An hour ago, he checked her channel again. She’d taken it down. He’d lost his last connection with her. That’s why he was at K&Bs. Hopefully Maude and X could at least let him know if Britt was all right.
Hunter walked into the store, trying to tamp down the nervous energy running through him. He wasn’t surprised that it wasempty. It was Monday, after all. He inhaled the sweet scent of vanilla and... ginger? Cinnamon? Whatever it was, it smelled like a snickerdoodle. Maude must have taken over X’s diffuser today.
They were both behind the front counter, their eyes wide as they stared at him.Uh-oh.Maybe he shouldn’t have come. Maude and X would be protective of Britt, just like Daniel was. That’s why Hunter hadn’t asked him about her, although the guy was cordial to him during their golf game. No matter what, Daniel would be on Britt’s side. Hunter would feel the same way if he had a daughter.
Maude’s shocked expression disappeared as she bustled out from behind the counter and went to him. “Hello, Hunter,” she said, without her usual enthusiasm. X appeared behind her, looking hesitant.
“Uh, hi.” Clearly, he shouldn’t have come. “Have you, um, seen Britt lately?”
“Yes.”
He blew out a relieved breath. “Is she okay?”
“No.”
His stomach sank to his knees. “I guess you heard everything.”
“She told us.”
“Then you know I’m a recovering alcoholic and drug user with a prison record—” He stopped talking as X’s and Maude’s eyes grew to the size of saucers.
“Um, no,” she said.
“Britt never mentioned that,” X added.
Hunter squeezed his eyes shut. Now they probably wouldn’t ever let him back in the store. He opened his eyes and looked at them. “I’ll be going now—”
“Hunter.” Maude put her hand on his arm. Then she glanced at X before shoving her hand inside her bra.
“Uh...” Hunter said.
“There it is.” She withdrew a gold coin and showed it to him. The number thirty was engraved in the middle, along with the words “one day at a time.”
A sobriety coin. The program he’d gone through at church didn’t give out coins, but he’d seen them before. Some of the participants had been through other sobriety programs and had relapsed, but they still carried around their coins.
“You’re among friends here.” She shoved the coin back in her bra. “I like to keep this close to my heart.”
The tension eased from his body as X nodded his approval. “Have you tried to reach Britt?”
“She’s not answering my calls. Or texts.” Hunter shoved his hands into his shorts pockets.
Maude fiddled with her glasses chain and glanced at X again. He gave her a single nod and slipped away. Then she motioned for Hunter to follow her to the front. When they reached the counter, she went behind it and faced him. “Do you love Britt?”
“Yes,” he said emphatically.
“Then why aren’t you fighting for her?”
Her blunt question caught him off guard. “If I could, I would,” he answered honestly, then shook his head. “I’m the one who messed up here.”
“I think there’s some blame on both sides, Hunter.”
“But—”
“Do you want her back or not?”
Hope suddenly grew in his heart. “Yes. I’d do anything to make that happen.”
“Good.” She grinned and put on her large red reading glasses. Today’s beaded chain colors were red, white, and blue in honor of the Fourth of July, even though the holiday had already passed.
