Chapter Thirty-One #2
“I know, right?” She shook her head, blinking hard. And Brock had had the audacity to tell her that it didn’t even have “that much.”
Hunter’s jaw went hard. “You’re not giving it back to him.”
“Of course not. After he drained our savings account, he owes me way more than this.”
“Damn right he does.”
“And the best part is that there’s nothing he can do about me pocketing it.
He tried to hide our savings in this untraceable account, but now he’s the one who can’t trace me.
” She tightened her grip on the slip of paper.
“This money would have meant the world to me, back a couple of months ago. If I’d had it, I wouldn’t have had to move—or at least, I wouldn’t have had to be in such a panic about it. I—I might not have ended up here.”
“I can’t believe I have to be grateful to that asshole for robbing you blind.”
“Me, neither.” She swallowed hard. “With this money, I could go back to New York right now.”
That gave Hunter pause. “You could,” he allowed.
She spoke slowly, trying to make sure he not only listened but heard. “But I don’t want to.”
“Okay—”
Her fingers trembled. “I need you to believe me, Hunter. It’s so important to me that—if you tell me to—I will tear this up right now.”
“Holy shit, no, are you kidding?” His eyes went wide in panic.
Oh, thank God.
“I’m not kidding.” She sagged in relief, though.
“For Christ’s sake, you came here penniless a couple of months ago. Put it in your bank account, woman. Save it for a rainy day.”
“I mean, I may donate some of it to a kids’ literacy program…”
He grinned. “Of course you might, you bookworm.”
“Guilty as charged.” She put her hand over his heart.
“But the rest is going into my savings so I have options. I could use it to move back to New York tomorrow if I wanted to, but I don’t.
I even talked to the HR rep from that publishing company my friend put me in touch with, and I told them, in no uncertain terms, that I am not interested. ” She raised her brows. “Got it?”
His gaze met hers, and he covered her palm with his own. “You’re sure?”
“Completely. I’m here because it’s my choice to be.”
He hugged her to his chest so tight it almost hurt, but that was good. She clung back onto him just as tightly.
“I’m so glad,” he murmured into her hair. “You staying… it makes me so happy.” He paused, leaning back just enough for her to see his face. “But you’re not staying just for me, right?”
“No,” she answered honestly. “I mean, you are my favorite thing about this place…”
“Good.”
“But I honestly love it here. I love managing the bookstore, and decorating for fall, and running all these social media accounts—including yours, if you’re still okay with that.”
“Of course I am.”
That was a relief.
“If Granny did fire me—”
“—Which she won’t.”
“But if she did, I would stay, and, I don’t know. Turn my bookworm social media into a full-fledged business, or convince the preserve to hire me as their marketing consultant.”
He laughed, curling his arms around her waist. “That actually might work.”
“But seriously. I like the fresh air and the friendly, gossipy people. I love the store and Granny and the diner and the preserve and my friends and learning to knit and do fancy video editing, and I love…”
“I love you so much.”
They got distracted kissing again for a minute, and she really had to stop interrupting them. Deep within her, desire was blooming, and she wanted nothing more than to let herself get utterly lost in him.
“I know what I want,” she murmured against his lips. “And what I want is you.”
He growled, low in his throat. “I want you, too, Emma.”
Based on the thick hardness pressing into her abdomen, she had no doubt about that.
“But what do you want want?” she forced herself to ask.
“With us?” When he blinked at her owlishly, like he couldn’t believe she was still talking when they could be kissing, she clarified.
“When we first met, you were dead set against letting some random encounter at the Crossing dictate your life.”
“You are not some random encounter.”
“I was.”
“You’re not anymore,” he told her, firmly. “You are the best thing to ever happen to me.”
The flush of warmth in her chest lit her up. “But—”
He shook his head. “I still don’t know if I believe in fate or soulmates or any of that. But I believe in you.” He took her hand and clasped it against his heart. “I believe in us.”
“Me, too,” she whispered.
“I want everything with you. The good, the bad. The whatever happens after happily-ever-after.”
“Hunter…” Her throat grated. “After what happened with your parents…”
“Emma, I am terrified of losing you.” Resolve filled his dark eyes. “But that just means that what we have is worth keeping. You can’t find happiness without a little risk.”
“Really?”
“Really.” It was his turn to reach into his pocket. “And look, this doesn’t have to happen now. We really haven’t known each other that long. But I’m one hundred percent certain about you.”
She hadn’t known how much she needed to hear that until he said it out loud. A shudder of pure happiness racked her, and she was smiling through the prickles of good tears forming at the corners of her eyes.
“Me, too.”
He pressed something metal into her hand. “It’s not much, but my home is your home.”
She looked down to find a key in her palm.
“No rush,” he promised. “You can come and go, or you can move in and stay. Or if you want, I can move in here, or we can find a place closer to town or—”
She cut him off. “I’d love to move in with you. Eventually.”
“Oh?”
“Really, I want to do it right now. But it’s like you said. There’s no rush. Let’s take our time.” Pulling away, she went to the little table near the door and dug through the drawer. She found her own spare key and handed it to him. “My home is your home, too.”
And both of them had found the perfect home. Here, in Heart’s Hope Crossing.
And in each other.
“When the time is right, we’ll figure the rest out,” she promised.
Because really. They had all the time in the world.