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Something inside Hunter’s chest twisted—like he’d just wounded his best friend. But he fought against the impulse to relent. After all, it’d been a long time since he and Janie had been anything close to resembling friends at all, let alone the best kind. And she had known exactly what she was doing the other day when he’d sat at her counter with Grady beside him, aiming her scowls at Hunter with the same precision she’d placed her smiles on Grady.
If Janie wanted reconciliation, she could seek it. If she wanted Grady, then she would have to accept cool aloofness from Hunter.
She couldn’t have both Hunter’s warmth and Grady’s attention. Hunter just didn’t own the might and goodness to live that way.
Janie rolled her shaking hands into fists and tucked them tight against her stomach. Hiding in the cool pantry located in her kitchen, she pressed her back against the series of built-in shelves and exhaled a controlled breath.
It shouldn’t make her queasy, the way Hunter had given her a front as cool as the northern October breeze. But the hard switch in his demeanor made her world spin. As she lay her head back and shut her eyes, she felt the sensation of his forehead pressed to hers. The thrilling tickle of his thumb grazing the edge of her bottom lip triggered a flush of heat to wash over her body.
Why would she allow herself to relive that moment? That had been weeks—no, months ago. It wasn’t helping. It only drove a sharp ache deep in her heart.
The thing was, though, that she could handle Hunter’s anger with her. That she could manage by firing anger right back. But the way he’d been tender all those weeks ago? She wasn’t sure what to do with that.
Worse? This new cool detachment. He’d looked at her just now as if she’d been a stranger in whom he had no interest. No one of consequence. No one who stirred anything in his heart.
No anger.
No love.
Nothing whatsoever.
In his distant gaze, she’d merely been the girl serving pizza.
Janie opened her eyes and stared up at the ceiling as a sense of emptiness yawned in her heart. What was this feeling of loss? She and Hunter had broken up years ago. She’d cried all the tears. More, he’d beengonefor most of the time between then and now. Why should she have this new sensation of emptiness?
Because Hunter had decided he didn’t care? Hadn’t he already proven that by leaving?
No, he’d cared back then. Evidenced by how angry he’d been.
Which meant, by her own measure of anger, she cared too. Cared enough still that the thought of him being aloof toward her made her grieve all over again.
They couldn’t exist like this, not if Hunter was going to live in Luna. Janie couldn’t stand the distant chill and the emptiness it provoked. She had to find a different way—theyneeded to find some other means of existing in this small town together. A better way of dealing with each other.
Crossing her arms, she rubbed her shoulders. If she wanted something different, she would have to be the one to make the first change. Heaven knew Hunter had found his solution. That wasn’t going to work for Janie. But doing things like intentionally flirting with another man while Hunter sat there watching hadn’t helped. And finally willing to tell the truth of it, Janie admitted it hadn’t been kind at all.
It had been entirely mean.
That wasn’t who she wanted to be. Not in general, and not to Hunter. So she would try kindness, and maybe then she and Hunter could find their way back to friendship. A nonvolatile, more-than-mere-strangers,kindfriendship.
There. That was what she wanted. Friendship with Hunter. That way they could live in Luna and not make each other miserable.
With resolve sliding in place, Janie blew out a breath of relief and let herself out of the pantry. Once in the kitchen, she plated four more slices of pizza, which looked more like pie than what one got from a typical delivery service, and arranged the plates two to a hand to deliver them to the dining room.
Janie served two other patrons who had come in for Friday night deep dish, and then Bennett and Hazel, who hadn’t received their plates on her last round.
“Thank you for doing this,” Bennett said. By the relief in his voice, he meant it from the depths of his heart. “I hadn’t thought through what we’d eat tonight.”
“It’s my pleasure.” Janie wiped her hands on her apron. “Plan on coming in for breakfast tomorrow.”
“Only if I get to borrow your kitchen to make omelets.” Bennett winked at Hazel.
Janie nodded. “That is certainly not one of my specialties, so you can have at it.” She glanced at Nathan, who slouched in his chair, his plate scraped clean. “Can I get you another slice?”
He shrugged. “It’s almost as good as Chicago’s . . .”
“I’ll take that as a compliment—and a yes.” Janie picked up his plate and then moved toward the other end of the table, where Gemma and Hunter sat. Gemma’s was clean. Hunter hadn’t started on his pizza yet. Likely, he’d waited for Bennett and Hazel.
Hunter was considerate like that.
