Chapter Thirteen
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Connor and Sadie arrived home from their honeymoon on a blustery afternoon that made it all too clear winter was fast approaching. Hunter thought the time away from Two Willows had done both of them good. He enjoyed hearing their stories about their travels in India, and the photos they’d taken were spectacular. Max was overjoyed that his master had come home, and Hunter sighed, knowing he’d miss the companionship of the little dog.
“I’m so happy to be home,” Sadie said, after they’d sat around the dining room table and talked for a while. “The garden looks good,” she said to Cass.
“I did my best,” Cass said, “but when you get out there and see how many weeds there are, you’re not going to thank me.”
“Your customers are going to be happy to see you back,” Alice said from her perch on top of the refrigerator. “I did my best to match their ailments with the proper tonics, but some of them I had to send away until you came home.”
“I can’t wait to see your house,” Sadie told Jo. “When will it be ready for you to move in?”
“It’s still going to take another couple of weeks,” Jo said. “There’s lots to do on the interior. And it got damaged a little bit when it was stolen.”
“Not too badly, though,” Hunter said. “We’ll get it done before the real weather moves in, I hope.”
“I’d be happy to help out,” Connor said. “I enjoyed building the walled garden. I wouldn’t mind another project.”
“I’ll help, too,” Brian said. “If you want me.”
Hunter looked to Jo for confirmation before he answered. She nodded. “Sure, we’d be happy to have some help.”
“Seems like this would be a good night for pizza and margaritas,” Alice said. “And a movie or two, of course,” she added.
“I was hoping somebody would say that,” Sadie said. “Don’t get me wrong; the food in India was to die for, but I’ve been looking forward to some old favorites.”
Cass and Brian headed to town to pick up the pizzas and movies. Sadie and Connor went upstairs to unpack. Alice stayed in the kitchen to assemble the rest of the meal, while Lena headed for the back door to check on the animals. Jo followed Lena, and Hunter was about to follow her when his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out automatically and stiffened when he saw the number.
“Marlon?”
“Yeah, it’s me. Got a minute to talk?”
“Of course. Where are you?”
“On base. Just wanted to give you a head’s up. I signed the divorce papers. May and I are sharing custody. We’ve worked out the visitation schedule. The Navy knows everything. And I mean everything.”
Hunter leaned heavily against the counter. “You told them—?”
“Yeah, I told them about what you did for me,” Marlon repeated. “Told them you didn’t deserve to be taken off your team. They’re being lenient to me. I guess this isn’t the first time someone’s gone off their rocker over a divorce.”
It wouldn’t be the last time either, Hunter figured. Military life could be brutal for those left at home. And for those in the service, too.
“I wish it had turned out different.”
“Me, too. But it didn’t. And I’ll survive this. Maybe it’s for the best, really. I want May to be happy, and she wasn’t happy with me. Truth be told, I haven’t been happy with her, either. Not for a long time.” Marlon took a deep, ragged breath. “I know I’ve let you down, Hunter. You did so much for me, and I just kept blowing it. I hope you’ll get another chance to get back to the career that you loved. The career you gave up for me.”
Hunter didn’t know what to say about that. It was a relief to think his name might be cleared before too much damage was done, but on the other hand he’d made a series of choices that had led him to a different life. If he was going to marry Jo, he didn’t want to return to the SEALs. He wasn’t sure he could keep a clear head if he was worried about what might happen to her at home.
“I’m getting married,” he blurted and wanted to kick himself. Marlon had just lost his wife. It wasn’t fair to crow about his happiness under the circumstances.
“You’re… what?”
“Married,” Hunter repeated. “To Jo. The woman I told you about.”
There was a long silence on the other end of the phone. “That’s… terrific. Ironic, but terrific. Really, man. I’m happy for you.”
“I know you don’t want to hear this now, but there’ll be someone else for you.”
“Maybe. I don’t know. Someday, I guess.”
Hunter could tell Marlon had something else to say.
“Why the hell are you still talking to me after all I’ve put you through?”
That was easy. Hunter owed Marlon so much he could never repay the debt. “Because if you hadn’t screwed up, I wouldn’t be here—about to marry the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“I’m glad something good came out of all of this.”
“You know, I wouldn’t be surprised if someday you look back on this and see that it’s pushed you in the right direction, too.”
“Maybe. First I’ve got to sit in the brig for a month. The Navy’s being lenient, but not that lenient. I’m actually considering re-upping.”
“Oh, yeah?” Hunter wasn’t surprised. Marlon loved being a SEAL.
“You might not believe this but it sounds like they might actually take me back. If I do some counseling. I guess I’ll lose rank…”
“Might be worth it.”
“Yeah. Might be.”
“Sounds like you might miss the wedding, though.” Hunter would’ve liked to have his friend there. He and Jo had decided to marry before winter set in.
“I’ll be there in spirit, even if I’m not there in person,” Marlon said. “But I won’t lie to you, man; it’s going to suck not to see you take those vows. I guess I always figured I’d be there for that. I’m letting you down again.”
He sounded so discouraged, Hunter stepped in to deny it. “You couldn’t let me down if you tried, you got that? All I want is for you to be happy, too. Do your time. Figure out what comes next.”
“Sounds like a plan. Good luck with your wedding. I’ll see you as soon as I can.”
Hunter had barely hung up from his call with Marlon, his heart heavy with the knowledge of all his friend would have to go through before he put his life back together again, when his phone rang a second time. It was the General.
They’d spoken after the fire, the General berating him for not being there when Jo ran into the burning stables. Hunter had accepted the blame. He thought the same thing. They’d spoken about what might happen next, about Connor being back soon. The General hadn’t given him a chance to say that he’d proposed to Jo, or what her answer had been, and in truth he’d been grateful to hang up without having that conversation on that particular day. Better to give the man a chance to calm down. He knew the General was worried for his girls—and rightly so.
“So you thought that was smart, huh?” the General said without preamble. “Lying for a friend. Taking the fall for him?”
“At the time I did,” Hunter answered truthfully.
“Lucky for you, I didn’t call you to give you a hard time,” the General said.
“You didn’t?” Hunter couldn’t keep the surprise from his voice.
“No, I didn’t. I called to say as far as the Navy is concerned, you’re off the hook, although you will get a reprimand for lying to a superior officer.”
“What exactly does that mean?” Hunter asked slowly. “I’m still a SEAL?”
“Of course you’re still a SEAL,” the General said. “You’re still in the service. You always were.”
“But my mission here—at the ranch—your daughter—”
“You mean your failed mission at my ranch? I don’t suppose that matters anymore.”
Hunter straightened, alarmed. “But—”
“Like I said, you’re off the hook. You can go back to your unit.”
“I don’t want to go back. I want to stay here. With Jo. I’m marrying her—in about three weeks. And you’re going to pull whatever strings it takes to terminate my enlistment. Because once my ring is on her finger, and she’s taken my name, I’m not leaving this ranch again. Do I make myself clear?”
Too late he realized he was shouting at the General, but the man only laughed. “I’d say you’ve made yourself perfectly clear. Sounds like your mission wasn’t so unsuccessful after all. Jo said yes?”
Hunter relaxed a little. “Yes, sir, she did. I’m sorry—”
The General spoke over him. “Good.” He sounded mighty satisfied, Hunter thought. “That’s three down; two to go,” the General went on. “Looks like the lot of you aren’t a bunch of fuck-ups after all.”
“Sir, about that wedding? Are you going to be here? Jo would like that, more than anything. She misses you a lot, you know.”
“Nah, it’s her mother she misses. Amelia should have been here for this.”
“But she can’t be, sir,” Hunter said, knowing he had to stick up for Jo. His father was out of the picture for good, but she and the General still had a chance for a relationship. “That’s why Jo needs you there to walk her down the aisle. It isn’t fair to make her walk alone.”
The general was quiet for a long time. “Not much is fair in this world, is it, Powell?”
“No. But most of it we can’t control. This you can. Come to Two Willows. For Jo. For all your girls.”
Hunter held his breath. Would the man finally give in? He hadn’t for Cass’s wedding, nor for Sadie’s. Would he for Jo’s?
The General sighed. “It’s not… possible,” he said curtly.
And hung up.
All of the horses except Atlas had found temporary homes in neighbors’ stables until they had a chance to rebuild theirs. Atlas remained skittish from his ordeal in the fire. He’d gotten somewhat singed and had cut his leg in his struggle to break out of his stall. Hunter and the other men had managed to build a makeshift stall for him in the main barn, and while he preferred Lena’s company, he allowed Jo to brush him. Jo found the exercise soothing to her nerves.
Animals were better than humans at rolling with the punches. Already, Atlas was calming down, forgetting what had happened. Jo wasn’t sure if she’d ever forget. Coming so close to losing her life a second time, she found most things simply didn’t feel important anymore. All she wanted was to get back to doing what really mattered—caring for the animals on the ranch. The people she loved.
Hunter.
When she’d woken up in the hospital, and didn’t know what had happened to him, she’d been so scared—it had been like climbing out of her own body. Now she found herself checking constantly to make sure he was still around.
Luckily, he stayed close for the most part, as if he sensed her need for him—or maybe to quench his own need for her. She saw the way he looked at her. Hungrily.
Desperately.
She was so lucky to know a love like this. Jo felt that down to her bones. To be understood—and thoroughly desired. To feel she knew the man she was going to marry. To be secure he’d always come to her aid if she needed him.
She didn’t sleep alone anymore, hadn’t since the day she’d left the hospital. They hadn’t needed to talk about it. Hunter packed the things in his room, came to her door, and she’d let him in.
Soon they’d move into their little house.
Jo couldn’t wait.
When Hunter had told her about his call to the General, and the General’s refusal to come home for the wedding, Jo had found she wasn’t as hurt as she’d thought she’d be. She realized she’d always miss the way things were in the past, but she’d grown since then.
She’d changed.
She didn’t need to moon after a father who couldn’t force himself to be near her. She had better things to do.
Other men to love.
“Ready?” Hunter asked, coming into the kitchen, where she was waiting for him.
“Ready.”
“Where are you two off to?” Sadie wandered in and opened the refrigerator. “God, I’m starving.”
“To town. To buy a ring,” Hunter answered, linking Jo’s arm with his own.
Sadie straightened. “Pick a good one, Jo. Get exactly what you want. You only get to do it once.”
When they arrived at Thayer’s, Jo was uneasy. She didn’t wear much jewelry and wasn’t sure what she wanted. She knew some women kept up to date on styles and probably picked out their rings years in advance. She’d never really paid much attention to that kind of thing.
Rose Johnson greeted them and indicated the glass cases where the engagement rings were stored. “Take your time,” she told them. “Give me a holler when you’re ready for me.”
Jo was grateful when she moved away again.
“See anything you like?” Hunter asked.
She found it hard to answer. What if she chose wrong? What if—?
“There are a lot of them,” he added, and he sounded as bewildered as she felt.
“This is going to be boring for you,” Jo said apologetically. “It might take time for me to decide.”
“Hey, listen.” He cupped her chin in his hand and bent down to kiss her. “I’m never bored when I’m with you. Never. Take all the time you want. Do we need to come up with a method to figure this out?”
Jo smiled, falling in love with her fiancé all over again as he motioned Rose over. “I think we’re going to need to see all of them,” he went on. “Jo needs to try on every single one.”
Jo’s mouth dropped open. “I don’t need—”
“A woman after my own heart,” Rose said happily. She opened the case and began to bring out trays. She put a small silver salver beside them. “Put any contenders on here. We’ll keep comparing them until we’ve got one left.”
She went away again, leaving Jo and Hunter to it, and the next hour and a half was one of the happiest times of Jo’s life. Hunter made her try on every single one, even the gaudiest, most hideous ones that Jo figured were left over from when Rose’s predecessor owned the store. She laughed until she cried at the monstrosities Hunter added to the little silver tray, but in the end there was only one that truly caught her heart.
It was a very refined, very grown-up silver ring with a single diamond in a simple setting.
“Are you sure? There are fancier ones,” Hunter asked her.
“This is the one. I’m sure of it.” It was feminine, but it was strong, too, and that’s how she felt. It was the kind of ring worn by a woman who knew her worth shone forth from her actions, not her wardrobe.
Jo handed it to Rose, and Rose held it a moment, then smiled a smile that was so warm, so full of happiness and genuine respect, Jo knew she’d chosen wisely.
“You two are going to have an amazing life together,” Rose told them, and Jo took Hunter’s hand. He squeezed hers in turn.
“Yes, we are,” he said.
It had been over a week since Marlon’s last call. Hunter wondered how he was faring in the military prison. He’d hoped the Navy would commute the sentence given the circumstances, but it seemed like Marlon was going to serve his full time.
He knew he couldn’t control any of that, and none of his worrying would change anything. It was up to Marlon to live his life now. To figure out how he wanted to proceed.
Meanwhile, he had a call to make he’d been putting off. He was due to wed in two weeks, and he still hadn’t invited his mother. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to—or if she’d want to come. It would mean leaving Alabama, for one thing, and she only did that on her monthly trips to see her aunt.
Speaking of which, was he supposed to invite Great-aunt Minnie, too? He hadn’t seen her since he was a child. His mom had always waved off his half-hearted offers to join her on her visits, saying Minnie rarely spoke much anymore and there was no sense having the two of them sitting in silent vigil while she rested.
Still, he probably should issue that invitation. Grateful for the excuse to put off the call to his mother, he looked up the number for the Southern Skies Care Facility, punched it in and waited until a receptionist answered his call.
“I’d like to find out how to address a letter to one of your residents,” he said. “Her name is Minnie Powell.”
“Minnie Powell,” the woman repeated. “Hold one moment.” She came back after a few seconds. “I’m sorry; we don’t have anyone by that name here.”
“Yes, you do. Check again,” Hunter told her. She probably was new to the job, he thought as she put him on hold again. When she came back, she was apologetic.
“Sorry for the delay, sir. I asked the office manager and we had to search the old files. Minnie hasn’t lived here these past nineteen years, but once she saw the photograph the office manager remembered her. Says Minnie was a hoot.”
“Nineteen years? Where’d she go?”
“The office manager? She’s right here. Do you want to speak with her?”
“No, I mean—” It was too late. A new voice came on the line, low and husky with age.
“This is Sarah Dunsworth. How can I help you?”
“I’m trying to find my great-aunt, Minnie Powell. Do you know where’s she’s gone?”
A long silence greeted his question. “I’m sorry,” Sarah said finally. “Minnie passed away nineteen years ago.”
Hunter was still reeling when he called his mother. He didn’t bother with pleasantries when she picked up.
“What the hell do you do when you go to Georgia?” he demanded.
The sound that escaped her told him she knew she’d been found out. “I go to see Drake,” she said simply when she spoke. “We spend the weekend together.”
Everything he thought he knew—about his mother, about his relationship to her—crashed down around him. “You spend—what about Aunt Minnie?”
“I used to visit her, too. Until she died. Now I stop by the cemetary.”
“You never said—”
“No. I never did. Those were the terms. That’s what Drake and I agreed.”
“But he—he wouldn’t even acknowledge me.” Hunter couldn’t believe this. His mother had carried on a relationship with Drake all this time? “He practically threw me out of his house when I confronted him.”
“No, he didn’t. He asked you to leave,” she said in a measured voice. “And I’m sorry you couldn’t have more than that from him.”
“I didn’t have anything from him!” He tried to get himself under control, but he knew he was failing. This was too much. Didn’t she understand what his childhood had been like? Didn’t she know how often he’d longed for a father to complete their family? And she’d been seeing him all along?
“You had a living from him, until you walked away from that. He paid child support like clockwork. You really think we afforded our house on a stenographer’s salary? You think my income paid for Scouts? Sports? Restaurants?”
Hunter couldn’t find an answer. That was supposed to make up for the father he’d never had? For the shame he’d always felt?
“How could you—?”
“Love someone? A man who wouldn’t ditch his wife when he fell in love with someone else? Is that what you’d have had me do—force him to ruin someone else’s life when it wasn’t her fault?”
“You think you’ve made things better for Drake’s wife by sleeping with him once a month?” Hunter was incredulous. He couldn’t believe they were even having this conversation.
“Do you think I’m the kind of person who would think that?” his mother retorted. “Life is complicated. You should know that by now.”
He did know that, but he still couldn’t understand. “I couldn’t hang around and wait for stolen weekends with the woman I love—the woman I’m going to marry. If she had a husband, I’d leave her alone. It wouldn’t be right otherwise.”
“Hunter—” His mother broke off. “You’re a man, and things are so black and white for you. I don’t know if you can understand it. I hardly understood it myself when it all started. That’s why I never talked to you about it.”
“Try me,” Hunter growled. There was nothing she could say that would make this situation acceptable.
“Drake’s wife, Melissa—she’s the one who found me.”
He stopped pacing. “Found you? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“She’s the one who hired me—for the stenographer position in Drake’s court. She’s the one who arranged for Drake and I to be together.”
She waited, and Hunter didn’t know what to say. “Why would she do that?” What had his mother been involved in? Did he even want to know?
“Do I have to spell it out for you?” his mother said exasperatedly. “Not everyone enjoys sex, Hunter,” his mother said bluntly. “She put up with it until she had her girl and her boy. Then she drew the line. Told Drake she was done. Told him he needed to make arrangements. That’s what I was supposed to be. An arrangement. We spent the weekend together once a month when the two of them were supposed to be visiting their vacation home in Orange Beach. She went and had fun with her family at the shore. He met me in Georgia. It was all supposed to be neat and tidy, except I was young. I screwed up. Missed a couple of pills.” His mother sighed. “There was hell to pay for that, but then Melissa decided it was the best thing for all of us. It tied me to Drake. Tied him to me, too. She didn’t want a scandal; didn’t want her husband carousing with a string of women over the years and she didn’t want to leave him, either. She wanted the life he gave her—a nice house, the chance to be a stay at home mom. A position in the community. She came up with a generous figure for child support. We kept all the other aspects of the arrangement the same. But now I knew the rules. No more children.”
“And you put up with that?” Hunter was so flabbergasted, he didn’t know where to turn. His mother had always seemed so self-contained. So utterly impervious to the passions that ruled other human beings. Now he was supposed to believe she’d arranged her whole life to be a good mistress to a married man?
“You know what? None of that makes me feel embarrassed,” his mother told him. “Here’s the only thing that does. I learned something about myself. Something that doesn’t fit with the way other people think I should be.”
“What’s that?”
“I don’t want a husband. Never did.” She let that sink in. “I made no bones about it. I’d had a proposal before, you know. My high school boyfriend wanted a traditional wife. I knew I couldn’t do it even back then. Maybe Melissa had heard about that. I don’t know. I’m a loner, Hunter. I don’t like to do all those things other people like to do. I don’t like groups. I don’t like big family gatherings. I don’t want to tailor my activities to what everyone else wants to do. If I had to live with Drake all the time, I’d… I don’t know what I’d do.”
Hunter was staggered. He didn’t know what to think of any of this. The way he felt for Jo—he couldn’t get enough of her. The idea of seeing her once a month would kill him “Mom—”
“Sweetie, I know. This is hard to hear. But it shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. I let Sue-Ann Frank practically raise you. Most women wouldn’t allow another woman to co-opt her child like that.”
“She didn’t co-opt me,” Hunter protested.
“No, she saved us. Both of us. I have loved you every second of your life—with every fiber of my being. I tried so hard to be a good mother to you. I also saw right away that the Franks could give you everything Drake and I couldn’t. All those boisterous dinners and fun times you craved. Not to mention all the things you learned from working with them on their ranch. I don’t know how to ride a horse, or care for cattle, or anything like that. They stepped in and gave it all to you without me even asking.” His mother was silent for a moment. “I have thanked God every day for the last thirty-four years he put me next to Heartfelt Acres when I moved home to Finley. I’m very aware of everything good that came from that. I knew I couldn’t give you a father, or be exactly the mother you deserved, so I let the Franks fill in the gaps. I’d hoped it would be enough. I see now that it wasn’t.”
“No, it wasn’t.” Although Hunter had to admit he’d felt like part of the family over at Heartfelt Acres, still it wasn’t the same thing as having a family of his own.
“I can just about hear the gears turning in your head. Try to remember that everyone is different,” his mother begged him. “Melissa loves everything about Drake that I don’t. She wants him there in the morning when she wakes up and there when she goes to bed at night. She wants to hear about every part of his day and talk to him about everything to do with their kids. That’s not what I want. I want my home life to myself. I want time to pursue my own quiet passions. I want to be able to dream and think and write poetry without interruption. And when I’m with Drake I want to have fun. I want it to be separate from the cares of my day-to-day life. Does that make sense?”
“What about me?”
His mother sighed. “You got the short end of the stick in every way, didn’t you? I am sorry for that. More than I can say.”
Hunter didn’t know what to say. Didn’t know what to think.
“None of us were anticipating a child when we started our arrangement. I know this isn’t easy to hear, and I know you’ll have some thinking to do before you can come to terms with it, but I think you’ll understand in time. We all did the best we could,” his mother said quietly. “Now, this woman. The one you love. The one you’re going to marry—”
“I’ve got to go.” Hunter hung up.
He needed to go find Jo. She’d know how to make sense of this.
“The cabinets arrived,” Jo said to Hunter when he met her out back. A crew from Renfrew’s was unloading their truck and she paced around them, hardly able to wait to finish the tiny house kitchen. “Do you have time to help me install them?”
“Sure.” He seemed distracted, though.
“Something wrong?”
“Yeah—no. I don’t know.” He pressed both hands to his temples, then dropped them to his sides, shaking them out like he needed to shake off something disgusting. Jo became concerned.
“Hang on,” she said. He really didn’t look good at all. Jo thanked the drivers and pocketed the invoice they gave her, and when the truck trundled off up the driveway, she turned her full attention on him. “What’s going on?”
Hunter gave her a brief rundown of the phone call he’d had with his mother, and Jo didn’t blame him for looking shell-shocked. “So she’s been seeing Drake all this time?”
“And she never breathed a word of it; not to me, not to anyone, as far as I can tell. Why did she do that?”
“Because she loved him,” Jo said without hesitation. It was clear to her—especially after she’d read Gwen’s poems. “She loved him, and she loved you, too. She was willing to accept what she could get in the circumstances. She made a choice. A hard choice.”
“I don’t see how any of them could agree to a setup like that.” He seemed to find it hard to stand still. She’d never seen him so agitated.
“It’s not ideal, and I don’t think it was easy for her,” Jo said, wishing she could soothe him. “That’s what her poetry is all about. Have you read any of it?”
He made a face. “Some. When I was younger. I didn’t get it.”
“It’s about… nature,” Jo said slowly, finding it easier to understand now. “Nature in both senses of the world. What’s out there and what’s inside of us. How nature is beautiful and fierce and we are, too. How we like to pretend we have this veneer of society, but when the hard times come, that falls away and reveals who we really are. It’s about choices. Choosing the path that aligns with who you really are. I think that’s what she tried to do—be herself. Not what society wanted her to be.”
“Why didn’t she ever tell me the truth?” he demanded.
“Because she probably never wanted to hear what I’m hearing in your voice right now. Anger. Disgust. She loves you, Hunter.”
“Of course I’m angry.” He ignored the second half of what Jo had said. “I grew up without a father!”
“So have a lot of people,” she pointed out quietly.
Hunter rubbed a hand over his mouth. “That doesn’t make it any better. I don’t know what to do.”
Jo thought about that. “I’m not sure there is anything to do,” she said slowly, running a hand along the top of one of the cabinets the men from Renfrew’s had unloaded. “She’s your mom, Hunter. That hasn’t changed. None of the circumstances have. She still wants to be in your life.”
“But my dad doesn’t.”
“No. Because he doesn’t want to hurt his wife. He made an agreement with her and he’s sticking to it.”
“His wife chose my mother to be his mistress. So what gives her the right to dictate whether or not we talk to each other?” Hunter shook his head. Lifted his hands. “I should be angry.”
“You just said you were.”
“Angrier.” He sounded fed up. Tired.
“It doesn’t help,” she blurted. Unexpected pain welled inside her because it was true. Being angry hadn’t ever helped. She still wasn’t any closer to the General despite all her rage. Nothing had changed or gotten better. Quite the contrary. The distance between them had grown, if anything.
When she looked up, Hunter’s gaze was resting on her. “We can’t change our parents as much as we might want to,” she went on. “We can’t control anyone but ourselves. All we can do is make a decision. Do we want the people we love close to us or not?”
“Do you want the General close to you?” he demanded.
That was hard to answer. She was so angry with him for not being there when she needed a parent. On the other hand, she understood now in a way she hadn’t when she was young how much her mother’s death had devastated him. And he’d sent Hunter to her. Had he been trying to make amends?
“I’m… open to giving him another chance,” she said finally. “Maybe. But I won’t fight for his attention. Now he’ll have to fight for mine. How about you? Do you want a relationship with your mother?”
“I don’t know. I shouldn’t. But… yeah,” he said raggedly. “I do. I can’t see shutting her out. No matter what she’s done. But as far as I’m concerned, I don’t have a dad.”
“I can understand that.” Jo took both of his hands and faced him. “Maybe the important thing now is you and me. Maybe it’s time to focus on our family, and leave everyone else to sort themselves out.”
Hunter moved to pull her into an embrace. “That makes a lot of sense to me. No matter what anyone else does, you’ve got me from now on. I hope you know that.”
She knew that. Every touch confirmed his determination on that front. “You’ve got me, too. Whatever happens, we’ll be here for each other. We’ll stay strong.”
He smiled suddenly. “You’re right. Who gives a damn what anyone else does as long as I’ve got you.”
“You’ve got me.” She went up on tiptoe to meet his kiss. This was enough for her. He was enough for her.
He was everything.
When his phone rang early the next morning and he recognized the number as the Franks’, Hunter was reluctant to answer it. He hadn’t heard from any of them in weeks, and he wasn’t sure what they thought of him now. After yesterday’s revelations, he wasn’t sure he was ready for any more drama, either. He’d decided he’d call his mother later and formally invite her to the wedding. It would take some time to repair his relationship with her fully, but keeping her from the celebration wasn’t any way to start the next phase of his life. He’d try to be adult about this. Try to see her side.
As difficult as that was.
“Hunter Powell, you idiot,” Sue-Ann said without preamble when he picked up. “How could you be so stupid?”
This was worse than he’d imagined. Hunter told himself he deserved it; he hadn’t managed to keep Marlon out of trouble, after all.
“How could you throw away your career for my son when my son was doing his damnedest to ruin everything?” she went on. She was in full-on scolding mode, mothering him like she’d always used to when he was young.
“I wanted to give him another chance—”
“When someone is that determined to undermine himself, there’s nothing you can do to stop it. Don’t you know that?”
“I do now,” he admitted. “But this is Marlon we’re talking about. You know everything he did for me—that you all did for me.”
“Your mother lives next door to me,” Sue-Ann said as if she hadn’t heard his objections. “How am I supposed to hold my head up when my child has tanked your career? She’s going to blame me for that. You know she will.”
“She won’t blame you. Besides, Marlon didn’t tank my career. I’m leaving the SEALs voluntarily.” Hunter didn’t think his mother would have much to say to anyone just now, anyway.
“Thank you for everything you did to help him,” she said, softening. “You went out on a limb. I know this is all on Marlon. He took a wrong turn. Married the wrong girl. We all knew it. It took me days to brace myself for this phone call,” she admitted. “When I think of everything I said—”
“Don’t mention it. You were worried about me. Besides, I think Marlon will recover—now that the hard part is over.”
“I sure hope so.”
Hunter wasn’t sure what to say next. He wanted to tell her about the wedding, but it seemed callous to talk about something that made him so happy when Marlon was still in the brig.
As if she’d read his mind, she added, “He told me about Jo. I’m so happy for you both. I can’t wait to meet the woman who’s won your heart.”
“You know I’d like you all to be at the wedding, but I understand—”
“Hunter Powell, we will be at your wedding, you can depend on that. It’ll be a good reminder there’ll be more happy times ahead. We could use that,” she added.
“I’m glad you’re coming. That means a lot to me.”
He only wished Marlon could be there, too.
All the damage had been repaired in Alice’s carriage house studio, and with the large windows letting light spill into her sewing room, Jo was able to keep her mind on their childhood romps in the large space instead of the unpleasantness that had happened here recently.
She had tested herself coming up the stairs. Only weeks ago, she’d fired a shot that had helped kill a man here on the upper landing, but Alice must have used some of Sadie’s sage to clear the space of bad vibrations. Jo felt no trace of that horrible encounter; only the light and life that had always imbued Alice’s studio.
“Where’s Alice?” she asked Cass when she entered the main room to find her sister holding up their mother’s wedding dress. Cass had worn it to marry Brian. Sadie had worn it to marry Connor. Now it was Jo’s turn. How would she look in it?
Ridiculous?
No, she wouldn’t look ridiculous, she told herself; Alice would see to that. Still, she remained curious and a little unsettled when she tried to picture herself at the altar, pledging herself to Hunter.
“Alice will be here in a minute.” Cass carried the dress over and held it up. “You’re going to look beautiful. Put it on.”
“You don’t think I’m rushing things?” Jo asked lightly as she stripped down to her bra and panties and pulled the gown over her head. She was glad she’d cleaned up after another morning of working on the house. It was really coming together now that the other men were pitching in.
“No. Oddly enough, I don’t. I think Hunter is one in a million, and the way the two of you are together is a revelation,” Cass admitted. “Sometimes I think I don’t know you at all.”
Jo, midway into the dress, stopped, confused, before fighting her way through until her head was clear of the fabric. “What do you mean?”
“It’s my fault,” Cass said. “I see that now. I’ve tried to keep you young. I’ve treated you like you never got past seventeen. I think… I think I was afraid to let you grow up. Because that meant it would be over.”
“What would be over?” Jo slid the gown the rest of the way down and turned around so Cass could do up the back.
“Our childhoods,” Cass said softly. “I think I hoped… that if I could just hold on… maybe Mom would come back. Or Dad. But they never did.”
Jo turned to face her. Took her sister’s hands. “But we’ve got each other. That’s what matters. That’s what you always told us.”
Cass blinked rapidly. “If you only knew how many times I didn’t know what to say—didn’t know what to do. I was so scared, so much of the time. So terrified I’d get it wrong. I couldn’t be her. I tried—”
Jo caught Cass in her arms and held her.
“What if I’m a bad mother to my own child?” Cass said, gulping back tears. “What if I mess everything up?”
“You won’t. You did a fantastic job. I mean it, Cass; I couldn’t have asked for a better mother, even if you were my sister.”
“But I didn’t protect you from Sean. I didn’t stop Grant—”
“I didn’t need you to.” Jo realized she was speaking the truth. “I needed to stand up for myself. I needed to be myself. You couldn’t do that for me.”
Cass pulled back and searched her face. “You mean that? You’re all right, after everything? You don’t hate me for the times I’ve gotten it so wrong?”
“You’re my sister. That means everything to me,” Jo said fiercely. “All I remember is the times you got it right.”
“We have to make things safe before I have this child.” Cass lay a hand on her belly. “I don’t know how, but we have to.”
“We will,” Jo told her. “Somehow we will.”
Alice appeared at the top of the stairs, a phone in her hand. “It’s for you,” she said to Jo. “It’s the General,” she added in a whisper.
Jo took the phone reluctantly, remembering what she’d said to Hunter. “Hello?”
“Jo. Heard about the wedding.” The General’s voice was gruff. She recognized this tone. All business, as if they spoke all the time.
“Heard you’re not coming,” she retorted.
Silence greeted this. “Look,” he said finally. “This job—”
Jo meant to scoff, but the sound that came from her mouth was more of a sob. “This… job?” Was he for real? Did he think she was still a child to be fooled by a lie like that?
As if he’d heard her thoughts loud and clear, the General fell silent again. When he spoke again, his voice had changed. Grown thin. He sounded… old. “Look, Jo. I’m… trying.”
Jo held her breath. She didn’t have to touch her father to know he was finally telling the truth.
“Your mother,” he went on. “I… miss her.”
“I miss her too.”
“I’ve let you down—so many times.”
Jo swallowed, not knowing what to say. She couldn’t deny it.
“You’re still my soldier. My little soldier. My girl. I’m still so proud of you. I wish—”
He cleared his throat—a strangled sound. Jo waited for him to finish. She barely heard the quiet click. She didn’t realize he’d ended the call until the dial tone sounded.
Jo clutched the phone, tears streaming down her face. Alice moved to take it from her hand, then wrapped her in a tight embrace. Cass joined them, encircling both of them in her arms.
Sadie and Lena, who’d just clattered up the carriage house stairs to join them, came to a halt. When they took in the scene, they quickly moved to join them.
“We’ve got each other,” Cass said firmly, as if she’d heard everything the General had said—and didn’t say. “We’ve got each other and we always will. No matter what.”
“Finished. Without a moment to spare,” Hunter said several days later. He put away his tools and stood next to Jo, both of them surveying the small house they’d built together. The board and batten exterior was painted a weathered gray, the windows trimmed in white. They’d built a brick walkway from the dirt track to the front door and put up a square of picket fencing around the yard. Sadie had already planted shrubs and bulbs inside its perimeter and promised to put in a full garden come spring. It looked snug and tidy, and Hunter was proud of it. He had to admit Jo had done a great job designing the interior and they’d managed to work together to iron out the difficulties that cropped up during the building of it.
“I can’t believe it’s done. I was beginning to think it never would be.” Jo pushed the hair that had escaped her pony tail out of her eyes. She’d been quiet the past few days and Cass had filled him in on her phone call with the General. Hunter had made sure to stick close to Jo and she’d shared more details with when she was ready. She seemed calm. At peace. “He misses my mom,” she’d said simply. “I think I understand that all the way now.”
“Think you’ll have the stamina to build a bigger house in the spring?” Hunter asked Jo.
She hesitated long enough he laughed long and hard.
“By spring we’ll have forgotten how difficult this was. Right?” she asked.
“Yeah. And we’ll probably be so sick of stepping on each other we’ll be ready for more space.”
“We haven’t even moved in and already you’re complaining?” She elbowed him.
He was happy to see her good humor returning. “I won’t be complaining one bit when we move in. I’m looking forward to a little privacy. You and I can make some noise tonight.”
“We could make some noise right now.”
“Hell, yeah.” Hunter was all over that. With a hammer tucked through her belt loop and a smudge of dirt on her cheekbone, Jo looked delicious. He held open the door. “After you.”
Jo tossed her hammer aside and hurried up the two front steps and inside the little house. Hunter quickly followed. Inside, they stopped to admire the wooden cabinetry, the hand-hewn slab countertops, the tile backsplash and crisp, new stainless-steel appliances.
“We could do it right here,” Hunter said. “Or we could go up to the bedroom.”
“Or we could do it everywhere.” She looked up at him from under her lashes.
“Sounds fine to me.” He pulled her close, leaned back to shut and lock the door, then began to undress her. He’d gotten good at that the past few weeks. Jo got to work on his clothes, too, but both of them soon lost patience, and his jeans were still tangled around his ankles and her bra still on when he pulled on a condom, lifted her on the kitchen counter and she wrapped her legs around his waist. Her back was angled awkwardly against the upper cabinets, so when he’d filled her, and tried to pump into her a couple of times, Hunter decided they needed to find somewhere else.
He held her as he kicked his boots and jeans the rest of the way off, keeping up a rhythm as best he could to keep both of them happy in the meantime, then lifted her up and walked toward the back of the house to lean her against the ladder that led to the loft.
He’d only meant to pause while picking their next spot, but he couldn’t help himself. Bracing her there, he pumped into her again, one hand gripping her bottom, the other cradling her to shield her back from the hard rungs.
Jo dug her fingers into his shoulders and pressed her mouth to his neck, her soft moans music to his ears as he moved inside her. God she was hot. Slick with need for him. Urging him on with the movement of her hips.
This couldn’t be comfortable for Jo, though. Hunter glanced around. Should they try the couch? He picked her up again and lurched over to it, nearly dropping her as he tried to lay her down. All the while, Jo kept her legs wrapped around him—kept urging him to keep up his rhythm.
This was easier.
Sort of.
He thrust into her again.
The couch was a little short for his tall frame, and Hunter found himself half crouched on the floor, half perched on the cushions trying to get leverage he needed. For her part, Jo did the best she could, but now she was clinging to the back of the couch as well as his shoulder, as if afraid they’d slide off it altogether. Her positon brought her breasts up near his face and he took the opportunity to lavish them with attention. He loved Jo’s breasts. Love the heft of them in his hands.
Not that he had a hand to spare—he was holding on to the couch, too.
“Don’t let me fall!” Jo shrieked as they began to slip.
“Upstairs?” he gasped. She felt so good, he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d need no matter where they were.
“Yes. Hurry.”
Hunter didn’t need to be told twice. He scooped her up again, steadied himself, took two steps to the ladder and began to climb.
Carefully.
“Faster!” Jo rocked against him. “God, you feel good.”
“I know what you mean.” He finally made it to the top of the ladder and crawled forward, Jo dangling underneath him like a sloth hanging from a branch. She began to shake and Hunter realized she was laughing. “What?” he demanded.
“Would you pick a place and make love to me?”
“You said you wanted to christen the whole house.”
“Not in one go. You need to focus—oh.” She sighed as he set her down and stroked into her.
This was better. Now they were on their bed, in their loft. At night they’d be able to see the stars out of the skylights in the roof. For now the autumn sun shone through and warmed his skin. As he pumped into Jo, he felt the rightness of it.
This was where he belonged. This was their home.
The one they’d built together.
He picked up his pace and Jo clung to him. She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts.
Nothing felt like Jo. He could do this all day, every day.
“Oh, you feel good. So good.” She arched back and moaned.
Hunter thought he’d never seen anything as sexy as Jo giving herself utterly to him. Never heard anything as sexy as her cries as she came. For once they didn’t have to be quiet. Overtaken by his own release, he thrust into her again and again, until he collapsed on top of her, absolutely drained.
“I love you,” he whispered into her hair. “Jo Reed, I love you. I want to spend my life with you. Every day of it.”
“That’s what I want, too.”
“Do you want children?” Jo asked later, after they’d made love again, more slowly this time. They were still lying on their bed, watching puffy white clouds drift past in a sky so bright blue it made her eyes hurt to look at it. She wasn’t sure where the question came from, except that they were marrying soon. It would be good to know.
“I think so.”
“You don’t sound sure.”
Hunter twirled a strand of her hair around his finger. She could see him considering what to say.
“Neither of our fathers are anything to write home about. I don’t want to be like that. But what if I am?”
“Do you think you’ll be like that?”
“No,” he said. The corner of his mouth tugged up. “But does anyone think they’ll be a failure as a parent?”
“Probably not. Here’s the thing, though. We’ve both been on the receiving end of absentee parenting. We know what it feels like. Don’t you think that’ll keep us in line?”
“And if that doesn’t work, we can keep each other in line.” He kissed her.
“I know how to be loyal. So do you. We’ve both proved that.”
“That’s true.” He gave her a considering look. “So when do you want to have kids?”
She felt her cheeks heat. “I don’t know.”
As he gathered her close, Jo sighed, so in love with her husband to be.
“Now?” he asked her.
“Maybe.” She kissed the underside of his chin. Hunter rolled her over until she was astride him. She could feel the stirrings of his interest underneath her and she smiled, anticipating taking him inside again.
This time would be different.
No condom for one thing.
“That was fast,” she said as she rocked against him. He’d grown hard already.
“You’re damn sexy.”
As she leaned forward to kiss him, he palmed her breasts in his hands and Jo murmured her approval against his mouth. She lifted up to allow him to move into a better position, then eased down until she felt him nudging against her.
He felt wonderful—like he always did, no matter how many times they made love. When he palmed her breasts again, and leaned forward to take one sensitive nipple into his mouth, Jo groaned.
She settled down over him as he pushed into her, sighing as he slowly eased inside. Hunter filled her perfectly, and as soon as she’d taken him in, she couldn’t help but begin to move rhythmically. She lifted up and down in time with his thrusts, arched her back to give him access to her breasts, and closed her eyes, loving his touch, loving the way he moved inside her.
Soon she’d lost track of everything except the way Hunter was making her feel, and she was so close to the brink that every stroke of him inside her was liquid fire. She couldn’t get enough of him. Couldn’t get close enough to him. She wanted more.
More—
Jo cried out as she crashed over the edge, pulsing with ecstasy, her body thrumming with waves of feeling. Hunter picked up his pace, thrusting into her until he came, too, his grunts echoing her cries.
Jo held on through his orgasm, her body revving up until she shuddered through a second one of her own, surprising her with its intensity.
By the time she collapsed on top of him, they were both panting.
That… was… incredible,” Hunter said.
She could only nod.
“We’ll have to do that a lot,” he went on. “Takes a lot of work to make a baby, you know.”
“Sounds good to me.”