Chapter Six
Hunter
Over the back of the couch, a small mop of spiky hair peeks up, followed by a pair of cautious blue eyes looking to the left then to the right. I’ve stalked lions that were easier to get on film than my escape artist of a nephew Matthew. The kid can hear the zipper on my camera bag a mile away. But I’ve got him this time. I hold my position crouched down behind the kitchen island. My camera focused and at the ready. Once he sees the coast is clear, Matthew crawls along the couch to where Brooke is lying with her feet up and rubbing her bump with one hand, while she chows down on her sixth grilled cheese of the day. Apparently, baby Logan is a grilled cheese addict. As Matthew leans in to give his mother’s belly a kiss, I quietly rise up and snap a picture of the precious moment.
“YES, I finally got it!” I shout out my victory. Matthew snaps his head in my direction, then like a bolt of lightning, he races out of the room. Brooke lets out a roar of laughter.
“You realize he is going to have a complex with having his picture taken.” Brooke snickers before she pops the last of her sandwich into her mouth.
“I wouldn’t have to go to such extremes to get his picture if he was more like Ella,” I reply, setting my camera on the counter. Ella loves being in front of the camera. I’ve been her personal photographer since I shot the photos for her birth announcements, and I will be the only one to capture the biggest moments in her life. The day she graduates from high school, her wedding day, and when she has babies. Matthew might be a little tougher to get on film, but I’ll hide in trees and behind counters to document that kid’s life. I grab a bottle of beer from the fridge and join Brooke on the couch.
“Hunter, did you seriously order another camera?” Brooke asks, handing me my phone. On the screen is a shipping notification for the camera I ordered for Bailey.
“What are you doing snooping on my phone?” I take the phone from her and give her side eye.
“One, don’t leave your phone out for people to see and two, you used to snoop in my diary all the time when we were kids,” she reminds me.
“Hey, I was just making sure my sister was being safe.”
“Well little did you know that was not my real diary. It was the fake one I made to throw you off.” She chuckles manically.
“You devious little bitch.” I shake my head.
“You were always up in my business, I needed some place that was just for me.”
“I was just looking out for my baby sister. I didn’t buy the camera for me, I bought it for Bailey,” I admit.
“And why did you buy a camera for Miss Bailey?” she asks, resting her head back on her hand, while the other hand continues to rub her bump.
“I was showing my new place to Lucy and Bailey the other day, and Bailey was fascinated by my camera collection. She had so much fun playing around with them, I thought I would get her one of her own.”
Brooke cocks an eyebrow up at me, and I know what she is going to say. Brooke hasn’t been the biggest fan of me hanging around Lucy. Once she sees that I’ve changed, that I want to be the man that deserves a woman like Lucy, she will be happy for us.
“Before you say a word Brookie, I’m not doing this for any other reason than to give Bailey a gift and teach her how to take pictures. That’s all.” And it’s the honest truth. My mom always encouraged me to try new things and take risks, and I want to teach Bailey the same thing.
“Sure it is, Hunter.” You could cut the sarcastic tone in her voice with a knife.
“I’m not doing this to win points with Lucy, so I can get into her pants. I’m not that big of an asshole.”
“Your past actions would say otherwise.”
I deserve that. I’ve treated women like objects for most of my life.
“I know I don’t have the greatest reputation when it comes to women, but neither did Brian when you first met him, and he changed. People can change.” She can’t deny that fact. “Bailey is a sweet kid, and I wanted to do something nice for her, that’s all.”
“Okay, but please promise me you won’t do anything to hurt Lucy. She has lost so much in her life, she doesn’t deserve anymore heart break.”
“I promise.” In my head I swear on my life I will never hurt Lucy. She is my queen, and I will do everything in my power to make her smile every single day of our lives.
“If you ever break that promise I will end you,” she threatens. And that is a threat I take very seriously, especially after the ass ripping she gave me after I promised to be there for her at the cemetery on the anniversary of our mom’s passing and I didn’t show. She put the fear of God in me and she was only ten. Lesson learned that day, don’t fuck with Brooke.
“That is a promise I will never break,” I reassure her.
“You know what sounds good, cheese fries.” Brooke’s eyes widen.
“Way to change the subject, Sis.” I chuckle.
“With bacon crumbles, onions. Oh, and chili. Yes chili.”
“Good lord, Brooke, you have the appetite of a drunk guy at a football game.” I laugh.
“This is nothing. Last week I ate an entire large pepperoni pizza by myself. Brian didn’t know whether to be impressed or horrified.”
“I’m guessing in the end he was impressed, cause I’m pretty impressed right now.” We both laugh. Watching Brooke eat when she is pregnant is like watching a linebacker eat. I wonder what Lucy would be like when she is pregnant. This is something I have thought a lot about since Brooke announced she was pregnant again. I’d love to watch Lucy’s body change as our baby grows inside her. Fulfill all her wild food cravings. To have a family with her would be a dream come true. A dream she has brought back to the forefront of my mind. I want everything that Brooke has with Brian, that crazy in love kind of relationship. Where you can’t tell where one person ends and the other begins. I want that with Lucy. It’s a matter of convincing Lucy how good we can be together and getting Brooke on board with the idea of Lucy and I together.