27. Hunter
Hunter
H unter went home with Piper after their visit to Jed and pulled her aside just before they went into the house.
"I just wanted to tell you that I'm really proud of you," Hunter said. "I know it wasn't easy and I appreciate what you're doing for your family. It took a lot of courage and willpower to do what you just did in there."
"It really didn't, though,” Piper said. "It was just a matter of finally opening my eyes and realizing that everything you've been saying all along is true. Thanks for not giving up on me."
"I would never give up on you," Hunter said. “Are you going to tell the boys what happened today?”
"I'm not sure yet," Piper said. "I'll have a lot of time to think about how to say it before Jed gets out of prison, though.”
Hunter nodded and patted Piper on the back, then they went inside. The boys were upstairs - they’d given Andrew a trial run to see how he did as a babysitter, and Piper went up to check on them.
Meanwhile, Hunter went into the kitchen and pulled a few supplies out of the cupboards, packing everything into an old backpack. The strap was a little frayed and it was no longer up to the task of carrying heavy textbooks, but it would do just fine for Hunter’s purpose.
She slung the bag over her shoulder and headed back through the house, calling up the stairs to let them know she was leaving. Piper called back, “Have fun!”
Hunter was smiling by the time she stepped back outside. Now that Piper had Jed in her rearview mirror, Hunter felt like a dark cloud had been lifted from over the house and there was nothing holding any of them back.
The woods were snowy when Hunter and Kiera arrived, a thin blanket of white coating the forest floor. Hunter had the backpack slung over one shoulder and her hand slipped into Kiera’s.
"So you've never gone for a winter hike?” she asked as they ventured deeper into the woods from the edge of Abby’s property. “And you’ve never even had a picnic in the woods?”
"No," Kiera said. “My cousins and I played all over the rest of the property, but my mom was always really strict about not going into the woods. She was convinced that there were wolves in the forest.”
"I would've never left if I had woods like these to play in as a kid," Hunter said as they slowly picked their way through the dense forest. “It's magical out here."
They hiked for almost half an hour, enjoying the sights and sounds of nature all around them. They paused to watch for a few minutes as a family of deer grazed in a clearing, and Hunter wrapped her arms around Kiera's waist. Today marked their five-month anniversary and she wanted it to be perfect.
She kissed the side of Kiera’s neck and once they had their fill, the deer bounded back into the woods.
“Should we stop here for a little while?” Hunter asked.
The sun was streaming down into the clearing and the snow was melted there. For a late December day, it wasn’t exactly picnic weather, but Hunter had brought supplies to keep them warm.
“Sure,” Kiera said.
Hunter led her over to a large boulder on the edge of the clearing and set down her pack.
She pulled out a couple of throw blankets, wrapping one tightly around Kiera’s shoulders before pulling the second one around herself.
Then she retrieved a thermos full of hot water, a couple of mugs, and two packets of instant hot chocolate mix from the backpack.
“It’s not the most traditional picnic,” Hunter said apologetically as she handed Kiera a mug. “But I figured with the snow, we’d want something warm.”
“Hot chocolate is perfect,” Kiera said, emptying the contents of the packets into their mugs.
Hunter poured the water and then produced a couple of candy canes, left over from Josh and Andrew’s Christmas tree, to use as stir sticks.
Then she sat down on the boulder, pulling Kiera to her and wrapping her in another layer of blanket.
They sipped their cocoa quietly for a little while, enjoying the forest around them.
Birds chirped, chipmunks explored the forest floor, and not a single human noise could be heard – no cars and no activity besides the two of them.
Hunter kissed Kiera, tasting the chocolate on her tender lips, then let out a contented sigh and said, “We’ll have to do this again in the spring, with a full-blown picnic. Wine, cheese and crackers, little bunches of grapes that I can hand-feed you…”
Kiera laughed and bit into her candy cane, then said, “I love you, Hunter Roth.”
“I love you, too, Kiera Murphy,” Hunter said, smiling broadly.
She’d never known what that felt like before she met Kiera, and she already couldn’t imagine a life without her.
They sipped their cocoa until the cold snuck in under their blankets, then Hunter packed everything away again and they headed back toward the house. As they walked, she asked, "Do you think Abby is having fun at her bridge game?"
“Probably,” Kiera said. “She loves to complain about Denise, but I think they’re secret best friends."
"I wouldn't go that far," Hunter said with a laugh. Then she asked, “Do you think she’ll be gone a while longer?”
Kiera raised an eyebrow and looked at Hunter, seeing right into her thoughts, and then she started running, looking back to make sure that Hunter was chasing her back to the empty house.