod promised everything would be ready when we returned. Her phone appeared before we’d taken three steps.
Amelia’s fingers wove naturally through mine as we headed toward the construction site. The old ski patrol cabin’s transformation stretched before us—windows reaching for valley views, spaces designed for learning and community.
“It’s happening.” Her breath caught as she took in the progress.
“Having second thoughts?”
“Never.” Her grip tightened. “You know what Mom wrote in one of her letters? ‘Dreams grow better when shared.’”
The ring warmed against my leg like a promise. This was right. This was the time.
“I need to handle some paperwork.” My heart thundered as pieces fell into place. “Meet me on the deck at sunset?”
Her smile outshone the morning light. “It’s a date.”
Hours blurred in quiet preparation. Taylor coordinated with Mom while Van organized the community. Claire read my intentions instantly, pulling Michael into photo arrangements that seemed to require constant touches.
Evening gilded Pine Haven’s peaks as I led Amelia toward our deck. Mom’s flowers perfumed the mountain air with sweetness. Tiny lights twinkled overhead—Claire’s touch, though Michael’s height had proved useful.
“Another surprise dinner?” Something in her voice suggested she felt the weight of this moment.
“Something like that.”
The ring box burned against my palm as we stepped onto the deck. Instead of table settings, photographs hung from delicate strings between lights. Our story is caught in images—past and present, each one catching the sunset’s last rays like captured memories.
“Hunter...” Her fingers flew to her lips.
“Look.” I guided her to the first image: teenage Amelia and Taylor at their science fair. The ring’s weight reminded me this was right. This was us.
“You found more?”
“Your dad helped.” The next showed Pine Haven’s early days, our mothers standing proud. “They were all protecting something bigger than themselves.”
“Like we are now.” Her hand found mine as naturally as breathing.
“Exactly.” Another photo: community vigil lights pushing back darkness. “But we’re not just protecting the past.”
Future plans followed: education center drawings, conservation area maps, and children playing baseball on restored ground. Each image is a promise.
“We’re building something new.” My voice softened. “Honoring their legacy while creating our own.”
Tears caught sunset light as we reached the last photo—us laughing during renovation planning, love obvious even in stillness.
“Claire took that,” she whispered. “I never saw...”
“One more thing.” I turned her toward the valley, the ring box warm and ready. “Look.”
Below, hundreds of tiny lights flickered to life—our families and friends, the community we’d built together, holding candles just like that first night. The mountain air carried the scent of pine and possibility.
“How did you—“
Above us, the northern lights began their dance, ribbons of green and purple sweeping across the mountain sky as if nature itself blessed the moment. The colors rippled and flowed, casting an ethereal glow over the gathered community below.
I dropped to one knee, finally pulling out the ring that had been my constant companion these past weeks. Through my pounding heart, I could see Mom and Taylor holding each other, their faces illuminated by both candlelight and aurora. Van filming, while Chad slept against his chest. Even Michael and Claire stood close, hands clasped, the northern lights painting everything in magical hues.
“Amelia Horton,” my voice shook with emotion, the ring finally where it belonged - no longer in my pocket but held out to her, catching both starlight and the shimmering colors above. “You make every day an adventure. Every challenge worth facing. Every dream bigger and brighter because you’re part of it.”
As I continued, tears catching the ethereal light, her hands flew to her mouth.
“I love your strength, passion, and the way you fight for what matters. I love how you take care of everyone around you. You never give up and make me want to be better.”
The ring that had waited patiently all these weeks sparkled with reflected auroras as I held it up.
“Marry me? Be my partner in everything—Pine Haven, life, all of it?”
“Yes,” she breathed, pulling me up. “Yes, a thousand times, yes.”
The kiss we shared tasted of happy tears and promise as cheers erupted below. When we broke apart, her smile outshone every light around us, both earthly and celestial.
“I love you,” she whispered against my lips.
“I love you too.”
The northern lights continued their celebration above as our families surrounded us, the colors dancing across faces bright with joy. I watched Mom wipe tears while Michael hugged his sister. Claire’s camera kept finding its way back to him between official shots. Taylor and Van passed champagne as Chad slept peacefully in Arthur’s arms.
“Well?” Amelia’s ring caught candlelight as she curled against me. “Was it worth the wait?”
Looking at our merged families, at Pine Haven glowing with new life, and at the bright future under the painted sky, I smiled.
“Every second.”
Through joyful chaos, I noticed Michael’s fingers lingering as he offered Claire champagne. Her blush deepened even in the dim light.
Some stories were just beginning.