Hunter sat on the edge of Zoey’s bed, tucking her in. Her dark curly hair was splayed across the pillow, and her favorite stuffed dog was tucked in next to her. He turned the page of her newest book and said, “The end.”
She gave him a tired smile. “Again.”
He chuckled and would’ve indulged her if she hadn’t already nodded off in the middle of the story the first time. “Not tonight, pumpkin.” He leaned down and pressed a light kiss to her forehead. “Time to rest up. Tomorrow’s a big day. Mommy’s going to take you to your new school.”
She frowned but snuggled in closer to him and hugged her dog tighter.
“G’night, little Z,” he said, brushing her curls out of her eyes. “See you in the morning.”
“Night, Uncle Hunter,” she said sleepily, her eyes already closed.
Uncle Hunter. The words stabbed him right in the heart, and he had to choke down his emotion. Because of the distance between Hunter and Craig’s family, it had only been in the past five months that Hunter had been able to spend any significant amount of time with the sweet little girl cuddled up next to him. Unsurprisingly, it hadn’t taken any time at all for her to wrap him around her little pinky finger and give his life a new purpose. There wasn’t anything he wouldn’t do for her, even if it meant living with Vivian.
“Is she asleep?” Vivian asked when he walked into the small kitchen. She was sitting at the table, her sock-clad feet propped on one of the chairs.
He nodded, pulled a beer out of the fridge, and popped the top. After taking a long pull, he joined her at the table. Exhaustion swept over him. He’d been up since three in the morning, driving them the last leg of the trip from Las Vegas to Keating Hollow. He’d wanted to get to town before dark so they could set up Zoey and Vivian’s bed in his spare bedroom. They’d be sharing for the time being until they worked out better arrangements.
After unloading the U-Haul and setting up their room, the trio had headed into town for dinner and groceries. They’d only ended up in the bookstore after Zoey’s eyes lit up when she spotted the window display. She loved reading with her mom at night, and Hunter hadn’t been able to resist bringing her a little happiness.
If he’d known he was going to run into Faith, he might have skipped the trip inside. He’d been anxious to see her, but he hadn’t wanted to spring Vivian and Zoey on her right away. During the time he’d worked for her, it had been torture to stay away. Damn, he’d wanted her. Wanted her bad. But he’d been working for her, and it wasn’t his style to mix business with pleasure. That was the only reason he’d kept his distance. Otherwise, he’d have had her in his bed months before. He was sure of it. There’d been no denying the sparks that had erupted every time they came within three feet of each other, and nothing had changed. He’d felt the same pull the moment he’d laid eyes on her at the bookstore. But now things were… complicated.
“What are your plans for tomorrow?” Vivian asked him. “Are you going to come with us to get Zoey registered in school?”
“If you want.” He leaned back in the chair, staring her in the eye. “But after that I need to catch up with a few business contacts and see about finding new work.”
“I could go with you,” she said with a small smile. “Charm your clients. I’m good at that.”
He shook his head and bit back a harsh reply. She’d been hinting about managing his business ever since they’d decided she and Zoey would move to Keating Hollow. But he was still getting used to sharing his home life with her. Sharing his business definitely wasn’t in the cards. “I don’t think that’s the best idea. I’ve got it covered. But you can look around town and see if anyone’s hiring.”
She let out a bark of humorless laughter. “I doubt any of these dinky little businesses are looking for a sales rep. Keating Hollow isn’t exactly a metropolis bustling with commerce.”
Vivian had worked for an organic skin care company and had been on track for a promotion before Craig had been hospitalized. After his accident she’d made the choice to leave to be by his side and to care for Zoey. Hunter narrowed his eyes at her, not liking the judgment in her tone. “Just give it a chance, Vivian. Keating Hollow is full of successful people. They just might surprise you.”
She stared at him, her eyes widening in surprise. No doubt she’d recognized the irritation in his tone. She brushed her dark hair behind one ear, and her cheeks flushed as she glanced down. “Sorry. I didn’t mean for that to come out sounding so judgmental. I’m just unsettled.”
He immediately felt like a jerk. Of course she was. She’d just lost her husband of seven years and uprooted her entire life to a new town where she knew no one but him. He sucked in a breath and tried to be helpful. “Check with Abby Townsend. She has a successful line of magic-infused soaps and lotions. If she’s looking to expand, she might be interested. Or try Miss Maple at A Spoon Full of Sugar. Her chocolates are hands down the best on the west coast.”
“Okay, sure.” She didn’t sound convinced, but Hunter knew once she saw for herself how impressive their businesses were, she’d be salivating to get her hands on their products.
He sucked down the rest of his beer and stood. “It’s late. I’m headed to bed. Do you need anything?”
“Yes,” she said, getting to her feet and walking down the hall toward his bedroom.
He hurried to catch up with her. “Towels are in the bathroom closet along with extra toiletries. There are extra blankets in the hall closet. And if you need to adjust the temperature, the thermostat is at the other end of the hall. If you need more pillows—”
“Hunter,” she said, cutting him off as she turned and pressed a light hand to his chest. “I already know all of that. That’s not…” She shook her head. “Maybe we should finish this conversation in your bedroom.”
He frowned as he stared down at her. “Why?”
Her lips curved into a small, secretive smile, and she ran her hand over his shoulder and down his arm until she clasped his hand in hers and squeezed lightly. “Well, I was thinking it’s probably time to take our relationship to the next level.”
Hunter took a step back, breaking the connection. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“Sure it is. Zoey is crashed out. Nothing short of a fire alarm would wake her up now. And don’t tell me you haven’t thought about it. We were good together once, and there’s no reason why we can’t be good together again. We always did have a good time in the bedroom.”
“This can’t happen. You were married to my best friend,” he said, trying to ease the blow of his rejection. They’d dated a long time ago, before she’d hooked up with Craig. He hadn’t been in love with her then, and he wasn’t in love with her now. What she was suggesting was never going to happen. Because of Craig and Zoey, he’d be there for her always, but being her lover was off the table.
She glanced down briefly, and when she looked back up at him, her eyes were slightly glassy. “He’s gone, Hunter. He wouldn’t want me to stop living. You know that as well as I do. Is it really so awful to want to find comfort in someone’s arms? He loved you, too. He’d understand.”
Hunter’s blood ran cold. “Viv, stop. I’ve already stolen too much from him as it is. This isn’t going to happen. Let it go, please.”
She sighed. “You’re just saying that because you feel guilty.”
“No, I don’t. Go to bed, Vivian. I’ll see you in the morning.” Hunter turned and quietly let himself into his bedroom, closing the door behind him.