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Chapter Five
Lance
“This area is even more beautiful than I imagined,” I said as Hunter drove us down a gorgeous wooded path toward his home. “What do you think, buddy?” I looked over my shoulder at Brady, whose gaze was glued out the window.
“I love the trees,” he gushed. “They’re so pretty.”
They were; each of them were painted in autumn colors of red, orange, and brown, with evergreen pines sprinkled in, surrounding us in picturesque beauty. I couldn’t wait to see Hunter’s place; he’d told me about the lodge he shared with his friends, but I was excited to see it with my own eyes.
I was also excited to be introduced to the rest of Hunter’s friends. It meant a lot to me; my most recent and, well,onlyrelationship of my adult life had been shrouded in secrecy. I was kept from David’s family, friends…everyone. But Hunter seemed proud to show off not only me, but Brady as well.
Their relationship grew stronger every day. My son couldn’t wait to spend time with Hunter during my shifts at the coffee house, and then he constantly talked about him when they were apart.
I must admit that at first, I worried that Hunter could possibly be feigning interest in Brady or even using him to get closer to me, but I was ashamed of that now. Hunter had an obvious connection with Brady. He cared about him and enjoyed their time together. I was blessed to find a man like him.
I’d only known Hunter for about a week, but I couldn’t deny the strength of my feelings for him. And it wasn’t just because of the way he treated my son, but the way he treated me and made me feel. Instead of hiding me away or being ashamed, he cherished me and respected me. He had my heart, and I wasn’t afraid. I trusted him not to break it.
“Here we are,” Hunter said as he pulled into a clearing in the woods. In the center of a tree-less circle sat a large wooden lodge with steep eaves and a covered porch. “What do you think?”
“It’s incredible.”
“It’s huge!” Brady exclaimed from the backseat. “We could fit a hundred of our apartments in there!”
Hunter laughed as he parked and shut off the engine. He climbed out of the vehicle and helped Brady out of his seat as I joined them. “I can’t wait to introduce you to everyone.” He held out his hand for Brady to clasp, and then he led us up onto the porch.
When Hunter threw open the front door, we were met by a couple of familiar faces; Talon and Brandon waited just inside the entrance, smiling down at my boy.
“Hey Brady,” Talon greeted, and my son let go of Hunter’s hand to run toward the pair.
He gave each of them a tight hug and told them, “I missed you guys.”
“We missed you too,” Brandon replied. “We’ve been looking forward to hanging out today. Do you like comic books?”
Brady nodded his head. “I love them!”
“Nice! I’ve got a bunch to show you later. Right now, do you want to go meet our friends?”
“Yep, let’s go!” Brady insisted before heading into another room with the pair. He was totally comfortable around them, and it warmed my heart that they were so accepting of him as well.
We stepped into an open living room, which held a couch along each wall. Sitting scattered across them were four men, each of them large and intimidating in stature, but smiling kindly.
“Everyone, this is Lance and Brady,” Hunter introduced, and the men all waved. “Guys, this is Grady,” he said, motioning toward a black man wearing a newsboy cap.
Grady stood up, and I was surprised at his size. He had to be well over six feet tall, but he gave the two of us a dazzling smile, giving him the look of a gentle giant.
“Welcome to our home,” he greeted when he stood in front of me, and I shook his extended hand.
“It’s lovely. Thank you for having us.”
Grady bowed his head before letting me loose and stepping in front of Brady. He lowered down onto one knee so that he was at my son’s level. “It’s very nice to meet you, Brady.”
“Our names sound alike,” Brady said, making Grady smile brighter.
“They do. You’re a very smart boy.”
“Thanks,” my son beamed. Grady chuckled and ruffled his hair before standing upright again and stepping aside so that Hunter could continue with the introductions.
“That is Felix and his brother Enzo,” he said, pointing to two men who were obviously twins. But they weren'texactlyidentical; Felix has a slightly broader build while Enzo's beard was fuller and his eyes were more intense. But both men looked friendly as they smiled and waved.
