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I cut the thought short. I wasn’t spiraling down that rabbit hole again. Principal Simmons was right. This was a small town and it was impossible to avoid these situations entirely. Even if I’d chosen to fall for Percy, we might have eventually had a child or relative end up in my classroom. If Hunter and I managed to get Toby’s blessing, I’d explain the situation better so he’d understand what to expect.
That had been our real mistake. We’d kept the secret too long while we waited for the perfect time to be honest with him.
I knocked on the door, and Hunter opened it, looking surprised to see me. “Clark, hey.”
“Hey.” I shifted, feeling nervous. “Is it okay I’m here? I wanted to talk to Toby.”
Hunter stepped out of the house, closing the door behind him, which was odd. Did Toby really not want to see my face?
“It’s fine.” At my expression, he added, “It’s great to see you.”
He gave me a quick kiss. Too quick.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “You said in your text you were running errands this afternoon and that was why Toby was missing GrasshopPeers. Is that not true?”
“No, it was. It’s just—”
The door opened behind him, and a beautiful woman stepped into the doorway. My heart seemed to freeze in my chest, then go into freefall. “Dinner’s going to be ready soon, hon. This is not the time for…oh. Is this…?”
Hunter slipped his arm around my shoulder, tucking me in against his body. “Clark Fletcher, this is my ex-wife, Holly. She surprised Toby by coming to visit for spring break. Isn’t that great?”
“Great,” I echoed.
“Holls, this is the Clark you’ve heard all about,” Hunter said. “He came by to update us on a school situation.”
“That’s right,” she said. “You’re Toby’s teacher?”
“Program adviser,” I said, feeling numb.
I wasn’t entirely sure what Hunter had told Holly about me. Did she know we were dating? Did she know we’d slept together? My cheeks warmed, guilt tugging at my insides even though I knew Hunter and Holly weren’t married anymore. She had no claim on him, but she looked so comfortable in his house, and why wouldn’t she? She was Hunter’s lover first. Toby’s mother.
They were her family, even though they felt more like mine.
“What school situation?” she asked, brow creasing in concern.
“It’s about a project Toby’s been doing with a partner in my program,” I said hesitantly. “Maybe I could come in and explain everything? I think Toby should hear this too.”
“Yeah, of course,” Hunter said.
Holly stepped back, her smile a bit tense. “Dinner is in the oven, so we don’t have a lot of time. I’m afraid I didn’t plan on having a guest.”
A guest. Ouch.After all the dinners I’d shared with the Rhodes men, the words cut.
“I’m sure we could manage,” Hunter said, voice tight.
“There’s just not enough. I know you might not actually plan anything when you attempt to cook, but—”
“No, it’s fine. I can’t stay,” I said. “This can be quick if one of you will grab Toby.”
“I’ll go get him,” Holly said.
Hunter turned to me. “Fuck, I’m sorry. This is such a cluster. I didn’t know she was coming, and I didn’t realize she’d want to stay here. Now…” He lifted his hands in a helpless gesture.
“It’s okay,” I said.
It didn’t feel okay, but this was Toby’s mother. It wasn’t like Hunter could turn her away—if he even wanted to. She was a beautiful woman who’d once been the love of his life. Maybe if she reconsidered their divorce, he would too.
When Holly returned with Toby, I plastered a smile on my face. If my relationship with Hunter had taught me anything, it was to fake it till you make it. This situation was awkward as hell, but I was going to do my best not to show my discomfort.
