Chapter Ten
“This is insanity,” Jenna snapped.
For the first time in the past decade, Hunter didn’t completely disagree with his stepmother. She sat on the couch, her hands balled into white-knuckled fists on her thighs, looking like a snake poised to strike. The karmic maelstrom that led them all to this tense moment in his living room—one of maybe two dozen times Jenna had ever been there—still left him a little dazed.
“Of course you’d say that.” Gentry rolled her eyes. “Anything I do that doesn’t perfectly conform to your opinions is ‘insane’ in your mind.”
Jenna held her head with both hands, then turned toward her husband. When he didn’t immediately speak, she bugged her eyes. “Jed! Please jump in.”
Sara clasped Hunter’s hand while they awaited his dad’s reaction. Her serene expression projected a certainty he now faked. He wished he felt certain, because then it would be easier to defend Gentry and their plan. Easier to share in Sara’s bliss instead of pushing down the periodic resentment of being manipulated whenever it surfaced. Right now, the best he could muster was to lean forward, hold his wife’s hand, and try to decipher the turmoil in his dad’s eyes.
His dad and Gentry stared at each other, and then his father’s gaze flicked to him and Sara. Hunter had witnessed that conflicted look in his dad’s eyes throughout the years. Like when he’d announced his intention to divorce his mom, or when he’d told Hunter and Colby that they’d soon have a baby sibling. The last time he’d seen it was years ago, when Colby had eloped with Mark after knowing him for only three months.
Typically, Hunter would be upset by not having his father’s full support. In this case, he couldn’t blame the man for having doubts.
“Jed, tell me you’re not seriously okay with this idea?” Jenna’s cheeks were flushed, her voice high and thready. If she were anyone else, Hunter might feel sorry for her. “This is our baby girl. Don’t you care about her future?”
His dad patted Jenna’s thigh before waving a hand toward Gentry, Sara, and Hunter. “These are three adults, Jenna. Our daughter got herself in a pickle, but I’m proud of her for coming up with an idea to turn it into something positive. She’s young and healthy. There’s no reason to think this pregnancy will bring her any harm. By this time next year, she’ll have moved on, and Hunter and Sara will have the family they’ve wanted for so long.”
Jenna’s face transformed into something inhuman . . . like the creatures in Predators. Hunter couldn’t remember having ever seen her ready to rip his dad’s head off. Fortunately, she settled for whipping a throw pillow at his chest before turning a narrowed gaze upon Hunter. “You’re awfully quiet. Was this your idea?”
He shook his head, dumbfounded that she’d think that he thought this was a good idea. She must not know him at all, which he found oddly disturbing.
“I told you, Mom. This was my idea.” Gentry glanced at Sara, heaving a “told you so” sigh. “Honestly, why did we need a family discussion? The three of us have agreed to do this. I don’t need permission.”
Sara’s grip on his hand tightened like a vise, belying her calm voice. “No, you don’t, but given how this affects the whole family, it’s best to get everyone’s support. And we want to make sure that whatever ground rules you, Hunter, and I set will be respected.”
Deep down—buried beneath all the obvious problems he’d raised with this adoption—Hunter began to suspect that part of his fear was about how he might be destroyed if he allowed himself to fall in love with his sister’s baby and then it all went sideways. And things often went sideways when he couldn’t control the outcome.
“Jenna, I still have some doubts. Once the baby is here, the lines could get blurry fast. I can’t do it unless I know that everyone will let Sara and me raise this child as we see fit, without interference.”
He’d just voluntarily put himself in a position of asking Jenna for something and of sharing her concerns. If that wasn’t proof of his love for his wife, nothing was.
Jenna’s green eyes turned flinty. “I expected your spite when I wanted to sell the business, but stooping to stealing my grandchild is beneath even you, Hunter.”
“Jenna, cut it out,” his dad interrupted. “That’s not what’s happening. He’s just saying we need to respect boundaries.”
Jenna threw her hands up, looking heavenward. “It’s no secret that he and I don’t get along. Now my daughter is handing her child over to him, and you expect me to accept his limitations on my future relationship with my grandchild?” She shot off the couch and strode to the window, rubbing her shoulders as if she’d been tossed onto a tundra in a swimsuit. “Someone please tell me I’m on some horrid hidden camera show.”
Hunter let her insults glance off him, conserving his energy for bigger battles. He hadn’t expected her support, but he wanted his dad’s. “Dad, what’s your honest opinion?”
Jenna didn’t face them, but Hunter noticed her spine straighten. His father stalled for time, possibly to give his wife a chance to return to the sofa. She didn’t. Stubborn as usual, as if her tantrum might change the outcome. Perhaps that’s how she always got her way. Hunter had never paid that much attention until recently.
He returned his attention to his father, praying that his dad wouldn’t disappoint him.
“We all want you and Sara to become parents.” His father’s sad smile foretold of a “but” on the way. “But having the perspective of being a parent, I’d be remiss not to point out that Gentry has no idea of what she’s giving up or how she’ll feel after the fact. I worry she’ll have regrets down the road.”
“Dad!” Gentry scowled, even though Hunter agreed with their father.
“Hold up, girl.” Their dad raised one hand. “I’m entitled to answer my son and to be worried about you. That said, this isn’t up to me. It’s up to you three. I’ll support whatever you do and hope for the best.”
“Jed!” Jenna whirled around so fast Hunter checked the hardwood for a divot from her heel.
“Jenna, it’s not our decision. Besides, Gentry’s twenty-six. If we want our kids’ respect, we need to give them ours. And you can’t argue that Hunter and Sara won’t be loving, thoughtful parents.” That compliment sent much-needed warmth flowing through Hunter’s heart. “Let’s not turn this into a fight. We’ve got enough of that at the office. I’m too old and tired to keep arguing with the people I love.”
“Thanks, Dad.” Hunter cleared his throat. This man—that speech—was the father he’d loved and admired his entire life. The kind of dad he’d want to be to his own children in the future. He needed to remember that, instead of viewing him as the enemy at the office. “I know it’s rough at work lately, but I appreciate your support on this.”
“You and Sara will be tremendous parents.” His dad then rubbed his knee, wincing. He did look old lately. When had that happened? He’d denied being sick when Hunter had asked the other week, but he definitely wasn’t well.
“Can I get you an ice bag, or some ibuprofen?” Sara asked, staring at his knee.
“No, honey. I’m okay. But enjoy your youth. An aging body can be a real pain in the ass.” His dad smiled at Sara, whose eyes looked suspiciously watery. He then rose from the sofa and pulled Gentry up into a hug. “Baby, don’t take this the wrong way, but I didn’t know you could be so selfless. I’m glad for it, though. And proud.”
Hunter braced for one of Gentry’s smart-aleck remarks, but she surprised him by hugging their dad and mumbling a thank-you.
Sara and Hunter both stood to offer him a hug, too. For a moment, Hunter had his dad, wife, and sister all joined together, with Jenna on the outside. This kind of moment should have shot off a tiny thrill. But given everything that was going on, he couldn’t quite muster a sense of victory. Nor could he clear the vague, ominous fog taking up space in his head and chest.
“Jenna, let’s go home.” His dad started toward the hallway.
“Jenna,” Sara called, crossing to her and giving her a stiff hug, which was pretty much the only kind Jenna could manage. “Try not to worry. As far as I’m concerned, there can never be too many people loving a child. No one will box you out. In fact, once the shock wears off, I hope you and I can share Gentry’s pregnancy journey together.”
Jenna forced a small smile and then looked over Sara’s shoulder to Hunter. “She’s the best decision you ever made.”
“I know.” Hunter grinned at Sara, reminding himself of why he was willing to take such a monumental leap of faith. She would be a fabulous mother and build a happy home for him and their children. Of that he had no doubt.
“I’m off, too,” Gentry announced. “Guess I’d better start searching out fashionable maternity clothes.”
“I think you have some time.” Sara chuckled and hugged Gentry for the hundredth time in two days.
While Sara walked everyone out, Hunter scrubbed his face with both hands and then shook them out. The stress had messed with his circulation, making his arms and feet tingly and cold.
“You’re upset?” Sara said when she returned to the kitchen and poured herself a cup of tea. “I thought your dad handled it well.”
He laid his hands on the island and hung his head. He’d just put his future in Gentry’s hands, of all people. Every day for the next several months, he’d be relying on her and her body. He’d be worrying about all the things that could go wrong and whether all three of them could be on the same page with each bump along the way. Oh, Christ, he felt like he might be sick.
Unable to give voice to those fears, he deflected. “If I thought Jenna was gunning for me with this CTC sale before, she’s going to be twice as bad now.”
Sara set down her cup, her face stricken as if he’d slapped her. “Are you seriously thinking about how this amazing gift—this beginning of our family—might affect the business?”
Why did she think these were somehow mutually exclusive events . . . as if he could separate one part of his life from the other?
“We both know that today’s conversation will make Jenna more determined than ever to stick it to me.”
Her expression pinched as if she’d swallowed bleach. “Is that why you’ve been so hesitant to get on board?”
“No. It didn’t cross my mind until today.” He saw her chest puffing up as she prepared to lay into him, so he raised a hand. “Before you start, remember that I’m going along with this adoption for you, so maybe you could stop chewing me out for trying to protect what I want, too.”
Sara pressed her lips together, clearly biting back whatever remark had zipped through her head. “Don’t you hear how it sounds when you talk about this adoption that way—like you’re doing this for me instead of for us?”
For the love of God, he didn’t understand her nitpicking his words. “Of course it’s for us. We’re married. This is our family.”
“If you know that—if you feel that way—why do you say things like ‘going along with this for you’? That makes me feel like you don’t really want a family. It makes me feel like I’m alone.”
He held his breath even though, in that moment, he wanted to stomp his foot or shout or hit the wall. Nothing he did or said came out right these days. Was this slow erosion of communication inevitable in marriage? Did anything good lie on the other side of this hideous downward slide, or were the “Hunter and Sara” of yesteryear forever gone?
“Let’s not get tripped up on semantics, Sara. You’re my wife. I love you, I want to make you happy, and I’d love a family. We’re in this together, like we’ve been for years. When I said going along with this adoption, I meant that it has peculiar problems that give me pause, not that I don’t want kids.” He decided to withdraw from this conversation before it turned into an argument. “Now, if you don’t mind, I need to make a call.”
“Right now?” She crossed her arms. “What’s so urgent?”
“The future, that’s what. Especially if I’m going to have a growing family to take care of.” Hunter tried to cut through the tension with a quick kiss to her forehead and then went directly to his office and closed the door.
She thought she felt alone? He’d never felt more alone in his life. His father had turned his back on their long-held plans. His wife was always disappointed in his priorities. And now he’d agreed to undertake an adoption he sensed would lead to trouble.
He scrolled through his contacts until he located Rich Cortland’s number. Last they spoke, he’d expressed some interest in Hunter’s bottling idea. Now Hunter had to proceed with caution because he couldn’t talk about the Pure Foods deal thanks to the nondisclosure he’d signed, and he didn’t want Rich reaching out to his father, either.
Hopefully, his personal relationship might allow him a little latitude. He just needed to secure solid letter-of-intent terms for a bottling joint venture to present to the shareholders. If he could hammer that out before Pure Foods floated its own LOI, he’d have his best shot at saving CTC and taking it to new heights.
The next morning, Sara took her frustration out on her hair, brushing it as if plowing through thousands of tiny knots. After Hunter took off for CTC, she’d called her parents—by herself—to share their big news.
“Gentry’s sweet, but isn’t she a little flaky?” her mom asked.
“Incredibly generous is more like it.”
“Won’t it be hard to raise the baby with her looking over your shoulder and bonding with her child?” her mother’s halting voice replied.
Sara’s throat burned. “Why are you casting doubts instead of being happy for me?”
“We’re happy for you, honey. Just get everything in writing,” her dad cautioned.
The lack of unequivocal support had caused her to end the call more abruptly than planned. Even an hour later, their doubts left her a bit shaken. Her sisters hadn’t been much more enthusiastic, although Mimi had rallied toward the end of their conversation.
So far, only Sara and Gentry thought this plan was the perfect solution. Limitless gratitude overwhelmed Sara, so she decided to go pick up a little thank-you gift for her sister-in-law and then stop by the Angel House. Ty and her volunteer work there always made her feel better. Just as she was thumbing through her wallet and getting her keys, the doorbell rang.
“Gentry?” Sara’s gaze fell to the suitcases in Gentry’s hands, her stomach then following that downward turn. “Where are you going?”
“I can’t stay at home anymore. My mom’s being a nightmare about the adoption plan.” Gentry cracked her gum, staring at her expectantly. “Can I live here for a while?”
“Of course.” Sara uttered the words, envisioning Hunter’s reaction to this development. It hadn’t even been twenty-four hours and already an unexpected wrinkle had surfaced. She took one of the suitcases and waved Gentry inside. “I hate to see you become estranged from your parents.”
“Become estranged? You know my mom and I never had a good relationship. I should’ve moved out a while ago.” Gentry set the bag down and sighed, quickly scratching the section of stomach revealed by her crop top. “I won’t be here forever, so don’t panic. I just need a place to crash while I look around for something I like.”
While Hunter might not be glad about this news, Sara didn’t mind the idea of company. Gentry’s attitude could exasperate others at times, but generally speaking, she’d spared Sara the worst of her moods throughout the years. Given Gentry’s current condition, Sara would be happy to make things easy for her for a while.
“I’m happy to have you here.” Sara tried to imagine Gentry’s flat belly getting round but couldn’t. She suspected Gentry would be one of those pregnant women who wore midriff-baring clothes until the very end. Maybe she should show off her body as it nourished and grew a child. Sara’s body hadn’t been able to pull it off, after all. She tore her gaze away from Gentry’s navel, blinking back the melancholy tears that had started to form. “Like I said, I’d love to participate in this pregnancy as much as you’ll allow. But I know you’ll want your own place and space, too. I’ll even help you house hunt.” Palling around with Gentry could prove fun. If nothing else, it would keep Sara busy and feeling younger. “In the meantime, maybe you can join me when I volunteer at the Angel House. They can always use more help.”
“You think I should counsel women?” Gentry made a wonky face and shook her head. “I’m not exactly a role model of responsibility, Sara. Besides, I’ll be busy setting up my own place and dealing with being pregnant. If we sell the company, I’ll have beaucoup bucks and can afford an awesome house.”
That remark burst the bubble of confidence that had been rising in Sara. Losing CTC would devastate Hunter. Lately, she’d been thinking a sale would be a gift to her marriage and future family. That once Hunter got over the loss, he’d see how much more enjoyment he’d get out of life if he were more present. But she wanted him to slow down by choice, not force. “Sounds like you’re in favor of selling.”
Gentry shrugged. “I’d never have to work again. I could travel the world in high style. Do whatever I want, whenever I want. How can I be against that?”
“That’s all true.” Sarah bit her lip, weighing her words and thoughts. Her dream of motherhood had been revived, thanks to Hunter’s cooperation, so maybe she should stay neutral in this debate.
“What?”
She shrugged. “Hunter says he can expand the business and make it worth even more down the road.”
“Down the road I could be dead or God knows where. Honestly, I just don’t understand why everyone always puts off the good parts of life until later. What if later never comes? I plan to live in the here and now. Forcing Hunter to do the same wouldn’t be the worst thing for him, you know.” She emphasized that statement with raised brows and a sharp nod.
“It’s complicated. I don’t want him to suffer, which he will if it’s forced on him before he reaches that conclusion on his own.” Surely, though, when the baby came, Hunter would fall in love and realize that he needed more balance. That people, not paperwork, would most enrich his life.
Speaking of Hunter, she had to warn him about their houseguest, but this news called for a face-to-face meeting. “I was on my way out to run errands. Pick a bedroom and make yourself comfortable. I’ll be home in a while. Maybe the three of us can have dinner at A CertainTea later.”
“Cool.” Gentry hefted her luggage and started up the stairs. Staring up at the landing, she said to no one in particular, “I always liked the lake view from the yellow guest room.”
The nursery, Sara thought, but didn’t say. It did have a beautiful view of the lake below. Its window barely cleared two lovely dogwood trees. For several weeks each spring, that sight line included pretty pink flowers. Perfect for a baby, especially if Gentry had a girl. A girl! Sara’s entire body grew warm in anticipation of those quiet moments when she’d share that view with her baby.
“See you later,” Sara called out, and then dashed over to CTC’s offices to find her husband.
As she strolled down the executive hallway, she saw that his door was closed, as always. Haru sat at her desk just outside his office, her face awash in the unflattering glow of her computer screen. A quick glance around proved that all of the assistants were similarly transfixed.
Sara didn’t miss being tied to a desk, poring over e-mails and spreadsheets and reports. Had she grown lazy, or had she simply pointed herself in a direction that she knew she’d find most rewarding?
“Hi, Haru. Is Hunter in there?”
Haru stood, her expression officious. “Yes, but he’s with Bethany and asked not to be disturbed.”
Discomfort slid through Sara. Why would Haru think Sara wouldn’t be welcome to interrupt her husband? A montage of Bethany’s admiring glances at Hunter played in her mind. She’d never thought Hunter lacked integrity, but could she be wrong? Was Bethany the reason for all the long hours? “I’m sure that doesn’t apply to me.”
Before Haru could stop her, she swung open Hunter’s door, stomach clenched, bracing for an awful revelation.
Hunter and Bethany were working at the small table in the corner beneath the painting she’d bought him in Carmel. Hunter’s focus remained aimed at the papers splayed before him. Bethany’s body canted toward his, her gaze lingering on his face as he spoke, even though he was still looking at the figures. The blouse under Bethany’s tailored pantsuit revealed more cleavage than necessary, in Sara’s opinion, but otherwise nothing untoward was happening. Her heart, which had been pounding against her ribs, settled.
Her husband looked up at her and Haru and smiled.
“Hey, babe.” Hunter rose to greet her with a kiss. “This is a surprise. What brings you by? Is something wrong?”
“That depends on your perspective.” She grimaced, thinking of Gentry’s overstuffed suitcases.
He scowled in confusion. “Bethany, can you take these estimates to your office and look through them? I’ll catch up with you in a bit.”
“Of course.” Bethany gathered her things and smiled at Sara. “Nice to see you again, Sara.”
“Thanks. You too,” Sara said but didn’t mean. Not after, once again, seeing a hint of Bethany’s interest in her husband. Did Hunter notice? Did he care? She didn’t think so, but how many wives had been duped by husbands who had affairs at the office? Might Bethany eventually capture his interest? She’d seen it happen to friends, and with Hunter’s own dad, more or less.
Wives nagged about sharing the housework and kids and in-laws, while women in the office looked up to and shared the goals of men like Hunter, making those men feel smart, desirable, and successful. Reminding them of what life was like before the obligations and sacrifices required by marriage.
Once she’d closed the door, Hunter tipped his head. “What’s wrong?”
If she hit him with her suspicions, he’d take it as an accusation, which it wasn’t. She needed to keep her eye on Bethany, but for now she had a more immediate issue to address. “It’s Gentry.”
“Did she flake already?” Hunter’s eyes gazed upward before reaching out for Sara. “I knew she hadn’t thought this through. Are you okay?”
“Relax. She hasn’t changed her mind.” Sara stared up into his perplexed expression and faked a big smile to sell this living arrangement as something positive. “She’s temporarily moving in with us.”
His brows rose above the rims of his glasses as he released her. “What?”
“She plans to find her own place soon but wants to get out from under Jenna’s thumb for a while.”
He squinted. “Days?”
Sara shrugged. “Probably weeks or maybe even more. I can’t say.”
He shook his head and rested his hands on his hips. “So much for privacy.”
“This is a good thing, Hunter. I’ll be able to keep an eye on her during these early months of the pregnancy.” Sara looped her arms around his waist and hugged him. It had always bothered her that he wasn’t as close to Gentry as he was with Colby, even if his reasons had some merit. Family should knit together, not remain separated by invisible lines of loyalty and mistrust. “And you should take advantage of the opportunity to get closer to your sister.”
She looked up and recognized the dawning light in his eyes that typically preceded his ideas. “The chance to court her vote is a silver lining, but you know Gentry’s going to disrupt our lives.”
Sara eased out of his arms. “I meant get closer for personal reasons, not business ones.” When he tensed, she decided a joke might work better than a lecture. “As for disruption, it’ll be good practice for when the baby comes.”
Sara laughed at Hunter’s startled expression, as if he hadn’t ever thought about the realities of children. Of course, perhaps he hadn’t. She went up on her toes to kiss him, but then a knock at the door stopped her.
“Come in,” Hunter called.
Jed stuck his head in the door and smiled when his gaze landed on Sara. “Hey, Sara.” He entered the room and closed the door. “I’m glad you’re here, actually. Jenna’s in a tizzy over Gentry, and I haven’t had a chance to play peacemaker yet.”
“I’m sorry you’re bearing the brunt of their problems. Hopefully, it’ll be temporary. But Gentry’s safe. She asked to stay with us until she finds her own place,” Sara said.
“I’ve heard.” Jed scratched his jaw. “And that’s okay with you?”
“Sure,” Hunter interjected.
“I’ve always wanted all my kids to be closer, but I can’t lie. This isn’t exactly how I foresaw my wish coming true.” Jed crossed his arms.
“We certainly understand something about not getting your wishes exactly the way you planned,” Sara added quietly.
Jed softened. “I know you do.”
“Gentry will be fine with us until she finds her own place,” Hunter said in the definitive tone that usually ended a discussion. But Jed was worried about his baby girl and wasn’t intimidated by it today.
“Jenna’s already on the edge, and now this.” Jed shook his head. “Hunter, promise me you won’t put your sister in the middle of our disagreements or your piss-poor relationship with my wife.”
Hunter clenched his jaw. “I’m not going to censor myself in my own house, Dad. If Gentry asks for my opinions about the sale, I’m not going to lie. But I won’t manipulate her or try to get between her and Jenna, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Why do you hate Jenna?” Jed’s flat voice landed with a thud.
“Hate’s a little strong.” Hunter shrugged. “Dislike. Distrust.”
Sara bit her lip to keep from disagreeing. She knew Hunter, and he pretty much hated his stepmom.
“In the beginning, you two got along. Colby was the one who kept her distance. I don’t understand why everything flipped.” Jed looked past her and Hunter now, as if he were watching a movie of their lives and trying to figure out where it went wrong.
“When I was young, Jenna acted like she liked me. Now I see she was pretending until she felt more secure with you. Colby and I are constant reminders of your life before her. She hates sharing you with us. If Jenna hadn’t treated Colby and me like second-class citizens after Gentry came along, maybe we’d all be closer. But the final tipping point was when I came here to work side by side with you. Since college, Jenna’s worked against my rise here every step of the way. If this didn’t exist”—Hunter gestured around the office—“we might’ve gotten along okay.”
“Another reason why selling might be best for our family.” Jed shrugged.
“If you two retired, we’d reach the same result without you going back on your word.”
Sara saw a rosy flush creeping up Hunter’s neck. She rubbed his back to calm him down, realizing her hope of convincing him to see any bright side to the sale of CTC was no more likely to happen than her getting pregnant.
“Okay, let’s not start this again.” Jed waved his hands. “I just came in to find out about Gentry.”
“Jed, she’ll be fine. I’m actually looking forward to her company and being more involved in the pregnancy.” Sara crossed to hug him because he looked depressed. One day neither she nor Hunter would have the chance to hug him, so she wouldn’t take this for granted. “I’ll make sure that Jenna isn’t excluded.”
“Thanks, Sara.” He looked at his son. “I’ll talk to you later.”
Sara felt torn. That spat about Jenna had made Hunter accept Gentry moving in, but it had also exacerbated the deteriorating relationship between him and his father.
For all of his intelligence, commitment, and loyalty, her husband couldn’t see how his obsession was slowly destroying his family. “Try not to fight with your dad. I know you’re upset with him, but at the end of the day, he’s your father. He’s loved you your whole life. Isn’t love more important than these bricks and mortar?”
“Please, Sara. Not now. I’m about at the limit of how much change I can be expected to handle at once.” He closed his eyes and drew a deep breath.
“Okay.” Unlike her, he’d never enjoyed change. He hadn’t even much liked real adventure. He preferred plans and process, and at the moment, he had little of that to cling to. She set her hands on his chest. “I’ll make something special for dinner. Will you be home by seven?”
He stiffened. Clasping her hands, he said, “I’ll try.”
“I think it would be nice, for Gentry’s sake.”
“I said I’ll try. I am up against a ticking clock, and these interruptions don’t help.”
She turned to go, then stopped and whirled back on him. “Assuming you win this war for the company, can I count on you to keep reasonable hours once the baby comes, or will there just be some other excuse for you to spend most of your time in this room instead of our home?”
His eyes flashed white-hot. He stretched his arms wide and pivoted. “This isn’t some kind of whim or ego trip. Hundreds of families count on these jobs, and not all will survive a merger. I’ve got a responsibility to them and to our growing family. It’s not just about me and my own ambitions.”
“I get that, but aren’t our marriage and I your most important priorities? My parents raised five kids and still managed to eat dinner together most nights.”
His jaw clenched as his gaze drifted somewhere above her head for three seconds. An unnerving calm settled over him, and in a distant voice he replied, “I won’t ever be home by five and have my summers free, and I never promised you that.” He turned from her and went around to his desk, knocking on it. Finally, he looked right at her. “If that’s the kind of husband and life you wanted, why the hell did you marry me?”
The force of his words struck her chest like a punch. He was angry and hurt, but so was she.
“Trust me, I don’t have any illusions that we will be like my parents, which is too bad, since they’ve been happily married for thirty-seven years, unlike your parents. There’s something to be said for spending time together, whether you want to acknowledge it or not.” Before he replied, she turned on her heel and stalked toward the door. “See you later.”
Hunter made sure to get home for dinner, although his mind buzzed with a ten-foot-long to-do list while he poured himself some wine. Any hope for a peaceful meal vanished when his mom rang the bell. In all the hubbub, he’d forgotten to tell her the news. Or maybe he hadn’t yet fully accepted it and had subconsciously chosen not to spread the word.
“Mom.”
She blew past him and started down the hallway to the kitchen, full of animation, talking to him over her shoulder. “I heard the big news from Colby. I can’t believe neither you nor Sara called me to tell me about Gentry’s pregnancy or this adoption—”
“Sorry. It just happened. I planned to call you tonight,” he lied. He followed her, trying to catch hold of her to warn her that Gentry was in the house, but she kept talking.
“I bet Jenna is none too pleased that her daughter got knocked up by a stranger. My goodness, Gentry’s a wild one. My hair would’ve been gray by thirty if she’d been my daughter. Thank goodness you and your sister were such good kids.” His mom clucked just before entering the kitchen.
“Well, hello to you, too, Leslie.” Gentry sat, water glass raised in the air, in front of a bunch of magazines she’d strewed across the island. Sara busily stirred something that smelled like her vegetable-lentil soup, offering his mother a quick smile.
“Oh my word. I didn’t expect to see you here.” His mom avoided Gentry’s gaze and set her purse down, doing her best to cover her embarrassment from being caught gossiping.
“I’m living here now. Guess they didn’t tell you that, either.” Gentry tapped her lips with a questioning finger. “Gee, why do they like to keep you in the dark?”
“Gentry, no picking on my mom while you’re in my house.” His mom could be kooky and intrusive, but she was essentially a harmless, lonely woman.
“But it’s okay for her to rag on me even though I’m handing you my baby?” Gentry pulled a puss.
Well, there was something he hadn’t considered—did his sister plan to throw her offer in his face all the time, or use it to manipulate him? He hated that those thoughts crossed his mind, but he couldn’t quite separate Gentry from Jenna, and Jenna would do that, no doubt.
“Let’s be honest, sis.” He slung his arm around her shoulder. “She didn’t say anything that you wouldn’t normally boast about, so don’t pretend to be offended now.”
Gentry shrugged him off. “I guess I can’t argue with that. Still, you go at my mom way worse.”
“Your mom and I have worked together for half your life. It’s different. But if I were living under your roof, I wouldn’t take shots at Jenna in front of you.”
“Fair enough.” Gentry lazily turned the page of some oversize fashion magazine while tossing his mom a sidelong glance. “Sorry, Leslie.”
His mom was stunned into silence, something rare. “I’m sorry, too. I’m just shocked at this whole situation, except for the pregnancy part.”
“Mom!” Hunter ground out. “Enough.”
“What? You said if it was true, it was okay.” His mom went to give Sara a kiss hello. “Gentry’s never made a secret of her fast lifestyle. It’s part of her whole persona.”
“Everyone stop.” Sara circled one hand in the space between them all. “This is a truce zone. Everyone who enters my house will put down their weapons and be kind. Only positive energy now. There’s a life growing, and we want to surround it with love.”
Gentry leaned forward and touched her forehead to the island. “Oh boy.”
“Tell me about it,” Hunter commiserated, and when she lifted her head, he winked at her. A bubble of affection rose in his chest. No matter how different they were, he’d never be able to express his gratitude for her tremendous sacrifice. Maybe she’d earned the right to throw it in his face a time or two.
His mom’s gaze drifted from him to Gentry and back again. Her expression shifted to something he could only describe as oddly emotional. She stepped close to Gentry—close as she’d ever been—and touched her hand.
Gentry nearly flinched, unaccustomed to his mom being anything other than caustic with her.
“Gentry.” His mom cleared her throat. “I know what you’re doing has nothing at all to do with me, but I still want to thank you for doing this for Hunter and Sara. For the good of the family, motley crew that we are. It’s very brave.”
Gentry surprised Hunter by refraining from a joke or a barb. Instead, she smiled at his mom. “You’re welcome.”
The energy in the room—something he’d rarely notice or discuss, which meant his mom was having more influence on him than he enjoyed—turned nearly solemn. He stood there, with three of the four most important women in his life, feeling exposed and awkward.
Living through Sara’s IVF hormones had been tough. Now he’d have his pregnant sister, obsessed wife, and doting mother underfoot all the time. He and Sara were in the middle of a serious rough patch in their marriage, and now they’d have no privacy. And yet, Sara hadn’t looked this hopeful and excited in so long. If anything was worth the total loss of control over his life, that should be it.
In a lame-ass attempt to reassert himself somewhat, he turned to Sara. “I’m starving. Let’s eat.”
“Aren’t you glad you made it home in time?” Sara smiled at him while handing him a basket of freshly baked rolls with melted butter.
“Oh? Lots of late nights?” his mom chimed in, her gaze narrowing.
“Busy times.” Hunter set the rolls on the kitchen table, then snatched one and took a big bite.
“I remember that excuse all too well.” His mom wagged her finger.
He noticed Gentry grow still and suspected she was now only pretending to read that magazine. “It’s not an excuse, just the truth. There’s a lot happening at the office. Bethany and I are up to our ears in reports.”
Sara washed the cookie sheet that she’d used to cook the rolls, clearly avoiding eye contact with him or his mother.
“Bethany.” His mom clucked for the second time in ten minutes. “She never married, did she?”
“Not yet.” What the hell did that have to do with anything? He popped the rest of the roll in his mouth and chewed while frowning.
His mother cast a surreptitious glance at Gentry and then muttered through her teeth, “Reminds me of another ambitious upstart. Don’t you forget where your bread is buttered, Hunter.”
Gentry snickered, then covered her mouth. “Sorry.”
“Oh, for God’s sake, Mom, I’d never be unfaithful to Sara.” He scowled at his mom and then at Sara. He doubted his wife put his mom up to that remark, but she also hadn’t scoffed or otherwise made fun of it. He saw her toy with her pendant and felt marginally better. They might not have been in sync lately, but she had to know he loved her.
“I’m sure most husbands say the same thing, but something happens in those offices. Late nights working together to solve problems, celebrating wins. Pretty soon you have more in common with the people there than you do with the other people in your life, like your wife and kids . . .” His mother shook her head.
Gentry fell suspiciously quiet, gazing at his mother like she was seeing something new. She then turned on him. “Hunter, I don’t want my baby raised like me, with work-obsessed parents and nannies and everything. I also don’t want it with parents who end up divorced. I want it to have a home. A place. To belong. Promise me you won’t be like my mom and dad and give everything to your career.”
Instead of the defensiveness he’d gotten used to wearing like a coat of armor, Hunter felt an unexpected stab of sympathy for his sister. For years he’d judged her to be quite spoiled, but he’d never really considered that, all along, she’d been lonely. That all her loud clothes and louder sarcasm might actually be her crazy way of calling attention to her need to feel like part of this family.
But that feeling didn’t last, because all three women were basically accusing him of being neglectful at best and disloyal at worst. If this kind of ambush was what he got for coming home early, he wouldn’t be overly eager to repeat it. Right now, Gentry stared at him, awaiting his response.
“Sara and I haven’t discussed all this yet, but I doubt she plans on going back to work anytime soon. Maybe never. Maybe she’ll just want to keep adopting children. But whatever we decide, we’ll love our children, and they’ll have a sense of family. I’m sorry that you never felt that way, and that Colby and I didn’t do more—or even realize—that you felt left out. I was in college before you hit middle school, but that’s no excuse now.” He’d let his negative feelings about Jenna become more important than his sister, an admission that fueled a little self-loathing.
Still, he couldn’t lie or pretend that he didn’t want both a flourishing career and family. “I love my family, but I also love my work. Sustaining our family legacy matters to me. I doubt I’d be a good father or husband if I didn’t have that sense of purpose.”
“Well, if my mom has anything to say about it, you might have to find some other purpose soon.” Gentry lifted her chin, challenging him.
She clearly didn’t like his answer. He didn’t know what she expected from him now, but he wasn’t going to play games or give her any information that she could feed back to her mother.
“Let’s eat before the soup turns cold,” Sara interjected instead of supporting him. If he didn’t know better, he’d guess she’d aired some of their dirty laundry with his mother and sister. “I promise, Gentry, CTC’s fate will not affect our love for this child.”
Hunter took a seat, although his appetite had waned. He picked up another roll, but even that didn’t taste good to him now that his stomach had turned over. All around him, the women chatted, though he didn’t pay much attention to what they were saying. Halfway through the meal, he glanced up to find his mother staring at him with a solemn expression.
His skin itched from her scrutiny. In that moment, he had the oddest sensation that his whole life—his job, his marriage, his family—was built of glass and that, somewhere along the way, he’d inadvertently kicked a stone into some corner, causing a fracture that would eventually make the whole thing crumble.
Hours later, after his mom had left and his sister and Sara had watched some nighttime drama, then gone to bed, Hunter turned off the lamp on his desk and wandered upstairs in the dark.
Quietly, he stripped down to his boxers while staring at his wife, who slept peacefully on her side. He wouldn’t wake her, but he wanted to scream. Scream about how no one appreciated his way of showing love and support. About why she and everyone else kept subtly pressuring him to choose, when he believed he could have it all: the company, the wife, the child . . . happiness.
He slipped between the covers, and for the first time ever, he didn’t spoon her. He rolled on his other side and stared at the closet, trying to quiet the storm building in his head.