74. HUNTER
74
6 MONTHS LATER
E ven though I’m fine, I take the ice pack from Charlotte’s hand, placing it beside me while tugging her onto my lap.
“This isn’t going to help anymore, you know?” I smile.
“Maybe not.” She settles into my chest, resting her head on my shoulder. “But I feel better when you do it, anyway.”
My hand brushes up and down her spine, comforting her while I enjoy her warm breath against my neck.
“I hate seeing you like this, you know?”
“I know, babe. But I did win?” I joke, trying to lighten her mood.
“Thank God, you did.” There’s discomfort in her voice, but being the supportive girlfriend that she is, she will never tell me to stop fighting. She never has, even though she’s been hating it since I dragged her to that warehouse when we were still kids.
“You know…” I start, “I’ve been thinking.”
“Yeah?” She lifts her head to look at me, and my hand reaches up to cup her cheek, rubbing my thumb over her soft skin. She’s looking at me with anticipation, and I’m the luckiest man alive, having her here in my arms. When I finally pulled my head out of my ass and won her back, it only took me a week before I sent Jason back to LA to get my stuff and moved in with Charlotte. I expected it to feel strange to start living in her parental home with her mama’s memories all over the place, but it felt more like home than ever before. Giving me the place where I want to start a family.
One day.
“I think I’m gonna quit.”
“Quit what?” She tilts her head in confusion.
“Fighting.”
Her eyes widen, filling with excitement, even though she’s doing her best to keep a straight face, looking like a teapot ready to boil over.
“Really?” she says, as casually as possible.
“Really.” I chuckle.
“Why?”
“Why not? All I ever wanted was this. You. I chose to fight as an escape from my reality, but I don’t need to escape anymore. I don’t want to escape anymore.” I press a trail of kisses against her jaw. “I don’t want to train four hours a day. I don’t want to go back to LA. I don’t want to be part of that jet-set life. I don’t see any reason to keep going. Hell, I don’t have to do it for the money either. I have more money than I can spend in a lifetime. We’re set for life. It was fun, but no more. I want to spend my mornings waking up with you on the porch, drinking coffee.”
The corner of her mouth curls.
“What are you going to do all day? You’re not the type of guy who sits on his ass. You need something to do.”
“I was thinking about taking a job at the ice rink. See if they can use a trainer or a coach in the minor leagues. But I could also work at the Bowling Alley. I do own it after all.”
She shakes her head, the sunlight dancing in her eyes. “You’re crazy.”
Her gorgeous eyes light up before her lips crash against mine in a bruising kiss. It’s something I’ve been thinking about for months now, asking myself what it is I really want to do, and every single time, my dad flashes in front of my eyes. The vision of him training and coaching Logan and I, harsh and strict, but a big-ass smile on his face whenever he saw our improvements.
That’s what I want.
“You think it’s a good idea?”
“That sounds perfect, Hunt. I think that’s the best idea,” she murmurs against my lips.
“Yeah?”
“Definitely. So, when is your last fight?”
“Yesterday.”
“Are you shitting me?”
“Nope.” I smirk, shooting her a wink.
“Really?”
“Yesterday was the last fight before my contract needed to be extended. I told Gina after the fight, I wasn’t going to renew it.”
“EEEK!” Her arms wrap tightly around me, and I bury my nose in her neck, breathing her in.
The moment I left LA and moved back to North Carolina, I knew the life I had for the last couple of years was over. And I couldn’t be happier about it. When I left North Carolina, it felt like I gained my freedom, giving me the opportunity to make something out of myself. Opening doors that weren’t going to open back in Braedon. But when I finally got my girl … moving back home was the last thing I needed to feel complete.
I didn’t decide that I was going to stop fighting just yesterday. I decided it the day she and I finally worked through our shit, and she gave me another chance.
There was nothing in LA for me.
Everything I need is right here in the form of a sassy dirty blonde with blue-green eyes you can drown in.
“I love you, babe,” I hum against her hair.
“I love you,” she whispers, then jumps up, making me groan at the loss of her touch .
“We should celebrate! Let’s invite Jason and Julie? Have a dinner party? I’ll cook.”
I rub my hand over my face, looking at my girl clapping like my own personal cheerleader.
“How about we just order in, and you can make us some cocktails?”
“Even better!”
“Just keep the girls outside,” I hiss to Jason, who’s rolling his eyes at me.
“I can’t believe you seriously bought a dog.” He takes a sip of his mojito, shooting me a dull look. “Who’s going to take care of that thing?”
“I am, duh.”
“You’re seriously going to leave me all alone in LA?”
“I already did, didn’t I?”
“I kinda thought you’d come back, eventually. Maybe with Charlotte.” He pouts.
I shove him aside, not buying his theatrics.
“No, you didn’t.”
“Nah, I didn’t. But I’m not ready to move out. I’m keeping the house. It’s only fair now that you’re divorcing me.”
“I’ve paid for the lease until the end of the year. After that, you’re on your own.”
“You dumbass,” he snickers. “I’m only joking.”
“I’m not,” I say with a straight face, resulting in him looking at me in shock.
“You didn’t seriously pay for the rest of the year? ”
“I did. I owe you a lot, Jay. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. Hell, I might even be married to the wrong girl.” I pull a face, horrified by the thought.
“No, you wouldn’t, because I would’ve sabotaged that damn wedding. Thank fuck you saw the light. Can’t wait for the two of you to finally tie the knot. It’s about fucking time. Even though I don’t know why Charlotte is giving an asshole like you another shot,” he jokes, sticking out his tongue.
“Shut up, and just keep them there or there will be no knot to tie.” I walk upstairs to the guest bedroom. Quietly, I open the door, grabbing the big red bow off the dresser before approaching the puppy sleeping on the bed. When he notices me entering the room, his tail starts to wiggle, then he gets up, stretches himself, and slowly approaches me.
“Hey, little buddy. How are you? Are you ready to meet your new mommy?” I pet the head of the little Leonberger, ruffling his fluffy fur with my nails.
“Come on,” I say, placing the bow on his collar, then scooping him up in my arms. When I walk downstairs, my heart starts to race in my ribcage, suddenly feeling nervous as fuck. Heat flushes my neck, and I take a few deep breaths before I enter the kitchen, trying to calm down.
Walking toward the screened porch where everyone is seated, I call out to Charlotte.
“Babe?”
“Yeah?” she replies, glancing at the porch door.
“Can you close your eyes? I got you something.”
“What?” She screeches, and I try to peek through the screen. “A surprise?”
“Just close your eyes.” I look at her, with my back toward the door, waiting until she holds her hands in front of my face.
“You ready?”
“Yes! Show me! ”
A smile splits my face when I push the door open with my back, taking a few steps until I’m right in front of her.
“Can I open it?”
“Not yet!” I blurt, squatting down and placing the puppy right in front of her face.
“Okay, you can open it.”
Her hands move down, then her eyes grow as big as saucers right before she gives me an incredulous look.
“You bought me a puppy?”
I nod, my heart jumping as I watch the priceless look on her beautiful face.
Tears stream down her features when she presses a hard kiss against my lips, then takes the puppy out of my hands, burying her face into the soft fur as she starts to sob.
“You got me a puppy,” she cries.
I cup her cheek, glancing at a beaming Jason and Julie, enjoying this just as much as I am, and I push a lingering kiss to her forehead.
“That’s not all I got you,” I mumble, pressing my forehead against hers.
“It’s not?”
“Nope.” My hand moves to the collar of the puppy, pulling the ring off the bow that was sitting in the middle. I hold it out in front of her as calmness washes over my body. My heart beats steadily, my nervousness completely gone until all that’s left is excitement.
“Charlotte Roux, I know I’m an asshole, and I’ll probably screw up more than once, but I will never stop loving you, so will you marry me anyway?”
She folds her hand in front of her mouth, holding the puppy with the other while she frantically nods.
“Yes! Yes! Of course, I’ll marry you. ”
I push out a relieved breath, then give her a longing kiss, feeling happier than I’ve ever been.
Jason and Julie start to clap, and I wrap Charlotte up in a tight hug with our puppy in between as we smile at them.
“Took you long enough, Hansen,” Julie jokes.
“You’re stuck with him now, Charlotte,” Jason chimes in.
“Well, about that,” Charlotte starts, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, then gives me a mysterious grin. “I have something for you.”
“You do? What is it?”
“Well, remember two months ago when we were drunk out here on the porch?”
I narrow my eyes, knowing exactly what she’s talking about. We got wasted, had sex outside in the yard, and it was sexy as fuck, having her ride me under the clear sky as I watched the stars around her head.
“How can I forget?” I reply huskily, instantly turned on.
“Yeah, not that part.” She chuckles, handing our new puppy over to Julie with a knowing look. I raise my brows at Julie in question, who just keeps grinning. “The part after that, when I decided a few more shots would be a great idea?”
“Oh, you mean the part where you were heaving your lungs out? Such a rookie mistake .” I laugh, mockingly rolling my eyes.
“Yeah,” she admits, pinching the bridge of her nose in embarrassment before looking back up at me. I bring my hand up, resting it on her neck, feeding the need to touch her as she continues her story.
“Well, did you know that birth control is no longer effective if you throw up a few hours after taking the pill?”
“No?” I look at her with confusion, having no clue where this is going.
“It isn’t. It’s another rookie mistake.”
“Okay,” I drawl. “What’s your point? ”
“My point is… You gave me something else that night.”
I shake my head, completely missing the point while she keeps staring at me in anticipation, waiting for it to click inside my head. Whatever it may be.
We keep staring at each other while I try to connect the dots in my head.
“Jesus Christ, Hansen,” Julie mutters when it finally hits me.
I gasp for air, my heart jumping out of my chest.
“Are you… Are you… Are we? Fucking hell, are you pregnant?”
She nods, biting her lip, resting her hands on my chest.
“But that’s a mojito?” I point at her drink on the table, incredulous.
“It’s a virgin mojito.”
My eyes move back and forth over her blushing face, wondering if this is really happening.
“We’re having a baby?”
“Is that okay?” she asks quietly.
I tilt my head back, closing my eyes for a few seconds, holding Charls tight against my body.
My eyes well up, overwhelmed by the amount of luck that seems to run through my veins, before I dip my chin again, looking at the love of my life.
“It’s the icing on the cake, babe.”