“Don’t worry about Isaac, I’ve got him covered,” Hunter interrupts, his tonecocky.
I arch my brow. “Who the fuck are you and where is the real Hunter Kane? No one has Isaaccovered.”
It is only when I stare into Hunter’s shimmering eyes does therealrealityhit.
“Who has your dick wrapped around their little finger?” I ask, my tone not matching the heaviness of ourconversation.
I can’t help it, though. Hunter’s longest relationship is the length of time it takes him to fuck her and walk her to the door. He’s never had a girlfriend. Not once. But I can’t miss the glimmer in his eyes. It is the same glimmer my eyes get every time IseeAva.
I chuckle when Hunter leans over, unlocks the passenger door and barges me in the shoulder, shoving me out of his car. A winded grunt escapes my lips when my backside crashes onto the sidewalk. Even with a jolt of pain rocketing through my shoulder, a broad grin etches onmyface.
“Are you inlove?” I jest, drawing out the last word in a long, huskydrawl.
Hunter grabs my duffle bag from the backseat of his car and throws it into my chest, winding me with his brutalforce.
“Get your ass back here in a week,” he directs sternly, glaring intomyeyes.
I smile, loving that I’ve finally discovered Hunter’s weak spot.It’s taken me over four years tofindit.
“Is it true what they say about beards? Can you smell her hourslater?”
Hunter’s teeth grit before he throws open the driver’s side door and peels out of his car. I scramble off the floor and hotfoot it to the entrance of the airport. I have a leering grin stretched across my face and am feeling the most carefree I’ve felt since tackling Ava to the floor threedaysago.
Realizing he has no chance of catching my long strides, Hunter returns to his car and leans on the front quarterpanel.
“I’ll see you in a week,” he says, his tone displaying it is a demand, not arequest.
I nod. “I’llbeback.”
Just as I enter the double automatic doors of the airport, Hunter calls my name. Tilting my torso out, I stare at hischortlingface.
“You have a week, Hugo; can you woo her inaweek?”
A cocky grin etches on my mouth. “I’ve done it in less,” I reply withawink.
Chapter Eighteen
Ava
“The wheelson the bus go round and round, roundandrou--”
Joel’s cheerful song stops halfway down the sidewalk, closely followed by his rushed footsteps. I adjust the heavy bag of groceries on my hip and lower my eyes to him. His eyes are opened wide; he has a broad grin stretched across his face, and the flutter of his pulse is pulsating through our joinedhands.
“Daddy!” he yells at the top of his lungs before releasing his grip on my hand and charging towards ourhouse.
My breath snags halfway to my lungs when my eyes follow Joel sprinting across the snow-covered ground, and I spot Hugo standing on the patio.He came back.He is wearing a pair of low-riding jeans and a long-sleeve shirt. He would have to be freezing as we had a fresh sprinkling of snow overnight, covering the ground with a thick layer of sleet. When Hugo notices Joel rushing down the path, he pushes off the patio and strides towards him, his steps long and urgent. Tears pool in my eyes when Hugo scoops Joel up in his arms and spins him around and around on the concrete path. Joel has missed Hugo so much the past three days, obviously just as much as Hugo has been missing him. Warmth blooms across my chest when I hear Joel’s beautiful giggle bellowing out of him. Nothing in the world sounds as beautiful as Joel’s infectiousgiggles.
I take that back. There is nothing more beautiful than the sound of Hugo and Joel laughing together. Their laugh is very similar, except Hugo’s is deeper and rumbling.Core-shattering. Hugo puts Joel on his feet, gathers his knocked-off beanie from the ground and pops it back onJoel’shead.
“Hey, buddy, I’ve missed you so much,” Hugo says, adjusting the collar on Joel’s coat to protect his neck from the chilly winterwinds.
Hugo’s eyes lift to mine when I walk down to thesidewalk.
“Hey,” he greets me, his voice softer, somewhatreserved.
“Hey, you’re back sooner than Iexpected.”
He smiles a tight grin before noddinghishead.
