Chapter 16
Chapter Sixteen
Thursday and Friday felt endlessly long for Hunter. While he got in a run each morning followed by weights and stretching, he had too many hours to fill while Olivia was at school, and he looked forward each day to picking her up. But she wasn't really the distraction he wanted most—that was Emmalyn.
After their pool volleyball game Wednesday night, which had amped up the chemistry between them, she'd backed away. She'd told him she had to get to school early the next day and stay late the following two days because she was working on the book fair and ice cream social scheduled for Friday afternoon.
He was sure that was true, but he was equally sure she was trying to avoid him. She'd been just as aware of him as he'd been of her, and she clearly didn't know what to do about it. He didn't know what to do about it, either, but he still wanted to see her. They'd spent so much time together the past week, he actually missed her, and that was an unusual feeling.
But now that Friday afternoon had arrived, she wouldn't be able to avoid him any longer, because he'd promised to take Olivia to the book fair when he picked her up from school.
When school ended, he met up with Olivia in the playground, where she was eager to hand him her backpack and lunchbox. They walked out to his car so he could put them away, then headed toward the library, where the book fair was being held.
Olivia grabbed his hand and pulled him through the hallways with determined strides, telling him they had to get to the auditorium before all the good books were gone. When they arrived at the auditorium, the room had been transformed into a bookstore, with colorful displays and tables throughout the space. A banner hung over the entrance: "Fall Into Reading Book Fair."
"There's Henry," Olivia announced, pulling him across the room.
"Hey, Hunter," Paige said. "Ready to spend all your money?"
"Apparently," he replied as Olivia and Henry started grabbing books off the table. "I've been informed that unicorn books are absolutely essential."
"Henry's the same way with dinosaurs," Paige said with a laugh. "This place is dangerous."
"Have you seen Emmalyn?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
"She's doing a read-along in her classroom in fifteen minutes. I told Henry he could pick out three books before then."
"That sounds like a good plan," he said. "Olivia, do you want to go to Emmalyn's read-along?"
Olivia nodded vigorously. "Can we buy books first?"
"Sure," he said as he took the books from her arms and headed toward the nearest volunteer, who was swiping credit cards on a mobile device. After that, they joined Paige and Henry and made their way to Emmalyn's classroom, joining a stream of children and parents heading in the same direction.
Emmalyn's classroom was exactly as he would have expected—bright, colorful, and organized, but also with the controlled chaos that seemed to define her. Children's artwork covered the walls, alphabet letters strung across the ceiling, and a reading corner was set up with pillows and a small child-size sofa. In the center of the room, a rocking chair sat on a colorful rug surrounded by small chairs and cushions.
And there was Emmalyn, greeting children as they entered, her face lighting up with genuine warmth for each one. She wore a blue dress with tiny yellow sunflowers printed on it, her hair pulled back in a loose braid. She looked completely in her element, confident and radiant in a way he hadn't seen before.
Their eyes met across the room, and her smile faltered slightly before recovering. She gave him a small wave, then turned to help a child find a seat.
"Let's sit there," Olivia said, pointing to a spot near the front.
Hunter followed her, feeling awkwardly large among the tiny chairs and tables. As Olivia and Henry sat on the carpet together, he ended up sitting cross-legged on the floor behind the circle of children, with Paige sitting next to another mother a few feet away.
"Hello, everyone!" Emmalyn called, clapping her hands to get the children's attention. "I'm so happy to see so many of your smiling faces." She moved to the rocking chair in the center, gathering the children closer. "Today, we're going on an adventure with one of my favorite books. It's called The Gruffalo , and it's about a grumpy buffalo. Has anyone heard this story before?"
Several hands shot up, including Olivia's.
"Wonderful! Then you can help me tell it," Emmalyn said. She opened the book, revealing colorful illustrations of a forest scene. "Deep in the woods, a little mouse took a stroll..."
As she read, Hunter found himself captivated, not just by the story but by Emmalyn herself. She changed her voice for each character, her expressions animated and engaging. The children were enthralled, leaning forward to see the pictures, gasping at the right moments, laughing at others. She had them participating, repeating key phrases, predicting what might happen next.
This was a side of Emmalyn he hadn't seen—the consummate professional, completely assured in her role, expertly managing a room full of excitable children with joy and ease. Watching her with these kids, he could see why she'd chosen teaching. She was a natural.
After finishing The Gruffalo , she read a second book about magic, followed by a story that had the children repeating animal noises. By the end, even the most fidgety children were engaged, hanging on her every word.
"And that's our story time for today!" Emmalyn announced after the third book. "I hope you all find some wonderful books to take home. Remember, reading takes you on adventures every day!"
As the children dispersed, many stopping to give her hugs before leaving, Emmalyn's gaze found his again. This time, her smile seemed more genuine but still a little guarded.
"That was amazing," he said, standing up as she approached. "You're incredible with them."
"It's my job," she replied modestly, but there was a gleam of pride in her eyes.
"Emmalyn!" Olivia exclaimed, throwing her arms around her. "I've missed you!"
"I've missed you too, sweetie," Emmalyn said, returning the hug.
"Hunter bought me all these books!" She gestured to the stack he was still carrying.
"I see that." Emmalyn laughed. "You're going to be very busy reading!"
"Nice job, Emmalyn," Paige interrupted. "You are so good at keeping the kids engaged."
"Thanks."
"Can Olivia join us at the playground for a bit?" Paige asked him. "The kids want to play before the ice cream social starts."
"Please?" Olivia begged, looking up at Hunter.
"Go ahead," he said. "I'll be right out."
As the children left with Paige, Hunter found himself alone with Emmalyn for the first time since Wednesday night. The classroom suddenly felt much smaller.
"How's it going?" she asked as she put away the books she'd just read. "Everything okay with Olivia? Have you heard from her mother?"
"Olivia is good. We're finding our rhythm. Haven't heard from Bree, which is disturbing. But she has to come back sometime, right?"
"I'm the wrong person to ask that question."
"How is your mom? Have you been spending time with her?"
"No. I've been busy getting set up for the book fair. I know she's still doing some tests, but she's hanging in there. My aunt says she's eating and sleeping better, so it's going well so far. We still need a diagnosis. Hopefully, that will come soon."
"I'm glad things are going well."
"Me too. It's still weird, though. Having her back in my life after so long." She met his eyes. "Life can change so quickly, in both bad ways and good ways."
"That's true. I certainly never expected to be taking care of a six-year-old, that's for sure."
"Olivia adores you, Hunter. You know that, right?"
"I'm not sure she adores me, but she seems to tolerate me."
"Her feelings are much stronger than that."
"I hope that's true," he said as their gazes clung together. "What about your feelings?"
She sucked in a quick breath. "I don't know what you're asking me."
"Yes, you do." He took a step closer to her, the tension building between them. "There's something happening between us. I know you can feel it."
"Maybe I do like you more than I thought I would. But you're leaving, so what's the point?" she challenged. "You're going back to your life, and I'm staying here in mine."
He couldn't argue with her logic, but he wanted to. He also wanted to touch her, to taste her sweet lips, to feel her mouth under his.
She must have read his mind because her eyes widened and her lips parted. Before he could second-guess himself, he reached out to brush a strand of hair from her face, his fingers lingering against her cheek.
"Hunter," she whispered, half warning, half plea.
He decided to only answer the plea and not the warning. He leaned down and captured her lips with his. The kiss was tentative at first, a question, but when she responded by sliding her hands up to his shoulders, it quickly deepened into something urgent and electric.
He backed her against the bookshelf, one hand cradling her face, the other at her waist, pulling her closer. She tasted like coffee and cinnamon and something uniquely her that made his head spin. All the tension that had been building between them—in the pool, during quiet moments at dinner, across crowded rooms—crystallized into this single point of contact, this kiss that felt both inevitable and surprising.
When they finally broke apart, both breathless, he rested his forehead against hers, unwilling to move away completely. "Whatever this is—it's damn good," he murmured.
"That's the problem," she said, her cheeks flushed, her voice breathless.
"Maybe it's not a problem."
Before she could respond, the classroom door swung open.
"Emmalyn, the ice cream social—" The woman who'd entered stopped talking as she took in the scene. "Oh! Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I was just going to ask if you could help with the ice cream."
"I'll be right there," Emmalyn said, stepping away from him.
The other woman disappeared as quickly as she'd come.
"I have to go," she told him.
"I understand, but this isn't over, Em."
"It should be, Hunter. Not just for me, but also for you. You don't need any more complications in your life, do you?"
He didn't know how to answer that, but it didn't matter because she was already out the door. As he stood alone in her classroom, surrounded by children's artwork and alphabet letters, the taste of her still on his lips, he wondered how he was supposed to walk away from someone who was so wrong but felt so right…
After helping to clean up after the ice cream social, Emmalyn finally headed home around seven thirty Friday night. It had been a long day, and she was exhausted. Despite her weariness, her nerves still tingled from her unexpected make-out session with Hunter. She still couldn't quite believe it had happened.
She'd wanted to kiss him for a while, but she'd been trying to make the just friends tag ring true. That had gone out the window with one staggeringly good kiss, and she really wanted to kiss him again, just to make sure she hadn't imagined how great it was. But that would take them further down the wrong path, and she really shouldn't go there. Getting further involved would only make saying goodbye more difficult, and she didn't want to get her heart broken. She didn't want to care about someone who had already told her he was going to choose a different life.
It wasn't anything close to the same thing as what had happened with her mother, but some of the worrying emotions felt familiar. She needed to date people who were going to stay in this town that she loved and be part of her friend group and her life. People like Steven, except she hadn't felt any heat with Steven, and she hadn't even thought about him since she'd texted him the day after their date and gently told him she wasn't interested in dating him.
Maybe if she'd met Steven before Hunter's personality had done a 360, it would have been different. She would have thought Steven was nice and they had a lot in common. But that's not the way it had gone down. She'd been intrigued and captivated by Hunter ever since Olivia had arrived, and the more she got to know him, the more she liked him.
He'd supported her on a difficult day with her mother, and he'd listened to her story about her past without judgment. He'd also turned out to be more fun than she'd ever imagined and a good father figure, too. This man, who had finally returned to the world, had a lot going for him. But the fact that he was better now was also the reason she'd be losing him.
But not yet, she told herself, and as she walked into the courtyard and heard voices, she couldn't help hoping Hunter was part of whatever was happening. Her heart sped up as she saw Hunter, Paige, and Ben sitting at a table while Henry and Olivia were sitting on the ground by the pool playing with Henry's dinosaurs.
Ava and Liam were at another table with Gabe and Madison while Frank Wickham was doing laps in the pool and Maggie and Josie were sitting on loungers, sipping glasses of wine.
"Emmalyn," Paige said, waving her over. "Frank bought pizza." She pointed to the large pizza box on the table. "There are still a few pieces left. Are you hungry?"
"I actually had pizza at the school. One of the PTA moms brought it in as we were doing inventory for the book fair."
"Was it a successful event?" Paige asked.
"It was. Looks like sales exceeded last year, and we ended up with only a few books that weren't bought, so they'll go in the library."
"You must be tired," Hunter commented, his warm gaze on her face.
"I am, but it was a good day for the school and the kids, so worth it."
"At least sit down and have some wine," Paige said, lifting the bottle of wine in front of her. "I'm betting you could use a drink."
"I wouldn't mind a glass," she admitted.
"Have a seat," Hunter said, pushing out the empty chair between him and Ben.
"Thanks." She gave Ben a smile as she sat down, thinking he was a good-looking guy, too, and very single. Maybe she should get to know him instead of Hunter. Ben had recently moved into Ocean Shores, and he loved it. His sister lived in the building, too, so Ben would probably be staying. But despite his attractive features, she didn't feel anything for Ben, but that was probably because Hunter was sitting on her other side. Hunter was now laughing at something Paige had said, and the sound of that laugh instantly made her turn her head.
He gave her a smile, his gaze darkening as he took her in, an intimate look in his eyes that told her he was remembering their earlier kiss. Her breath quickened, and she forced herself to look away. Turning to Ben, she asked him how his day was.
"It was quiet, which is never a bad thing in my line of work," Ben replied.
"Has it been an adjustment, joining a new department?"
"Not bad. Everyone is friendly. It's definitely a more chill environment, which I was ready for."
Kaia had mentioned Ben had gone through some rough stuff in LA, but she hadn't elaborated, and Ben didn't seem interested in going into more detail.
"Hunter, my dinosaur broke, can you fix it?" Olivia interrupted as she came over with a dinosaur made of blocks, two of which seemed stuck together, making the dinosaur lopsided and unable to stand upright.
"Let me look," Hunter said.
She smiled to herself as he worked on the dinosaur with the same intensity he seemed to bring to every part of his life. He was the kind of man who wanted to do everything well. When he'd fixed the dinosaur, he got up and walked with Olivia to where Henry was playing while Paige excused herself, having gotten a phone call.
"And then there were two," Ben said lightly, clinking his glass to hers. "I actually wanted to speak to you, Emmalyn. I saw a guy outside your apartment earlier today. I asked him what he was doing there, and he said he was looking for you."
Her body stiffened. "What did you say?"
"Nothing. I told him I didn't know who you were."
"What did he look like?"
"Older, fifties probably, gray hair, weathered skin. He had a lean, rough look to him. Does that ring a bell?"
"Unfortunately, it does," she murmured, her gut clenching at the thought of Jeremy coming to her home.
"Are you in trouble, Emmalyn?" he asked, his gaze direct and pointed.
"I shouldn't be, but maybe."
"You don't have to tell me, but I'd be happy to help if I can."
Since they were currently alone at the table, she gave him the short version. "My mother recently left a very controlling group of people…a cult, you might say. One of the men saw me taking her away, and I think Jeremy probably tracked me down because he wants to find her.
Ben had a neutral expression on his face, not reacting at all to the emotional part of her statement. Instead, he said, "Does this cult have a name?"
"They go by Haven. The group lives on a farm in a remote area in the hills of north San Diego."
"And what's Jeremy's last name?"
She thought for a moment. "I think it's Warren, but I'm not sure that's his real name. The group has been living off the grid for years. The leader calls himself Elias Ray, but again, I don't know if that's his given name."
"Do you know if they're involved in any illegal activities?"
"No, but I wouldn't be surprised if they were. The men often disappear for days at a time. Who knows where they go." She paused. "I left the group when I was twelve, but my mother stayed until last weekend." She drew in a breath and added, "And no one here knows anything about that, so…"
"Don't worry. I won't say anything. But I'm concerned about this man tracking you down."
"I guess I wasn't that hard to find."
"Would your mom be willing to talk to me about them? If they are involved in criminal activity, I might be able to use that to make sure this man doesn't bother either of you again."
"She's fragile right now. It was hard for her to leave. I'm still afraid she might go back. I don't think she'll tell you anything about them, and I don't really want to ask her. I need to handle this myself."
"I'll do a little research on the group. In the meantime, I would keep your door locked and be very aware of your surroundings wherever you go. Do you have my number?"
"I have it from the group chat."
"Good. If this guy bothers you in any way, call 911, then call me."
At his words, a chill ran down her spine. She didn't want a confrontation with Jeremy, but Ben was right; she needed to be ready. Jeremy probably would return. "I'll do that if he shows up again. And I appreciate your help."
"I'll see what I can find."
Hunter came back to the table, giving her a questioning look as he took in the seriousness of their expressions. "Everything okay?"
"Fine," she said, taking a sip of wine. "Looks like you got the dinosaur fixed."
"He's now able to stand upright and do battle," he said as he sat down again.
"I have to take off," Ben said, pushing back his chair. "See you later."
"Have a good night," she said.
As Ben left, Hunter gave her a pointed look. "Something was going on with you two."
"You're very suspicious."
"I'm right, aren't I?"
"Ben said he ran into a guy outside my apartment, who was looking for me. Based on his description, I think it was Jeremy."
Hunter's lips tightened, and his gaze darkened. "That's not good."
"Ben told him he didn't recognize my name. But I think Jeremy will probably be back."
"I don’t think you should be alone tonight."
"I'll be fine."
His frown deepened. "I wish I could stay with you, but?—"
"You have Olivia, and I don't know that Jeremy is dangerous. He's probably just going to try to bully my mother's address out of me. That won't happen."
"You don't know if he's dangerous or not. People who live off the grid like him could easily have a weapon and no respect for laws or authority."
"Possibly, but I don't want to work myself up about it. I told Ben about the group, and he's going to look into them, see if they have any history of criminal activity."
"Well, that's good, but that won't solve your immediate problem. Maybe you should go to the house where your aunt and mother are staying."
"If I do that, there's a chance he could follow me there, right? I'll be fine. I have a dead bolt on my door. My windows lock. I'll be safe. If someone starts pounding on my door, I'll call you."
"You better. I mean it, Em. You call me immediately."
She was touched by his concern. "I will. I have Ben's number, too. I feel safe here. I'm not going to let Jeremy ruin that."
"I'm just sorry you have to deal with this."
"Whatever I have to deal with is worth getting my mom away from them."
"That's a generous sentiment considering your relationship with your mom."
"Maybe so, but it's better to forgive than to live in anger and unhappiness. What's the point of that?"
He nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face. "As someone who has been living in anger and unhappiness, I would have to agree that there is no point. But it's not always easy to get out of that state. I might still be there if not for Olivia…" He paused. "And you."
She shivered despite the warm evening air. "I haven't done anything, Hunter."
"You've done more than you think. You were there for me when I didn't deserve it."
"Well, look at you now. You're a changed person. You're part of the group. You're smiling. It's good to see the change in you. And if I had a small part in that, I'm glad."
"Should we talk about what happened in your classroom earlier?"
"No, we shouldn't," she said quickly, taking another sip of her wine. "It was just a moment. It doesn't need discussion."
"Usually, I would agree, but maybe not in this instance. If I need to apologize…"
"You don't. I was okay with it."
"Just okay?" he asked with a small smile.
She couldn't help smiling back at him. "Maybe better than okay. But?—"
He groaned. "I really hate that word but ."
She didn't have a chance to tell him it shouldn't happen again because Olivia suddenly screamed, and they both jumped to their feet.
It took a second for her to realize that Olivia hadn't screamed from fear but delight as she ran toward a slender brunette woman and threw herself into her arms.
Olivia's mother had finally returned.