Chapter Seven
H annah sighed and smiled at Collin in the rearview mirror. He was gazing out the window intently, a streak of chocolate on his cheek. After the game, their party of three had turned into eleven. The man who sponsored the team had even joined them. She had no idea that he had once been on a SEAL team with Brynn’s fiancé. They’d gotten a big outdoor table at the local burger joint, and after an hour of talking and laughing over cheese fries, burgers, and shakes, they had finally called it a night.
Each time she glanced up, her stomach bottomed out when she discovered Hunter’s intense gaze pinned on her. She couldn’t keep her mind from wandering back to what he’d said about exploring all of her freckles. He’d insisted on following them home to make sure they got there safe, which made her stomach tumble. It had been a long time since anyone cared if they got to their destination or not. Now, she had a group of friends who constantly texted, and even if she didn’t always respond to the group, the comments made her smile. She not only had female friends for what seemed like the first time in forever, but Hunter, who gave her full-body shivers from a mere look. She was in trouble.
“How do you feel about Hunter coming with us to Texas?” she asked her son.
A grin spread across his face. “Happy.”
She was getting used to the idea. No matter how obnoxious her family was, Hunter wouldn’t judge her for it. She took a left onto their street of small, suburban ranch homes and into the driveway. Hunter’s truck pulled in beside her and parked. Although it was nearing nine o’clock at night, the sky was still bright. Collin whipped off his seat belt and swung open the car door. She slid out of the driver’s side in enough time to watch Collin give Hunter a bear hug. His gaze met hers over Collin’s shoulder and he smiled. Watching them together made something unfurl inside her chest. Something she was incredibly frightened of, yet desperately wanted to nurture.
Her cell phone vibrated yet again in her fanny pack. Her mother had called her five times since their initial conversation today. She unzipped her pack and stared at the screen.
He ruffled Collin’s hair and moved toward her. “Your mom again?” The way he stalked across the pavement, eyes hard, was another reminder of his protective nature. Why would you ever dream you’d need protection from your own blood? She wasn’t sure what it was about those words that unsettled her.
The phone continued to vibrate in her hand as a knot grew in her stomach. “My sister now.”
“The bride?” One dark brow was raised.
“No. Regina. She’s the oldest.” She moved her ear to her shoulder, trying to work out the kink her in neck. “The most like my mother.” Her whole body was reacting to the stress of the impending event.
“Why don’t you get it in case there’s an emergency, and I’ll get Collin settled. Would that be all right with you, bud?” Hunter turned those massive shoulders to look behind him.
“First a shower, then brush teeth, book, and bed,” Collin responded as he paced the length of the driveway.
“You have other things you need to be doing. Like healing.” Only recently did she begin to have an extra hand with Collin. There were times when he would play at Jacob’s or go to Fred’s, Sam’s elderly neighbor. It still wasn’t easy to accept help, though. “We’re fine.”
“This is the only thing I want to be doing.” The soft light of a summer’s evening was casting a warm glow over his features. The newly healed scars on his face only added to his rough good looks. A reminder of what he’d been through and sacrificed. “Lean on me, Han. I’m not going to buckle under the pressure of your family.”
“It hasn’t even started yet.” She shook her head. “You have no clue what you’re getting into.”
“Again, I can shoulder it. For all three of us.” The determination in his eyes and the hard set of his jaw told her he could more than just shoulder it. But the thing was, she didn’t want him to have to. She’d long since grieved for the close, nurturing family she wished she had. One that would delight in meeting the man she was interested in. Maybe invite him over to Sunday dinner and make him feel at home.
Her phone vibrated again. Another call. Hunter’s eyes were trained on her, waiting for her answer. Those broad shoulders and thick, muscled arms could hold just about anything. She released a pent-up breath. “He’s independent with showering and brushing his teeth.”
“Brave.” Approval shone in his eyes. She really, really didn’t want to be affected by it, but she couldn’t stop the swell of pride at his praise.
She took the keys out of her fanny pack and unlocked the front door. They all stepped inside and removed their shoes. She turned to Collin. When had she started having to look up at her son or stand on her tippy toes to kiss him on the forehead? “Night, sweetie. Great game. You should be proud of yourself.” She leaned in and gave Collin a hug. “I love you,” she said. He was growing so big, so fast. It seemed like yesterday he was toddling around the house. Now, he was taller than her. “I’ll be on the porch. Let me know if you need anything.”
“Love you, Mom.” He took off toward his room, talking a mile a minute to Hunter.
Her phone lit with another missed call. Not able to hold off on the inevitable any longer, she toed off her shoes and walked to the glass slider. Crickets chirped as she stepped out on the deck she’d built with the help of a YouTube tutorial one spring. It had held up over the years. She dialed back Regina’s number, silently willing the call to go to voice mail.
“I’m surprised you called back the way you’ve been avoiding your family all day.”
Ugh. No such luck.
“I already spoke with Mom this morning. I’m assuming she has you calling to relay the same message.”
“You listen closely, Hannah. For once in your dull, selfish existence, just act like a member of the Day family. Mother’s beside herself at your obstinance. Vivienne is talking a bunch of nonsense since your telephone call with her. Father is—”
“What kind of nonsense?” Hannah had only been half paying attention to Regina until she mentioned Vivienne. Maybe she’d actually gotten through to her the other night.
“The kind of nonsense only you would pollute her with. About pushing back her marriage to Scott. Making her own path. Living on her own outside of the estate.”
Her shoulders sagged with relief. Vivienne was finally fighting back. Her voice the other night had reminded her of a caged bird. So trapped. “So the wedding’s postponed?”
“Absolutely not. Imagine how that would look for our family, never mind Scott’s? I can see the headlines now, Day daughter gets cold feet, cancels multimillion-dollar affair to congressional candidate’s CEO son.”
“You’re assuming that people actually care what our family is doing.” Her muscles began to tighten again. “Vivi can’t be forced into a life she doesn’t want.”
“Scott will afford Vivienne the lifestyle she’s accustomed to. Father’s business will be strengthened by Scott’s. Not to mention my Jonathan’s reelection for mayor is approaching. It’s a very practical union.”
She ground her teeth and forced herself to take a breath. “Practical for everyone, except maybe the bride. Your sister , Regina.” Her hands were trembling with anger.
The click of heels was audible over the line. Regina must be pacing, looking out the panoramic windows of her own palatial estate. “If you want to blame anyone for Vivienne’s narrow world, look in the mirror. Every single one of us has been picking up the pieces—scandal, rumors—since you left. I don’t blame Mother and Father for keeping her sheltered.”
“Why are you really calling?” She leaned on the railing of the deck, and lowered her head.
“To prepare you for the consequences if you do anything to ruin this wedding.”
“How distasteful,” she said, slipping into Regina’s polished tone. “I can see the headlines now. Mayor’s wife investigated for threatening sister.”
Her sister made a strangled cry. “I don’t even know why they want you here! Collin is bound to do something unpredictable or strange during one of the events. And you. You dragged our family through the dirt. An unwed pregnancy. The baby’s father a caddie at the country club.”
“Strange? Who gets to decide what’s strange and what’s not? Collin is perfect. There is not one thing he should ever change. You on the other hand don’t possess an ounce of the goodness my son has. As for our parents, they want to keep up the fa?ade of being supportive, even if it means demanding the black sheep of the family comes to Texas every so often to pose for a photo or two. And don’t think I missed how Father mentions his autistic grandson to the press, to his business partners, like it will make people perceive his company as being inclusive and welcoming to people who are neurodivergent. I would’ve cut ties long ago if it weren’t for Collin. If it weren’t for fear of something happening to me and Collin having no family to support him.”
“Mother and Father have given us everything.” Regina’s voice dripped with so much hate, it chilled something in her blood.
“Monetarily, maybe. Nothing more.”
“It is not their fault you never appreciated the private schools, traveling all over the world on a whim, being a member of the country club. Anything we wanted, and it was never enough.” Her sister’s breath was coming fast, muffling the line. “You’ve never been good enough for this family, Hannah. You are dead to me. Keep your opinions to yourself around Vivienne, or I swear, I’ll ruin you.”
The line went dead and Hannah stood stiffly, locked in place. After a few cleansing breaths she lifted the phone again and dialed Vivienne’s number. The call went straight to voice mail. She tried again. Nothing. The daylight had dimmed, casting shadows around her backyard. She was surely getting eaten alive by mosquitos but she couldn’t seem to make her feet move from their current spot. How had she missed Regina’s hate all these years? Of course, they’d never been friends. Had never been anything, really. Still, the pent-up fury in her sister’s tone made her wonder how long she’d been harboring those kinds of ill feelings toward her.
She gasped when heavy hands landed on her shoulders.
“Easy,” Hunter said gently from behind her. His palms warmed her skin and made her pulse kick up. Moments ago all she could process was anger. At her sister for blaming and threatening her. For wanting to essentially hold Vivi hostage. Now, Hunter’s presence consumed her. What an odd sensation—comfort and this white-hot longing to have those hands other places on her body.
“I didn’t hear you come out.” Her skin tingled and sparked as his fingers lightly brushed back and forth over her skin. Everything that had been on the tip of her tongue evaporated. Each time he took a breath, his chest rose against her back. She couldn’t even form a coherent thought when he was this close, his fresh, masculine scent clouding her brain. A soft chuff escaped his lips, and his warm breath tickled the nape of her neck. A current was winding through her lower belly and pulsing at the apex of her thighs.
She turned to face him. The banister pressed into her back, and his hands immediately dropped to grip the rail on either side of her. She liked being caged in by him. Knew he would never intentionally hurt her. She wasn’t sure what to do with her hands. Laying her hands on his chest seemed like a good idea. It wasn’t the hard planes of muscle beneath her fingers that ratcheted up her desire, but the way he sucked in a gulp of air the second she touched him. His heart was thundering against her palms, and she glanced up to his face. His eyes had darkened and the expression rising in their depths slammed into her chest, stealing her breath. He looked down at her lips, then back. Oh God, he was going to kiss her. She wanted him to kiss her. He leaned in, then froze. Instead of his mouth crashing against hers like she craved, he dropped his forehead to hers.
“Are you okay?” His voice was strained.
A light breeze wrapped around them. Crickets chirped in the distance, a bullfrog croaked, but nothing was louder than the thrum of her heart and the blood roaring through her veins.
Better if you freaking kissed me. She blew out a long breath. Kissing Hunter was the very last thing she should be thinking about after that phone call; still it took her a moment to regain her equilibrium. “Regina hinted that Vivienne was having second thoughts and I was to blame for putting ideas in her head. When Vivienne told me about her engagement, she didn’t sound like she was floating on a cloud of happiness. I mean, that’s how you’re supposed to feel when you’re in love, right? The whole thing sounded more like a business contract. An arrangement.” Her parents’ estate was heavily secured. Vivienne was safe there, so why did she feel this trickle of dread building in her chest?
His lips pressed flat. “Have you talked to her since?”
“I just tried to call her, but it went right to voice mail. Twice.” She brushed at her arm, shooing away another mosquito that landed on her skin.
“Let’s get you inside. Bugs are out in full force. So, that typical for her?” he asked, placing his hand on the small of her back and leading her inside.
“No, but maybe she doesn’t want to talk to me,” she said, dragging her fingers through her hair. “Or Regina forbade her to.”
“And she’d listen?” Hunter closed the sliding glass door behind them and locked it.
“Regina can be very convincing,” She looked at him over her shoulder as she walked to the couch. “Especially when something works in her favor.”
“And what benefit does Vivienne’s marriage give her?” His brows drew together.
“The prestige of an elaborate wedding. Social media attention,” she got out before Hunter scooped her up and settled them on the couch. Being on his lap wasn’t exactly conducive to a conversation, especially when his arms were banded around her waist. “And not of the runaway bride variety. Her husband is up for reelection as mayor. She thinks the wedding will cast him back in the spotlight and give him ties to some pretty powerful businessmen.”
Hunter shook his head. “Sure you weren’t adopted?”
“Wish I was. I just can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong between Regina’s threats and my mother’s words this morning—”
“She threatened you?” Hunter’s body went taut beneath her. “What words?” His voice was ice and steel. Totally unrecognizable from his usual carefree tone. She’d always known he was a highly trained SEAL, never doubted he could handle himself, but this was the first time she’d heard him detach, like he was ready for battle.
“When we were arguing about my scandalous plus-one, I said you wanted to protect me and Collin. She lost her cool, which is something unheard of for my mother. Not yelling or screaming, but definitely unregulated. She asked why I would ever dream that I’d need protection from my own blood. It wasn’t the words so much as the feeling her reaction gave me. Then there’s Regina. She said I was dead to her. That if I did anything to interfere with the wedding, she’d ruin me.”
An honest-to-goodness growl rumbled deep inside his throat. “Whatever happens, Hannah, whatever shit your family tries to throw your way, believe me when I say I will stop it. Nothing will touch you or Collin. If it gets to be too much, I’ll change our flight. All you have to do is say the words.”
His arms tightened around her, as though he was protecting her from some invisible force. She’d never had a champion who had her back; now, she had the ultimate protector at her side. Not for the first time, she wondered what she’d done to deserve Hunter in her life.